As August draws to a close I have begun to reflect on what has been one of our busiest summers so far. We had students from all the corners of the earth including Argentina, Tanzania, South Africa, and Australia along with copious amounts of Europeans and Americans. We truly received a world tour as through each student we learn not only about their life but also about the culture from which they originate.
The end of August brought with it the month of Elul symbolizing the end of the Jewish year and the lead up to the High Holiday period. Before we know it Rosh Ha Shannah the Jewish New year will be upon us and along with the overflowing tables of food, Rosh Ha Shannah is a time for repentance and reflection. In the month of Elul prayers of requests for forgiveness (Slichot) are sung in synagogues and each individual takes upon himself to assess his deeds and analyse any wrong doings from the past year.
The word in Hebrew for repentance is Teshuva:
תְּשׁוּבָה
Teshuva is formed from the root, Shuv (Shin- Vav- Bet). As with so many words in Hebrew, looking at the root of a word can give us a deeper understanding of the meaning. So what is the connection between returning and repentance?
To repent is to demonstrate a desire to return to the right path in life but there is another interesting connection to this root which can be found in Maimonides' writings on repentance. He writes that one can only fully have repented when one is faced with the same situation and chooses a different course. So just as in the film Groundhog day (where the same day is repeated over and over again), if you return to the same environment and this time you decide not to do the same mistake, then you can say you have truly repented.
I wish you all a meaningful week and check back next week for some more Ulpan insights!
Osnat
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