| Repentance in Judaism Teshuva
"Return"
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| Repentance, atonement and higher ascent in Judaism |
| In the Hebrew Bible |
| Altars · Korban Temple in Jerusalem Prophecy within the Temple |
| Aspects |
| Confession · Atonement Love of God · Awe of God Mystical approach Ethical approach Meditation · Services Torah study Tzedakah · Mitzvot |
| In the Jewish calendar |
| Month of Elul · Selichot Rosh Hashanah Shofar · Tashlikh Ten Days of Repentance Kapparot · Mikveh Yom Kippur Sukkot · Simchat Torah Ta'anit · Tisha B'Av Passover · The Omer Shavuot |
| In contemporary Judaism |
| Baal Teshuva movement Jewish Renewal |
Repentance in Judaism known as teshuva (Hebrew: תשובה, literally "return"), is the way of atoning for sin in Judaism.
According to Gates of Repentance, a standard work of Jewish ethics written by Rabbenu Yonah of Gerona, if someone commits a sin, a forbidden act, he can be forgiven for that sin if he performs teshuva, which includes:[1]
Guides to the process of repentance in Judaism can be found through the rabbinical literature, see especially Maimonides' Rules of Repentance in the Mishneh Torah.
The High Holidays are times that are especially conducive to teshuva. Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement) is a day of fasting during which judgment for the year is sealed. Therefore, Jews strive their hardest to make certain that they have performed teshuva before the end of the day.
According to the Talmud, repentance was among the first things God created; even before God created the physical universe (Nedarim 39b).[2] When the Temple in Jerusalem was active, a Jew was required to bring various sacrifices for certain types of sins. Although sacrifices were required, the most essential part was teshuva, the person bringing the sacrifice would confess his sins. Presently, with the Temple destroyed, atonement may nevertheless be granted by doing teshuva.
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In the Hebrew Bible, the noun teshuva occurs rarely. The verb shuv ("repent") occurs frequently.[3][4]
Viduy (confession) is an integral part of the repentance process. It is not enough to feel remorse and forsake sin, although such feelings are a commendable first step.[5] A penitent must put his or her feelings into words and essentially say, "I did such-and-such and for that, I am sorry." Excuses for and rationalizations of the sin are not accepted at this stage of the repentance process.[2] The verbal confession need not necessarily be a confession to another person; confessing alone may allow the penitent to be more honest with him- or herself.[6]
Viduy is slightly different for sins committed against God or one's self than they are for sins committed against another human. Abraham Joshua Heschel once wrote, "According to Jewish tradition, even God Himself can only forgive sins committed against Himself, not against man."[7] True repentance requires the penitent to approach the aggrieved party and correct the sin however possible. Thus, unlike in the repentance in Christianity, the Jewish concept of repentance is not simply the renouncement of sin in general, but rather in the specific sin done against a specific person or group of people. Only then must one go through the introspective processes described above.[8]
The second principle in Rabbenu Yonah's "Principles of Repentance" is forsaking the sin (Hebrew: עזיבת–החטא, azivat-hachet). After regretting the sin (Jonah's first principle), the penitent must resolve never to repeat the sin.[9] However, Judaism recognizes that the process of repentance varies from penitent to penitent and from sin to sin. For example, a non-habitual sinner often feels the sting of the sin more acutely than the habitual sinner. Therefore, a non-habitual sinner will have an easier time repenting, because he or she will be less likely to repeat the sinful behavior.[2]
The case of the habitual sinner is more complex. If the habitual sinner regrets his or her sin at all, that regret alone clearly does not translate into a change in behavior. In such a case, Rabbi Nosson Scherman recommends devising "a personal system of reward and punishment" and to avoid circumstances which may cause temptation toward a the sin being repented for.[2] The Talmud teaches, "Who is the penitent whose repentance ascends until the Throne of Glory? — one who is tested and emerges guiltless" (Yoma 86b).[10]
Being or becoming a Jewish penitent (or returnee or born again), is known as a Baal teshuva (Hebrew: בעל תשובה; for a woman: בעלת תשובה, baalat teshuva; plural: בעלי תשובה, baalei teshuva) the Hebrew term referring to a person who has repented. Baal teshuva literally means "master of repentance or return (to Judaism)". The term has historically referred to a Jew who had not kept Jewish practices, and completed a process of introspection and thus returned to Judaism and morality. In Israel, another term is used, hozer beteshuva (חוזר בתשובה), literally "returning in repentance". Also, Jews who adopt religion later in life are known "baalei teshuva" or "hozerim beteshuva".
With the Roman destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, the Jewish practice of offering korbanot (animal sacrifices) ceased. Despite subsequent intermittent periods of small Jewish groups offering the traditional sacrifices on the Temple Mount, the practice effectively ended.
Jewish religious life was forced to undergo a significant evolution in response to this change; no longer could Judaism revolve round the Temple services. Instead, the destruction of the Temple spurred the development of Judaism in the direction of text study, prayer and further development of the Jewish practice. A range of responses is recorded in classical rabbinic literature, describing this shift in emphasis.
In a number of places the Babylonian Talmud emphasises that following Jewish practice, performing charitable deeds, praying, and studying Torah are greater than performing animal sacrifices and the former can be used to achieve atonement.
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