The period between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is especially
suited for repentance.[1] What is repentance? The mitzvah of repentance entails a verbal
recognition that a wrong was done, remorse and a commitment not to repeat the
wrong.[2]
Albeit these are the steps that must be taken in order to
fulfill the mitzvah of repentance, the prophet does not mention these. Rather, he speaks of returning to God. The special haftarah that we read this
Shabbos – the Shabbos before Yom Kippur – begins, “שׁוּבָה יִשְׂרָאֵל עַד ה' אֱ-לֹהֶיךָ .../Return,
Israel , until God, your Lord
…” (Hoshe’a 14:2)
It almost seems as if the prophet continues from where the
mitzvah ends. We may fulfill the mitzvah
of repentance by following the steps brought down in the halachah. However, in order to return to God, something
more is needed. The Sfas Emes explains,
in fact, that the prophet is not only addressing penitents. He is addressing the righteous as well. The only difference between the two is that
the penitent must first fulfill the mitzvah of repentance whereas the righteous
can start from the second step of returning to God.
The two step process of repentance and return explains the
pasuk in Eichah (5:21), “הֲשִׁיבֵנוּ
ה' אֵלֶיךָ וְנָשׁוּבָה .../Return us to You and we will return
…” When we rectify the sin through
remorse and by committing not to repeat the sin, God returns us to Him. Afterwards, we return. Although rectification of the sin is
critical, it is not the main thing. The
main thing is the subsequent return to God that the rectification enables.
The Sfas Emes refers to these two steps as two types of
repentance, the second building on the first.
The first is repentance from fear.
When we first realize that we’ve done a wrong, it is natural to fear and
be concerned for the damage we’ve caused.
This concern stirs us to remorse and a commitment to not repeat the
wrong. We are also moved to ask God to
have mercy on us and rectify the damage caused by the sin.
The second step, once we merit coming close to God, is the
repentance of love. When we contemplate
God’s tremendous kindness that He has not rejected us as sinners but rather has
brought us close to Him, we are shamed and inspired to come close to God out of
love.
Elsewhere[3] the Sfas Emes explains that
during the weekdays of the ten days of penitence, concern for the damage caused
by our sins compels us to repent and return to God. To the extent that we work and pray for this
during the weekdays, we merit returning to God on Shabbos out of a feeling of
love that God Himself imbues in us[4]. May we merit it and a G’mar Chasima Tova.
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