TESHUVA - REPENTANCE

Ever since the time of your ancestors you have turned away from my decrees and have not kept them. Return (teshuva) to me, and I will return to you,” says the Lord Almighty.

“But you ask, ‘How are we to return?’

Malachi 3: 7 (NIV)

(1)

INTRODUCTION

We have all fallen short of God’s glory. Despite our best efforts, we may have strayed down the wrong paths away from paths that lead to life. Even so, God is known for His great goodness and mercy. All the while, He is beckoning us to return to Him fully, in full submission. 

The process of returning to God is called repentance, in Hebrew teshuvah. Today, we will take a quick dive into this amazing word and its deeper meaning. 

TESHUVA - MORE THAN BEING SORRY

The Hebrew word for repentance is Teshuvah. Many believe that repentance simply means being sorry. They believe it is more of a feeling than an action, and punish themselves in thoughts and emotions. But the meaning of teshuva - to return - indicates that true repentance is a decision, an action of turning back to something we’ve strayed or looked away from. (2, 3)

When we teshuva and turn to God away from darkness, He pulls us closer to Him. It is not about just stopping a certain behavior, being sorry, or apologizing once. It is a continuous decision to return to God and to receive a new beginning. (2)

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD TESHUVAH

The word Teshuva originates from the Hebrew verb shub, which means to return, turn back, restore, or repent. It is considered a primitive root. (4)

A TRANSFORMATIVE JOURNEY

The whole purpose of Teshuva is to achieve transformation. The aim is the eradication of sin. It requires the rearranging of our entire way of thinking, feeling, and being in order to forsake that which is wrong. (2)

Scholars recognize three stages of teshuva:

1. Regret (“yis’nachem al she’avar”), 

2. Confession (“l’hisvados bi’sfasav”), 

3. Leaving the sin/committing to not doing it again (5)

It all starts with regretting our sin. This stage includes guilt. Guilt can be either constructive or destructive. In the teshuva process, constructive guilt is helpful, while destructive guilt simply torments the soul. Forgetting the past is a must in the first stage, otherwise we may fall into hopelessness - the killer of teshuva. The past is to be dealt with at a later stage, once we have dealt with the present sin and can reflect on our past healthily and productively. (5)

An important part of teshuva is also self-affirmation. Instead of identifying ourselves with the lies of the enemy, we reaffirm ourselves with God’s truth found in His Word. If we, during the process of teshuva, start to see ourselves as a failure, then we have fallen into destructive guilt and need to reaffirm ourselves with who God claims us to be. (5, 6)

CATEGORIES OF REPENTANCE

There are three categories of repentance:

1. Natural-physical repentance is tied to transgressions against the principles of nature, ethics, and Torah that harmonize with the natural order and equilibrium.

2. Faithful repentance personifies a process of spiritual realignment, a return to the path dictated by religious tradition and divine edicts.

3. Intellectual repentance, which surpasses the recognition of the physical or spiritual fallout of one’s actions, delving instead into a comprehensive understanding of their ethical and moral implications. (6)

FEAR-DRIVEN REPENTANCE VS. LOVE-DRIVEN REPENTANCE

Fear-driven repentance focuses on the sole transgression and sin. The whole purpose is to prevent one from committing this specific sin, but it does it so superficially. It does not look into the lie one is believing that is causing one to commit that sin to begin with. (6)

Love-driven repentance encompasses a more in-depth approach. It also addresses the character traits that led to the commission of a specific sin. This approach brings true freedom as it requires a comprehensive transformation of one’s life path and spiritual perspective. (6)

RETURNING TO GOD WITH YESHUA

Returning to God is based on faith. It is rooted in the belief that we can approach our Father in Heaven because He wishes us to come back and will receive us. Yeshua’s sacrifice redeemed us back to God. Now we can come to the throne boldly seeking forgiveness. (2)

THE GOSPEL OF GOOD NEWS

As Christians, we have been called to spread the gospel of repentance for the forgiveness of sins in whatever way and form God has commissioned us to do so. We are to be a witness to others of God’s mercy, goodness, and forgiveness. 

CONCLUSION

Repentance is what God is after. The Hebrew word for repentance is teshuva. It depicts much more than simply being sorry. It speaks of a transformative, continuous process of returning to God and reaffirming ourselves to God's word. There are three stages to teshuva: regret, confession, and leaving sin. Forgetting the past is essential in the first stages, as is focusing on the character traits that are driving us to sin.

,Application

Let God reveal to us during this week if we have been falling into destructive guilt in our processes of repentance. Let us take notice and reaffirm ourselves to what God says about us.

SOURCES

1. Image created via canva.com.

2. Estera Wieja. What Did Jesus Mean by Repent? The Hebrew Meaning of Teshuva. August 3rd 2021. Available at https://firmisrael.org/learn/what-did-jesus-mean-by-repent-the-hebrew-meaning-of-teshuva/

3. Yehudah Mirsky. Teshuvah in Judaism: A Guide to Repentance. Sept. 13, 2021. Available at https://www.brandeis.edu/jewish-experience/holidays-religious-traditions/2021/september/atonement-yom-kippur-mirsky.html

4. Bible Hub. Shub. Available at https://biblehub.com/hebrew/7725.htm

5. Avi Muschel, Martin Galla. Understanding the Teshuva Process of the Yamim Noraim - Teshuva is not depressing. PDF freely available at https://www.yu.edu/sites/default/files/inline-files/Understanding%20the%20Teshuva%20Process%20of%20the%20Yamim%20Noraim.pdf

6. Ghila Amati, Miri Freud-Kandel. Teshuva. 4 July 2024. Available at https://www.saet.ac.uk/Judaism/Teshuva