Even before the month of Elul, my thoughts turn to the High Holidays. Besides writing sermons and reviewing the holiday prayers, I need to prepare my heart and soul so that they too will be open for teshuvah, repentance just like everybody else. The shofar is blown every weekday morning to awaken in the person’s desire to do teshuvah.
All throughout my years of studying Torah, I learned
that there is no coincidence. So I wasn’t surprised when I studied daf TB Kiddushin 20a, I was reminded not
to rationalize my bad behavior.
“As Rav Huna says: Once a person commits a transgression and repeats it, it is permitted to him. The Gemara is surprised at this: Can it enter your mind that it is permitted to him merely because he has sinned twice? Rather, say that it becomes to him as though it is permitted. Therefore, when he violates a prohibition a second time, the baraita takes for granted that he does not sense that he is performing a sin, and employs a different terminology.” (Sefaria.org translation)
Just because after
I keep on doing what’s wrong so I don’t think it’s wrong at all, doesn’t make
it so. A wonderful example of this rationalization is the temptation to gossip.
We know that gossiping is wrong, but the more we gossip the easier gossiping
becomes.
The sooner we stop rationalizing our bad behavior, the
greater chance we shall become the people we aspire to really be.
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