~Thoughts on Mishna Torah~
Hilchos Teshuva
Perek 2 : Halacha 4
Back on Track
Co-authored by: Yehuda Feinberg and Daniel Listhaus
מדרכי התשובה להיות השב צועק תמיד לפני השם בבכי ובתחנונים ועושה צדקה כפי כחו ומתרחק הרבה מן הדבר שחטא בו ומשנה שמו כלומר אני אחר ואיני אותו האיש שעשה אותן המעשים ומשנה מעשיו כולן לטובה ולדרך ישרה וגולה ממקומו שגלות מכפרת עון מפני שגורמת לו להכנע ולהיות עניו ושפל רוח:
In this halacha, the Rambam discusses the combination of approaches that people should take in order to stay on the path of genuine teshuva.
1. The person should constantly be calling out and crying before Hashem. This is similar to what we recite during tachanun from Dovid HaMelech’s sefer Tehillim which makes reference to soaking his bed in tears. It is of the darchei ha’teshuva to constantly cry out to Hashem out of remorse for sinning and out of realization before Whom one sinned and Whose commandment was transgressed.
2. The person should provide tzedaka to the extent that he is able. Indeed this act along with davening, and both during teshuva is what we scream aloud as a congregation annually on Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur that a person’s engaging with repentance, prayer and charity can effectively remove evil decrees from upon oneself.
3. Separate oneself far from the object of the sin. This point is an important one, yet one that is very often overlooked. Oftentimes we feel bad about things that we do and we may even resolve in our hearts to never do it again. However, do we make the extra effort to ensure that we are not put in the same position again that might cause us to sin? The mishna in Avos relates from the Anshei K’neses Ha’Gedolah that we are obligated to build fences around the Torah. We are tasked with taking the time to know ourselves and be honest with ourselves regarding how we might act in particular situations. We must then take measures to protect ourselves from the environments which are bound to have a negative impact on us or in the settings in which we are likely to fall.
4. The person should change his name as if to say “I am a different person and not the one who has previously sinned”. On the surface this line in the Rambam is difficult to understand for two reasons. One, why does changing one’s name help? The person is who he is and was who he was. What significance or real purpose is there in actually changing one’s name? Second, isn’t it better for the person to keep his name and recognize that despite who he may have been in the past, his new efforts of teshuva wipe that completely and now he – the same person with the same name – has the ability to start with a clean slate? Wouldn’t it be more rewarding to keep ones name as a reminder of his enormous accomplishment?
Perhaps the Rambam is advising this as one of the darchei ha’teshuva in order to address a mental challenge which sometimes plagues us as humans when we are faced with opportunities to start new beginnings. Oftentimes, we are faced with opportunities to change but find it difficult to do so because of who we have become used to seeing ourselves as. Therefore, as one of the darchei ha’teshuva, the Rambam mentions changing one’s name to disassociate oneself from his past to make it easier to become someone new.
5. The person should change his behavior entirely to do good. This suggestion speaks to the point of mitzvah goreres mitzvah – doing going deeds tends to set the ball in motion for further good deeds. The same is true with a person’s own actions. If one sets himself up with positive attitude, confidence and a life of fulfillment then he is much more likely to fill the role of a positive, confident, good person who keeps the Torah and mitzvos.
6. The person should go into galus (exile) from his house. When we spend time alone we realize how dependent we really are. Spending time to introspect and be mindful of oneself and one’s own thoughts is a very healthy exercise to humble oneself while simultaneously boosting confidence in oneself with the recognition that Hashem is always there for us and guides us every second of every day.
Walking along this path and keeping these points as guidelines are likely to enhance one’s teshuva process, make it easier to internalize remorse, and not only create the boundaries to prevent one from falling again, but actually help propel oneself forward in the future.
