"I'm trying to write [right?] my wrongs, but it's funny these same wrongs helped me write this song."
--Kanye West, "Touch the Sky"
Question: What is Kanye West trying to express in this line?
והאמר ריש לקיש גדולה תשובה שזדונות נעשות לו כזכיות שנאמר (יחזקאל לג, יט) ובשוב רשע מרשעתו ועשה משפט וצדקה עליהם (חיה) יחיה
And yet, Reish Lakish said: Repentance is great, for intentional sins are made for him into virtues, as it says (Ezekiel 33:19), "And when the wicked turneth from his wickedness, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby."
Questions:
1. Why/How should it be possible for repentance to convert sins into merits?
2. To what degree can the aforementioned quote from Kanye West help us to understand this teaching?
א"ר חמא (בר) חנינא גדולה תשובה שמביאה רפאות לעולם שנא' (הושע יד, ה) ארפא משובתם אוהבם נדבה
Said Rabbi Chama the son of Chanina, Repentance is great because it brings healing to the world, as it says, "I will heal from their repentance, loving them freely" (Hosea 14:5).
Question: How is it possible for repentance to create healing?