Dear Readers,

I have historically taken a writing hiatus over the summer. I’m grateful to be able to post a new idea in advance of Rosh HaShanah. Please find my 5785 High Holiday Reader linked and below for a compendium of previous articles. Wishing you and yours a כתיבה וחתימה טובה and a שנה טובה ומתוקה, a sweet new year for us and for all Israel.

Sincerely,

Ben

We may approach the day of Rosh HaShanah with a feeling of trepidation. This time of year is indeed referred to as the ימים נוראים, the days of Awe. We may be familiar with the statement of the Sages that 3 books are open on this day, the righteous are inscribed for life, the wicked for death, and those in between wait for final judgement on Yom Kippur (Rosh HaShanah 16b). But prior to this statement in the Talmud, we find a description of things that can change the outcome:

תלמוד ראש השנה ט"ז:

וְאָמַר רַבִּי יִצְחָק: אַרְבָּעָה דְּבָרִים מְקָרְעִין גְּזַר דִּינוֹ שֶׁל אָדָם, אֵלּוּ הֵן: צְדָקָה, צְעָקָה, שִׁינּוּי הַשֵּׁם, וְשִׁינּוּי מַעֲשֶׂה. צְדָקָה – דִּכְתִיב: וּצְדָקָה תַּצִּיל מִמָּוֶת {משלי י׳:ב׳}, צְעָקָה – דִּכְתִיב: וַיִּצְעֲקוּ אֶל ה׳ בַּצַּר לָהֶם וּמִמְּצוּקוֹתֵיהֶם יוֹצִיאֵם {תהלים ק״ז:כ״ח}, שִׁינּוּי הַשֵּׁם – דִּכְתִיב: שָׂרַי אִשְׁתְּךָ לֹא תִקְרָא אֶת שְׁמָהּ שָׂרָי כִּי שָׂרָה שְׁמָהּ {בראשית י״ז:ט״ו}, וּכְתִיב: וּבֵרַכְתִּי אוֹתָהּ וְגַם נָתַתִּי מִמֶּנָּה לְךָ בֵּן {בראשית י״ז:ט״ז}, שִׁינּוּי מַעֲשֶׂה – דִּכְתִיב: וַיַּרְא הָאֱלֹהִים אֶת מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם {יונה ג׳:י׳}, וּכְתִיב: וַיִּנָּחֶם הָאֱלֹהִים עַל הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר לַעֲשׂוֹת לָהֶם וְלֹא עָשָׂה {יונה ג׳:י׳}.

Talmud Bavli – Rosh HaShanah

And Rabbi Yitzḥak said: A person’s sentence is torn up on account of four types of actions. These are: Giving charity, crying out in prayer, a change of one’s name, and a change of one’s deeds for the better. An allusion may be found in Scripture for all of them: Giving charity, as it is written: “And charity delivers from death” (Proverbs 10:2); crying out in prayer, as it is written: “Then they cry to the Lord in their trouble, and He brings them out of their distresses” (Psalms 107:28); a change of one’s name, as it is written: “As for Sarai your wife, you shall not call her name Sarai, but Sarah shall her name be” (Genesis 17:15), and it is written there: “And I will bless her, and I will also give you a son from her” (Genesis 17:16); a change of one’s deeds for the better, as it is written: “And God saw their deeds” (Jonah 3:10), and it is written there: “And God repented of the evil, which He had said He would do to them, and He did not do it” (Jonah 3:10).

Rabbi Yitzchak outlines 4 things that can change what is decreed, 1) Charity, 2) Prayer, 3) Changing one’s name, 4) Changing one’s actions. A scriptural source is then provided for each one. What is the idea behind each of these items? What ties them together?

The first item is charity. The verse quoted is from Proverbs, “the storehouses of the wicked will not benefit them, and charity saves one from death” (10:2). King Solomon often contrasts different lifestyles. Here he is contrasting two different attitudes toward money. He first portrays an unhealthy attitude, one who hoards and believes money is a good in and of itself, that it can address all of life’s problems. In contrast, he portrays one who can give money away, demonstrating a functional and transactional relationship. Money is merely a means. If God wishes us to distribute some of the money that comes across our desk, so be it.

The Rav, Rabbi Joseph B. Solovetichik, further discusses how charity can precipitate Teshuva. Many of our own errors are predicated on our deeply self-centered view of the world. We sometimes focus on our own needs to the exclusion of others, have an outsized sense of our own importance, or get angry when things don’t go our way. Charity is inherently an act that benefits others and has the potential to change our focus.

The second item is prayer. Rav Hirsch explains that the Hebrew term for prayer, התפלל is a reflexive form of the root פלל which means to judge (see Rav Hirsch, Collected Writings Vol. II). In other words, prayer is a form of self-judgment or self-evaluation. If done properly, prayer can indeed shift and adjust our perspective. The verse in Psalms illustrates that prayer can be transformative and lead to the resolution from distress.

