We are all familiar with the story in Parshas vaYeira of Sarah’s laughter in response to the promise given to her by an angel visiting her home that she will have a son. When confronted by G-d, Sarah denied wrongdoing. “Lo tzachakti ki ya’re’ah.” “I did not laugh” – [said Sarah] – because she was afraid.
We all try to cover over our shortcomings and mistakes; we deny wrongdoing even when we are at fault. Yet, surely each one of us recognizes that while we may be able to delude others, we may be able to delude ourselves, but surely we cannot delude G-d. How could our matriarch Sarah have possibly told G-d that she did not laugh when, just moments before, she did in fact laugh? Surely she realized that G-d knew the truth!
The Sefas Emes suggests a remarkable answer that we should carry with us through these 10 days of teshuvah and Yom Kippur. Sarah knew that she had laughed and Sarah knew that she was mistaken in doing so. But Sarah was immediately overcome with fear and did tshuvah to rectify her sin. When Hashem appeared and asked Sarah whether she had laughed, she responded truthfully that she had not – tshuvah had obliterated he sin, her laughter, and there was nothing left of it.
The story concludes with Hashem telling Sarah that indeed she had laughed. I am going to here depart from the Sefas Emes and follow my wife’s reading of the conclusion, which I think is a bit simpler. Sarah had indeed done tshuvah, but her tshuvah was motivated by fear. Hashem may grant a pardon for such tshuvah, but it’s power to completely obliterate and undo the past is limited to the higher tshuvah that stems from love.
We don’t realize the tremendous power of tshuvah to not only bring about kaparah, but to literally undo the past. Hashem is not like a parent, a teacher, a friend, who forgives, but who (or so you may think) forever after looks at you differently because of some fault or error. Hashem grants a completely clean slate, with no reminder of past iniquities.
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I wrote up a piece on Teshuva Miavaha for the fall issue of Kallah Magazine at http://issuu.com/ariellabrown/docs/fall10
ReplyDeleteIt can also be read in 2 parts at NY Jewish Bridal Examiner, beginning with http://www.examiner.com/jewish-bridal-in-new-york/transfigured-by-love-rosh-hashana-lessons-for-life-part-1
In your scenario, why/how would the questioning after Sarah's initial teshuvah prompt her to upgrade this to "teshuvah out of love"? Wouldn't the questioning induce additional fear?
ReplyDeleteThe question simply points out that the teshuva did not erase the laughter. But she did achieve teshuva meahava by the time Yitzchak was born when she is able to talk about the laughter in a positive way -- shchok asa li ... kol hashomea yitzchak li
ReplyDeletewhat does it mean to do tshuva m'ahava, I never understood that
ReplyDeleteTshuvah m'ahava = the desire to change to be closer to G-d, not simply to escape punishment.
ReplyDelete>>>Wouldn't the questioning induce additional fear?
Knowing that there are higher madreigos to aspire to doesn't necessarily produce fear.
How did the questioning prompt Sarah to go for this particular higher madreigah based on love?
ReplyDeleteI would guess that the question pointed out to her that she had only achieved teshuva miyira -- not the ultimate level. So she worked on herself, and by the time Yitzchak was born (possibly even earlier) she had achieved teshvua meahava. Appreciation of the miracle may have also played a part in heightening her love and prompting that form of teshuva.
ReplyDelete