The simple understanding of teshuva would be that it is a way of
fixing what went wrong. It is a medicine that must be taken to remove a
disease. However, healthy, functioning individuals don’t require teshuva (like Rav
Chayim said about mussar.) However, Rashi is teaching us that isn’t the case.
Teshuva isn’t a means of erasing sin, it’s a different outlook and perspective
on life. Teshuva isn't just the eraser
to remove the crude pencil marks of sin, a בדיעבד state. Teshuva is
a לכתחילה, it’s the pen to darken the imprint of
Hashem on one’s life.
The Gemorah in Pesachim (54a) says that there are seven things
created before the world; one of them is teshuva. Why would teshuva be
created "before" the world if it’s only a do over? Why would a backup plan be in place even
before the A plan gets off the ground? Why would there be a need for teshuva if there
was no sin yet? And what does it mean teshuva was created before the world,
there was no concept of time before the world was created to say something came
before something else?
The Gemorah doesn’t mean to give us a timeline of what came first,
what the Gemorah is describing is that there are certain things that are above
and greater than the general rules and boundaries of the world. Before is in terms of מעלה,
it has greater power. העולם comes from the word העלם, to conceal and cover over. This world is
a great cover up for Hashem. It seems as
if the world is separate and divorced from Hashem, but in reality, it isn’t. Teshuva is the ability to raise one’s eyes
above the great cover up. It is the power
to see through the façade and see Hashem in the world. That’s what the Gemorah means that teshuva
comes before the world, teshuva is a power which is greater than the
concealment of the world. It is, in the
words of Rashi the ability להכיר בוראו.
the concept of teshuva you describe is not teshuva on aveiros. So theoretically one who never sinned could still fulfill teshuva of this type. I think that I heard of such a teshuva being described as the teshuva of rav saadia gaon but I have never seen any source for such a description. However this type of teshuva is referred to in the Chovos Halevovos Shaar Avodas Elokim. However it appears that the gemara in shabbos 56b in describing yoshiahu's teshuva assumes that teshuva is only from aveiros. וצ"ע.
ReplyDeleteYes, that was my point. I was alluding to this point which has been discussed on the blog before https://emreieliezer.blogspot.com/2018/12/the-great-debate.html. It is an idea the Alter Rebbe writes in many placers.
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