Q&A: Repentance
Repentance
Question
Hello, honorable Rabbi. I wanted to ask about repentance. Do I repent so that the Holy One, blessed be He, will forgive my deeds, or do I repent for my own sake, in order to engage in self-examination? If it is so that God will forgive me, what value is there in that—am I preventing some kind of decree against myself? And in general, if the whole Torah was not meant for reward and punishment but only to be a Torah of life and to refine a person, then what does it mean to repent before God? Isn’t it enough for a person to understand his actions on his own and correct his ways מתוך the understanding that the Torah is the right path to wholeness?
If there is no individual providence, does the Holy One, blessed be He, at least “hear”? And should one address Him in the second person in prayer? And what value is there in turning to God during repentance or prayer?
Answer
You’re asking me why you repent? I assume you meant to ask why it is proper to repent.
In my opinion, because that is the truth.
What you described at the end is exactly what is called repentance: “It is enough for a person to understand his actions on his own and correct his ways מתוך the understanding that the Torah is the right path to wholeness.”
Discussion on Answer
This is a question that comes up regarding prayers, especially requests. Not necessarily regarding repentance. On the contrary, specifically regarding repentance there is no problem. I have explained this several times here and at length in the second book of the trilogy.
1. Let me first say that nobody assumes the purpose of prayer is to strengthen faith. So that is not relevant here.
2. With prayers that are not requests (including repentance), there is no problem. Even on my assumption, the Holy One, blessed be He, certainly does follow and listen, even if He is not involved in what happens in the world (passive rather than active providence). I explained that even expressions of thanks can be understood this way (it is an opportunity to thank Him for creating the world and everything in it).
3. As for requests, that is indeed a problem, since the person making the request expects divine involvement and a change in nature on his behalf (which, simply speaking, is even forbidden—like praying about something that has already happened). Here I wrote that if I were truly convinced that there is absolutely no involvement under any circumstances, I would stop making requests. But there is no way to know that with certainty, and it is possible that there is sporadic involvement in rare cases. Therefore, in fact, I do not add requests beyond what is obligatory, and certainly not about a situation for which I have a natural solution. I recite the obligatory requests on the assumption that maybe there is occasional involvement, at least in extreme cases (and my intention is those cases in which intervention is needed. Perhaps there He does intervene from time to time, though I am very doubtful).
Thank you to the Rabbi for the answer. Regarding the second part of the question—does personal turning to the Holy One, blessed be He, have meaning? Is it meaningful to say that He hears prayers? What is the significance of that if in the end He does not act? After all, a person will not be strengthened in faith through prayer if he understands that the Holy One, blessed be He, is not responsible for what will happen.