Time to Return: A Simple Path to Renewal

The Hebrew month of Tammuz is an acronym for "Zemanei Teshuvah Memashmeshim U'Baim" – “The times of repentance are drawing near.” Even the month of Av that follows, hints to what is approaching as the letters of the Hebrew word Av, are an acronym for Elul Ba- Elul is on the way. After these reminders, we enter Elul itself – the month of mercy and forgiveness.

How Do We Truly Return to G-d?

The Steipler who was one of the leading figures of the Haredi Jewish world in Israel, offered a profound piece of advice for those seeking to return to a better path.

One of his students once came to him, heartbroken, and confessed:
“Rebbe, I’ve lost all hope. The evil inclination keeps dragging me down again and again. I’m worthless. I’m completely disconnected from Torah.”

The Steipler asked, “Have you ever once managed to overcome your inclination?”

The student repeated, “Rebbe, I told you, my situation is terrible!”

But the Steipler pressed, “Even once in the past – have you ever defeated it?”

Finally, the young man admitted that on rare occasions, he had managed to resist.

The Steipler responded: “In that case, do not look back at your failures, only at those victories.” He went on to explain that while many sources describe harsh penances and suffering to atone for sin, the greatest form of repentance is simply to say "Enough".

When a person commits to making a change, G-d in his boundless mercy, promises that all the old, torn, stained pages will be erased. As the Talmud says, “Great is repentance, for it transforms even willful sins into merits” (Yoma 86b).

The Steipler

Getting Up Is the Victory

Regarding the verse in Psalms, “They have bowed and fallen, but we have risen and stood firm,” the righteous taught: shouldn't it say “they fell, and we did not”? The truth is, there is no person who doesn’t fall, but the righteous get back up.

As another verse states: “Seven times the righteous fall and still rise” (Proverbs 24:16). Even while falling, he is still called righteous.

These teachings are a balm to the soul. We all carry the weight of sins- both accidental and deliberate failures. We have all stumbled. But if we adopt the Steipler’s advice, we can internalize the truth that everyone falls- the key is to keep going and to rise again with dignity and resolve.

Don’t wallow in the past. Raise your eyes to the future and declare, “Enough. I begin again.”

Through that strength, we may reach the level of the true penitent- a level so high that even the completely righteous cannot attain it.