Refining One’s Character and Repentance (Teshuvah)
Repent
From the words of the Sages we find it written concerning God’s attitude towards us and our repentance:
“Until the day of his death, You await him; if he repents, You will accept him immediately!”
Let us consider the idea expressed by the Jewish Sages when they stated that the Torah had been given in order to make peace in the world. Torah is elsewhere defined as “power” and “salvation” in the sense that Torah gives us the ability to overcome our baser nature, and the Talmud states that if one meets one’s own Evil Inclination, then “drag him to the house of study,” for God says, “I have created an Evil Inclination, and I have created the Torah as the antidote.”
If not for the fact that God helps us overcome the Evil Inclination, we would never have the ability to do so. Armed with Torah, we can wage war against our darker nature, first subduing and then transforming and channeling its power.
In the battle between the soul and the body, the body can be compared to an ox: it is course and animal-like. Yet it has powers to be extremely constructive if channeled in the correct way. Torah is the yoke that harnesses those powers and channels them into Divine service.
When we are tested on a daily basis, the test must be received in the manner in which it is given. The attitude should be that this is a God given opportunity to exercise self-control, subduing and controlling our emotions. The Zohar states that whenever a bad impulse is subdued, “the glory of God diffuses throughout all the worlds.” This means that we should not underestimate the immense value of subduing – even in thought – our Evil Inclination even one time.
We live in a very permissive and promiscuous society, and in general there is a terrible lack of modesty. An observant person can hardly walk in the street without being confronted by immodest behavior. What should we do in such a world? The first thing is to realize that this is a test. It is a wonderful opportunity to fulfill the mitzvah of “not straying after one’s eyes” (Numbers 15:39). We should not feel bad that we have such an impulse for base thoughts or desires – after all, everyone has been created with them, but we should instead channel that impulse into the permitted (marriage and family) and rejoice at the chance to turn away from evil. If we give up on the fight and feel dejected and helpless, we should realize that such impulses come directly from our baser instincts and ultimately lead to sin.
If we feel overpowered by our Evil Inclination and are ready to give up the fight, we must make the effort to withstand such negativity and should summon up the energy to shout (as it were) at our baser instincts, demanding that the animal impulse release its grip. The truth is that negative thoughts creep into an empty mind. The mind should always be occupied with Torah thoughts, which will combat negativity. When we are walking down the street and see something that is distracting and immodest, the best method to fight the Evil Inclination in this regard is to divert our thoughts to Torah. This is why pious persons review portions of Torah by heart when they walk in the street or find themselves in the store or subway. By focusing on Torah in such a way, we are creating a ‘dwelling place for God’ on earth in the highest form. The joy that one gives God as a result of such service and love of God is immense.
The general principle is that the mind must rule the heart. Using meditative and contemplative techniques, we can learn to bridle and subsequently channel our negative character traits and use them in a positive direction.
From a Kabbalistic point of view, this refinement of character, is very much part and parcel of the Divine purpose in creation. Even small improvements are vastly appreciated by God. Each individual “refinement” or “correction” contributes to the general World Refinement (Tikkun Olam) which will begin when Messiah comes.
Some people are under the false impression that God does not concern Himself with minor details, such as whether or not a person resists temptation. That assumption is not true. God – through His Torah – has communicated to us what is important and what is not important to Him. He emphatically states that we should serve Him with all our heart, soul, and might. God examines the heart of each individual to see how we are serving Him, taking into account our spiritual, physical, and emotional state of being. In fact, God, so to speak, leaves all the supernal realms and designates his sovereignty on each believer and oversees each individual’s service. Every movement, sincere feeling, thought, and action is counted and appreciated.
After “turning away from evil,” the next state involves ‘doing good’. This means that we should become so involved with the positive that we don’t have time for anything negative. Our minds are filled with the desire to perform good deeds and show goodwill to fellow believers. The righteous are concerned day and night with the welfare of their brethren, not resting for a moment until the needs of the less fortunate have been met. Using our energy is such a positive way leaves little room for any negativity.
Teshuvah (Repentance) – Returning to One’s Roots
The word Teshuvah is usually translated as repentance. In fact, there is a well-known prayer recited on the High Holy Days which states “repentance,” “prayer,” and “charity” – can avert the evil decree. Repentance is perhaps better translated as “return” and signifies a return to the original state. Classically, Teshuvah is comprised of three ingredients: regret of misdeed, decision to change, and verbal confession. Whenever we sin we are required to do Teshuvah.
Each individual must do Teshuvah. In our generation, this means that amid the chaos, we must resensitize ourselves and the world around us to the Holy Spirit. Even though we may live in the modern world with all its comforts and conveniences, we should feel brokenhearted that Godliness is not openly revealed. Our mundane activities should be infused with the desire to know God in all His ways. In fact, on a certain level, transforming the mundane into holiness is the highest level of Teshuvah. It is the clearest indication that Godliness has not been relegated to obvious moments of religious involvement, but rather the connection with the Divine spans all echelons and areas of life, even the most mundane.
