Rabbi Joseph Solevetchik, On Teshuvah
What is the meaning of the word "teshuvah?" What is the exact etymological significance of the term? In the Bible, the word bears a specific connotation, "at the return of the year" (2 Samuel 2:1, Kings 20:22, 1 Chronicles 20:1 and elsewhere), that is at the termination of the year's cycle. The word also appears in the following context (1 Samuel 7:15-17): "And Samuel judged Israel all the days of his life. And we went from year to year in circuit to Beth-el and Gilgal and Mizpah; and he judged Israel in all those places. And his return (u-teshuvato) was to Ramah, for there was his home and there he judged Israel; and he built there an alter unto the Lord." Here too, the word teshuvah bears the connotation of completing a circle; after Samuel would make a circuit throughout Israel he would return to Ramah, for there was his home.
Teshuvah, repentence, signifies circular motion. When one finds oneself on the circumference of a large circle, it sometimes seems that the starting point is becoming farther and farther removed, but actually it is getting closer and closer. "At the return of the year," on Rosh Hashana, a new calendar begins, and with every passing day one gets farther and farther away from the starting point, the New Year. But every passing day is also a return, a drawing near to the completion of the year's cycle, the Rosh Hashana of the next year. "And his return was to Ramah." Samuel went in circuit. The moment he left Ramah, with the goal of making a full circuit of Beth-el, Gilgal and Mizpah, he was already returning to Ramah, for it was there that he made home; there, in Ramatayim Zofin, lived his mother Hannah; there he had spent his childhood; there were his roots.
(ח) רַבִּי חֲנַנְיָא בֶּן חֲכִינָאי וְרַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחָאי הָלְכוּ לִלְמֹד תּוֹרָה אֵצֶל רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא בִּבְנֵי בְּרַק, שָׁהוּ שָׁם שְׁלשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה, רַבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחָאי הֲוָה מְשַׁלַּח וְיָדַע מַה בְּגוֹ בֵּיתֵיהּ, רַבִּי חֲנַנְיָא לֹא הֲוָה שָׁלַח וְיָדַע מַה בְּגוֹ בֵּיתֵיהּ. שָׁלְחָה לוֹ אִשְׁתּוֹ וְאָמְרָה לוֹ בִּתְּךָ בָּגְרָה בּוֹא וְהַשִּׂיאָה, וְאַף עַל פִּי כֵן צָפָה רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא בְּרוּחַ הַקֹּדֶשׁ וְאָמַר לָהֶם כָּל מִי שֶׁיֵּשׁ לוֹ בַּת בּוֹגֶרֶת יֵלֵךְ וְיַשִּׂיאָהּ, יָדַע מַהוּ אוֹמֵר קָם נְסַב רְשׁוּתָא וַאֲזַל, בָּעֵי לְעַיֵּיל בְּגוֹ בֵּיתֵיהּ וְאַשְׁכְּחָה דְּפַנְיָא לְזָוִית אָחֳרֵי, מָה עֲבַד אָזַל וְיָתַב לֵיהּ עַל מַלְיוֹתְהוֹן דְּנָשֵׁי שָׁמַע קָלְהוֹן דְּטַלְיוּתָא אָמְרִין בַּת חֲנִינָא מְלוֹי קוּלְתִיךְ וּסְלֵיק לִיךְ, מֶה עָשָׂה הָלַךְ אַחֲרֶיהָ עַד שֶׁנִּכְנְסָה לְתוֹךְ בֵּיתוֹ, נִכְנַס אַחֲרֶיהָ פִּתְאֹם, לֹא הִסְפִּיקָה אִשְׁתּוֹ לִרְאוֹתוֹ עַד שֶׁיָּצָאת נִשְׁמָתָהּ, אָמַר לְפָנָיו רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם עֲנִיָּה זוֹ זוֹ שְׂכָרָהּ, לְאַחַר שְׁלשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה שֶׁהִמְתִּינָה לִי, בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה חָזְרָה נַפְשָׁהּ לְגוּפָהּ.
R. Hanina b. Hakinai and R. Shimon b. Yochai went to study Torah at R. Akiba’s yeshiva at Bene Berak and stayed there 13 years. R. Shimon b. Yochai used to send home [for news] and knew what was happening at his house. R. Hanina did not send home and did not know what was happening at his house.
His wife sent word and told him, “Your daughter is marriageable, come and get her married.” [He said nothing to his master]. Nevertheless, R. Akiba saw it by means of the Holy Spirit and said to them: “If any one has a marriageable daughter he may go and get her married.” He [R. Hanina] understood what he meant, so he rose, took leave and went. He sought to enter into his house, but found that it had been turned in a different direction [Babli Ketubot 62b: By the time he returned the streets of the town were altered and he was unable to find the way to his home]. What did he do? He went and sat down at the place where the women drew water and [there] he heard the voice of the girls saying, “Daughter of Hanina, fill your vessel and go.” What did he do? He followed her until she entered his house. He went after her suddenly. No sooner did his wife see him than her soul departed. He said to God: “Master of the World! Is this the reward of this poor woman after 13 years of waiting for me?” Thereupon her soul left her body