The Ten Days between the New Year and Yom Kippur - Aseret Yemei Teshuvah
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    Repentance and Forgiveness

Prayers

    Adding "HaMelech HaKadosh" and "HaMelech HaMishpat" in Prayer: Berachot 12b
    Repeating the Amidah if one forgets special alterations for these days: Berachot 12b, Tos. Berachot 12b #2

Closeness to Gd During These Days

    These days are considered to be a time when HaShem is more readily available: Yevamot 105a
    Efficacy of repentance by the Individual, and by the Community, during this time period: Rosh HaShanah 17b-18a
    Ability to appeal Gd's verdict during this time period: Rosh HaShanah 18a

General Statements on Repentance

    One cannot atone via an act which is, itself, sinful: Temurah 20b
    Repentance was created before the Universe: Pesachim 54a; Nedarim 39b
    Repentance is considered to be an act of wisdom: Nedarim 32b
    Repentance is always possible, even until Death: Berachot 10a-b
    There is always hope, even for the fully evil: Eruvin 21a-b
    The value of repentance at the end of one's life: Kiddushin 40b
    Repentance can overturn a Negative Verdict: Rosh HaShanah 17b
    One should repent daily, because it may be his last day: Shabbat 153a
    Repentance aids in battling the Evil Inclination: Nedarim 32b
    Gd creating the potential for Repentance: Succah 52b
    Gd's "hand" is outstretched for those who want to Repent: Pesachim 119a
    Gd says He can't look at a wicked person, and yet He is always waiting for the wicked to return: Shabbat 104a
    Proof of Successful Repentance: Yoma 86b
    People who successfully repent can take pride in having their older age compensate for the errors of their youth: Succah 53a
    Gradations of transgressions and their repentances: Yoma 85b
    Sinning while planning to repent ultimately: Yoma 85b, 87a
    Sinning with the expectation that Yom Kippur will gain forgiveness for it: Yoma 87a
    Repentance allows Gd to "Transgress" in "Remarrying" the Jews although they have "Married" others in sinning: Yoma 86b
    Repentance brings the Redemption: Yoma 86b
    Repentance brings physical rejuvenation: Yoma 86a
    Repentance is more effective than [100 sets of] Whippings: Berachot 7a
    Repentance of an individual Causes Forgiveness for the World: Yoma 86b
    Repentance Extends Life: Yoma 86b
    Repentance is Preferable to the punishment of the Wicked: Berachot 10a
    Repentance Turns intentional sin to errant sin, and errant sin into merit: Yoma 86b
    Repentance eradicating earlier sins, with true regret: Kiddushin 40b
    Having a blessing on the power of Repentance following the blessing on wisdom in the Amidah: Megillah 17b
    Why the Blessing on Health doesn't immediately follow the blessing on the power of Repentance, in the Amidah: Megillah 17b
    If a person who is liable for Divine Ex-communication repents, the Heavenly Court forgives him: Makkot 13b-14a
    Gd desires offerings even from people who have made themselves like animals: Eruvin 69b
    Prohibition against abusing someone by reminding him of his pre-repentance sins: Bava Metzia 58b
    Repentance without successfully correcting the wrong: Bava Metzia 62a
    Posthumous repentance: Gittin 57a

Repentance for Specific Transgressions

    Transgressions for which there is NO correction: Berachot 26a; Chagigah 9a-b
    Causing the community to sin: Yoma 87a
    Desecrating Gd's reputation: Yoma 86a
    Definition of Disgrace of Gd's reputation: Yoma 86a
    For interpersonal transgressions: Yoma 85b, 87a
    For making another person feel low: Yoma 85b
    For making light of the Torah or its Scholars: Yoma 85b
    For breaking the covenant of circumcision: Yoma 85b
    For Taking Gd's Name in vain: Yoma 86a
    For Theft: Bava Metzia 37a-b, 62a
    For missing the chance to fulfill a commandment: Zevachim 5b, 7a-b

 

Here is a brief synopsis of the 52 points in the first chapter of Rabeinu Yona’s classic work Shaare’ Teshuva.

