Teshuvah as a Cosmic Process:
"Rabbi Abahu bar Ze’ira said: Great is teshuvah, for it existed in the world before Creation”.
(Genesis Rabbah 1:4)
Commenting on this midrash, Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz writes: “The implication of this remarkable statement is that teshuvah is a universal, primordial phenomenon…It is embedded in the root structure of the world…Before we were created, we were given the possibility of changing the course of our lives.” (in Kol Haneshamah machzor, p. 8)
Sins as alienation:
........sins are those things which estrange us from the sacred, which create a sense of alienation from that which is Ultimate and good. We become estranged from our own Godly nature, and from our divine Source. We experience a kind of hunger in our souls, a profound sense of spiritual alienation and distance from the divine. Teshuvah from love is motivated by that hunger, that thirst, a yearning for intimacy with God. As the great medieval philosopher and rabbi, Maimonides, wrote in his Mishneh Torah:
“Teshuvah is great because it brings a person close to the Shekhina, to God’s Presence in the world…Teshuvah brings close those who are far off.” (Hilchot Teshuva 7:6)
Excerpted from Rabbi Toba Spitzer's essay on Teshuvah
https://www.dorsheitzedek.org/divrei-torah/rabbi-toba-spitzer?post_id=358148
"Rabbi Abahu bar Ze’ira said: Great is teshuvah, for it existed in the world before Creation”.
(Genesis Rabbah 1:4)
Commenting on this midrash, Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz writes: “The implication of this remarkable statement is that teshuvah is a universal, primordial phenomenon…It is embedded in the root structure of the world…Before we were created, we were given the possibility of changing the course of our lives.” (in Kol Haneshamah machzor, p. 8)
Sins as alienation:
........sins are those things which estrange us from the sacred, which create a sense of alienation from that which is Ultimate and good. We become estranged from our own Godly nature, and from our divine Source. We experience a kind of hunger in our souls, a profound sense of spiritual alienation and distance from the divine. Teshuvah from love is motivated by that hunger, that thirst, a yearning for intimacy with God. As the great medieval philosopher and rabbi, Maimonides, wrote in his Mishneh Torah:
“Teshuvah is great because it brings a person close to the Shekhina, to God’s Presence in the world…Teshuvah brings close those who are far off.” (Hilchot Teshuva 7:6)
Excerpted from Rabbi Toba Spitzer's essay on Teshuvah
https://www.dorsheitzedek.org/divrei-torah/rabbi-toba-spitzer?post_id=358148
Tich Naht Hahn
Gata:
I have arrived.
I am home. In the here.
In the now.
I am solid.
I am free.
In the ultimate I dwell.
Some of us continue to run even in our sleep in our dreams
because running has become a habit
we run in our sleep in our dreams
I have arrived I am home-- I don't want to run anymore
you want to really rest.
You like to listen to the music of your breathing in and out
your heart is playing music
like that you can enter your sleep peacefully and with much pleasure.
The practice of stopping is very crucial in the Buddhist tradition.
There are moments when we don't do anything -- we just sit there and lie down
but our bodies have not stopped. There is a tension in our bodies.
The body does not have the capacity to rest. To stop.
Stopping does not just mean just stopping the mind it means stopping the body.
because the body has the habit of running
there is a feeling of restlessness in the body....
you can help the body to stop
you can help to stop the mind.
you practice with body and mind at the same time. Not just the mind.
The Buddhist term for stopping is Shamata. In Pali ---Samata.
The first meaning of Shamata is stopping. Without stopping you cannot do much......
You can stop at the time you walk, you can even stop while you run. Jogging meditation. Because you are not running after something. You are not searching for something at all. You are at peace in the present moment. That is the meaning of Shamata.
....
You need a strong will and a big desire in order to stop.
Because the habit of running is very strong in us. in our mind and in our body.
.....
"You need to have faith in your in breath. You don't need to have faith in God."
Gata:
I have arrived.
I am home. In the here.
In the now.
I am solid.
I am free.
