Aseret Yime Teshuva Insight- The Obligation of Teshuva
The Rabbis have taught us that during the period of Aseret Yemei Teshuva, the "Ten Days of Repentance" from Rosh Hashanah until Yom Kippur, we are required to devote ourselves to the process of Teshuva, repentance. At this most critical time of year, our attention must be firmly focused upon confessing our wrongdoing, asking the Almighty for forgiveness, and committing ourselves to never repeat our sins.
The question arises as to why this grueling process of Teshuva is necessary for earning a favorable judgment on Yom Kippur. Each person's conduct is weighed on two sides of a scale: our Misvot are placed on one side, while our misdeeds are piled onto the other. If our merits outweigh our wrongdoing, then we are granted a favorable sentence; if, Heaven forbid, our sins are more numerous then our Misvot, then we are handed a harsh judgment. Seemingly, then, it should suffice to simply increase one's Misva performance during these ten days and thereby ensure that his merits outweigh his misdeeds. Rather then repent, a person could instead perform additional acts of kindness, give extra charity, and devote more time to Torah learning during this period. Teshuva is, after all, a difficult and frustrating endeavor. So often we find ourselves confessing the precise same sins that we mentioned the previous year, and making the very commitments that we declared and subsequently broke on previous Yom Kippurs. In fact, the Rambam (Rabbi Moshe Maimonides, Spain-Egypt, 1135-1204) wrote ten chapters about repentance, instructing us how to properly perform Teshuva. And Rabbenu Yona (Spain, 1180-1263) composed an entire book – Shaare Teshuva – on the subject of repentance, which he obviously deemed a demanding and complex endeavor. Why, then, must we undertake this most difficult process of repentance, rather than performing extra Misvot and thereby tilting the scales in our favor?
To answer this question, let us translate our situation during the Days of Awe into the more familiar example of a borrower and creditor. Consider a case of a borrower who owes $1 million but is unable to repay the sum. Finally, the creditor approaches him and makes the following offer: if he comes forth during the next ten days, the creditor is prepared to accept a settlement whereby the debtor pays just ten cents on the dollar. Imagine how the lender would react if the borrower arrives on the eleventh day ready to repay one-tenth of the debt. Undoubtedly, he would respond angrily and refuse to accept anything but the full sum. Once the borrower had the gall to delay his payment, even after the lender so generously offered this extraordinary discount, the lender would assuredly be unwilling to forego on any part of the loan and would now demand the full sum.
During the Ten Days of Repentance, God makes us an offer we really cannot refuse. He is prepared to grant us forgiveness for our many sins at a minimum "expense," allowing us to earn atonement without enduring the punishments we deserve according to the strict terms of divine justice. Squandering this unique opportunity is nothing short of sheer gall and chutzpah. How dare we turn down this offer, and refuse such a generous "settlement"! If God is so kind and gracious, is it proper to turn Him down and delay "paying our debts" until after this ten-day period? Unquestionably, failing to repent during this period amounts to a far worse sin then any sin we have committed during the year. Ignoring God's offer of "ten cents on the dollar," of forgiveness in exchange for repentance, is a far greater crime than any misdeed on our record.
For this reason, performing additional Misvot during the Ten Days of Repentance does not suffice. Whatever extra Misvot we can add to the scales cannot possibly outweigh the severe sin of ignoring God's call to Teshuva, of turning down His generous offer of forgiveness. This sin would weigh the scales against us regardless of how many Misvot we perform during this period.
The prophet Yeshayahu (55:6) famously declared, "Seek out God when He is found; call to Him when He is near." The Rabbis explain this as a reference to the ten days from Rosh Hashanah through Yom Kippur, when God makes Himself more accessible then He is during the rest of the year, when the King comes to our city, as it were, and allows all of us to approach Him personally and directly. In light of what we have seen, Yeshayahu's call is not just an offer or a word of advice; it is a stern warning. When the King comes to see us, when He invites us to stand before Him and seek forgiveness, it behooves us to do so. Teshuva is not merely a privilege; it is – certainly during this time of year – an outright obligation. During the Ten Days of Repentance, we are given an offer we cannot refuse – and if we do refuse, then even the Misvot we perform will be insufficient to tilt the scales in our favor on Yom Kippur.
