[First posted in May 2017. Sinaites observe the biblical calendar that observant Jews observe although we don’t follow their ceremonial/ritual traditions. In deciding to observe this biblical feast of Yom Kippur, our original core group of Sinaites discussed not so much what it means to ‘repent’, we already know that — but how and why the preparation for Yom Kippur is strangely:
- 9 days of setting horizontal relationships aright
- while 1 day is repenting for sin(s) against God.
What is ‘sin against God’, aren’t all sins against fellowmen virtually sin against God? This post does not answer that question, we will devote another article for that later. For now, the focus here is on the word “repentance”.—-Admin1]
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Every Friday evening, after meeting Sinaites for erev Shabbat, I tune in my car radio to a Christian station to check on a pastor whose ministry has a radio outreach featuring questions from listeners which the Pastor answers. The reason for my interest in this pastor is — when I was a zealous Christian who drew many acquaintances and friends to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I evangelized his wife first, and in the process he was drawn into joining the bible study group hosted by then-Christians-now-Sinaites VAN and BAN at their home.
When we left Christianity in 2010, this pastor was one of the fellow church workers we informed and presented our new-found Sinai 6000 shift in belief system. Of all our ‘converts’ and colleagues, we had expected him to be the one most likely to give us a hearing and check out our discoveries about the roots of Christianity and be open-minded enough to re-examine his faith and challenge our position.
Before he became Christian, he was a free thinker and lived what Christians would label an ‘immoral’ lifestyle. But once he understood and accepted the “gospel of Christ” he, like the husbands of the wives we had first evangelized, became active in church, were into ministries, and even founded his own fellowship community which grew into a training center for pastors and church workers. What would he have to lose? A LOT! A whole ministry, a church, a seminary of sorts and yes, financial support from a good-size flock who were quite generous with their tithes. But for sure, the reason he remained in Christian ministry was because he was not convinced enough by us. And that was the end of that.
Now, how does this long introduction tie-up with the topic in the title? Well, back to that drive home after Friday erev Shabbat, this pastor answered many trivial Q’s but one texter’s question grabbed my attention: “how does one gain forgiveness for one’s sins.” I had already forgotten the Christian teaching on this one and had expected the answer to be not far from the teaching of the Hebrew Scriptures.
He does what most Christian pastors do, quote a particular New Testament text:
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just
and will forgive us our sins
and purify us from all unrighteousness.
[John 1:9]
He elaborates on the passage, emphasizing how important it is to confess one’s sin, because that is what brings forgiveness from God but, of course, only through Jesus Christ, the Mediator between God and the sinner. The belief system requires faith in the Christian Savior first who has perfectly obeyed all the commandments and therefore represents fallen and hopeless humanity, none of whom can approach the “Father” except through the “Son”. So confession is key, that is, after faith in Jesus Christ and oh yes, receiving the Holy Spirit.
Image from Presbydestrian
I thought to myself, “is that all? Confession?” It brought me back to my Catholic upbringing and as a child, the many confessions I had made to the priest, reciting the “Act of Contrition” and receiving “absolution”, a ritual that never took more than 5 minutes of the priest’s time. I confessed the same sins every week, minor misbehavior: quarrelled with my siblings, lied to my mother, missed Sunday mass, nothing in the category of “mortal” sin, just “venial”. The priest would require the recitation of 3 ‘Hail Marys’ and 1 ‘Our Father’ or the whole rosary if I was really baaaaaaddd! I confessed practically the same sins every week, what does that mean? That I can confess and receive holy communion, then go back to my usual misbehavior and confess again on Saturday to prepare for Sunday communion, hoping I don’t lose my halo before Sunday mass.
The word I was waiting to hear from this Pastor which I never heard was REPENTANCE! What is confession without repentance? A wife-beater says ‘sorry’ all the time, asks for forgiveness, but repeats the same violent behavior until the wife decides to leave the marriage if she is to survive!
By coincidence or Divine accommodation, would you believe the same topic was the “sermon” of the pastor of the biggest, wealthiest and most successful evangelical church in our country’s capital city, the Sunday service of which is televised nationwide. This pastor is featured in our Discourse since he has been quite concerned about the salvation of Sinaites VAN and BAN who were part of his church ministry many moons ago. Again, I waited to hear the word “Repentance” and again, all I heard was “confession”.
What does the God of Israel require of His people after they have sinned? Learn about the feast of Yom Kippur [Day of Atonement] which requires 9 days of repentance and setting relationships right for sins committed against fellow human beings, while the 10th final day is reserved for repentance of sins against God.
The following posts that might help:
- Revisit: TORAH 101 – “Ten Days of Repentance” – Jewish Perspective
- REVISIT: How now do we observe Yom Kippur – 3
Here’s the Rabbis’ list of what is required in Repentance:
According to Gates of Repentance, a standard work of Jewish ethics written by Rabbenu Yonah of Gerona, a sinner repents by:[2]
- regretting/acknowledging the sin;
- forsaking the sin (see below);
- worrying about the future consequences of the sin;
- acting and speaking with humility;
- acting in a way opposite to that of the sin (for example, for the sin of lying, one should speak the truth);
- understanding the magnitude of the sin;
- refraining from lesser sins for the purpose of safeguarding oneself against committing greater sins;
- confessing the sin;
- praying for atonement;
- correcting the sin however possible (for example, if one stole an object, the stolen item must be returned or if one slanders another, the slanderer must ask the injured party for forgiveness);
- pursuing works of chesed and truth;
- remembering the sin for the rest of one’s life;
- refraining from committing the same sin if the opportunity presents itself again;
- teaching others not to sin.
Forsaking the sin
The second of Rabbenu Yonah’s “Principles of Repentance” is “forsaking the sin” (Hebrew: עזיבת–החטא, azivat-hachet).
After regretting the sin (Rabbenu Yonah’s first principle), the penitent must resolve never to repeat the sin.[3]
However, Judaism recognizes that the process of repentance varies from penitent to penitent and from sin to sin. For example, a non-habitual sinner often feels the sting of the sin more acutely than the habitual sinner. Therefore, a non-habitual sinner will have an easier time repenting, because he or she will be less likely to repeat the sinful behavior.[1]
The case of the habitual sinner is more complex. If the habitual sinner regrets his or her sin at all, that regret alone clearly does not translate into a change in behavior. In such a case, Rabbi Nosson Scherman recommends devising “a personal system of reward and punishment” and to avoid circumstances which may cause temptation toward the sin being repented for.[1] The Talmud teaches, “Who is the penitent whose repentance ascends until the Throne of Glory? — one who is tested and emerges guiltless” (Yoma 86b).[4]
Repentance — a 180 degree turn from sin, a move toward the opposite direction. If that is all one can manage to do, that is just the beginning. All other actions will follow (confession, restitution, not repeating the sin) IF one has truly repented.
NSB@S6K
