Teshuvah Questions
Question
Shalom,
I am hopeful you might help me understand the practice of ‘T’shuvah’.
I understand it is related to the atonement for sins, but I have a few pertinent questions about it.
Is T’shuvah strictly limited to only the month of Elul and the days surrounding Yom Kippur?
Are others involved in the process. For example, if you are atoning for something you did that offended a family member, are they are necessary part of the process? Or, does the repentant seeking atone with or through God? Would you be able to reconcile the situation without the help or outright forgiveness of that offended family member/
I appreciate any answers you may provide.
Thank you for your time and attention.
Answers
Teshuvah is a possibility 365 days a year! Teshuvah is not limited to only the months of Elul and Tishrei. Rather, it is something that can be (and should be) done at any time. What is true is that Elul and Tishrei are months that are dedicated to Teshuvah, and it is considered to be an opportunity for anyone who has not yet done to Teshuvah to grasp the moment and to do so.
A person who sins against God – for example, they transgress Shabbat – can atone through the process of Teshuvah without anyone else involved. However, a person who sinned against someone else, needs to ask their forgiveness for whatever they did to them, before they can be forgiven in the Spiritual Realms. So, for example, someone who stole, needs to ask forgiveness from the person they stole from (and repay whatever they stole, if necessary) before they can be forgiven by God.
Best wishes from the AskTheRabbi.org Team