It is common to associate the celebration of the sacred day of the Hebrew calendar with fasting; however, the most important precept of Yom Kippur is to do teshuva. That is, to repent and return to the right path.
Chief Rabbi Isaac Sacca*
Published by Perfil on October 11, 2024
Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the Hebrew calendar. Although many associate this day with fasting, the most important precept of Yom Kippur is to do teshuva. That is, to repent, renew oneself, and return to the right path. While fasting is undoubtedly important, it is only a means to achieve the goal of doing teshuva and focusing on the fundamental values of life.
In Jewish legal literature, teshuva is equated with viduy, the verbal confession of our mistakes and faults. This means that an essential requirement for returning to the right path is to express in words what we have done wrong. It is not necessary to do this in front of another person, such as a confessor or a friend; rather, it should be done in intimacy, in an internal dialogue with oneself.
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In Jewish legal literature, teshuva is equated with viduy, the verbal confession of our mistakes and faults.
This verbalization is a meeting with one’s own conscience: the person confronts themselves and realizes their flaws, accepting that they must work to try to be a better person. It is also a way to evaluate and weigh one’s own actions and to chart a future plan for correcting mistakes and faults.
Teshuva is a way to renew the spirit with goodness, delving into the unconscious to find the root that led us to err. It is a spiritual exercise of self-discovery that everyone should attempt to engage in consistently.
Teshuva thus takes on a deeper dimension: it is an internal resolution, arising from a sincere dialogue with oneself, to change direction.
*Chief Sephardic Rabbi of Buenos Aires; President of Menora, World Jewish Organization for Youth
Source: https://www.perfil.com/noticias/opinion/iomkipur-hablar-con-uno-mismo-para-descubrirse.phtml
