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Are we commanded to do Teshuvah?
My Rabbi gave a very interesting Shabbat Shuvah Derasha yesterday, focusing on how the Rambam structured his Hilchot Teshuvah, his explanation of the laws of repentance. And the question arose: Is there a commandment to repent?
The way I read the Rambam, I think the answer is "no."
[Disclaimer: These are my responses to the material that Rabbi Samuels presented, and not what he spoke about.]
Hilchot Tshuvah opens thus:
כָּל הַמִּצְווֹת שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה, בֵּין עֲשֵׂה בֵּין לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה--אִם עָבַר אָדָם עַל אַחַת מֵהֶן, בֵּין בְּזָדוֹן בֵּין בִּשְׁגָגָה--כְּשֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה תְּשׁוּבָה וְיָשׁוּב מֵחֶטְאוֹ, חַיָּב לְהִתְוַדּוֹת לִפְנֵי הָאֵל בָּרוּךְ הוּא: ... וּוִדּוּי זֶה מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה.
The way I read this is that it does not impose an obligation to do teshuvah, nor to perform confession. But if one is doing teshuvah, that triggers an obligation to confess verbally.
In Chapter 2, the Rambam writes:
וּמַה הִיא הַתְּשׁוּבָה--הוּא שֶׁיַּעֲזֹב הַחוֹטֶא חֶטְאוֹ, וִיסִירֶנּוּ מִמַּחְשַׁבְתּוֹ וְיִגְמֹר בְּלִבּוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יַעֲשֵׂהוּ עוֹד, שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר "יַעֲזֹב רָשָׁע דַּרְכּוֹ, וְאִישׁ אָוֶן מַחְשְׁבֹתָיו" (ישעיהו נה,ז). וְכֵן יִתְנַחַם עַל שֶׁעָבַר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר "כִּי-אַחֲרֵי שׁוּבִי, נִחַמְתִּי, וְאַחֲרֵי הִוָּדְעִי, סָפַקְתִּי עַל-יָרֵךְ" (ירמיהו לא,יח); וְיָעִיד עָלָיו יוֹדֵעַ תַּעֲלוּמוֹת שֶׁלֹּא יָשׁוּב לְזֶה הַחֵטְא לְעוֹלָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר "וְלֹא-נֹאמַר עוֹד אֱלֹהֵינוּ, לְמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֵינוּ--אֲשֶׁר-בְּךָ, יְרֻחַם יָתוֹם" (הושע יד,ד). וְצָרִיךְ לְהִתְוַדּוֹת בִּשְׂפָתָיו, וְלוֹמַר עִנְיָנוֹת אֵלּוּ שֶׁגָּמַר בְּלִבּוֹ.
Again, I'd argue that this is actually two statements. The Rambam defines teshuvah as having three components, and he provides a prooftext for each: recognizing the sinful nature of the act, feeling remorse, and resolving to do better. Then, as a postscript, he adds a further requirement without a prooftext.
Based on this, I think the Rambam is stating that one who is doing teshuvah as defined with those three steps thus obligates oneself to perform the mitzvah of vidui, confession.
I'd analogize this to the mitzvah of tzitzit, the fringes worn on a four-cornered garment. There is not an obligation to wear tzitzit. There is an obligation that, if one is going to wear a four-cornered garments, then one must affix tzitzit to that garment. It's an obligation triggered by a voluntary act.
So, too, I read the Rambam as saying that teshuvah is a meritorious act but not an obligatory one, and confession is a meritorious act but only obligatory if one is doing teshuvah.
To be clear: I know that other rabbis have said that teshuvah is, in fact, a positive commandment. I do not know the rest of the Rambam well enough to argue that this is his position throughout his corpus. I'm just focusing on these two halachot from Hilchot Teshuvah.
But it seems a powerful statement: If you're sinning, and you're not ready to do teshuvah, then why double your "sin load"? If you're not doing teshuvah, why should the halacha force you to make a false confession? As Rambam himself writes in the very next halacha:
כָּל הַמִּתְוַדֶּה בִּדְבָרִים, וְלֹא גָמַר בְּלִבּוֹ לַעֲזֹב--הֲרֵי זֶה דּוֹמֶה לְטוֹבֵל, וְשֶׁרֶץ בְּיָדוֹ, שְׁאֵין הַטְּבִילָה מוֹעֶלֶת, עַד שֶׁיַּשְׁלִיךְ הַשֶּׁרֶץ
We are preparing for Yom Kippur. I am examining my soul and my deeds and asking myself: "How can I lead the congregation in the vidui at Minchah if I know I will relapse into (most of) my bad habits afterwards?"
For me to be a leader, I must have the same level of obligation as those I am leading. Which means, as I read the Rambam, that if I'm not doing teshuvah properly, I have no obligation to recite the vidui and therefore I have no right to lead any service which contains the vidui.
So I'd better make sure I mean it. Before Yom Kippur, I must work out a plan for letting go of the sh'ratzim to which my hand yet clings.
[I'd like to dedicate these thoughts to the memory of my grandfather, Avraham ben Mona Dov ha-Levi, whose Jahrzeit was yesterday, and to the memory of Rabbi Abraham Halbfinger, whose passing last night in Israel marks the loss of a great rabbi, a great leader, and most importantly, a great and true mensch.]
The way I read the Rambam, I think the answer is "no."
[Disclaimer: These are my responses to the material that Rabbi Samuels presented, and not what he spoke about.]