1 The opportunity for repentance is a kindliness of HASHEM. Teshuvah is acceptable even from duress.

2 Know that the more one delays teshuvah the greater the punishment.

3 Only ignorant people delay teshuvah.

4 Delaying teshuvah causes a repetition of sin which is disgraceful.

5 Repeated sins become like permissible and then thoughts are counted as deeds.

6 One mistake repeated many times can be considered a great blemish.

7 Each repetition is a separate accounting.

8 Many are strict in numerous ways but fail repeatedly in a single area.

9 There are many levels of teshuvah. Some merely erase sins and others clean them completely.

10 Regret: Feel the pain of loss and saying" what have I done?!"

11 Letting go of the sin: Changing one's ways from now on.

12 Sorrow: Magnify the feeling of loss and sigh bitterly.

13 The degree of teshuvah corresponds to the intensity of the sorrow.

14 Sighing and worry stem from recognition that one has not approached HASHEM properly.

15 Active suffering: The eye that saw needs to cry and the haughty heart needs to break.

16 Worry: “To what extent, if any, will I be hit due to inadequate teshuvah?!”

17 “Maybe this desire will overcome me again” -I am never safe till the end.

18 Undo publicly that which was done publicly.

19 Although there are many levels of teshuvah mercy is achieved by admitting and letting go of the sinful activity.

20 “Happy is the man who was always afraid!” Constantly capitalize on teshuvah.

21 Shame: the awareness of Heaven should be as real as the awareness of people.

22 The higher-level is to feel embarrassed to have acted so before HASHEM.

23 Humbling one’s self with a broken spirit before HASHEM.

24 Appreciate the privilege to serve. Take no credit for yourself. Work secretly.

25 Take no pride in wealth, strength, wisdom etc.

26 Humility is obligated because it counters the attitude of pride.

27 Pride itself is a sin and is the father of all other failures.

28 Humility yields forgiveness from others and causes HASHEM to forgive him too.

29 Humility in deed: A soft answer, lowered eyes, and modest dress.

30 Breaking physical desire: Even in relation to things that are permissible.

31Desire is the root of all action. Let your intellect dictate your actions or your desires will dictate your intellect.

32 If the desire is broken, how can one become tempted by forbidden things?!

33 Breaking one's desire is a demonstration of sincerity in teshuvah.

34 Follow the Way of Abraham by adopting a lowly soul, namely self-control of physical desires.

35 Reversing one's deeds: One who ran to sin now runs to Mitzvos etc.

36 Searching one's ways: To become aware, to become humble, and to protect against future failures.

37 Realize the grand consequence, penalty, and the value of each wrong.

38 Small violations lead to larger ones and are also considered rebellious.

39 Fearing small transgressions are counted like keeping away from big ones.

40 Admit to HASHEM the nature and details of your sins and the sins of ancestors that linger.

41 Pray- plead for forgiveness.

42 Petition to HASHEM that the sins should be erased as if they never occurred.

43 One should constantly ask and plead for divine assistance to do teshuvah.

44 Undoing the harm: as much as possible one should repay and appease and repair as part of the teshuvah process.

45 When one repays and appeases before confessing is more pleasing and acceptable to HASHEM.

46 Consider that the righteousness of HASHEM is demonstrated in teshuvah.

47 Doing kindly acts and passionately pursuing truth alleviates the need to suffer.

48 The memory of the sin should forever remain before the eyes of the baal teshuvah.

49 HASHEM should be able to testify about us that we would never do it again.

50 Help as many as possible to return to HASHEM. Teach others the ways of teshuvah.

51 Know that if one has fallen into one of the 24 deterrents to teshuvah the labor must be intense.

52 Know well the 24 deterrents to teshuvah to avoid the rough road.

A ram’s horn is a horn, as in a musical instrument horn. The sounds that come out of it aren’t just an alarm saying, “Be scared! Be real scared!” Those sounds are musical notes. And the sets of sounds* that accompany each of the Rosh HaShanah Musaf blessings are songs. In fact, they are primary, archetypical songs, which Rebbe Nachman refers as The Ten Types of Song (see Likutey Moharan II, #92).

