What If we Asked AI about Repentance and Teshuvah

Teshuvah vs. Repentance - Rediscovering and Reinventing our Jewish Souls

The Jewish troubadour Leonard Cohen captured our contemporary confusion about ‘repentance’ when he wrote the song "The Future."

When they said (they said) repent (repent), repent (repent)

I wonder what they meant

When they said (they said) repent (repent), repent (repent)

I wonder what they meant.

So we explore “Repentance”,  or “Teshuvah”,  through a Google Search:

Teshuvah is a Hebrew concept, literally meaning "return" or "to go back." It is often translated as "repentance," but encompasses a broader spiritual reawakening and a strengthening of one's connection to the sacred. While repentance focuses on remorse for misdeeds and the pain associated with them,  teshuvah emphasizes the positive process of returning to one's true values and God, leading to restoration and joy. Therefore,  teshuvah is a more holistic and optimistic process than the common understanding of repentance. 

Teshuvah (Hebrew)

• Literal Meaning:
  "Return" or "to go back". 

• Focus:
  A spiritual reawakening, a turning away from evil and a turning toward God and goodness. 

• Nature:
  A process of renewing one's connection to the sacred, bringing brokenness into repair, and finding refreshment. 

• Connotation:
  A happy and joyful process of inner change and development, similar to the growth of a healthy body, rather than self-flagellation or guilt. 

• Core Idea:
  The belief that humans can effect inner change and redirect their destiny by returning to their center and values. 

Repentance (English)

• Focus:
  Reviewing actions, feeling regret, guilt, or contrition for past wrongdoings. 

• Connotation:
  Often associated with the Indo-European root meaning to "cause pain," suggesting a negative emotional response. 

• Process:
  Involves commitment to change and actions that demonstrate improvement, often as a response to feeling shame or causing pain to others. 

Key Differences

• Direction:
  Repentance focuses on looking back at past sins with pain, while teshuvah focuses on returning to a spiritual state and God. 

• Emotional Experience:
  Repentance is often linked to negative emotions like guilt and shame, whereas teshuvah is a positive process of returning to wholeness. 

• Purpose:
  While repentance aims to alleviate the feeling of wrongness, teshuvah seeks to restore the individual's connection to their spiritual purpose and God.