Three Languages of Teshuva

Touching on the meaning of the different holidays, we look at three perspectives on Teshuva highlighted by Hazal, which find expression in Tanakh. We examine various pesukim from Tanakh that provide different approaches to teshuva: teshuva as a healing process, a redeeming process, and teshuva as a burden. We look at the positive and negative aspects of each metaphor, as well as the challenges that each approach poses to the transformative teshuva process. 

Seeking to define these overlapping and conflicting voices of teshuva can help us to clarify our own personal teshuva processes.