Of course I want to change. I just don't want to have to do all the hard work associated with it. Jewish mysticism has a meaningful perspective on what this change is really about. And once we are able to visualize this new perspective of change, we can realize our abilities and possibilities in a more organic and wholesome fashion.
And wouldn’t you know it, it is the theme of this Shabbat, called Shabbat Shuva, or Shabbat Teshuvah. It is name for the 10 Days of Teshuvah between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, as well as this week’s Haftarah which begins “Shuvah Yisrael.”
Many translate Teshuvah as repentance, which includes sincere regret or remorse. True, Teshuva does include remorse, however it does not capture what this transformational process is really about. The word Teshuvah means to return. Of course, we are meant to return to G-d. However, these words need to be understood. Chassidus explains that the very root and source of who we are, individually, is within the very being of G-d. So when we speak of returning to G-d, what we really mean is getting back to the root of our Divine Soul as the very definition of our true being.
Teshuvah is not about feeling bad. It’s about feeling our awesome potential, our incredible true self, notwithstanding our present state of affairs. The Torah relates: “For a portion of G-d is His nation. Jacob is the cable of His legacy.” (Deut. 32:9) Our soul is a cable that is plugged right in to the Infinite Light. However, this soul becomes manifest in our body that seems to have a mind of its own. Thus, we err. We sin. We fail to become the radiant light to our family, our community and to our very own self. This is the occupational hazard of being a Divine Soul in human body.
Teshuvah begins when we realize the answer to the lifelong question: “Who do you think you are?” When we realize the answer, we long to return to who we really are, as an extension of the Divine.
This is a major life reframe that allows us to increase in our commitment to Torah and Mitzvot. Through Teshuvah we don’t become a new person. We become who we really are.