Question:
I wondered why we say Teshuvah is such a Chesed H' If H' knows that everyone will sin (Ein Ish Asher Lo Yecheta) then He certainly needs to have a solution for us?
I can understand that the Chesed of Teshuvah is that its a) like it never happened, or b) You can be in a higher place then a Tzadik gamur.
Are there other answers?
Answer:
Hello,
I understand your question, but I have to challenge it, before answering it. The challenge to the question is. We sinned to him, and he NEEDS to have a solution for us? Hashem created us and He owes us nothing. What did we do to deserve to be created? To merit having the pleasure of good food, the pleasure of breathing and all the other pleasure of life? Nothing. Hashem has zero essential obligations to us, aside from His will to give, and fortunately we are the benefactors. After creating us, give us hands, eyes, feet, and so many other things, we took those very organs and used them against Him. What would a human king do to someone like that? Take back what he gave him. OK, he’ll give him another chance, if he’s nice. But what about after it happens 20 times… Therefore, as far as we are concerned it is a massive chesed, that Hashem is doing for us, by clean us around… again, and again. Why Hashem wants to do it, is His business, and I can’t minimize the chesed that is being done for me, by looking at the other’s sides reasoning. As far as I am concerned, I am receiving a massive break for a massive mess that I got myself into by doing aveiros.
Another point. Even if it is everyone sins, does that mean, that the number of sins that I particularly did, is acceptable? If it were only for the fact that we all sin, so maybe there can be a curve given, but that will not obligate, the need to allow us to clean away, THIS amount of sin? Therefore, the fact that people are only human and make mistakes, will only help to a certain degree. Besides, it will only help for genuine mistakes, but teshuva also works for sins that were done on purpose, with the knowledge that it is a sin. Why should Hashem forgive that? Why should Hashem allow us to do teshuva for big aveiros? It is only because of is unending mercy and chesed.
This, in part is why the idea of teshuva was created even before man was created, because it defies the rules of nature. A person throws a rock at a storefront and smashes the window. He goes to the storekeeper and cries to him, “I was really stupid for doing that. I won’t do it again”. Will that make the window suddenly fix itself? Obviously not, but Hashem tell us that if we regret what we did, He will create another, sometimes better window, in its place. That is a massive chesed.
Another chesed. In the spiritual world, the person’s neshoma reeks due to the aveiros that the person did, and the malachim are nauseated by it, and don’t want to get near the person, to clean him up. Hashem however says, come running to me, and give me a hug, and I will clean you up. If the person does teshuva, Hashem personally strips the person of his dirty, stinky clothes, and I will wash him around until he comes out clean, smelling nice, with new clean clothes! Can we imagine, the king himself doing this! That is a massive chesed.
Another chesed. Imagine a citizen in a country of a king that sinned to the king, and disobeyed the rules, after being warned a number of times. Instead of the king just ordering to have his head taken off, the king traveled to the town that this man lives in, and came to visit the man! The king’s intention was that if the citizen sees him , he will ask the king for a pardon. Any king or ruler that would do that, we would say that he is exceedingly kind. This is what Hashem does for us every year. Hashem makes himself available to us during this period of the year, if we want to connect to Him spiritually, it is a lot easier. He comes to us to coax us to do teshuva. That is a massive chesed.
May we all be zoche to realize the tremendous chesed and opportunity that we are given, and utilize it properly.
Have a gmar chasima tova
