On Rosh HaShana when the world is being
judged for the coming year, Jews hope that G-d has decreed for them a
good and sweet year. Goodness, however is limitless, and G-d in His
infinite mercy has given Jews the opportunity to make the coming year
better. Still the period between Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur - the
ten days of repentance - has been granted to Jews to ensure, through
their service of G-d, that on Yom Kippur He will bestow even more
largesse than on Rosh HaShana.
Service to G-d in these days is as stated in the liturgy of Rosh
HaShana and Yom Kippur, in the U'Nesaneh Tokef prayer, tshuva, tfila,
and tzedeka. These are commonly rendered in English as repentance,
prayer and charity. Seemingly, they also exist in the non-Jewish
world.
There are cardinal differences, however, between tshuva and
repentance, tfila and prayer, tzedaka and charity. Indeed,
repentance, prayer, and charity are not only poor translations but
are really opposite of their meanings in the holy tongue of Hebrew.
There is no adequate translation because their concepts do not exist
outside Torah.
Let us look at each one separately, examining their respective
meanings in the holy tongue and English.
Tshuva: Repentance means regret and contrition for sins of omissions
of good deeds; and the resolve to start afresh. (Webster's new
twentieth century dictionary). Many phrases in English literature
(and in the literature of other languages) sound this theme of
repentance: "to turn over a new leaf", "to become a new man". Tshuva
means something very different. It emphasizes not the idea of
"newness" but of return. (Stemming from the root "tashev" literally
meaning return). A Jew is intrinsically good and wants to do good;
sin is completely antithetical to his nature as explained by the
Rambam in Hilchot Gerushin, Chapter 2. Rambam discusses a case when a
person is obligated to give his wife a get (divorce) due to the
ruling of beit-din. When he refuses "he is beaten until he says I'm
willing". The Rambam asks, a get that is given by force is not valid.
He explains that "every Jew wants to do all the mitzvot and distance
himself from all sins but his evil inclination forces him to do
otherwise" so when he is beaten, his evil inclination is broken and
when he says "I'm willing" it is his true will and the get is kosher
and the woman in considered no longer married. What an extraordinary
halacha.
Tshuva, then, is the return to that essential, real self of a Jew.
While a person is a composite of body and soul, in a Jew that soul is
primary and the body secondary; and the soul of a Jew is no less than
"a part of G-d above (Tanya, Chapter 2). A Jew through tshuva –
reveals his true self and reasserts the souls master over the body.
This is why tshuva is relevant to all Jews, even the completely
righteous. tshuva is not repentance; the desire to atone from
wrongdoing and start afresh would not apply to the completely
righteous who do no wrong. tshuva is also, "the spirit shall return
to the G-d who gave it" (Kohelet 12:7). The soul continually strives
to come closer to G-d, it's source, and just as G-d is infinite, so
even the completely righteous Jew, can rise even higher in his
apprehension of G-dliness. The tzadik, the righteous, as well is
always doing tshuva – returning to his source.
Tshuva is relevant also to the completely wicked. No matter how low
he has fallen, hope is never lost. He can always do tshuva for he
need not perform any revolutionary act, create a new existence. He
need merely return to his inner self. (Likkutei Torah, Dvarim)
Tfila: "Prayer" is the idea of supplication, petition, (Webster's
dictionary) one entreats G-d to grant one's requests. If nothing is
lacking or there is no desire for anything, there is no "prayer". "Tfila
on the other hand also means union with G-d (see Rashi, Breishit
30:8). In contrast to "prayer" with its emphases on G-d fulfilling
one's request, tfila stresses man's striving to achieve union with
G-d.
Thus, unlike "prayer" tfila is fully relevant even to those who are
not in any need. tfila is not only the requesting of one's needs
(although this is certainly an important part of tfila, Rambam tfila
1:2) but principally the instrument whereby a Jew and his maker are
joined.
Tzedaka: Charity commonly means also gratuitous benefactions for the
poor, the giver of charity is a benevolent person, giving when he
need not, he does not owe anything, but gives because of his
generosity. Tzedaka has a complete opposite meaning. Instead of
connoting benevolence, it is the idea of justice-tzedaka from the
root tzedek, meaning justice. It is only right and just that one
gives tzedaka. There are two reasons for this:
1) A person is obligated to give to another, for the money is not his
own. G-d has given the money to him on trust, for the purpose of
helping others.
2) G-d is not beholden to man, yet gives him what he needs. A Jew
must act in the same way, indeed, he is obligated to . He must give
to others although not beholden to them and in return
G-d rewards him in the same manner. Because he has transcended his
natural instinct and given when not beholden, G-d, in turn, grants
him more than he is otherwise worthy of receiving.
The true Jewish meaning of tshuva, tfila and tzedaka, then, is a Jew
returning to his true self - tzedaka; a Jew achieving union with G-d
- tfila; a Jew acting justly - tzedaka. When Jews perform these
services in the ten days of repentance, then, notwithstanding the
good granted on Rosh HaShana, G-d gives yet more on Yom Kippur.
May we all truly have a good and sweet year and most important, may
we have a "Shnat Pdut" (Mussaf, Yom Kippur), a year of our
long-awaiting final redemption of this dark galut, amen kein yehi
ratzon.
(Adapted from the talks of the Lubavitcher Rebbe zt”l)
