It Depends Who You Ask – Yom Kippur Meditation (2)

From G-d’s perspective, Teshuvah can bring atonement. G-d’s utter transcendence renders the blemish harmless. To access this transcendent level of G-d, before whom sin is irrelevant, we must arouse a similar transcendent response from within our soul.

IT DEPENDS WHO YOU ASK - YOM KIPPUR

MEDITATION (2)

Wisdom was asked: “What is the proper punishment for a sinner?”

Wisdom answered: “The sinners shall be pursued by evil.” (Proverbs 13:)

Prophecy was asked: “What is the proper punishment for a sinner?”

Prophecy answered: “The soul of the sinner shall die.” (Ezekiel 18:)

Torah was asked: “What is the proper punishment for a sinner?”

Torah answered: “Let him bring guilt offering and he will be forgiven.”

The Holy One Blessed be He was asked: “What is the proper punishment for a sinner?”

The Holy One Blessed be He answered: “Let him do Teshuvah and he will be forgiven.” This is the meaning of the verse: “G-d is good and just, He therefore shows the sinners on the way.” He shows the sinners the way they can do Teshuvah.

In this passage from the Jerusalem Talmud, we find four different responses to the sinner. They reflect four different perspectives.

Perspective of Wisdom

From the perspective of wisdom or logic, the sinner will be pursued by his evil.

Logic dictates that the punishment is a direct consequence of the sin. Sin and suffering are cause and effect. The degree of punishment is thus commensurate with the degree of the sin.

Perspective of Prophecy

From the perspective of prophecy the soul of the sinner shall die.

Prophecy is a line of communication with the Divine. A sin – even unintentional – severs that connection.

Prophecy thus declares that the sinner must die, inasmuch as his connection has been severed.

Death in this case can be meant in a spiritual sense in that the degree of communication between the person and G-d is weakened. In the most extreme situations, when the link becomes so weakened to the point that it is severed, it can actually lead to physical death as well.

Perspective of Torah

From the perspective of Torah, the person can atone by bringing a sacrifice. Torah is G-d’s wisdom. It therefore transcends even the level of prophecy. Thus, a prophet may not introduce any new Torah laws. From the perspective of Torah, the sin is far more serious than even from the perspective of prophecy, for Torah is far more sensitive to a breach of its commandments. Arguably, even death cannot atone for this.

Torah is, however, a Torah of kindness (Toras Chesed). Torah thus considers the mitigating factor that “a person does not sin unless a spirit of folly enters into him,” and that sin is caused by the (superimposed) animal nature within man. The Torah thus provides for a solution – an animal sacrifice – that underscores how sin derives exclusively from the person’s animal nature that dominated at the time of the transgression.

Perspective of G-d

From G-d’s perspective, Teshuvah can bring atonement.

On the one hand, one can argue, a transgression, from the perspective of G-d Himself, is more acute, and would hardly be considered pardonable.

On the other hand, G-d’s utter transcendence renders the blemish harmless, as Job declared: “If your sins multiply, what have you done to him?” To access this transcendent level of G-d, before whom sin is irrelevant, we must arouse a similar transcendent response from within our soul.

This is the essence of Teshuvah, where we transform ourselves from one extreme to the other.

In Rambam’s words:

“Teshuvah is when the One who knows all secrets can testify that he (the sinner) will no longer return to his folly.”

This generates a reciprocal response from G-d, who will elevate the erstwhile sinner from the deep spiritual abyss – to the pinnacle of holiness.

Indeed, our sages declare that

“Where the Ba’alei Teshuvah (Masters of Teshuvah) stand, even the most perfectly righteous people cannot stand.”

Yom Kippur provides us with a most unique opportunity to be able to change and transform ourselves from one extreme to the other. The culmination of this process will take place with the coming of Moshiach. At that time, we will be able to access the innermost essence of our souls, because G-d will have revealed His essence to us.

May we all be sealed for a good and sweet year and a year of Redemption in all senses of the word.

From the book Light from the Future: Yom Kippur by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.