At first glance, teshuva seems straightforward — recognize your mistakes, feel remorse, and resolve to change. Yet when we examine the Rambam’s Hilchos Teshuva closely, questions start to emerge.

The Rambam identifies only vidui, confession, as a formal obligation. But what about the inner, emotional process of teshuva itself? Is that also a mitzvah?

Some argue that teshuva is not a mitzvah in its own right. Rather, it is the process we undertake when we have failed to fulfill one of Hashem's commandments. On a deeper level, teshuva cannot be classified as a mitzvah because it expresses the essence of the neshama, a dimension that transcends the framework of mitzvos altogether.

This perspective offers profound insight into the true nature of teshuva and helps explain why the Rambam discusses the principle of free choice specifically in the context of Hilchos Teshuva. As we will learn, an authentic return to Hashem from the depths of our soul cannot be commanded, because it is not an external obligation but an expression of who we truly are, the ultimate manifestation of our free choice.

In this episode, Menucha Schochet engages in a deep discussion about the connection between Teshuva and free will in light of the story of Yosef and his brothers, and as exemplified by Elazar ben Durdaya.

Listen to part 1, where we set the premise for how to think of teshuva in regard to others and ourselves, before delving into the sources - discussing whether or not Teshuva is a mitzvah, and beginning to explore the connection between Teshuva and free will.

Visit: https://www.batshevalearningcenter.com/product-page/can-teshuva-be-commanded to download our digital source booklet.

Visit: https://www.batshevalearningcenter.com/booklets to find out more about bringing this content to the women of your community with our annual event packages.

At first glance, teshuva seems straightforward — recognize your mistakes, feel remorse, and resolve to change. Yet when we examine the Rambam’s Hilchos Teshuva closely, questions start to emerge.

The Rambam identifies only vidui, confession, as a formal obligation. But what about the inner, emotional process of teshuva itself? Is that also a mitzvah?

Some argue that teshuva is not a mitzvah in its own right. Rather, it is the process we undertake when we have failed to fulfill one of Hashem's commandments. On a deeper level, teshuva cannot be classified as a mitzvah because it expresses the essence of the neshama, a dimension that transcends the framework of mitzvos altogether.

This perspective offers profound insight into the true nature of teshuva and helps explain why the Rambam discusses the principle of free choice specifically in the context of Hilchos Teshuva. As we will learn, an authentic return to Hashem from the depths of our soul cannot be commanded, because it is not an external obligation but an expression of who we truly are, the ultimate manifestation of our free choice.

In this episode, Menucha Schochet sets the premise for how to think of teshuva in regard to others and ourselves. We then delve into the sources, discussing whether or not Teshuva is a mitzvah, and begin exploring the connection between Teshuva and free will.

Listen to part 2 for a deeper discussion of the connection between Teshuva and free will in light of the story of Yosef and his brothers, and as exemplified by Elazar ben Durdaya.

Visit: https://www.batshevalearningcenter.com/product-page/can-teshuva-be-commanded to download our digital source booklet.

Visit: https://www.batshevalearningcenter.com/booklets to find out more about bringing this content to the women of your community with our annual event packages.

The first Beis Hamikdash was destroyed for sins no one could miss: idol worship, forbidden relations, bloodshed. A society that falls that far at least knows what it has done.

The second is harder to account for. The generation that lost it was learned and observant. The Gemara points to Sinas Chinam, but it also names something stranger: a failure of leadership it calls too humble.

That is a hard accusation to sit with. Humility is among the qualities we prize most in our service of Hashem, the trait the Torah gives to Moshe Rabbeinu himself. How could it be the thing that burned the Sanctuary and sent us from our land?

This episode follows that question through the story of Kamtza and bar Kamtza and the commentators who take it apart, asking where humility ends and inaction begins, whether staying silent can be its own kind of choice, and what real leadership asks of us in our own everyday decisions. As we mourn through the Three Weeks, it is also a way to think about the mindset that brings us closer to rebuilding.

Follow along in the Learning Booklet, available for download here: https://www.batshevalearningcenter.com/booklets