Observe, says Reb Noson. King David concludes the Book of Psalms, which is built from each of the the types of song, with a psalm that contains ten expressions of praise. The tenth and final expression is, “Praise [God] with the stirring teruah” (Psalms 150:5), an allusion to the Rosh HaShanah shofar-blowing. OK. So why the connection between music and song and teshuvah?

You know who does teshuvah? Not someone who thinks he’s OK, or OK with God. The potential teshuvah-doer is the one who suffers upset at the thought of how distant he (or she) is from God. Such a person surveys his Jewishly-wrong choices and hears them as a requiem, a funereally sad song. He hears that he is far from God—perhaps true—and that he must suffer being buried on the wrong side of the chasm between him and God.

Such a song results neither in teshuvah nor in God’s glory. Praise God with the teruah! The teshuvah-doer’s shofar-music is the song of what she’s done right! “Look at that! I did a kindness here and resisted a temptation there. The distance is not as great as it could have been!” This is the song of compassion we can hear when the shofar is sounded. This is the song we will hear when we exercise true and sacred compassion toward ourselves and choose to better our eternal destiny.

And when you think about it more deeply, you’ll realize that the fear and joy the shofar induces are not so far apart. As the sweet singer of Israel says, “Rejoice with trembling” (Psalms 2:11).

I want to focus on the idea that HaShem is always with Israel.

    "No harm is in sight for Jacob,
    No woe in view for Israel,
    The Lord their God is with them (יי אלהיו עמו)
    And their king's acclaim in their midst." (Numbers 23:21)

On this, the Baal Shem Tov quipped,

    "A Jew is never alone: Every place he goes and everywhere he stops -- Adonai, his God is with him."

So, what do you think? Is a Jew ever alone? The amount of mitzvoth to which we are commanded would suggest that if HaShem isn't always with us, then we sure as well better think HaShem is with us. It's a hyperconscious way of life, to always feel and know that HaShem is there. Women are gifted with tzniut and men with tzitzit. Physical incarnations of reminders. (And yes, there are many more, but those are the basics.)

Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Kotsk said in this regard,

    "A person who goes through life with a commitment to the Godly, the Heavenly King resides with him; if he does act sinfully then the Holy One does not take a great note of it." (Rashi similarly said: "The Holy One does not see the sins of Jacob, - when they transgress His words, He does not investigate after them.")

So, living a life committed to the hyperconsciousness of the ever-presence of HaShem in our lives grants us a little ... "get out of jail free" card?

Rabbi Israel Rhizin said that even when a Jew sins,

    "even in the depths of depravity there remains within him a spark of godliness; a speck of the light of t'shuvah still flickers in his heart -- even at the time of sin. "

Basically, HaShem gives us a lot of credit, respect, and holds an eternal hope for us. You can always come back, Judaism says. HaShem has been holding out for us to get our you-know-what together for a long time. Don't we owe it already?

The first of the two readings is Parshah Nitzavim, it is introduced as Moshe makes a covenant with the nation when entering the land, and the parshah continues with one of the main theme’s for the month of Ellul, ‘Teshuva’ (repentance), where Moshe promised that if the Jewish nation do Teshuva while in Exile, Hashem would redeem them, Hashem always listens to the sincere prayers of the Jewish people and one of the first steps in doing Teshuva is to have regret on the actions the person had previously made, there were countless individuals throughout the Tenach who did Teshuav including the first born of the twelve tribes, including, Reauven (after moving his fathers bed to his own mothers tent), the Jews after commiting the atrocity of the Golden Calf, Rachav after she commited years of Harlotry did teshuva and many other people throughout biblical history, there is even a concept of an individual who performs multiple transgressions and then has sincere regret in his prior actions, his original transgressions maybe transformed into mitzvahs.

even though Pharaoh lost his power of repentance, it was never decreed upon him to be the one to torture the Jews. This was something that he did on his very own. Never did Hashem decree upon any individual Egyptian that he must be the one to harm or hurt the Jews. All Hashem said was that the Jews would be slaves in Egypt for 400 years. However, which one of the Egyptians would be the one to be cruel to them and torture them was a personal choice and not forced upon him by Hashem. Therefore, he will have to stand trial for his actions.