It needs to be reiterated that Teshuvah today must be accompanied by tremendous joy. The Evil Inclination’s greatest weapon is depression, for once the state of helplessness and hopelessness grips a person’s soul, it is very difficult to find the tremendous energy required for introspection and self-improvement. Even if we have committed a terrible sin, a prolonged or excessive degree of sadness is not healthy for the souls of most people in our generation. Teshuvah must be done with great joy, enthusiastically and with feeling. The greatest gift that God can give a person is the opportunity to be elevated for the mire of sin to the pristine and eternal connection.
End
From the Introduction to Tomer Devorah – A classic of Jewish Tradition
Emulating God
The Torah commands us to follow in the ways of God. To the best of our understanding of how He conducts Himself, that is how we too must conduct ourselves. Our Sages understand this principle not merely as an ideal to which to aspire, but as a binding obligation. Just as He is kind and compassionate, so too we must be kind and compassionate. This requirement goes so far as to mandate specific, concrete actions. Just as He provides clothes for the unclad, so too must we provide clothes for the unclad. Just as He visits the sick, so too must we visit the sick. Just as He consoles mourners, so too must we console mourners (Sotah 14a). The point here is not simply that we should show concern for others; its that we should emulate Him, and turn His ways into our way of life.
In considering this obligation on the believer, to imitate His God, it is not enough to simply mandate laws of behavior, no matter how exemplary or beneficent they are, God is attempting to tell us something about who we as human beings ‘really are’!
Picture for a moment someone sitting down to a warm bowl of soup – and attempting to eat it with a fork. Is he doing anything wrong or illegal? No. But he is certainly misusing the fork! A fork is an extremely useful implement for consuming a wide variety of foods, but soup isn’t one of them. Using a fork this way is a complete misuse of its concept and structure.
A human being is carefully crafted as a remarkable entity, programmed to achieve greatness. While our body is largely comparable in structure to that of many animals, especially mammals and our cousins (as it were) the great apes, the key difference is our core, the Holy Spirit that indwells us, and permeates us with spirituality.
It is this ‘Holy Spirit’ that shapes our essence and pulls us ever higher, imbuing us with a drive to constantly reach beyond ourselves and push ourselves a bit farther and a bit higher. The Holy Spirit binds us to God, and gives us the ability to develop ourselves into something uniquely special. With it, we can become truly elevated people.
The Holy Spirit’s power to elevate is not limited to the person himself. By virtue of your possessing an indwelling of the Holy Spirit, your hand is not merely some bone and flesh but is vested with the ability to impact the world around you, and the world beyond you as well. People, even those with whom you have no connection at all, and even nature itself, are impacted by your actions. The reason for this is that the body is not formed only in a way that optimizes a person’s performance of God’s commandments, but its every component is wired to a higher Source. Each time a particular limb or part of the body is used for good, or for wrongdoing, it impacts the universe at large. Each opportunity to do ‘good works’ brings tangible benefit to the world, while each sin causes a level of degeneration and degradation in the world’s function.
The universe itself, and every single entity in it, continues to exist only by the will and energy God imbues within it at each and every moment – and He placed human beings at the center of it all, wired to the controls, directly impacting the entire system with their every positive or negative action.
Those of us who invest the effort to learn and live Torah and the Words of God are assured that they will unleash tremendous Divine compassion and beneficence (on themselves, others, and the entire creation). Man has the potential to become something fantastic, and the greatest abuse of that potential would be to waltz through life in complete ignorance of what one’s capabilities are, never actualizing the power within.
True, even someone who casually meanders through life will do some wonderful things here and there. Then again, the person eating soup with a fork might succeed at getting some drops into his mouth as well. But these little bits of accomplishment are a poor showing, considering what he is primed for and capable of. This is not a matter of Halachic obligation or commandment; it is a description of who man is meant to be.
The greatest achievement man can attain is to mold himself into a person who acts in the way of God, and who lives with God’s values and attributes as outlined in His Bible. When a person trains himself to be consistently kind, merciful, and giving to others, these compassionate traits become integral to his very being. By doing so, a person identifies with God and grows attached to Him. Such a person doesn’t just upgrade his quality of life down in this world, he puts himself in a far more enjoyable position for eternity, his resemblance and resulting proximity to God earning him the truest pleasure a person can experience.
Look yourself in the eye and ask yourself, “Who can I really become?” Then, by refining and elevating yourself, by Gods Word, Will and Help via Prayer, and by living the values that God Himself cherishes, employs, and outlines in his Word, you can truly resemble God!
END
Notes from the Rambam
For thus did [the Sages], peace be upon them, say (Berachos 18b): “The wicked even in their lifetimes are called dead,” whereas the righteous even in their deaths are called alive”.
NOTE 131: [A righteous person’s efforts in serving and loving God and studying Torah transforms even his material elements into spiritual and intellectual entities, thereby causing him to cleave to the Source of eternal life. Thus, even in death, he is associated with enduring life. A wicked person, on the other hand, coarsens his soul, investing it with gross, material, fleeting life, and ultimately, death.]