Hilchot Tshuvah opens thus:
כָּל הַמִּצְווֹת שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה, בֵּין עֲשֵׂה בֵּין לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה--אִם עָבַר אָדָם עַל אַחַת מֵהֶן, בֵּין בְּזָדוֹן בֵּין בִּשְׁגָגָה--כְּשֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה תְּשׁוּבָה וְיָשׁוּב מֵחֶטְאוֹ, חַיָּב לְהִתְוַדּוֹת לִפְנֵי הָאֵל בָּרוּךְ הוּא: ... וּוִדּוּי זֶה מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה.
Every commandment in the Torah, whether positive or negative, if a person transgresses one of them, whether intentionally or accidentally, when he does teshuvah and returns from his sin, he is obligated to confess before God, who is Blessed. (Emphasis added)
The way I read this is that it does not impose an obligation to do teshuvah, nor to perform confession. But if one is doing teshuvah, that triggers an obligation to confess verbally.
In Chapter 2, the Rambam writes:
וּמַה הִיא הַתְּשׁוּבָה--הוּא שֶׁיַּעֲזֹב הַחוֹטֶא חֶטְאוֹ, וִיסִירֶנּוּ מִמַּחְשַׁבְתּוֹ וְיִגְמֹר בְּלִבּוֹ שֶׁלֹּא יַעֲשֵׂהוּ עוֹד, שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר "יַעֲזֹב רָשָׁע דַּרְכּוֹ, וְאִישׁ אָוֶן מַחְשְׁבֹתָיו" (ישעיהו נה,ז). וְכֵן יִתְנַחַם עַל שֶׁעָבַר, שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר "כִּי-אַחֲרֵי שׁוּבִי, נִחַמְתִּי, וְאַחֲרֵי הִוָּדְעִי, סָפַקְתִּי עַל-יָרֵךְ" (ירמיהו לא,יח); וְיָעִיד עָלָיו יוֹדֵעַ תַּעֲלוּמוֹת שֶׁלֹּא יָשׁוּב לְזֶה הַחֵטְא לְעוֹלָם, שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר "וְלֹא-נֹאמַר עוֹד אֱלֹהֵינוּ, לְמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֵינוּ--אֲשֶׁר-בְּךָ, יְרֻחַם יָתוֹם" (הושע יד,ד). וְצָרִיךְ לְהִתְוַדּוֹת בִּשְׂפָתָיו, וְלוֹמַר עִנְיָנוֹת אֵלּוּ שֶׁגָּמַר בְּלִבּוֹ.
And what is teshuvah? He abandons his sin that he has sinned, and pushes it out of his thoughts, and resolves in his heart that he will not do it again. [Prooftexts are cited.] And it is necessary to confess with his lips, and to say these matters that he resolved in his heart.
Again, I'd argue that this is actually two statements. The Rambam defines teshuvah as having three components, and he provides a prooftext for each: recognizing the sinful nature of the act, feeling remorse, and resolving to do better. Then, as a postscript, he adds a further requirement without a prooftext.
Based on this, I think the Rambam is stating that one who is doing teshuvah as defined with those three steps thus obligates oneself to perform the mitzvah of vidui, confession.
I'd analogize this to the mitzvah of tzitzit, the fringes worn on a four-cornered garment. There is not an obligation to wear tzitzit. There is an obligation that, if one is going to wear a four-cornered garments, then one must affix tzitzit to that garment. It's an obligation triggered by a voluntary act.
So, too, I read the Rambam as saying that teshuvah is a meritorious act but not an obligatory one, and confession is a meritorious act but only obligatory if one is doing teshuvah.
To be clear: I know that other rabbis have said that teshuvah is, in fact, a positive commandment. I do not know the rest of the Rambam well enough to argue that this is his position throughout his corpus. I'm just focusing on these two halachot from Hilchot Teshuvah.
But it seems a powerful statement: If you're sinning, and you're not ready to do teshuvah, then why double your "sin load"? If you're not doing teshuvah, why should the halacha force you to make a false confession? As Rambam himself writes in the very next halacha:
כָּל הַמִּתְוַדֶּה בִּדְבָרִים, וְלֹא גָמַר בְּלִבּוֹ לַעֲזֹב--הֲרֵי זֶה דּוֹמֶה לְטוֹבֵל, וְשֶׁרֶץ בְּיָדוֹ, שְׁאֵין הַטְּבִילָה מוֹעֶלֶת, עַד שֶׁיַּשְׁלִיךְ הַשֶּׁרֶץ
Anyone who confesses with words, but has not resolved in his heart to abandon [his sin], behold, he is comparable to one who immerses [in a mikvah] with a reptile in his hand. For his immersion does not avail him until he lets go of the reptile.
We are preparing for Yom Kippur. I am examining my soul and my deeds and asking myself: "How can I lead the congregation in the vidui at Minchah if I know I will relapse into (most of) my bad habits afterwards?"
For me to be a leader, I must have the same level of obligation as those I am leading. Which means, as I read the Rambam, that if I'm not doing teshuvah properly, I have no obligation to recite the vidui and therefore I have no right to lead any service which contains the vidui.
So I'd better make sure I mean it. Before Yom Kippur, I must work out a plan for letting go of the sh'ratzim to which my hand yet clings.
[I'd like to dedicate these thoughts to the memory of my grandfather, Avraham ben Mona Dov ha-Levi, whose Jahrzeit was yesterday, and to the memory of Rabbi Abraham Halbfinger, whose passing last night in Israel marks the loss of a great rabbi, a great leader, and most importantly, a great and true mensch.]
no subject
So I'd better make sure I mean it.
Oh what a wonderful insight. Thank you. (From somebody who will also be leading vidui and who struggles with making teshuvah stick.)
G'mar chatima tovah and tzom kal.