In the ultimate I dwell.
Some of us continue to run even in our sleep in our dreams
because running has become a habit
we run in our sleep in our dreams
I have arrived I am home-- I don't want to run anymore
you want to really rest.
You like to listen to the music of your breathing in and out
your heart is playing music
like that you can enter your sleep peacefully and with much pleasure.
The practice of stopping is very crucial in the Buddhist tradition.
There are moments when we don't do anything -- we just sit there and lie down
but our bodies have not stopped. There is a tension in our bodies.
The body does not have the capacity to rest. To stop.
Stopping does not just mean just stopping the mind it means stopping the body.
because the body has the habit of running
there is a feeling of restlessness in the body....
you can help the body to stop
you can help to stop the mind.
you practice with body and mind at the same time. Not just the mind.
The Buddhist term for stopping is Shamata. In Pali ---Samata.
The first meaning of Shamata is stopping. Without stopping you cannot do much......
You can stop at the time you walk, you can even stop while you run. Jogging meditation. Because you are not running after something. You are not searching for something at all. You are at peace in the present moment. That is the meaning of Shamata.
....
You need a strong will and a big desire in order to stop.
Because the habit of running is very strong in us. in our mind and in our body.
.....
"You need to have faith in your in breath. You don't need to have faith in God."
(כד) וַיְהִ֣י ׀ כְּמִשְׁלֹ֣שׁ חֳדָשִׁ֗ים וַיֻּגַּ֨ד לִֽיהוּדָ֤ה לֵֽאמֹר֙ זָֽנְתָה֙ תָּמָ֣ר כַּלָּתֶ֔ךָ וְגַ֛ם הִנֵּ֥ה הָרָ֖ה לִזְנוּנִ֑ים וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהוּדָ֔ה הוֹצִיא֖וּהָ וְתִשָּׂרֵֽף׃ (כה) הִ֣וא מוּצֵ֗את וְהִ֨יא שָׁלְחָ֤ה אֶל־חָמִ֙יהָ֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר לְאִישׁ֙ אֲשֶׁר־אֵ֣לֶּה לּ֔וֹ אָנֹכִ֖י הָרָ֑ה וַתֹּ֙אמֶר֙ הַכֶּר־נָ֔א לְמִ֞י הַחֹתֶ֧מֶת וְהַפְּתִילִ֛ים וְהַמַּטֶּ֖ה הָאֵֽלֶּה׃ (כו) וַיַּכֵּ֣ר יְהוּדָ֗ה וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ צָֽדְקָ֣ה מִמֶּ֔נִּי כִּֽי־עַל־כֵּ֥ן לֹא־נְתַתִּ֖יהָ לְשֵׁלָ֣ה בְנִ֑י וְלֹֽא־יָסַ֥ף ע֖וֹד לְדַעְתָּֽהּ׃ (כז) וַיְהִ֖י בְּעֵ֣ת לִדְתָּ֑הּ וְהִנֵּ֥ה תְאוֹמִ֖ים בְּבִטְנָֽהּ׃ (כח) וַיְהִ֥י בְלִדְתָּ֖הּ וַיִּתֶּן־יָ֑ד וַתִּקַּ֣ח הַמְיַלֶּ֗דֶת וַתִּקְשֹׁ֨ר עַל־יָד֤וֹ שָׁנִי֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר זֶ֖ה יָצָ֥א רִאשֹׁנָֽה׃ (כט) וַיְהִ֣י ׀ כְּמֵשִׁ֣יב יָד֗וֹ וְהִנֵּה֙ יָצָ֣א אָחִ֔יו וַתֹּ֕אמֶר מַה־פָּרַ֖צְתָּ עָלֶ֣יךָ פָּ֑רֶץ וַיִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ פָּֽרֶץ׃ (ל) וְאַחַר֙ יָצָ֣א אָחִ֔יו אֲשֶׁ֥ר עַל־יָד֖וֹ הַשָּׁנִ֑י וַיִּקְרָ֥א שְׁמ֖וֹ זָֽרַח׃ {ס}
(24) About three months later, Judah was told, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has played the harlot; in fact, she is pregnant from harlotry.” “Bring her out,” said Judah. “She should be burned!” (25) As she was being brought out, she sent this message to her father-in-law, “It’s by the man to whom these belong that I’m pregnant.” And she added, “Examine these: whose seal and cord and staff are these?” (26) Judah recognized them, and said, “She is more in the right than I, inasmuch as I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he was not intimate with her again. (27) When the time came for her to give birth, there were twins in her womb! (28) While she was in labor, one of them put out a hand, and the midwife tied a crimson thread on that hand, to signify: This one came out first. (29) But just then it drew back its hand, and out came its brother; and she said, “What a breach you have made for yourself!” So he was named Perez. (30) Afterward his brother came out, on whose hand was the crimson thread; he was named Zerah.
