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Daily Chizuk #1216
Parenting / Family
Feelings of Awe: Managing the List of Transgressions
The pasuk says, טוב וישר ה' על כן יורה חטאים בדרך – Hashem is good and upright and that is why he directs the sinners back on the proper path. It is only because of Hashem's unending goodness that He gives us the ability and helps us make teshuva and get rid of all of our sins. All year long whatever happens that hurts us, we say happily, "It's kappara," and we accept it from Hashem. Kappara means the affliction is giving us atonement for our sins. In general, all of hardship and difficulty leads back to this same concept: It is Hashem in His infinite mercy giving us atonement in this world so that we don't have to get it in the Next World.
But there is another way to get atonement that doesn’t hurt. In fact, we even get a mitzvah for doing it. That is teshuva. Whenever a person sins, his immediate reaction should be to make teshuva and get rid of all its harmful effects. Rabbenu Yonah writes, by making teshuva right away, a person can gain so much. Besides for getting rid of the transgression, it will help the person be stronger not to do the sin again when the opportunity arises. He says, doing a sin a second time is much worse than the first because once a person sees that he is subject to falling in a certain area, it is incumbent upon him to try to prevent it from happening again. Teshuva accomplishes that.
Chazal tells us, during these days of Aseret Yamei Teshuva, Hashem is closer than any other time of the year. The Rambam writes that now, more than ever, our teshuva is easily accepted and accomplishes so much. It's so easy to do, all it requires is a little time and thought. Let us utilize the wondrous gift that Hashem has given us and purify ourselves with our words and our hearts. And b'ezrat Hashem, we should all be sealed in the Book of Life. Amen!
But there is another way to get atonement that doesn’t hurt. In fact, we even get a mitzvah for doing it. That is teshuva. Whenever a person sins, his immediate reaction should be to make teshuva and get rid of all its harmful effects. Rabbenu Yonah writes, by making teshuva right away, a person can gain so much. Besides for getting rid of the transgression, it will help the person be stronger not to do the sin again when the opportunity arises. He says, doing a sin a second time is much worse than the first because once a person sees that he is subject to falling in a certain area, it is incumbent upon him to try to prevent it from happening again. Teshuva accomplishes that.
Chazal tells us, during these days of Aseret Yamei Teshuva, Hashem is closer than any other time of the year. The Rambam writes that now, more than ever, our teshuva is easily accepted and accomplishes so much. It's so easy to do, all it requires is a little time and thought. Let us utilize the wondrous gift that Hashem has given us and purify ourselves with our words and our hearts. And b'ezrat Hashem, we should all be sealed in the Book of Life. Amen!
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