Many of us are familiar with the opening of this text from the second chapter of Maimonides's Hilchot Teshuvah. We know that repenting from our sins and truly changing our ways is a process that can take significant time. Further, we know that the final test of the effectiveness of our teshuvah is as Maimonides sets forth here in the first paragraph of this text. If the opportunity to sin in the same manner as we did previously arises and we refrain from doing so, we recognize our change of ways as complete.
But how many of us are familiar with the fact that, according to this text, the motivation of our change also matters and ultimately determines the thoroughness of our teshuvah? Why does it matter to Maimonides that the change reflects strength of character and not just fear? What is this "strength of character" and from where does it come?
Our colleague, Rabbi Bradley Artson, of the Ziegler School of Rabbinics at The University of Judaism writing in a recent "Torah Today" column on the Torah Portion Vaetchanan, helps us to grasp the difference between acting out of strength of character and out of fear. Rabbi Artson reminds us about the classical differentiation between serving God out of "yir'ah" (fear) and "ahavah" (love). He cites the eleventh century biblical commentator Rashi who wrote, "One cannot compare a person who acts out of love to one who acts out of fear. When the latter feels overburdened, he leaves and goes away". Fear as a motivating factor, whether it is for serving God or for bringing about complete repentance, is tenuous. As Rashi correctly perceived, fear is a great psychological burden that is difficult to maintain. As it likely becomes too great a burden to shoulder and dissipates, the individual will again be tempted to do wrong.
Rabbi Artson's teaching helps us also to understand something about "strength of character" and its origins. Strength of character that enables a person not to commit a sin again when the opportunity to do so is at hand comes from "ahavat hashem" (love of God). When an individual is mindful of his/her love for God and of God's love for him/her, (s)he will be empowered by this love and act to nurture it. (S)he will be emboldened to resist past temptations because of his/her desire to maintain this divine-human love relationship.
Part of the beauty of Maimonides's teaching about teshuvah is contained in the continuation of this source. Even strength of character cannot control all of our thoughts. They may not have completely changed. Nonetheless (and notwithstanding what might be viewed as a contradiction with the Maimonides source we reflected on last week regarding the sin of feelings), when our actions have changed our teshuvah is to be viewed as complete. Even one who is no longer physically capable of committing the same offense is to be seen as having repented. In both of these instances and in straightforward fashion, Maimonides teaches us that teshuvah, even when it is imperfect or incomplete, is still to be recognized as teshuvah and should be accounted to the person's benefit.
Maimonides provides us with a clear measure of the effectiveness of our repentance. When we feel assured of God's love and, in turn, know that we too love God, we can hope to reflect the strength of character that will find expression in complete teshuvah at this time of year.
Marlboro Jewish Center -- Marlboro, New Jersey
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