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Aaron's avatar

Hi, I really enjoyed this article.

I don't see any contradiction between Sforno, Rambam and Rabbi Moskowitz zt"l.

>"it is not hidden from you – such that you will need prophets, nor is it distant from you"

This does not refer to the process being easy. Instead, it refers to the fact that only you can do Teshuva for yourself -- no one can do it for you. I would even go as far to say this makes Teshuva harder, since you can't hire some rabbi/prophet/sigulah giver/molybdomancer to repent on your behalf.

> “What if he is right? What if Sforno maintains that the teshuvah process is exactly what he says it is: recognizing the sin and Whom you sinned against, feeling regret, and confessing verbally? What if making a commitment not to return to the sin is laudable, but not actually required for teshuvah? How would this view change our relationship with teshuvah?”

If you sin after doing Teshuva did you even do Teshuva in the first place? "Recognizing the sin" is realizing the action you did was bad. If you truly thought the action is bad, why would you do it again? A student writes 2 + 2 = 5 on the first test, and then the teacher corrects him saying 2 + 2 = 4, then on the second test the student again puts 2 + 2 = 5. Did the student actually learn 2 + 2 = 4? Likewise, one who willfully sins after "recognizing the sin" never actually "recognized the sin", and as such never did Teshuva according Sforno.

>"Rabbi Moskowitz zt”l, was right: that instead of trying to change, I should instead focus on knowledge of God’s will and allow change to happen naturally?"

This is sound advice. Let's say if someone has an issue with drinking and follows the Rambam naively. He says "I resolve never to drink alcohol again" and in order to do so he moves to a country with strict alcohol laws. Did this person repent? The answer is no. For who knows what what will happen, and there are many ways he could stumble upon alcohol. The only way to never drink alcohol again would be that he realize alcohol is bad for himself. This would be true Teshuva. Similarly, with positive and negative mitzvot if one truly realizes that abrogating a mitzvah is harmful, he would never sin.

TLDR:

1) "It is not hidden from you" indicates that Teshuva is personal, not that it is easy.

2) "Recognizing in your heart your sin..." is hard.

3) The Rambam saying "resolving in his heart not to do it again" is an elaboration on "recognizing in your heart your sin..." not an additional step.

4) This is consistent with Rabbi Moskowitz zt"l since the only way to "resolve in your heart not to do it again" is to truly know the sin is bad, and not to just try using willpower or forcing yourself in a situation where merely by happenstance you will not sin.

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Michael Gordon's avatar

He doesn't go as extreme as you are suggesting here, but Saadia Gaon also isn't as strict as Rambam appears (although the Rav says Rambam agrees with Saadia Gaon as well, based on the Lechem Mishneh):

"And let me further clarify: that if a man resolves in the course of his repentance that he will not repeat the sin, his repentance is accepted. And if he be later persuaded by lust to repeat his transgression, his repentance is not retroactively effaced; but only the sins which preceded that repentance will be forgiven, and whatever (sins) follow it will be recorded against him. And this applies repeatedly, if he repents, and sins anew: only that which follows repentance is to be held against him, so long as each repentance is done honestly and sincerely and if, in each case, the penitent firmly resolves not to revert to sin" (Emunot VeDe'ot 5:5).

He also doesn't require you never do the sin again, and I think, based on the Sforno's you brought, this view fits into what he says, although it is slightly less radical than only recognition, regret, and confession.

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