(א) וַיִּשְׁלַ֧ח יְהֹוָ֛ה אֶת־נָתָ֖ן אֶל־דָּוִ֑ד וַיָּבֹ֣א אֵלָ֗יו וַיֹּ֤אמֶר לוֹ֙ שְׁנֵ֣י אֲנָשִׁ֗ים הָיוּ֙ בְּעִ֣יר אֶחָ֔ת אֶחָ֥ד עָשִׁ֖יר וְאֶחָ֥ד רָֽאשׁ׃ (ב) לְעָשִׁ֗יר הָיָ֛ה צֹ֥אן וּבָקָ֖ר הַרְבֵּ֥ה מְאֹֽד׃ (ג) וְלָרָ֣שׁ אֵֽין־כֹּ֗ל כִּי֩ אִם־כִּבְשָׂ֨ה אַחַ֤ת קְטַנָּה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר קָנָ֔ה וַיְחַיֶּ֕הָ וַתִּגְדַּ֥ל עִמּ֛וֹ וְעִם־בָּנָ֖יו יַחְדָּ֑ו מִפִּתּ֨וֹ תֹאכַ֜ל וּמִכֹּס֤וֹ תִשְׁתֶּה֙ וּבְחֵיק֣וֹ תִשְׁכָּ֔ב וַתְּהִי־ל֖וֹ כְּבַֽת׃ (ד) וַיָּ֣בֹא הֵ֘לֶךְ֮ לְאִ֣ישׁ הֶעָשִׁיר֒ וַיַּחְמֹ֗ל לָקַ֤חַת מִצֹּאנוֹ֙ וּמִבְּקָר֔וֹ לַעֲשׂ֕וֹת לָאֹרֵ֖חַ הַבָּא־ל֑וֹ וַיִּקַּ֗ח אֶת־כִּבְשַׂת֙ הָאִ֣ישׁ הָרָ֔אשׁ וַֽיַּעֲשֶׂ֔הָ לָאִ֖ישׁ הַבָּ֥א אֵלָֽיו׃ (ה) וַיִּחַר־אַ֥ף דָּוִ֛ד בָּאִ֖ישׁ מְאֹ֑ד וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ אֶל־נָתָ֔ן חַי־יְהֹוָ֕ה כִּ֣י בֶן־מָ֔וֶת הָאִ֖ישׁ הָעֹשֶׂ֥ה זֹֽאת׃ (ו) וְאֶת־הַכִּבְשָׂ֖ה יְשַׁלֵּ֣ם אַרְבַּעְתָּ֑יִם עֵ֗קֶב אֲשֶׁ֤ר עָשָׂה֙ אֶת־הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה וְעַ֖ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־חָמָֽל׃ {ס} (ז) וַיֹּ֧אמֶר נָתָ֛ן אֶל־דָּוִ֖ד אַתָּ֣ה הָאִ֑ישׁ {ס} כֹּה־אָמַ֨ר יְהֹוָ֜ה אֱלֹהֵ֣י יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל אָנֹכִ֞י מְשַׁחְתִּ֤יךָֽ לְמֶ֙לֶךְ֙ עַל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֔ל וְאָנֹכִ֥י הִצַּלְתִּ֖יךָ מִיַּ֥ד שָׁאֽוּל׃ (ח) וָאֶתְּנָ֨ה לְךָ֜ אֶת־בֵּ֣ית אֲדֹנֶ֗יךָ וְאֶת־נְשֵׁ֤י אֲדֹנֶ֙יךָ֙ בְּחֵיקֶ֔ךָ וָאֶתְּנָ֣ה לְךָ֔ אֶת־בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל וִיהוּדָ֑ה וְאִ֨ם־מְעָ֔ט וְאֹסִ֥פָה לְּךָ֖ כָּהֵ֥נָּה וְכָהֵֽנָּה׃ (ט) מַדּ֜וּעַ בָּזִ֣יתָ ׀ אֶת־דְּבַ֣ר יְהֹוָ֗ה לַעֲשׂ֣וֹת הָרַע֮ (בעינו) [בְּעֵינַי֒] אֵ֣ת אוּרִיָּ֤ה הַחִתִּי֙ הִכִּ֣יתָ בַחֶ֔רֶב וְאֶ֨ת־אִשְׁתּ֔וֹ לָקַ֥חְתָּ לְּךָ֖ לְאִשָּׁ֑ה וְאֹת֣וֹ הָרַ֔גְתָּ בְּחֶ֖רֶב בְּנֵ֥י עַמּֽוֹן׃ (י) וְעַתָּ֗ה לֹא־תָס֥וּר חֶ֛רֶב מִבֵּיתְךָ֖ עַד־עוֹלָ֑ם עֵ֚קֶב כִּ֣י בְזִתָ֔נִי וַתִּקַּ֗ח אֶת־אֵ֙שֶׁת֙ אוּרִיָּ֣ה הַחִתִּ֔י לִהְי֥וֹת לְךָ֖ לְאִשָּֽׁה׃ {ס} (יא) כֹּ֣ה ׀ אָמַ֣ר יְהֹוָ֗ה הִנְנִי֩ מֵקִ֨ים עָלֶ֤יךָ רָעָה֙ מִבֵּיתֶ֔ךָ וְלָקַחְתִּ֤י אֶת־נָשֶׁ֙יךָ֙ לְעֵינֶ֔יךָ וְנָתַתִּ֖י לְרֵעֶ֑יךָ וְשָׁכַב֙ עִם־נָשֶׁ֔יךָ לְעֵינֵ֖י הַשֶּׁ֥מֶשׁ הַזֹּֽאת׃ (יב) כִּ֥י אַתָּ֖ה עָשִׂ֣יתָ בַסָּ֑תֶר וַאֲנִ֗י אֶֽעֱשֶׂה֙ אֶת־הַדָּבָ֣ר הַזֶּ֔ה נֶ֥גֶד