Push Forward
The Jewish New Year (Rosh Hashanah) begins next Wednesday evening, October 2nd. While it is a Jewish holiday, it commemorates the anniversary of the creation of the first man and woman, Adam, and Eve. So, this is a good time to examine one’s thoughts, speech, and actions over the past year to see if any of them fall short of one’s best self, and then to resolve to do better in the coming year. It’s hard to imagine anyone who wouldn’t benefit from such an exercise.
The process of self-examination and the commitment to do better is known in Hebrew as “Teshuvah,” a concept similar to “Repentance”. The word actually means “return,” as in returning to the right path. The prototype for repentance occurs in the aftermath of Cain’s brutal slaying of his brother Abel and can be found in the Book of Genesis (4:3-17).
While not a hero by any stretch of the imagination, Cain did ultimately acknowledge to G-d, “My sin is too great to bear”. Second, Cain was sent by G-d to “dwell in the land of the wanderers”. The sages of the Torah teach that solitude generates a spirit of humility within a person, aiding him in his soul-searching. Third, Cain understood he could never undo his mistake and could not bring his brother back to life, but that didn’t deter him. Rather, he used his sin as an impetus to build an entire city, rather than wallow in depression. He knew he would have to actively repent for the rest of his life, but at least he could repair in some measure the world that he damaged.
Sin breeds depression, and depression breeds sin. Nobody is exempt from this cycle. The question is what to do after the sin.
Initially, Cain played dumb with G-d by asking the infamous question, “Am I my brother’s keeper”? But once he admitted his guilt and set out to repent, he was able to successfully dedicate his life to something greater than himself. So even if one is responsible for terrible mistakes and disastrous consequences, one must strive to make a positive difference in the world. The lesson from Cain is that no matter what happened, or because of what happened, one must push forward.
Repentance in Judaism is focused on restoring one’s connection and relationship with the Almighty. It is not based on the mere desire for self-improvement, but on finding the best way to serve the Creator. Committing oneself to a relationship with G-d will ensure that the resolution to be a servant of G-d will endure.
I would love to hear your thoughts. Please email me at y@tasteoftorah.org.
Wishing you G-d’s abundant blessings,
Rabbi Yonatan Hambourger