The Rambam explains this more extensively in the Eighth perek of his famous introduction to Avos and can be found in the back of Meseches Avodah Zoroh. There he explains that Pharaoh wasn’t being punished for not letting the Jews out after the first five makos, since this was beyond his control. He was just being punished for enslaving the Jews and torturing them. He was being punished for the great pain he inflicted upon them. This act of choice was never taken away from him. He did it on his own. He was in complete control of his decisions. Just because Hashem said that the yidden would suffer in Mitzrayim didn’t force him in the slightest to be the one to hurt them. Just because Hashem prevented him from saying they could leave, didn’t mean that he had the right to torture them. He could have allowed them to remain in Mitzrayim and given them full freedom such as Jews have in the U.S.A.. It would be absurd for a murderer to plead to a judge that he be judged not guilty since whatever happened is certainly G-d’s will?!

Was it G-d’s will that decreed that the person he killed deserved to be killed? Yes, this may be true! Yet, nowhere was it decreed that he act as God’s executioner! Hashem could have gotten a snake to do his dirty work for him or perhaps have him fall and get hurt or kill himself. He acted of his own free choice and therefore he must be take responsibility for it. So too the Egyptians would be punished for all the pain and suffering they inflicted on the Bnai Yisroel.

Yes, Pharaoh lost his ability to allow the yidden to leave, yet he still had the freedom of choice as to how he would treat them. Any wickedness was certainly punishable.

s Jonah's fear the this would reflect badly on the Jews, a justified reason to prevent the pagans from doing teshuva? If they were willing to do so, why should they be refused the opportunity? And might not their teshuva inspire the Jews to do teshuva, as well?

Perhaps we can find a more satisfying explanation for Jonah's refusal.

Hint: Look closely at verse 4:2 and Jonah's words to G-d.

ANOTHER POSSIBLE ANSWER

An Answer: Jonah says he knew G-d was a forgiving G-d "I know that You are a gracious G-d, merciful, long to anger, much kindness and One who forgives evil."

Compare this verse of G-d's attributes with the thirteen attributes of Hashem listed in Exodus 33:7. There it says "G-d merciful and gracious, G-d long to anger and much kindness and truth."

Which attribute did Jonah leave out?

Your Answer:

UNDERSTANDING JONAH

An Answer: Jonah leaves out the attribute of "truth"! For Jonah G-d is kind and merciful but He is not a G-d of truth! Jonah figured that if G-d could forgive and forget the sins and evil acts of people as if they never happened, then this is not ultimate truth. Murders murdered people who were forever dead, robbers robbed individuals who suffered, rapists raped women who were scarred forever - how can the act of verbal teshuva erase all this ? Is this truth? This is what Jonah could not accept. This is what he tried to run away from. The mystery of teshuva, the impossible feat which it accomplishes, turning history on its head, this is what Jonah could neither fathom nor accept. Imagine Hitler doing teshuva. After all the destruction, pain and suffering he caused, would that be acceptable to G-d? It would seem so, provided of course that it was true teshuva.

That is the mystery of teshuva. That is the mystery of Yom Kippur. Its power is beyond our comprehension. But Hashem sent Jonah --forced Jonah - to deliver this message. It is our message on Yom Kippur.

We traditionally read the book of Jonah on Yom Kippur, which provides profound insight into the Yom Kippur process of teshuva (“repentance” or “return to oneself”). Jonah is called by Creator to go to the city of Nineveh, a city of many misguided souls, to help them find new direction. Jonah hears this calling, but in fear of this path he runs away on a ship bound for Spain, only to be cast into the sea when great storms follow the fleeing Jonah. He is swallowed by a great fish and for three days and nights, descends into the fish’s belly and depths of the sea. Lost in the depths, Jonah cries out and prays for forgiveness, prays for his return. He is returned to the shores near Nineveh and completes his mission.

