Teshuva is the primary spiritual goal of Elul. Teshuva has been translated by many as repentance. In Hebrew teshuva literally means turn or return.
Rabbi Adin Steinsalz
...teshuvah is more than just repentance from sin; it is a spiritual reawakening, a desire to strengthen the connection between oneself and the sacred.
- What is your understanding of teshuva?
- If teshuva is turning or returning, what might we be turning or returning to during Elul?
From Orot HaTeshuva (Light of Teshuva) by Rav Kook
When we forget the essence of our own soul… everything becomes confused and in doubt. The primary teshuva, that which immediately lights the darkness, is when a person returns to himself, to the root of his soul – then he will immediately return to God, to the soul of all souls’.
- What do you think about Rav Kook's notion that we are (re)turning to ourselves? Do you agree that confusion and doubt are caused by being disconnected from your soul root?
- What might returning to the root of your soul feel like or look like for you?
Babylonian Talmud Yoma 86b
Rabbi Meir used to say, ‘Great is teshuva, for on account of one person who sincerely resolves to change, the whole world is forgiven.’
Jane Goodall
"You cannot get through a single day without leaving an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make."
- How do the quotes by Rabbi Meir and Jane Goodall add to your understanding of teshuva?