Teshuvah

“Great is the power of teshuvah, for it transforms sins into merits.”

Talmud, Yoma 86b

The primary Yom Kippur theme is teshuvah, commonly translated as “repentance.” Judaism teaches that teshuvah can be done for any act, by anyone, at any time. Nevertheless, Yom Kippur is particularly conducive for teshuvah because “the day itself atones” for those who tap into its potential by engaging in teshuvah (Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Repentance 1:3).

Teshuvah should not be understood as becoming someone we are not. Although we often feel that our self-oriented consciousness has more of a hold on our daily choices and that it is more vocal and motivating within our psyche, the truth is that our innermost—and thus truest—part of our identity is our G-dly soul. Accordingly, when something in our lives related to Torah and mitzvot requires improvement, we should not think of it as trying to change our natures. On the contrary, teshuvah brings us closer to our true nature. The word teshuvah, which means return, conveys that when something gets in the way and drives us to disconnect from our true identity, we need to return to who we are. This return is never a long journey but merely an about-face. It is present in our hearts and minds; we need only remove the cover that conceals it.

Judaism also teaches that we can turn the experience of a transgression into something that spurs growth, thereby reframing the past negative act as something positive. Indeed, we sometimes see that a period of estrangement in a marriage can trigger the depth of feelings that the couple has for each other, fueling a deeper and more enduring commitment to each other. A reformed criminal who experiences true remorse for the injustices he inflicted on others might become even more scrupulously honest and a greater fighter for justice than the person who never committed a crime. It is with this in mind that the Talmud states that teshuvah “transforms sins into merits.” It is referring to a teshuvah that leads to growth. Because the cause for the advancement, in retrospect, is the sin, it is recast as something positive.