Living our best lives TB Shabbat 153

One of the common errors some Christians make about Judaism is the contrast between Jewish ‘law’ and Christian ‘grace.’ “They may believe that the Law (Torah) is impossible to follow, ‘a yoke that neither our ancestors nor we have been able to bear’ (Acts 15:10), as opposed to Jesus’ ‘easy yoke’ (See Matthew 11:29-30).” (Amy Jill-Levine, “Bearing false witness: Common Errors Made About Early Judaism,” in The Jewish Annotated New Testament, page 501) Since the observance of all 613 commandments found in the Torah is impossible, they believe we are doomed and only through the belief in Jesus can we escape perdition. What they forget or don’t know is that God incorporated the possibility of teshuvah (תשובה), repentance, as one of the 613 commandments, and thus we have a built in way to be forgiven for all our sins. Ezekiel taught in the Lord’s name, “Say to them: as I live-declares the Lord God-is not My desire that the wicked shall die, but the wicked turn from his evil ways and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways, that you may not die.” (Ez. 33:11)

With daf TB Shabbat 153 we finish the 23^rd chapter of massechet Shabbat. Yesterday we learned how the sages viewed aging and dying. Knowing that all life must come to an end, this chapter concludes by teaching us how to live our best lives by incorporating the daily practice of teshuvah.

“We learned there in a mishna that Rabbi Eliezer says: Repent one day before your death. Rabbi Eliezer’s students asked him: But does a person know the day on which he will die? He said to them: All the more so this is a good piece of advice, and one should repent today lest he die tomorrow; and by following this advice one will spend his entire life in a state of repentance. And King Solomon also said in his wisdom: “At all times your clothes should be white, and oil shall not be absent from upon your head” (Ecclesiastes 9:8), meaning that a person always needs to be prepared.” (Sefaria.org translation)

 The power of teshuvah is awesome. Here is just a sample of benefits and outcomes of teshuvah as taught by our sages in the Talmud.

 “Rabbi Ḥama bar Ḥanina said: Great is repentance, as it brings healing to the world, as it is stated: “I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely” (Hosea 14:5), which teaches that repentance from sin brings healing…Rabbi Levi said: Great is repentance, as it reaches the heavenly throne, as it is stated: “Return, Israel, to the Lord your God” (Hosea 14:2). This implies that repentance literally reaches to God…

 “Rabbi Yoḥanan said: Great is repentance, as it overrides even a prohibition of the Torah. How so? As it is stated that God said: “…Saying: If a man sends away his wife and she goes from him and becomes another man’s, may he return to her again? Will not that land be greatly polluted? But you have committed adultery with many lovers; and would you yet return to Me, said the Lord” (Jeremiah 3:1). Indeed, the Torah states: “Her former husband, who sent her away, may not take her again to be his wife after she has been made impure” (Deuteronomy 24:4). The relationship between the Jewish people and the Holy One, Blessed be He, is compared to that between a husband and wife. Just as it is prohibited for an adulterous wife to return to her husband, it should be prohibited for the Jewish people to return to God from their sins, yet repentance overrides this prohibition...

 “Rabbi Yonatan said: Great is repentance, which hastens the redemption, as it is stated: “And a redeemer will come to Zion, and to those who repent from transgression in Jacob” (Isaiah 59:20). What is the reason that a redeemer will come to Zion? It is because there are those who repent from transgression in Jacob...

Reish Lakish said: Great is repentance, as the penitent’s intentional sins are counted for him as unwitting transgressions, as it is stated: “Return, Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled in your iniquity” (Hosea 14:2)...

“Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani said that Rabbi Yonatan said: Great is repentance, which lengthens the years of a person’s life, as it is stated: “When the wicked man turns from his wickedness that he has committed, and does that which is lawful and right, he will preserve his life” (Ezekiel 18:27)…

“It was taught in a baraita that Rabbi Meir would say: Great is repentance because the entire world is forgiven on account of one individual who repents, as it is stated: “I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely; for My anger has turned away from him” (Hosea 14:5). It does not say: From them, i.e., from the sinners, but “from him,” i.e., from that individual. Because he repented, everyone will be healed.” (TB Yoma 86a-b) (Sefaria.org translation)

 Remember, only 44 more teshuvah days before Rosh Hashanah!

By the way, TB Shabbat 153 begins the 24^th and very last chapter in massechet Shabbat! Monday we shall conclude this tractate and move on to massechet Eruvin!