21
votes
How can I redeem a wasted youth?
Talmud Sukkah 53A:
חסידים ואנשי מעשה כו': ת"ר יש מהן אומרים אשרי ילדותנו שלא ביישה את זקנותנו אלו חסידים ואנשי מעשה ויש מהן אומרים אשרי זקנותנו שכפרה את ילדותנו אלו בעלי תשובה אלו ואלו אומרים אשרי ...
- 5,310
15
votes
How can I redeem a wasted youth?
What happened happened and the Torah approach is not to dwell on it, but rather focus on improving going forward. Regarding sins from the past, the Rambam writes (Hilchot Teshuva 1:3)
Teshuvah [...
- 47.5k
11
votes
Why didn't Adam ask for forgiveness?
Bereishis Rabbah 22:13 seems to indicate that Adam didn’t know that he had that option:
פָּגַע בּוֹ אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן אָמַר לוֹ מַה נַּעֲשָׂה בְּדִינְךָ, אָמַר לוֹ עָשִׂיתִי תְּשׁוּבָה ...
- 34.1k
10
votes
Someone in authority apologizes?
See Talmud Ta'anit 20a - 20b. Synopsis:
Rav Elazar ben Rav Shimon was on the road and an ugly man greeted him. Rav Elazar offended him by asking, "Are all people from your village as ugly as you?" He ...
- 70k
9
votes
Accepted
The Rambam's "Complete Repentence" + halachical logistics
R. Ephraim Luntschitz indeed explains (Kli Yakar Bamidbar 19:21) that the penitent must seclude himself with the woman that he previously sinned with. He thus explains the statement of the Sages that ...
- 49k
9
votes
Source for repentance being illogical (or counter intuitive)
The Midrash says:
שאלו לחכמה החוטא מהו עונשו, אמרה להם וחטאים תרדף רעה (משלי יג: כא).
שאלו לנבואה החוטא מהו עונשו, אמרה להם הנפש החוטאת היא תמות (יחזקאל יח:
ד). שאלו לתורה חוטא מה עונשו, אמרה להם ...
- 14.3k
8
votes
"Gay" people in the Torah, Talmud, Kabbalah?
In general, the Torah is not so concerned and doesn't judge how people feel or what their desires are. It is mainly concerned in how we act. Nowhere does the Torah consider feelings for same-sex ...
- 47.5k
8
votes
Accepted
Rosh HaShanah for Under 20
Based on the accepted answer to the question you refer to (Why does earthly punishment start at 13 and divine punishment at 20?), it seems that
teenagers really should be taking the Yamim Noraim ...
- 42.8k
8
votes
Source wanted: Talmudic story about the power of teshuvah
I think you're referring to the story of R. Elazar ben Dodaya, which can be found in Avodah Zarah 17a.
To summarize the story, it was said about a man named Elazar ben Dodaya that there was not a ...
- 41.6k
8
votes
Someone in authority apologizes?
There are many stories of great rabbis apologizing to people much below their spiritual level. For instance, this story of the Steipler Gaon apologizing to a bar mitsva boy for mistakenly criticizing ...
- 47.5k
8
votes
Someone in authority apologizes?
For example did Hashem ever apologize?
Chulin 60b tells of how God tried to appease the moon after diminishing it, and eventually ordains the new month's sacrifices as a sin offering for his having ...
- 24k
8
votes
How can I redeem a wasted youth?
There is nothing that does not come from G-d - even evil has a kernel of good. This is why evil is referred to as a klipah, a shell - it separates holiness from G-d but the holiness is still there, ...
- 181
8
votes
Source about a king like Haman if Israel doesn't repent
Sanhedrin 97b
If they do not repent, will they not be redeemed at all? Rather, the Holy One, Blessed be He, will establish a king for them whose decrees are as harsh as those issued by Haman, and the ...
- 1,766
8
votes
Tikkun for Timtum HaLev
Rav Pesach Feinhandler in Avnei Yasfei 3:76 writes that he does not see why teshuva doesn't help. He brings a proof from chelev (forbidden fats) that if one ate cheilev (shogeg) he can bring a korban ...
- 41k
7
votes
How can you quit a habit of visiting inappropriate websites?
Marry a wife
Pele Yoetz (here) says it helps with sin
Seifer Hachinuch (mitzva 582.2) explains that the reason of the Mitvzah that after the first year of marriage you need to be happy with your ...
- 7,466
7
votes
"Gay" people in the Torah, Talmud, Kabbalah?