Jonah’s story is the hero’s journey. His journey is our journey. Upon first hearing his call to serve, he runs from the truth of his power and purpose. Only through a trial that plunges him into darkness and deep prayer and self-reflection – what we might call a soul journey – can he return to embrace his path. From his darkness, Jonah moves through a powerful teshuva process: crying out in distress, surrendering, remembering the One, realizing his purpose, praying with gratitude, and then committing to fulfilling his life’s calling. (Jonah 2: 3-10). The forces of nature, embodied in the great fish and the sea, hold Jonah through his process of losing and finding himself again – a vision quest into the belly of Creation’s soul. As Psalm 24 teaches, “The Earth is G-d’s.” When we return to Creation with our deepest prayers, like Jonah we may do teshuva, returning to ourselves to fulfill our purpose here on earth.

I am going to ask four questions.

1. Is there a biblical obligation to do Teshuva (repent)?

2. Why do we read Sefer Yonah (the book of Jonah) on Yom Kippur?

3. In the Shulchan Aruch (see passage 1 in the document above) there is a practice of doing Kapparot for every male in the house. However, the Rama says this applies to women as well and even to the unborn fetus within a pregnant woman! Why on earth does a fetus need a kappara (atonement)?

4. There is a compendium by Rambam called Hilchos Teshuva [Laws of Repentance]. (To digress, there is a famous Ramban where he praises the Rambam and says look, he wrote Hilchos Tehuva, an amazing piece of work!) In Germany, the Rokeach publishes Sefer Rokeach and has a section called Hilchos Teshuva as well. But there are huge differences between the two Hilchos Teshuva. How is it possible in the 12th century when we have 2 greats recording Hilchos Teshuva we have two totally different accounts? (Immediate thought: Foreign influence! But obviously we will not accept that.)

Let's address question 1. We want to look at the peshuto shel mikra of the Bible. In the peshat, is there a biblical obligation to do Teshuva? Now, to defend myself lest I am deemed a heretic for looking at the peshat, let's offer precedent for those who look at peshat.

1. Look at Sefer HaMitzvos, Mitzvah Chaf- The Rambam tells us it is a mitzvah asei d'oraita to build the Beit HaMikdash but also tells us he won't list separately everything included in the Beit HaMikdash (it's all subsumed under this mitzvah.) However, in the middle of the mitzvah the Rambam throws in a question.

The Mizbeach that we know of was made of copper; alternatively there was one made of gold. They were also made of stone. However, in Exodus 20:21 it states "Make me a Mizbeach [altar] of earth!"

כ מִזְבַּח אֲדָמָה, תַּעֲשֶׂה-לִּי, וְזָבַחְתָּ עָלָיו אֶת-עֹלֹתֶיךָ וְאֶת-שְׁלָמֶיךָ, אֶת-צֹאנְךָ וְאֶת-בְּקָרֶךָ; בְּכָל-הַמָּקוֹם אֲשֶׁר אַזְכִּיר אֶת-שְׁמִי, אָבוֹא אֵלֶיךָ וּבֵרַכְתִּיךָ. 20 An altar of earth thou shalt make unto Me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt-offerings, and thy peace-offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen; in every place where I cause My name to be mentioned I will come unto thee and bless thee.

In Exodus 20: 21 there is the option of an altar of stone:

כא וְאִם-מִזְבַּח אֲבָנִים תַּעֲשֶׂה-לִּי, לֹא-תִבְנֶה אֶתְהֶן גָּזִית: כִּי חַרְבְּךָ הֵנַפְתָּ עָלֶיהָ, וַתְּחַלְלֶהָ. 21 And if thou make Me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stones; for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast profaned it.

