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<DIV><FONT style="BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent" color=#000000 size=2
face=Arial>From: "Akiva Miller" <kennethgmiller@juno.com><BR><BR><BR>Is
teshuva ineffective for the rasha? A simple reading of this Rambam would seem to
indicate that the rasha was already sealed for death on Rosh Hashana, and it is
only the beinoni who needs to bother with teshuva. Is it impossible for the
rasha's future to be improved by teshuva?....<BR><BR><BR>....But this logic
seems to confirm what I wrote in the beginning, that the rasha gamur, the 100%
rasha, is sealed for death on Rosh Hashana, and no amount of teshuva will help
him. I am very troubled by this. I would prefer to think that *everyone* -- even
the rasha gamur who might not ever actually exist -- can improve his fate by
doing teshuva.<BR><BR><BR>Akiva Miller</FONT></FONT></DIV>
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<DIV>There are some people whose sins are so bad that only death can atone, but
they can still do teshuva. They will die -- presumably prematurely -- but
they will go to olam haba. Like the man in the gemara who visited
every red light district in the world, a bas kol said "Everyone can do teshuva
except [whatever his name was]." He cried so much his neshama left
him and a bas kol said his teshuva was accepted and he went to Gan Eden.
I'm sure the learned chevra here will remember the story and provide a
citation.</DIV>
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<DIV><FONT color=#0000ff></FONT><BR><FONT color=#0000ff><STRONG>--Toby
Katz<BR></STRONG></FONT><FONT lang=0 size=2 face=Arial FAMILY="SANSSERIF"
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