In terms of actual prohibitions:
1- Male homosexual sex is prohibited to both Jew, and under the covenant G-d made with Noah, to non-Jews as well.
2- Male homosexual intimacy that is not prohibited ...
- 9,368
7
votes
Waiting to do teshuvah until 20
The implication of the last mishna in Yoma is that the answer is no:
האומר, אחטא ואשוב, אחטא ואשוב, אין מספיקין בידו לעשות תשובה.
One who says, "I will sin, and then repent, I will sin, and then ...
- 17.7k
7
votes
Does teshuva remove punishment?
There is a disagreement between the Rambam and the Raavad regarding the Ir Hanidachas - wayward city, whether it is possible to remove the punishment if the town did indeed repent.
The Rambam (עבודת ...
- 15.4k
7
votes
Accepted
Where can I see the letter/proclamation the Chafetz Chaim wrote about the major natural disasters in his time?
HaShem helped me find two letters of the Chafetz Chaim about natural disasters, and what they mean to us. He says very clearly that if we had Prophets nowadays, It is clear to me that they would be ...
- 905
7
votes
Someone in authority apologizes?
Berachot 31b
ויען עלי ויאמר לכי לשלום אמר רבי אלעזר מכאן לחושד את חברו בדבר שאין בו
שצריך לפייסו ולא עוד אלא שצריך לברכו שנאמר ואלהי ישראל יתן את שלתך
Then Eli answered and said, Go in Peace....
- 49k
7
votes
How can I redeem a wasted youth?
I think there is maybe something by Rambam about not seeing yourself as either good or bad, but just thinking of acting rightly in the very next moment. So, the present is everything.
A similar idea ...
- 97
7
votes
Accepted
What is Teshuvah?
According to the Alter Rebbe in Tanya (Igeret Hateshuva, chapter 1), Teshuva means:
to return to G‑d with all his heart and soul, to serve Him, and to keep all His commandments.
Teshuva means ...
- 8,512
7
votes
Accepted
Any hope for people who say, "I will sin then repent, sin then repent"?
Refer to the Mishnah in Yoma 8:
With regard to one who says: I will sin and then I will repent, I will sin and I will repent, Heaven does not provide him the opportunity to repent, and he will remain ...
- 8,512
6
votes
Why is herring used for tikun?
This is not a definite reason, but it may be in memory of the teaching of Rav Yehuda said in the name of Rav found in Bava Bathra 74b which talks about the Leviathan that was salted and stored away by ...
- 14.2k
6
votes
Accepted
Was sacrifice the only means of forgiveness, or prayer is also included?
The OP asks: "Is/was animal sacrifice the only means of seeking forgiveness?"
Answer: No, animal sacrifice is not the only means in the Torah (Tanach) to seek forgiveness from G-d.
Examples of other ...
- 10.7k
6
votes
Should you apologize before Yom Kippur for a wrongdoing that is more than a year old?
The Mishna in Yoma 8 (9) quoted in your link says
עברות שבין אדם למקום, יום הכפורים מכפר........ עברות שבין אדם לחברו ,
אין יום הכפורים מכפר, עד שירצה את חברו
Yom Kippur atones for sins between ...
- 47.1k
6
votes
Accepted
Should you ask someone for forgiveness before Yom Kippur if doing so might embarrass them?
The Chafeitz Chaim (Hilkhos LH 4:12) rules that you cannot do real teshuvah for speaking ill of someone without confessing to the person you spoke about. Even if they did not know of it before, so ...
- 9,368
6
votes
Rebbi Akiva knew Torah before he turned 40?
You can see below this opinion and its two arguments.
See Avot Derabbi Nathan chapter 6, you can read that Rabbi Akiva, before taking his decision to learn Torah, was at the edge of the spring, and ...
- 22.7k
6
votes
About coming back to Jewish practice
A Bar Mitzvah ceremony or celebration is a just a custom - a nice way of signifying the occasion of one's becoming obligated in the commandments, but it is not a prerequisite and does not actually ...
- 6,457
6
votes
Medrash Tanchumah 0n Teshuvah
The quote is probably the following (Tanhuma Vayeira 16 in ed. Buber):
ראה מה יפה התשובה, אמר הקדוש ברוך הוא שובו אלי ואשובה אליכם (מלאכי ג
ז), שאם ביד אדם כמה עונות והוא שב לפני הקדוש ברוך הוא, ...
- 35.4k
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