The innate desire to return

Hi,

"Teshuvah always resides in the heart; it is stored in the heart even during the sin itself."

(Rav Avraham Yitzchak haKohen Kook, Orot haTeshuvah 6:2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Descent which enables ascent

Hi,

"The path of all existence is founded upon teshuvah. Entities come into existence as a descent from the Divine realm to worldly realms – a form of descent and of terrible “death” – to which no descent in this universe, from level to level, from great talent and acquisition to lesser talent and acquisition, can compare. This is engineered on the higher calculation of justice, which gauged the justice of existence before anything was created…

"But this descent has the foundation for greater ascent stored within… as it is written, “Before mountains were birthed and earth and foundation were formed, You have been Gd for all eternity. You laid man low, and declared, ‘Return, sons of men!’”"

(Rav Avraham Yitzchak haKohen Kook, Orot haTeshuvah 11:4)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Repentance: Don't delay

Hi,

"Examine the evil which befalls one who delays repentance; were he not to delay, but rather repent… then when sin would next come to hand, he would control his nature and remember drinking the bitter cup [of regret], and he would drink it no longer."

(Rabbeinu Yonah, Shaarei Teshuvah 1:4)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Harsh words for a penitence procrastinator

Hi,

"The only people who delay repentance are ignorant people, who are asleep and do not take things to heart, who have neither the intelligence nor the understanding to hasten to flee for their lives."

(Rabbeinu Yonah, Shaarei Teshuvah 1:3)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Teshuvah: Don't Delay!

Hi,

"Know that when one who has sinned delays repenting, his punishment becomes heavier by the day. He knows that there is anger upon him and that he has an opportunity to escape - meaning teshuvah - and he remains rebellious in his wickedness when he could escape the devastation."

(Rabbeinu Yonah, Shaarei Teshuvah 1:2)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

Teshuvah is always accepted

Hi,


"Teshuvah is accepted even if one who has sinned returns only as a result of his troubles, and certainly if he returns out of awe of HaShem and love of HaShem, as it is written, 'When you are in trouble and all of these events befall you, in the end, and you return to HaShem your Gd and you listen to His voice.'"

(Rabbeinu Yonah, Shaarei Teshuvah 1:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai

The kindness of giving someone another chance

Hi,


"Among the ways Gd has benefited His creations is the way He prepared a path for them to ascend from the deficiency of their deeds and to flee from the trap of their errors, to save their lives from destruction and to remove His anger from upon them.

"In His kindness and righteousness He has taught and instructed them to return to Him when they sin against Him, for He knows their nature."

(Rabbeinu Yonah, Shaarei Teshuvah 1:1)

Have a great day,
Mordechai