Repentance-Just do it TB Avodah Zarah 4-5

The movie American history X wonders whether a person can change. Living a life marked by violence and racism, neo-Nazi Derek Vinyard (Edward Norton) finally goes to prison after killing two black youths who tried to steal his car. Upon his release, Derek vows to change his ways; he hopes to prevent his younger brother, Danny (Edward Furlong), who idolizes Derek, from following in his footsteps. As he struggles with his own deeply ingrained prejudices and watches their mother grow sicker, Derek wonders if his family can overcome a lifetime of hate.

Dappim TB Avodah Zarah 4-5 gives us hope that the gates of repentance are always open and a person or people can still turn their lives around. Even if somebody commits two of the most grievous sins, idolatry and adultery, he can repent and be forgiven.

“And Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi says: The Jewish people fashioned the Golden Calf (see Exodus, chapter 32) only to give a claim to penitents, as it is stated after the revelation at Sinai: “Who would give that they had such a heart as this always, to fear Me, and keep all My commandments, that it might be good for them, and with their children forever” (Deuteronomy 5:26). If the nation was truly at such a lofty spiritual state, how could they worship the Golden Calf? Rather, their sin occurred so that it would be made clear that one can repent for any sin, as even a sin as severe as the Golden Calf was forgiven.

“And this is similar to that which Rabbi Yoḥanan says in the name of Rabbi Shimon ben Yoḥai: David was not fit to act as he did in that incident involving Bathsheba, and the Jewish people were not fit to act as they did in that incident of the Golden Calf. David was not fit to act as he did in that incident involving Bathsheba (see II Samuel, chapter 11), as it is written: “And my heart is wounded within me” (Psalms 109:22), i.e., he had vanquished his evil inclination, and therefore it should not have been able to rule over him to that extent.

"And likewise the Jewish people were not fit to act as they did in that incident of the Golden Calf, as it is written with regard to the Jewish people of that time: “Who would give that they had such a heart as this always, to fear Me and keep all My commandments, that it might be good for them, and with their children forever” (Deuteronomy 5:25). Rather, why did they perform these sins?  

“This serves to say to you that if an individual has sinned, one says to him: Go to that famous individual who sinned, King David, and learn from him that one can repent. And if the community sinned, one says to them: Go to the community that sinned, i.e., the Jewish people at the time of the Golden Calf.” (Sefaria.org translation)

This week’s Torah portion parashat Korakh provides another example of the power of teshuvah, repentance. Korakh and his band of 250 men rebelled against Moses his leadership. Since Moses was God’s chosen leader, rebelling against him was like rebelling against God. God punished Korakh and his band of men. “Scarcely had he (Moses-gg) finished speaking all these words when the ground under them burst asunder, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them up with their households, all Korah’s people and all their possessions. They went down alive into Sheol, with all that belonged to them; the earth closed over them and they vanished from the midst of the congregation.” (Numbers 16:31-33)

One might think that’s the end of the story, but it isn’t. If you go to the book of Psalms you discover that the children of Korakh (bnai korakh- בְנֵי־קֹ֬רַח), Korakh’s descendants composed Psalms 42, 44-49-81, 84, 85, and 87. The rabbis taught that Korakh’s children separated from their evil father’s ways and repented. Because they repented, they were saved from their father’s fate.

Korakh’s children, King David, an entire people of Israel prove if they could do teshuvah and be forgiven, so can you.