The altar of stone is confirmed in Deuteronomy 27:6:

ו אֲבָנִים שְׁלֵמוֹת תִּבְנֶה, אֶת-מִזְבַּח יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ; וְהַעֲלִיתָ עָלָיו עוֹלֹת, לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ. 6 Thou shalt build the altar of the LORD thy God of unhewn stones; and thou shalt offer burnt-offerings thereon unto the LORD thy God.

Rambam regarding the mizbeach adama in Mitzvah Chaf questions: Maybe this is another mizbeach! He is trying to figure out the plain sense of the verse, the peshuto shel mikra. He does explain it, answering that this is not talking about the Beis HaMikdash but rather bamos- then you could build a mizbeach made of earth.

So Rambam, despite all the Chazals, still explains the plain sense of the verse.

2. The Maharal of Prague in the Tiferes Yisrael, Chapter 57 states: Many people are troubled as to why there is no mention in the Torah of Olam Haba? (There are endless Chazals but in the plain sense of the verse it is not mentioned.)

There's the problem of theodicy to which Olam Haba is the answer- so why isn't it mentioned in the Torah? The question has to be asked in the plain sense of the words- why?

Now, to find out his answer you should read the rest of what he says. But the point is that there is precedent for looking at the peshat and we have a right to examine Torah to figure out answers.

So let's proceed:

1. Do we see a biblical obligation to do Teshuva in the Torah (Five Books of Moses?)
2. Do we have dramatis personae who preach the need to do Teshuva?
3. Do we have dramatis personae who do Teshuva in the form the Rambam outlines (regret, confession and stating they will never do the sin again?) Or Baalei Teshuva in the Torah who are identified as such?

At this point everyone in attendance at the lecture began throwing out names and ideas. "Of course we have Teshuva," we figured. "Look at Kayin, the brothers of Joseph, etc." However, what we soon realized is that none of these is a biblical dictum or commandment to repent. Also, none of these characters preach the need to do Teshuva- you do not have someone in the Bible walking around saying, "Repent, o' ye sinners!" Indeed, the ideas of repentance appear in the Midrash but not in the plain text. Noah, according to the plain text, simply builds the Ark as God commands him, does not intercede and does not request that others do teshuva. Abraham bargains with God, searching for ten righteous people in whose merit to save the city. Whenever the Jews do something wrong in the desert, Moshe falls on his face and begs God to blast and smite him, but don't take it out on the Jews. We do have some elements of Teshuva in that the brothers of Joseph certainly feel regret and the Jews contribute their gold to build the Mikdash in order to make up for the Golden Calf, but it is not referred to by this name.

Ramban in HIlchos Teshuva, Perek Zayin, Halacha Hey states: We find Teshuvah in the Neviim (Prophets!) They all speak about it. The Torah promised us that after the Jews do Teshuva they will be redeemed. He cites Deuteronomy 30: 1-3 as his source. However, he notes these verses are a prediction, not a legal obligation. He is also the only one who points to V'shavta ad Hashem Elokecha as a source; everyone else disagrees with him.

Rambam pointed to Numbers 5:7 as the source.

וְהִתְוַדּוּ, אֶת-חַטָּאתָם אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ, וְהֵשִׁיב אֶת-אֲשָׁמוֹ בְּרֹאשׁוֹ, וַחֲמִישִׁתוֹ יֹסֵף עָלָיו; וְנָתַן, לַאֲשֶׁר אָשַׁם לוֹ. 7 then they shall confess their sin which they have done; and he shall make restitution for his guilt in full, and add unto it the fifth part thereof, and give it unto him in respect of whom he hath been guilty.

But even here we only have the element of confession as opposed to the three elements that the Rambam refers to! And this is cultic confession (doing so before offering the Korbanot) as opposed to individual confession.

There are various people who write lists of the 613 Mitzvot and they don't list Teshuva but rather Viduy as one of the mitzvot- and only within the cultic setting of bringing a Korban.

