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Do Not Repent

GYE Corp. Wednesday, 22 February 2012

Do not repent. Repentance means to stop being bad and to become good. Instead, return. Return to the essential self and to what is rightfully yours. This is what we call T'shuva.

"Net" commented:

I'm a lubavitcher chossid, so I know the source of this saying. It was a Sicha in Chodesh Elul. I can try and explain it. The Dictionary defines Repentance as follows:

1. To feel sorry, self-reproachful, or contrite for past conduct; regret or be conscience-stricken about a past action, attitude, etc. (often fol. by of): He repented after his thoughtless act.

2. To feel such sorrow for sin or fault as to be disposed to change one's life for the better; be penitent.

What the Rebbe was saying is that that's not really the correct translation of Teshuva. "Teshuva" is from the word "Toshuv", which means returning to who we really are; to our essence and to Hashem. A yid in essence does not want to sin, his Yetzer Harah just tricks him into it. Like the Rambam says, that sometimes Beis Din is allowed to flog a man until he says "I want to". Even though this seems forced, the truth of the matter is, that a Jew really doesn't want to sin and really wants to do what's right.