כׇּל־יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל וְנֶ֥גֶד הַשָּֽׁמֶשׁ׃ {ס} (יג) וַיֹּ֤אמֶר דָּוִד֙ אֶל־נָתָ֔ן חָטָ֖אתִי לַיהֹוָ֑ה {ס} וַיֹּ֨אמֶר נָתָ֜ן אֶל־דָּוִ֗ד גַּם־יְהֹוָ֛ה הֶעֱבִ֥יר חַטָּאתְךָ֖ לֹ֥א תָמֽוּת׃ (יד) אֶ֗פֶס כִּֽי־נִאֵ֤ץ נִאַ֙צְתָּ֙ אֶת־אֹיְבֵ֣י יְהֹוָ֔ה בַּדָּבָ֖ר הַזֶּ֑ה גַּ֗ם הַבֵּ֛ן הַיִּלּ֥וֹד לְךָ֖ מ֥וֹת יָמֽוּת׃
(1) and the LORD sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said, “There were two men in the same city, one rich and one poor. (2) The rich man had very large flocks and herds, (3) but the poor man had only one little ewe lamb that he had bought. He tended it and it grew up together with him and his children: it used to share his morsel of bread, drink from his cup, and nestle in his bosom; it was like a daughter to him. (4) One day, a traveler came to the rich man, but he was loath to take anything from his own flocks or herds to prepare a meal for the guest who had come to him; so he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.” (5) David flew into a rage against the man, and said to Nathan, “As the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die! (6) He shall pay for the lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and showed no pity.” (7) And Nathan said to David, “That man is you! Thus said the LORD, the God of Israel: ‘It was I who anointed you king over Israel and it was I who rescued you from the hand of Saul. (8) I gave you your master’s house and possession of your master’s wives; and I gave you the House of Israel and Judah; and if that were not enough, I would give you twice as much more. (9) Why then have you flouted the command of the LORD and done what displeases Him? You have put Uriah the Hittite to the sword; you took his wife and made her your wife and had him killed by the sword of the Ammonites. (10) Therefore the sword shall never depart from your House—because you spurned Me by taking the wife of Uriah the Hittite and making her your wife.’ (11) Thus said the LORD: ‘I will make a calamity rise against you from within your own house; I will take your wives and give them to another man before your very eyes and he shall sleep with your wives under this very sun. (12) You acted in secret, but I will make this happen in the sight of all Israel and in broad daylight.’” (13) David said to Nathan, “I stand guilty before the LORD!” And Nathan replied to David, “The LORD has remitted your sin; you shall not die. (14) However, since you have spurned the enemies of-a the LORD by this deed, even the child about to be born to you shall die.”
אָמַר רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ: גְּדוֹלָה תְּשׁוּבָה שֶׁזְּדוֹנוֹת נַעֲשׂוֹת לוֹ כִּשְׁגָגוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״שׁוּבָה יִשְׂרָאֵל עַד ה׳ אֱלֹהֶיךָ כִּי כָשַׁלְתָּ בַּעֲוֹנֶךָ״, הָא ״עָוֹן״ — מֵזִיד הוּא, וְקָא קָרֵי לֵיהּ מִכְשׁוֹל.
אִינִי?! וְהָאָמַר רֵישׁ לָקִישׁ: גְּדוֹלָה תְּשׁוּבָה שֶׁזְּדוֹנוֹת נַעֲשׂוֹת לוֹ כִּזְכִיּוֹת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״וּבְשׁוּב רָשָׁע מֵרִשְׁעָתוֹ וְעָשָׂה מִשְׁפָּט וּצְדָקָה עֲלֵיהֶם (חָיֹה) יִחְיֶה״! לָא קַשְׁיָא: כָּאן מֵאַהֲבָה, כָּאן מִיִּרְאָה.
Reish Lakish said: Great is repentance, as the penitent’s intentional sins are counted for him as unwitting transgressions, as it is stated: “Return, Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled in your iniquity” (Hosea 14:2). The Gemara analyzes this: Doesn’t “iniquity” mean an intentional sin? Yet the prophet calls it stumbling, implying that one who repents is considered as though he only stumbled accidentally in his transgression. The Gemara asks: Is that so? Didn’t Reish Lakish himself say: Great is repentance, as one’s intentional sins are counted for him as merits, as it is stated: “And when the wicked turns from his wickedness, and does that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby” (Ezekiel 33:19), and all his deeds, even his transgressions, will become praiseworthy? The Gemara reconciles: This is not difficult: Here, when one repents out of love, his sins become like merits; there, when one repents out of fear, his sins are counted as unwitting transgressions.
א. אורות התשובה ז:א
טבעה של התשובה היא, שהיא נותנת לאדם מנוחה וכבד-ראש כאחד. היא מנחמת אותו גם בהרהור תשובה, בנקודה אחת קטנה מאורה הגדול כבר מונח אושר רם ונשא של עולם מלא, ועם זה היא מצגת לעיני רוחו תמיד חובות של השלמה, המצילות אותו מזחיחות הדעת ונותנות עליו אור מתוק, הנותן ערך גדול וקבוע לחייו.
