Great is repentance TB Yoma 86

The last topic our Gemara needs to analyze is repentance, הַתְּשׁוּבָה-teshuvah. Obviously empty rites and empty words do not accomplish the intended goal of Yom Kippur, reconciliation between us and God and us in our fellow human beings. The Mishnah on daf TB 85b introduces value concept of repentance. Dr. Lois E Newman in his book Repentance: the Meaning and Practice of Teshuvah quotes Ehud Luz: “Teshuvah is a central concept in Jewish religious literature and maybe seen to express the essence of the religious and ethical ideal of Judaism.” (Page 2) After studying today’s daf TB Yoma 86 which begins the discussion of various aspects of repentance, we can appreciate what Newman says about it. “Repentance in the fullest sense, then, encompasses regret, apology, and restitution-the behaviors most often associated with it-but also profound healing of a moral selves in a relationship with others.” (Page 3) Today’s daf emphasizes the power of teshuvah.

“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). The Gemara analyzes this: Doesn’t “iniquity” mean an intentional sin? Yet the prophet calls it stumbling, implying that one who repents is considered as though he only stumbled accidentally in his transgression. The Gemara asks: Is that so? Didn’t Reish Lakish himself say: Great is repentance, as one’s intentional sins are counted for him as merits, as it is stated: “And when the wicked turns from his wickedness, and does that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby” (Ezekiel 33:19), and all his deeds, even his transgressions, will become praiseworthy? The Gemara reconciles: This is not difficult: Here, when one repents out of love, his sins become like merits; there, when one repents out of fear, his sins are counted as unwitting transgressions. (When one repents out of love, his past sins motivate him to devote himself to Torah and mitzvot even more. Consequently, the sins are counted as merits by God. (Rabbi Shmuel Eliezer Halevi Idlis)

“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.”

Now that we understand the impact teshuvah has upon us and the world and realizing that the High Holidays 5782 are only nine weeks away, today would be a great day to prepare our hearts for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur by starting down the path of repentance.