Repentant/ Repenting/ Remorseful
One who returns in repentance; a person who did not previously observe the commandments and has taken upon themselves to observe the religious commandments and accept the “yoke of the Kingdom of Heaven.”
("The pious and men of good deeds would dance before them with torches and recite words of praise before them. What would they say? Happy is one who has not sinned; and whoever has sinned—may he be forgiven. Some would say: Happy is my youth, which did not shame my old age—these were the men of good deeds. And some would say: Happy is my old age, which atones for my youth—these were the penitents)"—Tosefta, Tractate Sukkah (Lieberman), ch. 4; and likewise: "What is complete repentance? When the same matter comes to one in which he previously sinned… and he refrains and does not sin—this is complete repentance"—Maimonides, Book of Knowledge, Laws of Repentance, ch. 2:1; and likewise: "Let not the repentant imagine that he is distant from the level of the righteous because of the sins and transgressions he committed. This is not so; rather, he is beloved and cherished before the Creator, as if he had never sinned. Moreover, his reward is great, for he tasted the taste of sin and withdrew from it and subdued his inclination"—Maimonides, Book of Knowledge, Laws of Repentance, ch. 7:4; and likewise: "Some of the ‘penitents’ had their hearts so transformed after two or three cups that they testified with oaths and curses…"—Bialik, The Trumpet Was Put to Shame; and likewise: "According to the law I am not entitled to this happiness. I knew, according to the law, that the splendor of wedding garments does not befit me, for an ashen sackcloth is for penitents"—Leah Goldberg, Nifla’otah)
Translation
Expression (Hebrew)
בַּעַל תְּשׁוּבָה
Definition (Hebrew)
חוֹזֵר בִּתְשׁוּבָה. אָדָם שֶׁלֹּא שָׁמַר מִצְווֹת שֶׁקִּבֵּל עַל עַצְמוֹ לִשְׁמֹר אֶת מִצְווֹת הַדָּת וּלְקַבֵּל עַל עַצְמוֹ 'עֹל מַלְכוּת שָׁמַיִם'.
("חֲסִידִים וְאַנְשֵׁי מַעֲשֶׂה הָיוּ מְרַקְּדִין לִפְנֵיהֶן בַּאֲבוּקוֹת וְאוֹמְרִים לִפְנֵיהֶם דִּבְרֵי תִּשְׁבָּחוֹת. מֶה הָיוּ אוֹמְרִין? אַשְׁרֵי מִי שֶׁלֹּא חָטָא. וְכָל מִי שֶׁחָטָא יִמָּחֵל. וְיֵשׁ מֵהֶן אוֹמְרִים אַשְׁרֵי יַלְדוּתִי שֶׁלֹּא בִּיְּשָׁהּ אֶת זִקְנוּתִי, אֵלּוּ אַנְשֵׁי מַעֲשֶׂה. וְיֵשׁ מֵהֶן שֶׁהָיוּ אוֹמְרִים אַשְׁרַיִךְ זִקְנָתִי שֶׁתְּכַפְּרִי עַל יַלְדוּתִי, אֵלּוּ בַּעֲלֵי תְּשׁוּבָה"- תּוֹסֶפְתָּא מַסֶּכֶת סֻכָּה (לִיבֶּרְמָן) פֶּרֶק ד, וְכֵן:"אֵיזוֹ תְּשׁוּבָה גְּמוּרָה?זֶה שֶׁבָּא לְיָדוֹ דָּבָר שֶׁעָבַר בּוֹ... וּפָרַשׁ וְלֹא עָבַר- זֶה הוּא בַּעַל תְּשׁוּבָה גְּמוּרָה"- הָרַמְבָּ"ם/ סֵפֶר הַמַּדָּע, הִלְכוֹת תְּשׁוּבָה, פֶּרֶק שֵׁנִי, א, 152, וְכֵן: "אַל יְדַמֶּה בַּעַל תְּשׁוּבָה שֶׁהוּא מְרֻחָק מִמַּעֲלַת הַצַּדִּיקִים מִפְּנֵי הָעֲווֹנוֹת וְהַחַטָּאוֹת שֶׁעָשָׂה. אֵין הַדָּבָר כֵּן, אֶלָּא אָהוּב וְנֶחֱמָד הוּא לִפְנֵי הַבּוֹרֵא, וּכְאִלּוּ לֹא חָטָא מֵעוֹלָם, וְלֹא עוֹד אֶלָּא שֶׁשְּׂכָרוֹ הַרְבֵּה, שֶׁהֲרֵי טָעַם טַעַם הַחֵטְא וּפֵרַשׁ מִמֶּנּוּ וְכָבַשׁ יִצְרוֹ"- הָרַמְבָּ"ם/ סֵפֶר הַמַּדָּע, הִלְכוֹת תְּשׁוּבָה, פֶּרֶק שְׁבִיעִי, ד, 162, וְכֵן: "מִקְּצָת מִ"בַּעֲלֵי הַתְּשׁוּבָה" נֶהְפַּךְ לִבָּם כָּל כָּךְ אַחֲרֵי שְׁתַּיִם שָׁלוֹשׁ כּוֹסוֹת עַד שֶׁהֵעִידוּ בְּאָלָה וּבִשְׁבוּעָה..."-בְּיָאלִיק / הַחֲצוֹצְרָה נִתְבַּיְּשָׁה, ב קלג, וְכֵן: "עַל פִּי הַדִּין אֵינֶנִּי זַכָּאִית/ לְאֹשֶׁר זֶה. יָדַעְתִּי, עַל פִּי דִּין/ לֹא פְּאֵר בִּגְדֵי כְּלוּלוֹת מַגִּיעַ לִי/ כִּי שַׂק אָפֹר שֶׁל בַּעֲלֵי תְּשׁוּבָה"- לֵאָה גּוֹלְדְּבֵּרְג/ נִפְלֵאתָהּ, ב)