Teshuvah

(1) All commandments of the Torah, whether they be mandatory or prohibitive, if a man violates any one of them, either presumptuously or erroneously, when he will repent himself and turn away from his sinful way, he is obliged to confess before God, blessed is He! even as it is said: "When a man or woman shall commit any sin..… Then they shall confess their sin which they have done (Num. 5.6–7), which is a confession of words. Such confession is a mandatory commandment. How is the verbal confession made? The sinner says thus: "I beseech Thee, O Great Name! I have sinned; I have been obstinate; I have committed profanity against Thee, particularly in doing thus and such. Now, behold! I have repented and am ashamed of my actions; forever will I not relapse into this thing again." This is the elementary form of confession; but whosoever elaborates in confessing and extends this subject is, indeed, praise-worthy. Likewise all those who bring sin-offerings or trespass-offerings, when they offer their sacrifices, whether for their errors or for their spitefulness, find no atonement in their sacrifices, unless they repent, and deliver themselves of a verbal confession, even as it is said: "He shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing"....

(1) What is complete repentance? He who once more had in it in his power to repeat a violation, but separated himself therefrom, and did not do it because of repentance, not out of fear or lack of strength. For example? One who knew a woman sinfully, and after a process of time he met her again privately, and he still loving her as theretofore, and he being in a state of potency, and the meeting is in the same land where the sin was first committed, if he parted without sinning, he has attained complete repentance. Of such Solomon said: "Remember then thy Creator in the days of thy youth" (Ecc. 12.1). Even if he made no reparation save in his old age, at a time when it was already impossible for him to repeat his misdeeds, although it is not the best repentance, it still is of help to him and he is considered a penitent. Moreover, though he continued a life of sin but did repent on his dying day, and did die a penitent, all of his sins are forgiven, even as it is said: "While the sun, or the light, or the moon, or the stars, be not darkened, nor the clouds return after the rain" (Ibid. 12.2), yea, that is the day of death. Deduct herefrom that if he remembered his Creator and did repent ere he died, he was forgiven.

The commandant of repentance as required by the Torah is simply the abandonment of sin. He must resolve in perfect sincerity never again to revert to Folly to rebel against his rule, may he be blessed. He will never again violate the King's Command, G-d forbid, neither a positive command nor a probation.

this is the basic meaning of the term teshuva repentance, to return to G-d with all his heart and soul, to serve him, to keep all his Commandments. "Let the wicked abandon his way and the sinful his thoughts and return to G-d".

after the cleansing Spirit passes over and purifies them, then their souls are able to return on to G-d himself, literally, to send the greatest Heights, to the very source, and cleave to him with a remarkable Unity. This is the original Unity, the ultimate in Union, that existed before the soul was blown by the breadth of his mouth to descend and be incorporated within the body of man.

( to illustrate this Unity before one exhals, the breath is united with the person, he and his breath are not separable yet.)

This is the perfect return, tesuvah.

(1) It was taught at the end of Yoma: There are three categories of atonement and repentance is with each one: If one violates a positive mitzva and repents, he is forgiven before he moves from his place. If one violates a prohibition and repents, repentance suspends [his punishment] and Yom Kippur atones. (To clarify: regarding their fulfillment, positive mitzvos are greater in that they supersede prohibitions, this is because divine light and sustenance is drawn into the supernal worlds from the Blessed One's Infinite Light through the fulfillment of positive mitzvos (as in Zohar, "The 248 commandments are the 248 limbs of the King.") as well as on the divine soul of [the performer] as in "Who sanctifies us with His commandments". but when is comes to repentance, even though one can be absolved of punishment over his rebellion against the Blessed One's Kingship, by not acting in acordance with the King's word, still the divine light is missing, and so on. As in the verse, "Mistakes cannot be corrected." i.e. "He who neglected reciting the evening and morning Shema" and so on. even if he would begin to always be scrupulous to recite the evening and morning Shema, his repentance is cannot correct the one time that he neglected.

"Why would God, may He be blessed, command us to do all of these commandments to commemorate that miracle; would we not remember it with one commemoration, [such that] it not be forgotten from the mouth of our offspring?" You must know that it is not from wisdom that you would [question] me about this, and it is your youthful thoughts that lead you to this. And now, my son, 'If you have understanding,' 'incline your ear and hear,' and I will teach you to benefit from Torah and the commandments: You must know, that a man is acted upon according to his actions; and his heart and all his thoughts always follow after the actions that he does - whether good or bad. And even he who in his heart is a complete sinner and all the desires of his heart are only for evil; if his spirit shall be enlightened and he will put his efforts and actions to persist in Torah and commandments - even if not for the sake of Heaven - he shall immediately incline towards the good. And from that which is not for its own sake comes that which is for its own sake [as opposed to being for personal gain]; for the hearts are drawn after the actions. And even if a man is perfectly righteous and his heart is straight and innocent, desiring of Torah and the commandments; if he shall constantly deal with improper things, you could compare it to someone who was forced by the king to work a wicked craft - if he constantly works in that wicked craft - eventually, from his righteousness, he shall have become completely evil. For it is known and true that every man is acted upon according to his actions, as we have said.

They said about Rabbi Elazar ben Durdayya that he was so promiscuous that he did not leave one prostitute in the world with whom he did not engage in sexual intercourse. Once, he heard that there was one prostitute in one of the cities overseas who would take a purse full of dinars as her payment. He took a purse full of dinars and went and crossed seven rivers to reach her. When they were engaged in the matters to which they were accustomed, a euphemism for intercourse, she passed wind and said: Just as this passed wind will not return to its place, so too Elazar ben Durdayya will not be accepted in repentance, even if he were to try to repent. This statement deeply shocked Elazar ben Durdayya, and he went and sat between two mountains and hills and said: Mountains and hills, pray for mercy on my behalf, so that my repentance will be accepted. They said to him: Before we pray for mercy on your behalf, we must pray for mercy on our own behalf, as it is stated: “For the mountains may depart, and the hills be removed” (Isaiah 54:10). He said: Heaven and earth, pray for mercy on my behalf. They said to him: Before we pray for mercy on your behalf, we must pray for mercy on our own behalf, as it is stated: “For the heavens shall vanish away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment” (Isaiah 51:6).

....Elazar ben Durdayya said: Clearly the matter depends on nothing other than myself. He placed his head between his knees and cried loudly until his soul left his body. A Divine Voice emerged and said: Rabbi Elazar ben Durdayya is destined for life in the World-to-Come.

Rabbi Abbahu said: In the place where penitents stand, even the full-fledged righteous do not stand, as it is stated: “Peace, peace upon him who is far and him who is near.” Peace and greeting is extended first to him who is far, the penitent, and only thereafter is peace extended to him who is near, the full-fledged righteous.

(30) For on this day atonement shall be made for you to cleanse you of all your sins; you shall be clean before the L-RD.

(1) A song of ascents. Out of the depths I call You, O L-RD.