The third item is changing one’s name. This is still a custom in some communities when someone is sick. Changing one’s name could refer to changing what one is known for. But if so, how does it differ from changing one’s actions? As the Maharsha points out, simply changing one’s name without changing anything else will not accomplish anything (commentary on Agadah, quoting R’ Shmuel Ashkenazi on the Agadot Yerushalmi). Changing one’s name might refer to changing one’s own self-concept. Technically changing one’s name could be a capstone to changing one’s identify, but only if it is based on an underlying recasting of one’s personality.

The fourth item is changing one’s actions. At first glance this one seems fairly obvious. Is there a new idea here? Isn’t changing one’s actions just part of typical Teshuva? Rashi comments this refers to returning from one’s evil ways. This is likely the basis for the statement in the high holiday liturgy, ׳׳ותשובה ותפילה וצדקה מעבירין את רוע הגזרה׳׳, “repentance, prayer, and charity, undo a bad decree”.

But perhaps it more broadly refers to changing one’s habits. It is human nature to fall into routines and default ways of operating. The habits we form don’t always benefit us, especially as the demands of life can change. Changing one’s actions can shake things up and provide new opportunities for how we expend our energy and efforts.

תלמוד ראש השנה ט"ז:

וְיֵשׁ אוֹמְרִים: אַף שִׁינּוּי מָקוֹם – דִּכְתִיב: וַיֹּאמֶר ה׳ אֶל אַבְרָם לֶךְ לְךָ מֵאַרְצְךָ {בראשית י״ב:א׳}, וַהֲדַר: וְאֶעֶשְׂךָ לְגוֹי גָּדוֹל {בראשית י״ב:ב׳}. וְאִידַּךְ, הָהוּא זְכוּתָא דְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל הוּא דְּאַהַנְיָא לֵיהּ.

Talmud Bavli – Rosh HaShanah 16b

And Rabbi Yitzḥak said: A person’s sentence is torn up on account of four types of actions. These are: Giving charity, crying out in prayer, a change of one’s name, and a change of one’s deeds for the better. An allusion may be found in Scripture for all of them:

Some suggest that changing one’s place also provides an opportunity for Teshuva. The Talmud though questions this, noting that what benefited Avraham could have been the fact that he was journeying to Eretz Yisrael. Generic change unrelated to a person’s identity does not in and of itself lead to Teshuva. The Rambam nonetheless codifies all 5 items:

רמב"ם תשובה ב':ד'

מִדַּרְכֵי הַתְּשׁוּבָה לִהְיוֹת הַשָּׁב צוֹעֵק תָּמִיד לִפְנֵי ה', בִּבְכִי וּבְתַחֲנוּנִים, וְעוֹשֶׂה צְדָקָה כְּפִי כּוֹחוֹ, וּמִתְרַחֵק הַרְבֵּה מִן הַדָּבָר שֶׁחָטָא בּוֹ.  וּמְשַׁנֶּה שְׁמוֹ, כְּלוֹמַר שֶׁאֲנִי אַחֵר וְאֵינִי אוֹתוֹ הָאִישׁ שֶׁעָשָׂה אוֹתָן הַמַּעֲשִׂים; וּמְשַׁנֶּה מַעֲשָׂיו כֻּלָּן לְטוֹבָה, וּלְדֶרֶךְ יְשָׁרָה.  וְגוֹלֶה מִמְּקוֹמוֹ--שֶׁגָּלוּת מְכַפֶּרֶת עָווֹן, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁגּוֹרֶמֶת לוֹ לְהִכָּנַע וְלִהְיוֹת עָנָו וּשְׁפַל רוּחַ.

Rambam Teshuvah 2:4

(4) Among the paths of repentance is for the penitent to: constantly call out before God, crying and entreating; to perform charity according to his potential; to separate himself far from the object of his sin; to change his name, as if to say "I am a different person and not the same one who sinned;” to change his behavior in its entirety to the good and the path of righteousness; and to travel in exile from his home. Exile atones for sin because it causes a person to be submissive, humble, and meek of spirit.

Taken together, these 5 items do not represent Teshuva in and of themselves. Just giving charity, praying, changing one’s name or actions will not automatically result in true change. In each case we can end up falling into our previous modes of operating and ultimately face the same consequences. The Rambam codifies each of these in his laws of Teshuva. He describes them as מדרכי התשובה, “among pathways toward Teshuva”. Each of these 5 situations provide an opportunity, a potential turning point for one to adjust their trajectory upward. May we capitalize on the opportunities latent in life’s many transitions!

References

Maimonides, M., Touger, E., Kaplan, B., Abramson, Z., & Silverstein, S. (2007). Mishneh Torah. New York: Moznaim Pub. Retrieved from: https://rambam.alhatorah.org

Rosenberg, A. (1980). A new English translation of the Hebrew Bible text and Rashi, with a commentary digest. New York: Judaica Press. Retrieved from: https://www.chabad.org/library/bible_cdo/

Steinsaltz, A., In Weinreb, T. H., In Schreier, J., & Hotsaat Koren (Jerusalem),. (2017). Koren Talmud Bavli, the Noe edition: Talmud Bavli. Retrieved from: https://shas.alhatorah.org/

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