Divine Justice and the Gift of Repentance: How Judaism Balances Mercy and Accountability

“For God will bring every deed to judgement — whether hidden or revealed, whether good or evil.” (Kohelet 12:14)

Shlomo Hamelech declares that every deed a person performs will ultimately be brought before God for judgment. Many people mistakenly think: “God is merciful — He’ll forgive me; we’ll work it out in Heaven.”

But the Sages warn: “Whoever says that God overlooks sins — his insides will be overlooked” (Talmud, Bava Kamma 50a). One who relies on divine leniency will eventually suffer for it. Because although God is indeed the source of mercy and kindness, His mercy does not mean negligence or indifference. Just as a doctor cannot “forgive” a patient from undergoing a painful but necessary treatment, so too God cannot simply “waive” the spiritual process of correction. Punishment in Heaven is never revenge — it is rectification and purification for the damage a soul caused.

The Sages therefore taught (Yalkut Shimoni, Micah 516): “If the evil inclination tells you, ‘Sin, and God will forgive you,’ do not listen to it!”

Three Dimensions of Divine Mercy

Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto (the Ramchal, Mesillat Yesharim, ch. 4) explains that divine mercy — without which the world could not exist, manifests in three ways toward the sinner:

1. The Timing of Punishment
   According to strict justice, a sinner should be punished immediately. Yet God is slow to anger — He waits, giving the sinner time to repent.

2. The Severity of Punishment
   The Sages teach: “The measure of goodness exceeds the measure of punishment by 500 times.” When God rewards, He does so in great abundance. But when He punishes, He does so with the minimal force necessary for the soul’s repair.

   Imagine a simple wagon driver wandering into a military base. Seeing a thick cable marked “Do not touch — communication line,” he assumes it’s a rope and cuts a piece to tie his horse. Instantly, all power and communications collapse. If he were judged strictly, he’d be liable not only for the rope’s cost but for the entire system failure.

   Likewise, every sin causes far-reaching harm in the spiritual realms. Were strict justice applied, the punishment would be unbearable. Yet divine mercy reduces it to the minimum necessary for the soul’s correction.

3. The Gift of Repentance (Teshuvah)
   By pure logic, repentance should not exist. How can one erase a deed that already happened? Can a murderer restore the life he took? Can one who desecrated Shabbat undo the spiritual damage done?

   Yet God, in His mercy, created the possibility of teshuvah — an opportunity to cleanse and renew the soul.

   The Jerusalem Talmud (Makkot 2:6) recounts: They asked Wisdom, “What is the sinner’s punishment?” Wisdom replied: “Evil pursues sinners.” They asked Prophecy, “What is the sinner’s punishment?”  Prophecy replied: “The soul that sins shall die.”
   They asked God, “What is the sinner’s punishment?” God replied: “Let him repent — and he shall be forgiven.”

   Thus Scripture says (Tehillim 25:8): “Good and upright is the Lord; therefore He instructs sinners in the way.”Justice demands accountability, but divine mercy offers the path back — the ability to rebuild, to cleanse, to begin again.

Every Deed Counts: Advocates and Accusers

The Ethics of the Fathers (4:11) teaches: “One who performs one mitzvah acquires for himself one advocate; one who commits one transgression acquires one accuser. Repentance and good deeds are a shield against calamity.”

On the Day of Judgment, every mitzvah will stand as a defender, and every sin as a prosecutor. The remedy is repentance and good deeds, which act as a spiritual shield.

True teshuvah includes four steps:

1. Abandoning the sin

2. Verbal confession

3. Regret and remorse

4. Commitment for the future

The Language of a Contrite Heart

Rabbeinu Yonah, in Sha’arei Teshuvah (Gate 1, section 10), describes the inner work of repentance: “The first principle is remorse. Let one’s heart understand how bitter it is to abandon God. Let him realize that there is punishment and retribution for sin, and say to himself: ‘What have I done? Why did I not fear God’s warnings? I have harmed my body for a fleeting pleasure, and worse — I have been cruel to my precious soul, defiling it with my desires. What gain did I find in sin? I exchanged an eternal world for a moment of temptation. God gave me an intelligent soul to know and revere Him, and I turned that gift against its purpose. Even an ox knows its owner, and a donkey its master’s crib — yet I forgot my Creator and did not consider the day of death.’”

Such awareness opens the heart to humility, healing, and renewal.

“The Fragrance of His Garments” — The Secret of Returning

When Yaakov brought food to his father Yitzchak, the Torah says: “He smelled the fragrance of his garments and blessed him.” (Bereishit 27:27)

The Midrash interprets this spiritually: “Do not read begadav (his garments), but bogdav (his traitors).” Yitzchak foresaw, through divine vision, that even descendants who would rebel, would ultimately repent, and their repentance would smell like the fragrance of Paradise.

From this we understand that sins are not part of the Jew’s essence. They are merely like clothing — external layers that can be removed and replaced. Through genuine desire and effort, one can shed those stained garments and don new ones of light, purity, and mitzvot.

As the verse in Song of Songs (1:6) says: “Do not look upon me because I am dark, for the sun has tanned me.” The “darkness” of sin is only superficial, like a temporary suntan that fades through repentance and good deeds.

Why “Returning” to Repentance?

We call those who begin living a Torah life ba’alei teshuvah — “those who return in repentance.” If someone never lived a Torah life before, how can he be said to “return”?

Every Jewish soul stood at Mount Sinai and declared, “We will do and we will hear.” Each soul is carved from beneath the Throne of Glory. Living without Torah is an unnatural detour — a temporary estrangement from one’s true self. When a Jew begins to live according to Torah and mitzvot, he isn’t discovering something new — he is returning home.

The Transformative Power of Teshuvah

Maimonides (Rambam, Laws of Repentance 7:6–7) describes this transformation: “How great is repentance! Yesterday he was despised and distant — today he is beloved and close. Yesterday he was hated by God — today he is His friend. Yesterday his prayers were rejected — today they are heard immediately. Yesterday his mitzvot were torn up — today they are accepted with joy. And not only that — God Himself yearns for them.”

And the Sages add (Berachot 34b): “In the place where penitents stand, even the perfectly righteous cannot stand.”