My brief, amateurish commentary on T'shuva

[zachor_ve_kavod]

Please tell me if there is any merit to this line of reasoning.  I've never really done this before.

According to Rachel J. Witty, "The Jew may repent at any time during the year, seeking G-d's forgiveness and returning to the observances of the Torah.  A person who repents and observes the mitzvot is called a ba'al t'shuvah."1.  In the common usage, to do t'shuva is to repent and ask G-d for forgiveness.  There is a related concept, which is known in English as the responsa literature.  This is a body of literature compiled over the centuries that was designed to ask questions and answer them.  In Hebrew this is called Sh'elot
U'T'shuvot.  You may notice that this term contains a derivative of the word T'shuva.

Consequently, I am thinking that the concept of T'shuva is closely related to the idea of asking and answering.  This follows in the straight forward sense, as when a Jew does T'shuva he is asking for G-d's forgiveness.  As Torah concepts most of the time have more than one interpretation, I was wondering what else a person is asking when he is doing T'shuva.  My best guess is that the act of T'shuva is not only the act of asking for G'd's forgiveness, but also the questioning of one's own soul.  "What sin did I commit?"  "What are the consequences of such a sin?"  "Whom have I wronged?"  "What did this sin do to my soul?"

Agonizing over these questions will doubtlessly lead the Jew to live a more deliberate and examined life.  Anyone can ask for G-d's forgiveness, but not everyone is willing to be honest with themselves and methodically scrutinize their past actions and the consequences of those actions, whether intentional or unintentional.

Those are some thoughts I had today on T'shuva.  I would welcome any criticisms.


1. Rachel J. Witty, A Vocabulary of Jewish Tradition, (Canada:  Letter Perfect Inc., 1985), p. 48.

[muman613]

Teshuva and Tefillah are related...

Tefilla comes from the root word to examine ourselves... Here is some information I found on the web:

http://www.mechon-mamre.org/jewfaq/prayer.htm

Tefillah:  Prayer

The Hebrew word for prayer is tefillah.  It is derived from the root Pe-Lamed-Lamed and the word l'hitpallel, meaning to judge oneself.  This surprising word origin provides insight into the purpose of Jewish prayer.  The most important part of any Jewish prayer, whether it be a prayer of petition, of thanksgiving, of praise of God, or of confession, is the introspection it provides, the moment that we spend looking inside ourselves, seeing our role in the universe and our relationship to God.

For an observant Jew, prayer is not simply something that happens in synagogue once a week (or even three times a day).  Prayer is an integral part of everyday life.  In fact, one of the most important prayers, the Birkat Ha-Mazon, is never recited in synagogue services!

Observant Jews are constantly reminded of God's presence and of our relationship with God, because we are continually praying to Him.  Our first thoughts and words in the morning, even before we get out of bed, is a prayer thanking God for returning our souls to us.  There are prayers to be recited just before enjoying a material pleasure, such as eating or drinking, or just after them, such as after eating or drinking or after buying new clothes or ordinary household items; prayers to recite before performing any mitzvah (commandment), such as washing hands or lighting candles; prayers to recite upon seeing anything unusual, such as a king, a rainbow, or the site of a great tragedy; prayers to recite whenever some good or bad thing happens; and prayers to recite before going to bed at night.  All of these prayers are in addition to formal prayer services, which are performed three times a day every weekday and additional times on sabbaths and festivals.  See Jewish Liturgy.

[freedomannie]

Wonderful post! I love the fellowship of praying with all i do...i could not imagine not being in constant connection with God. Watching the Jewish worship is beautiful! I have learned much from their example!