The information compiled for this
section has been adapted by permission of The Judaica Press, Inc., Feldheim Publishers,
Jewish Publications Society, Project Genesis, The Smiles Torah Project, and others. Man
blowing shofar and Kotel background adapted from a painting by Michel Schwartz.
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The Four Steps of
Repentance
Teshuvah (Return, or Repentance) is a generous gift from G-d, which
allows us to erase our improper actions through a four-step process (see below).
The Torah tells us that no matter how far we stray or how many times we sin, G-d will wait
for us to return to him through Teshuvah.
There are four basic parts to Teshuvah:
1. Leaving the Sin
2. Regret
3. Confession Before G-d
4. Acceptance for the Future
1. Leaving the Sin
Leaving the sin consists of stopping the commission of the sinful act. One cannot do
Teshuvah if one continues to do the sin, even if he or she were to perform the next three
steps perfectly.
2. Regret
Regret consists in sincerely regretting one's wrong action. One must be genuinely ashamed
and embarrassed over one's sins.
3. Confession Before G-d
Confession before G-d consists of an oral confession spoken out loud, in which one
formulates in words the commitments and attitudes one has reached in his or her heart. One
should say, "I have sinned, I have done such and such; I deeply regret my actions,
and I declare before G-d, Who knows my innermost thoughts, that I will never do this sin
again."
4. Acceptance for the Future
Acceptance for the future consists of resolving in one's heart never to commit the sin
ever again.
But...
1. The above steps only work for sins committed against G-d; for sins committed against
other people, one must first ask forgiveness from that person before G-d will accept the
Teshuvah.
This is the source of the practice by many Jews to contact all of their family, friends
and co-workers during this period to ask for forgiveness for anything we may have done to
upset them during the past year(s).
2. These four steps are of course only valid if we do Teshuva AFTER THE FACT. One cannot
say in advance - "I can do this sin, then do Teshuvah and He will forgive me..."
It simply doesn't work that way as it may in other belief systems.
On the other hand...
One should keep in mind that Teshuvah is an ongoing process that cannot be accomplished
overnight. No matter how many times a person may stumble in the Teshuvah process, that
person has to simply pick him or herself up and keep trying to stay on the right path.
What G-d is really looking for is the
sincerity of the effort that a person puts into their Teshuvah!
Stories from the Talmud about
"Teshuvah," Repentance
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