“Life is to Love”
This is the time of year to “Return”–to do Teshuvah,in Hebrew, as we lead up to standing before God High Holy Days. We search our souls, identify our faults, offer apologies, and offer apologies to the Source, perhaps for not keeping G8d before us always (psalm 16) The meaning of teshuvah is clearly “to return” though it is sometimes translated as “repentance” — But return to what? Shlomo Carlebach’s song “Return Again” sung here by his daughter, Neshama, explains that we are to return to the “land of the soul” and “to who you are…born and reborn again” Hashiveinu, from lamentations, offers: “if you return us, we will return”. In other words Teshuvah, which we are told in Deuteronomy 30 is “not too hard or too far for us, but in our mouths and in our hearts to do it” is actually hard -we need the help of the Holy one of Blessing! In the same way, where in Deuteronomy 10 we are commanded to circumcise our own hearts, in Dueteronomy 30 we are assured to have G8d’s help with this task as well. Sources here.
The word Teshuva, is from the Hebrew root Shin, vav, vet, and is repeated over and over again in chapter 30 of Deuteronomy (archive source) In verse 3 alone it’s repeated three times (!), and in a puzzling way. I have added verse 4 for its poetry and beauty.
וְשָׁ֨ב יְהֹוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ אֶת־שְׁבוּתְךָ֖ וְרִחֲמֶ֑ךָ וְשָׁ֗ב וְקִבֶּצְךָ֙ מִכׇּל־הָ֣עַמִּ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֧ר הֱפִֽיצְךָ֛ יְהֹוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ שָֽׁמָּה׃
And YHWH your God will return your “sh’vut’cha“, and have compassion on you:
G8d will return to collect you from all the peoples,
If you be led away to the ends of the heavens,
from there YHWH your God will collect you, from there he will take you,
But wait – How can G8d return? Is the Holy One in exile, and why is it repeated so often?
Many sources – Rashi, Zohar, all make a case, that when we are exiled – spiritually or physically- that G8d or Shechinah is with is in our exile! And that G8d takes us each by the hand to return us to who we are. The repetition of shuv so many times can refer to: spiritual or physical, G8d and the People of Yisrael. It can refer to the good parts of us with the parts that stray. The third repetition is from the word “sh’vutcha” – your returnings. Tanya says that when we do teshuvah, the letter “hey” will be returned to us, making us complete – as Avram and Sarai received the letter “hey” added to their names.
Tomer Devorah, an ancient mystical work often read during this time claims the world was birthed with the letter “hey” and where the baal teshuvah – the returnee stands, not even the tzaddik can stand – it’s a greater route around the outside of the “hey” then up through to the open window. G8d’s forgiveness is greater than ours, and even allows those who have really missed the mark to rise higher – their own love traversing a longer distance as well as G8d’s love. This is the gist of Jonah.
Maimonides allows there are three levels of “Yirah” – the lowest is fear of G8d, the second is awe, gotten by means of awe of creation, and the highest is love of the Holy One.
Chapter 30 contains the exhortation to choose life that we and our children may live. Ibn Ezra’s comment is my favorite – to live is to love.
I propose that return means to return to loving – ourselves, in spite of our flaws, one another, and the Creator of life and love
L’Shanah Tova – a Good year to all!
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