Repentance in Judaism

Repentance (/tʃuvɑː/; תשובה, tchuvä; literally "return") is one element of atoning for sin in Judaism. Judaism recognizes that everybody sins on occasion, but that people can stop or minimize those occasions in the future by repenting for past transgressions. Thus, the primary purpose of repentance in Judaism is ethical self-transformation. A Jewish penitent is traditionally known as a baal teshuva. According to the Talmud, God created repentance before He created the physical universe, making it among the first things created. One should repent immediately. A parable is told in the Talmud that Rabbi Eliezer taught his disciples, "Repent one day before your death." The disciples politely questioned whether one can know the day of one's death, so Rabbi Eliezer answered, "All the more reason, therefore, to repent today, lest one die tomorrow." Because of Judaism's understanding of the annual process of Divine Judgment, Jews believe that God is especially open to repentance during the period from the beginning of the month of Elul through the High Holiday season, i.e., Rosh HaShanah (the Day of Judgement), Ten Days of Repentance, Yom Kippur (the Day of Atonement), and, according to Kabbalah, Hoshana Rabbah. Another good time to repent is toward the end of one's life. Another occasion on which forgiveness is granted is whenever the entire community gathers and cries out to God full-heartedly due to their distress. Numerous guides to the repentance process can be found in rabbinical literature. See especially Maimonides' Rules of Repentance in the Mishneh Torah.