A 19th century Gadol B'Yisrael who has his finger on the pulse of Judaism is R' Joseph Babad, the Minchas Chinuch, commenting on the 613 commandments. And he was really surprised that Rambam brought Numbers 5:7 as a source! The Minchas Chinuch says the Rambam doesn't really believe there IS a mitzvas asei to do Teshuvah. Minchas Chinuch says Teshuva is only a means toward an end- Kappara.

Basically, his argument is that Rambam considered Teshuva like Gittin. There is no mitzvas asei to write a divorce document; all it is is an appropriate legal means to an end, namely if the parties want to remarry. The divorce document is not a mitzvah and is not even a mitzvah kiyumis. For Rambam, Teshuva is sound advice- a means toward the end of Kappara!

However, The Adept added, this cannot be right because it is very clear the Rambam says this is a mitzvas asei.

So nobody knows where Teshuva is from- it is not at all clear. Does the Torah require one to do Teshuva? Very hard to see where.

As for questions 2 and 3, it is very hard to find someone preaching Teshuva in the biblical text and we certainly do not have Baalei Teshuva in the Torah who are identified as such.

What DO I find in the Torah again and again?
The concept of Kappara [Atonement].

* The whole book of Leviticus, Deuteronomy 21: 8 (Egla Erufa), etc- many things that need to be atoned for. There is a strong idea within the biblical text that sin needs to be atoned for.

Now let's look at Neviim (the Prophets.) Let's use our three- question format again.

1. Does anyone preach Teshuva in the Neviim? Yes! Every Navi! The purpose of the Navi is to chastise people so that they will do Teshuva.

2. Do we have models in Neviim who do Teshuva?

Yes!

David (Samuel II, Chapter 12)
Achav (Kings I, Chapter 21)
Josiah (Kings 22, 22:19)
Menashe (Chronicles 2, Chapter 33)

Now, nowhere is the tension between the ideas of Teshuva and Kappara (Repentance vs. Atonement) more palpable than in Sefer Yonah. Let's discuss Sefer Yonah.

Firstly, what was the sin of the people of Ninveh? Chamas, violence.

Why did Yonah not want to go to Ninveh?

1. Rashi to Jonah 1:3 states it's because he didn't want to make the Jews look bad. He knew if he went to Ninveh and asked them to repent, they would, whereas the Jews had not been doing so. God would negatively compare the Jews to the gentiles. (Mechilta)

2. Abarbanel states: They're pagans! There were ovdei avodah zarah- so yes, they did Teshuva for chamas, but what about Avodah Zarah? (They worshipped Marduk, Ashur, etc.)

3. Rashi to Jonah 4:1- Yonah is upset because now the nations will say that I am a Navi Sheker, a false prophet. (Yonah had formerly said in 40 days Ninveh will fall.) (Pirkei D'Rabi Eliezer)

Now, let's look at the peshat. Jonah 4:2 tells you why he ran away!

ב וַיִּתְפַּלֵּל אֶל-יְהוָה וַיֹּאמַר, אָנָּה יְהוָה הֲלוֹא-זֶה דְבָרִי עַד-הֱיוֹתִי עַל-אַדְמָתִי--עַל-כֵּן קִדַּמְתִּי, לִבְרֹחַ תַּרְשִׁישָׁה: כִּי יָדַעְתִּי, כִּי אַתָּה אֵל-חַנּוּן וְרַחוּם, אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם וְרַב-חֶסֶד, וְנִחָם עַל-הָרָעָה. 2 And he prayed unto the LORD, and said: 'I pray Thee, O LORD, was not this my saying, when I was yet in mine own country? Therefore I fled beforehand unto Tarshish; for I knew that Thou art a gracious God, and compassionate, long-suffering, and abundant in mercy, and repentest Thee of the evil.

Jonah ran away because "I knew that Thou art a gracious God, and compassionate, long-suffering, and abundant in mercy and nicham al ha-ra- have compassion upon evil."

Let's compare this to God's description in Exodus 34:6-7.

