About REPENTANCE

Hebrew Name

תְּשׁוּבָה

English Name

REPENTANCE

Phonetic Spelling

TEH-SHU-VAH

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What does REPENTANCE mean?

Teshuva, Hebrew for “repentance,” comprises a critical aspect of our relationship with God.

הֲשִׁיבֵ֨נוּ יְהֹוָ֤ה ׀ אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ (ונשוב) [וְֽנָשׁ֔וּבָה] חַדֵּ֥שׁ יָמֵ֖ינוּ כְּקֶֽדֶם׃
Take us back, Hashem, to Yourself, And let us come back; Renew our days as of old!
ha-shee-VAY-nu a-do-NAI ay-LE-kha v'-na-SHU-vah kha-DAYSH ya-MAY-nu k'-KE-dem
Lamentations 5:21

וַיַּ֤רְא הָֽאֱלֹהִים֙ אֶֽת־מַ֣עֲשֵׂיהֶ֔ם כִּי־שָׁ֖בוּ מִדַּרְכָּ֣ם הָרָעָ֑ה וַיִּנָּ֣חֶם הָאֱלֹהִ֗ים עַל־הָרָעָ֛ה אֲשֶׁר־דִּבֶּ֥ר לַעֲשׂוֹת־לָהֶ֖ם וְלֹ֥א עָשָֽׂה׃
Hashem saw what they did, how they were turning back from their evil ways. And Hashem renounced the punishment He had planned to bring upon them, and did not carry it out.
va-YAR ha-e-lo-HEEM et ma-a-say-HEM kee SHA-vu mi-dar-KAM ha-ra-AH va-yi-NA-khem ha-e-lo-HEEM al ha-ra-AH a-sher di-BER la-a-sot la-HEM v'-LO a-SAH
Jonah 3:10

Description about REPENTANCE

Teshuva, Hebrew for “repentance,” comprises a critical aspect of our relationship with God. God knows that we are imperfect beings and understands that sometimes we fail and fall. We all have shortcomings and urges that lead us astray. But when we sin, all is not lost, for we have been given the great gift of teshuva, the opportunity to repent. Tellingly, the word teshuva also means “return,” for repentance is much more than regretting our sins or the promise to be better. Teshuva is the return to God and to our true and holy selves. This spiritual return has the unique ability to overturn God’s decrees. “God saw what they did, how they were repenting from their evil ways. And God renounced the punishment He had planned to bring upon them, and did not carry it out” (Jonah 3:10). God loves humanity and does not want to punish us, and so He gives us many chances to repent before a punishment is actually carried out. The letters of the word teshuva, when rearranged, spell the word busha, meaning “embarrassment.” When we are truly embarrassed for having committed a sin, we are inspired to return to God and His ways. The modern day return of the Jewish people to Israel is a national form of teshuva, as the prophet Jeremiah said, “Your children shall return to their country” (31:17). Though the Jewish people have not yet completed their spiritual repentance, their physical return to the land of Israel is an essential part of this historical redemptive process.

Attribute of REPENTANCE

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