Mitzvah 364 – Concept 75 Teshuvah Part Three

Definition
Teshuva is an all encompassing approach to the service of God. It is a return to the inner Godly core which is the essence

of our being. Teshuva is the awareness that our souls are sparks of God, that we are filled with Divine Potential that we desire to make the dominant force in our lives. We should live all our days in Teshuva.1 Teshuva is the recognition that we have the ability to govern our lives through Free Choice.

“Listen to His voice;” listening and paying attention are the most effective methods prepare someone to do Teshuva. Within the subconscious of every soul, burns the voice that it heard at Sinai, saying, “I am God, your Lord.” Even if a person has strayed far away from God and sinned against Him, he can still hear that inner voice beckoning him to repent2.

Nothing can overtake this inner voice3. The Talmud tells the story of Elisha ben Avuya, otherwise known as Acher, the other one, who became a renegade. He once heard a voice from heaven declaring, “Return children who have against me,4 all, except Acher.” He decided that since he could not repent that he would enjoy the physical pleasures of this world to their fullest extent and forget all the laws of the Torah.5 He should have ignored this voice, and listened to his inner voice, which implores, nothing stands in the way of the Torah.6

1 TB Shabbat 153a

2 The Call of the Torah, Rabbi Elie Munk Deuteronomy 30:2

3 Maharsha

4 Jeremiah 3:14, 22

5 Chagigah 15a

6 Maharsha. The Shela Hakodesh also says that Acher should have ignored the voice, because there is a rule that one must listen to everything a host says except for, “Leave!” Acher did not have to listen to the voice that was basically telling him to leave.