Teshuvah: Its Meaning and Laws – Rabbi Michael Abraham – Lesson 4, Part 3
This transcript was produced automatically using artificial intelligence. There may be inaccuracies in the transcribed content and in speaker identification.
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Table of Contents
- The definition of love and its relation to the Laws of the Foundations of the Torah
- Fear of God versus fear in the Laws of the Foundations of the Torah
- Serving for its own sake
- Repentance and the paradox of self-change
- Conclusion, blessings, and the upcoming holidays
Summary
General overview
Love is defined here as doing the truth because it is truth, and it is different from the love defined in the Laws of the Foundations of the Torah, because here the discussion is about love of God itself, not the commandment to love God, which is a different section and one of the 613 commandments. Love of God is supposed to come out of understanding, not because there is a commandment, and likewise fear of God here is distinguished from the fear discussed in the Laws of the Foundations of the Torah. Serving for its own sake is defined as doing things because they are inherently right, and in essence this kind of action is what it means to be a penitent, that is, to return to being someone who truly does what is right out of an inner decision. The meaning of repentance and of the Laws of Repentance is to take the reins back into your own hands, and the lecture also includes a wish for a good year together with mention of the approaching days of Rosh Hashanah and the eve of Yom Kippur.
The definition of love and its relation to the Laws of the Foundations of the Torah
Love is defined here as doing the truth because it is truth. That definition is not the same as the one in the Laws of the Foundations of the Torah. The distinction stems from the fact that here the discussion is not about the commandment to love God but about love of God itself, while the commandment to love God is a different section and one of the 613 commandments. Love of God here is supposed to come out of understanding, not because there is a commandment.
Fear of God versus fear in the Laws of the Foundations of the Torah
The fear of God being discussed here is distinguished from the fear found in the Laws of the Foundations of the Torah. Here, fear of God is presented along the same lines as love that arises out of understanding and not out of command.
Serving for its own sake
Serving for its own sake appears here as repeatedly doing things because they are right. A person must do all these things because they are inherently right.
Repentance and the paradox of self-change
To do all these things in one’s essence means being a penitent, that is, returning to being someone who truly does what is right. You cannot perform a commandment merely because of an external command, and you cannot simply command a person to do this; rather, the person has to decide to do it, and it has to come from within. This creates the paradoxes that were mentioned—how can it be that it comes from within a person to change himself? In the end, though, that is what is required: to return to oneself and take the reins in hand. That is the meaning of repentance and of the Laws of Repentance.
Conclusion, blessings, and the upcoming holidays
A blessing is offered for a good year. It is said that by Thursday it will already be Rosh Hashanah, and that the following Thursday is the eve of Yom Kippur, and that the eve of Yom Kippur falls on the Sabbath—Sabbath, Friday-Sabbath, Thursday, yes. It is also said: “I don’t remember whether you were sitting behind me.”
Full Transcript
Love is defined here differently: to do the truth because it is truth. That’s what is defined here as love. Not the love that is defined in the Laws of the Foundations of the Torah. Why? Because here he is not talking about the commandment to love God; he is talking about love of God. This is not the commandment to love God. The commandment to love God is a different section; it is one of the 613 commandments. Love of God is something else. Love of God is something that is supposed to come out of understanding, not because there is a commandment. The same goes for fear of God that he is talking about here, as opposed to the fear found in the Laws of the Foundations of the Torah. Serving for its own sake of course appears here. Once again, serving for its own sake means simply that everything has to be done because it is right. And in essence, doing all these things in one’s very being is really what it means to be a penitent. Because being a penitent, all in all, means returning to being someone who truly does what is right. You can’t perform a commandment—you can’t command me to do this. I have to decide to do it; it has to come from me. And that is all the paradoxes we talked about: how can it be that it comes from me to change myself? But after all that, in the end, that is what is required of us—that is, to return to being, to take the reins into our own hands. That is really the meaning of repentance and of the Laws of Repentance as well. Okay, so may it be a good year. By Thursday we are already at Rosh Hashanah. The Thursday after that is the eve of Yom Kippur. The eve of Yom Kippur falls on the Sabbath. Sabbath, Friday-Sabbath. Thursday, yes. I don’t remember whether you were sitting behind me.