ו וַיַּעֲבֹר יְהוָה עַל-פָּנָיו, וַיִּקְרָא, יְהוָה יְהוָה, אֵל רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן--אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם, וְרַב-חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת. 6 And the LORD passed by before him, and proclaimed: 'The LORD, the LORD, God, merciful and gracious, long-suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth;

ז נֹצֵר חֶסֶד לָאֲלָפִים, נֹשֵׂא עָו‍ֹן וָפֶשַׁע וְחַטָּאָה; וְנַקֵּה, לֹא יְנַקֶּה--פֹּקֵד עֲו‍ֹן אָבוֹת עַל-בָּנִים וְעַל-בְּנֵי בָנִים, עַל-שִׁלֵּשִׁים וְעַל-רִבֵּעִים. 7 keeping mercy unto the thousandth generation, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin; and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and unto the fourth generation.'

Let's focus on the words v'nakeh lo yenakeh. What does that mean? It's similar to mos yumas- verily, you shall die. You shall surely die! So v'nakeh lo yenakeh means 'but you certainly shall not be cleansed!"

Yes, Hashem is all these things and has all these qualities (Rashi says this) but the plain sense of the text is that God does not cleanse entirely. You sin? You pay! God remembers sins and punishes for sins (spread out over several generations.)

Now, Yonah knows what it says in the Torah and he is raised on the Torah (this is before the time of canonical Navi and Kesuvim.)

Indeed, look at Yonah's very name! He is Yonah ben Amitai- the son of Emes! Emes is the attribute of Din, Judgment. When Yonah talks about God's qualities in 4:2 the word 'Emes' is missing. 'V'nicham al ha'ra' is used instead, suggesting that God forgives the entire sin. There is nothing here about Emes. So what is Yonah saying to God? He is saying: Sin requires kaparah, atonement! It's the Neviim who came along and stressed this concept of Teshuva alone! The people of Ninveh need to atone, not just repent!

Look at passage 2 in the attachment above: It was asked to Wisdom, the sinner, what is his redemption? The evil a person does pursues him. The Prophets were asked and they said the nefesh ha'chotais hi tamus- the person who sinned shall die. David said that professional sinners will be wiped out. The Torah was asked and said to bring an Asham [guilt offering] and make atonement. They asked God and God answered that teshuva alone is the kappara [atonement].

Why do we read Sefer Yonah on Yom Kippur? Because Yom Kippur hangs upon the concept of Kappara! That was the whole Avodah in the Beit HaMikdash with the Kohen Gadol. But we don't have any of that! So we are despondent. In that case, that is why we read Sefer Yonah, because it shows that genuine Teshuva alone works! God is willing to accept repentance alone in place of atonement.

(See passages 3, 4 and 5) in the sheets above and you will see that yes, there was once a time where sin required kaparah, atonement, but nowadays Teshuva suffices.)

So why the differences between the two Hilchos Teshuva compendiums?

In Ashkenaz they preserve the tradition of Torah and Kappara- that's why we have penances of all sorts, etc.

In Spain the Rashba and Rambam banned Kapparos/ so the Mechaber who is Sephardi is very unhappy about Kapparos.

These two different strands of thought (atonement vs. repentance) were united by Chazal, then separated out into the two different strands once more. See passage 8 on page 2.

When and/or why does everything change? See Ezekiel 18.

There, God (in Navi) comes to say: I will change everything so the only people who are punished are those who do the sins (and not later generations.) The Gemara says that God's own teaching was overturned here (somewhere at the end of Mesechtas Makkos.)

[We have run out of time, but read through the rest of the sources on your own; they support this point.]

"The beauty of Judaism," concluded The Adept, "is that there are many different notions and ideas and during different time periods different ones rise to the top. It doesn't stay frozen. For example, the words mos yumas are all over the Torah but the Gemara says that never would have happened. How can that be? The answer is that times change. At the time of the Torah, the way to cleanse oneself of sin was through atonement. Later on it changed to repentance. In truth, there is basis for both ideas within the text; it is simply which one floats to the top depending on the generation. Judaism is not one size fits all."