והא תניא שבעה דברים נבראו קודם שנברא העולם ואלו הן תורה ותשובה וגן עדן וגיהנם וכסא הכבוד ובית המקדש ושמו של משיח...
Wasn’t it taught: Seven phenomena were created before the world was created, and they are: Torah, and repentance, and the Garden of Eden, and Gehenna, and the Throne of Glory, and the Temple, and the name of Messiah...
Reflection Questions:
- Why these 7 things?
- What are the possible implications of Teshuva being created before the world was created?
- What does the Throne of Glory mean in this context to you?
- What would you add to this list of pre-creation creations?
תְּשׁוּבָה (f.) (b. h.; שׁוּב)
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- return to God, repentance.
- .
(א) אֵי זוֹ הִיא תְּשׁוּבָה גְּמוּרָה?
זֶה שֶׁבָּא לְיָדוֹ דָּבָר שֶׁעָבַר בּוֹ וְאֶפְשָׁר בְּיָדוֹ לַעֲשׂוֹתוֹ וּפֵרַשׁ וְלֹא עָשָׂה מִפְּנֵי הַתְּשׁוּבָה. לֹא מִיִּרְאָה וְלֹא מִכִּשְׁלוֹן כֹּחַ...
(ב) וּמַה הִיא הַתְּשׁוּבָה?
הוּא שֶׁיַּעֲזֹב הַחוֹטֵא חֶטְאוֹ וִיסִירוֹ מִמַּחֲשַׁבְתּוֹ וְיִגְמֹר בְּלִבּוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יַעֲשֵׂהוּ עוֹד ...
וְצָרִיךְ לְהִתְוַדּוֹת בִּשְׂפָתָיו וְלוֹמַר עִנְיָנוֹת אֵלּוּ שֶׁגָּמַר בְּלִבּוֹ:
(1) What constitutes complete teshuvah? A person who confronts the same situation in which they erred when they had the potential to commit the error again, and nevertheless abstains and does not commit it because of their teshuvah alone, and not because of fear or lack of strength.
(2) What constitutes Teshuvah?
A person should abandon their errors, remove them from their thoughts, resolve in their hearts never to commit them again…they must verbally confess and state these matters which they resolved in their hearts.
Reflection Questions:
- Articulate in your own words the process of teshuva according to the Rambam.
- What is your personal definition of teshuvah?
(ד) וְאַל יְדַמֶּה אָדָם בַּעַל תְּשׁוּבָה שֶׁהוּא מְרֻחָק מִמַּעֲלַת הַצַּדִּיקִים מִפְּנֵי הָעֲוֹנוֹת וְהַחֲטָאוֹת שֶׁעָשָׂה. אֵין הַדָּבָר כֵּן אֶלָּא אָהוּב וְנֶחְמָד הוּא לִפְנֵי הַבּוֹרֵא כְּאִלּוּ לֹא חָטָא מֵעוֹלָם. וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא שֶׁשְּׂכָרוֹ הַרְבֵּה שֶׁהֲרֵי טָעַם טַעַם הַחֵטְא וּפֵרַשׁ מִמֶּנּוּ וְכָבַשׁ יִצְרוֹ. אָמְרוּ חֲכָמִים מָקוֹם שֶׁבַּעֲלֵי תְּשׁוּבָה עוֹמְדִין אֵין צַדִּיקִים גְּמוּרִין יְכוֹלִין לַעֲמֹד בּוֹ. כְּלוֹמַר מַעֲלָתָן גְּדוֹלָה מִמַּעֲלַת אֵלּוּ שֶׁלֹּא חָטְאוּ מֵעוֹלָם מִפְּנֵי שֶׁהֵן כּוֹבְשִׁים יִצְרָם יוֹתֵר מֵהֶם:
A Baal-Teshuvah should not consider themself distant from a level of the righteous on account of the iniquities and transgressions which they had done. This is not how it is. Rather, they are beloved and desirable in the presence of their Creator as if they had never missed the mark. And not only that, their reward is great; for even after having tasted the flavor of missing the mark, they separated themself from it and overcame their inclination. The sages said: "The place (status) where Baalei Teshuvah stands, the wholly righteous could not stand;" as if saying: "their level is above the level of those who never missed the mark, for it took more to overcome their inclination.
חָטָא (v) heb
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- to sin, miss, miss the way, go wrong, incur guilt, forfeit, purify from uncleanness
- as in archery, to miss the bullseye
Because the LORD has anointed me;
He has sent me as a herald of joy to the humble,
To bind up the wounded of heart,
To proclaim release to the captives,
Liberation to the imprisoned; (2) To proclaim a year of the LORD’s favor
And a day of vindication by our God;
To comfort all who mourn— (3) To provide for-a the mourners in Zion—
To give them a turban instead of ashes,
The festive ointment instead of mourning,
A garment of splendor instead of a drooping spirit.
They shall be called terebinths of victory,
Planted by the LORD for His glory.
Reflection Questions:
1. How does the presence of the Throne of Glory impact our living in to the words of Isaiah 61, which were seen as blasphemous words preached by Jesus?
2. How does Isaiah's teaching change our relationship to missing the mark?