[Avodah] A Complete Unknown?

[Micha Berger]

On Thu, Mar 20, 2025 at 08:20:19AM +0200, Joel Rich via Avodah wrote:
> I could not help thinking about R'YBS's presentation of repentance from
> fear(myira) versus repentance from love (ahava). Often the former is
> associated with trying to cut oneself off totally from their past, whereas
> the latter is building on the past, even if it was sinful (haalat hacheit).

In my 10 Yemei Teshuvah Reader, pg 54
<https://www.aishdas.org/media/10YemeiTeshuvah.pdf#page=65> I wrote:
> Teshuvah mei'ahavah, teshuvah caused by love of the Creator, causes the
> aveiros not just to be ignored, but even to be considered as mitzvos.[6]
> Each aveirah can become something to regret, motivation for learning
> a lesson, so that each brings him closer to the ideal Hashem has for
> him. Through teshuvah a person can improve himself to the extent of
> being beyond where he would have been had he not sinned. And in that way,
> it serves the role of a mitzvah, a tool for self-improvement.

> [6] Reish Laqish, Yuma 86b

R AE Kaplan gives a route to understanding Yir'ah as an outgrowth of
Ahavah. I am not talking about Yir'as haOnesh, fear of a petch. But
Yir'as haCheit, fear of the sin itself. The Ramchal says this is the
true Yir'ah when the term Yir'as Shamayim is used. And Yir'as haCheit
coult come from not wanting to violate the Will of one's Beloved, simply
because He is Beloved.

Still, Yir'ah is a "sur meira" motivator. It is only Ahavah in and of
itself that motivates "ve'asei tov".

Which is why it's Teshuvah meiAhavah that can make a sin the cause of
someone's future good, and thus be considered kezekhuyos.

:-)BBii!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger                 What we do for ourselves dies with us.
http://www.aishdas.org/asp   What we do for others and the world,
Author: Widen Your Tent      remains and is immortal.
- https://amzn.to/2JRxnDF                      - Albert Pine