[Avodah] Teshuva - postive or negative?

[Richard Wolpoe]

<<
According to Dov Katz this is a machlokes between Slabodka and the older
schools of mussar.  See Dov Katz, Tenuas HaMussar III:121-126.  I suspect
that it's not so much a machlokes as an adaptation to different
circumstances.  Maybe these people are just studying in the wrong place.

David Riceman>>

Please permit me to elaborate on R. David Reisman's comments - indeed there
were 2 general trends in the Mussar Schools:

   1. The find fault school out to detect one's failings and to correct
   them in order to attain self-perfection.
   2. The "Be the best you can be school" which appeals to a human's
   potentila for loftiness; and therefore accentuated those positive aspects
   that could bring a person to a higher level of observance and
   self-perfection w/o necessarily addressing specific faults. I think that
   this was spear-headed by the Alter from Slobodka who mentored many Gedolim.

In the Elu 'velu mode and in the hanoch lan'ar al pi darko spirit, it is
certainly legitimate to see BOTh methods as valuable

To a person who is "full-of-himself" the first method is probably best. See
Rambam Shmoneh Perakim for why a pernson should balance his "dei'so/moddos"
by tilting to the other extreme...

However, an individual who is a bit "shefal ruach" could be devastated by
this method and might be better served by appealing to his highest nature.

A talmid at Yeshiva "Chofetz Chaim" told me beshaim his rav that middos are
like medicines or herbs. What cures one can be poison to another.  AIUI "Dr.
Rambam" would concur.

And no doubt, probably the average pefson would be best served by some
combination of both methodologies.

I have run into people who have exhibited a high degree  of self-centredness
yet are nevertheless highly sensiitve to even the mildest  forms of
criticisms.  Even though their apparent, superficial "self-confidence" might
lead one to believe to implement method #1, nevertheless their well-hidden
internal insecurities might in reality call for using method #2 .


-- 
Kesiva vaChasima Tova
Best Wishes for 5768,
RabbiRichWolpoe at Gmail.com
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On 8/28/07, Daniel Eidensohn <yadmoshe at 012.net.il> wrote:
>
> I recently was asked by a number of  recent baalei teshuvos -  how to
> deal with what they perceived as the intense negative atmosphere of
> Elul  in their seminary classes. They said that they were attracted to
> Torah observance because it was such a positive, future oriented way of
> life. However they find that in the seminary programs, there is a focus
> on finding fault with oneself, looking at the negative, being self
> critical and skeptical about their motivation.  They felt guilty about
> being turned off by this approach. They had been given an exercise
> requiring them to list their ten worst sins and what they should do to
> repent.
>
> I asserted there is a direct comparison in this issue between
> psychotherapy and repentance. In both one chooses whether to focus on
> digging in the dirt or focusing on developing one's potential. In other
> words, one can do teshuva either by focusing on faults or by focusing on
> avodas HaShem as described by Rav Chaim Shmuelvitz. While the Rambam
> clearly requires acknowledging sin, the  affirmation of leaving it and
> confession - the issue is whether the main concern is repentance through
> repair of the bad or through improvement of the good? I understand the
> following two sources as going beyond the issue of repenting one's sins
> and focusing on the larger picture of what should be done with one's
> life. Any other sources which are relevant to this  issue?
>
> *Sichos Musar (#33): *Everyone is required to thoroughly examine his
> deeds especially before Rosh HaShanna - the Day of Judgment. This
> obligation is not just to discover transgressions and lapses in
> observance of the commands. It also includes the evaluation whether
> one's path in serving G‑d is the correct one for him since everyone has
> a unique path. The issue  of Avodas HaShem is such that a person could
> keep all the mitzvos yet have a completely false approach to serving
> G‑d. The problem is compounded by the fact that he might have
> incorrectly assumed that what he was doing would be pleasing to G‑d.
> Nevertheless all his efforts would have been to accomplish a mistaken
> goal. Consequently if he has not carefully evaluated the correctness of
> his plan than all his efforts and sacrifices are wasted. Furthermore he
> is punished according to the degree of effort he made to accomplish this
> wrong plan… This can be seen from the fact that Rav Yochanon ben Zakkai
> who was not only the leading Torah scholar of his time but also had
> succeeded in saving Torah for all future generations was frightened
> before his death. He cried before his students and said "I see before me
> two paths – one to Gan Eden and the other to Gehinom and I don't know
> where they are taking me. Shouldn't I cry?" His fear was not because of
> failing to keep the whole Torah. His fear was solely because he might
> have failed to properly have done his Avodas HaShem. There is the
> additional problem with Avodas HaShem – that one simply can't repent for
> doing it incorrectly since it is easy to be mistaken and assume that you
> are doing the right thing.
>
>
> *Mishna Berura (Shaar HaTziyun 622:6): *A person many times despairs of
> correcting his faults and concludes that if G-d decrees that he dies
> because of his failure there is nothing he can do about it. However this
> is a mistaken attitude because in the end, G-d will get the correction
> of the soul that He wants. The soul will be reincarnated over and over
> again into this world until the correction is achieved. Consequently why
> should the soul repeatedly suffer death and the anguish of the grave and
> other things? Proof of this is from Yonah whom G-d wanted to prophesize
> for Nineveh and he tried to escape to the sea where prophesy does not
> occur. We see that he sunk into sea and was swallowed by the great fish
> and was in its belly many days where it seems that it was impossible to
> fulfill G-d's command. Nevertheless we see that at the end G-d's will
> was fulfilled and he went and prophesized. Thus it is with everyman
> according to his Divinely ordained task. Therefore as it says in Avos
> (4:22): Don't view the grave as a refuge—because you were born against
> your will, you live against your will, you die against your will and
> against your will you will have to justify all your actions to the
> Heavenly court.
>
>
> Daniel Eidensohn
>
>
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