הציור של התשובה מהפך את כל העונות ובהלותיהם, יסוריהם הרוחנים וכעוריהם, למושגים של עדן וקורת רוח, מפני שעל ידם זורח לאדם עומק הדעת של שנאת הרע, ואהבת הטוב מתגברת בו בגבורה אדירה, ולמעלה מכל חשבון ודעת הרי הוא מתענג על אושר הנוחם, שמרגיש כי אותו הנועם האלהי המיוחד לבעלי תשובה, הנעים ביותר עם הטעם המעדן של שבירת הלב ודכאות הנפש, המחוברת עם אמונה עמוקה של הצלה וישועת עולמים.
Lights of Repentance 7:1 Rav Kook
The nature of teshuvah is that it gives a person tranquility and centeredness as if that person is one. It gives him/her tranquility even through the thought of teshuvah, in that one little point of a great light, already brings great and high happiness from a complete world, and with that it already projects to his/her spiritual eyes the need for completeness, that rescues her/him from euphoria and gives upon her/him a sweet light, that gives a great meaning and constancy to her/his life.
The design of teshuvah is such that it transforms all sins and their terrors, their spiritual sufferings and their uglinesses, into reflections/concepts of Eden and personal fulfillment, because through them a person is shined with depth of thought regarding the hate of evil, and the love of good gets strengthened with a mighty strength, behold s/he enjoys the happiness of regret, that he feels that the specific delightof the Divine regarding the ba'alei teshuvah, the most pleasant of all, with the taste of the delicate/delicacy of a broken heart and the sadness of soul, which connects itself with deep faith of the rescuing and salvation of the worlds.
The Arvei Nachal, the Hasidic Rabbi David Eybeshuetz of Soroka says:
"Even if someone has not committed a very crude sin, so that her mind will not be preoccupied with such ugliness, and her emotional drive for improvement will not be blocked–it is still not worthwhile to dwell on the sin in an attempt to escape from evil. It is like someone trying to sweep away mud. She pushes the mud this way, she pushes the mud that way–she remains with mud! I did sin, I didn’t sin–what benefit has Heaven from this preoccupation? While she was thinking about it, she could have been stringing pearls of Torah study and good deeds, so that Heaven could be benefitted!
[Therefore, let us interpret the verse differently]: Sur m’rah v’aseh tov: turn away from evil - don’t think about it - and do good. If you have committed bundles of sins, commit bundles of good deeds instead.” (in Artscroll Yom Kippur: Its Significance, Laws, and Prayers).
Excerpted from Rabbi Toba Spitzer's essay on Teshuvah
https://www.dorsheitzedek.org/divrei-torah/rabbi-toba-spitzer?post_id=358148
"Even if someone has not committed a very crude sin, so that her mind will not be preoccupied with such ugliness, and her emotional drive for improvement will not be blocked–it is still not worthwhile to dwell on the sin in an attempt to escape from evil. It is like someone trying to sweep away mud. She pushes the mud this way, she pushes the mud that way–she remains with mud! I did sin, I didn’t sin–what benefit has Heaven from this preoccupation? While she was thinking about it, she could have been stringing pearls of Torah study and good deeds, so that Heaven could be benefitted!
[Therefore, let us interpret the verse differently]: Sur m’rah v’aseh tov: turn away from evil - don’t think about it - and do good. If you have committed bundles of sins, commit bundles of good deeds instead.” (in Artscroll Yom Kippur: Its Significance, Laws, and Prayers).
Excerpted from Rabbi Toba Spitzer's essay on Teshuvah
https://www.dorsheitzedek.org/divrei-torah/rabbi-toba-spitzer?post_id=358148
Raymond Carver
And did you get what
you wanted from this life, even so?
I did.
And what did you want?
To call myself beloved, to feel myself
beloved on the earth.
But the greatest desire of all is to be
In the dream of another
To feel a slight pull, like reins,
To feel a heavy pull, like chains.”
The Selected Poetry Of Yehuda Amichai
By Yehuda Amichai