Confession and Repentance

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Confession and Repentance: Is It a Mitzvah to Do Teshuvah?

Three perspectives on the definition of Teshuvah and the role of confession. (Based on Likutei Sichos vol. 38, parshas Naso, sicha 1)

Related Text:	Selections from Likkutei Sichos: Nasso: What Cannot Be Commanded לקוטי שיחות - חלק לח: נשא (א)
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Rabbi Moishe New heads the Montreal Torah Center. He is a sought out lecturer on Kabbalah and Chassidus, and their relevance in our lives today.

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Oona Iowa City September 15, 2018

He seems to be describing the family tree, with all the 'break down' and numerological explanation of 613. When I see the Tanakh, I love the Hebrew symbol that forms a tree-like image. Reply

YoshiYah David August 22, 2014

Oh, This was absolutely amazing! I'm so thankful for Moishe New and the Montreal Torah Center! What a Wonderful Gift. Thank you, THank you and Toda Thank You!! Reply

louise leon PA August 21, 2013

to Rabbi New Although I tried to understand your teaching, I didn't hear an answer within your lecture to my question dated August 6, 2013. Please respond. Todah. Reply

Rabbi Moishe New MTC August 14, 2013

Re Limbs This number is found throughout Rabbinic literature. Perhaps the earliest source is the Talmud, Tractate Oholos, chapter 1, Mishnah 8. This number does not necessarily correspond to the figure posited by medical science because our Sages have a slightly different criteria for defining a limb. The Mishnah there generally identifies all 248 Reply

Meira NY August 12, 2013

Thru Teshuva to Spiritual/ Physical Healing Thank you so much Rabbi New for the insights. I have been listening very carefully, making notes. One of my limbs doesn't perform as needed and recently I started to look into what might cause it. After your class, I see that I am heading in the right direction. Your classes are huge inspiration for me. I was wandering if there are any Tzadiks that leave in our days and how can we obtain help in determining which particular behavior/ deed causes the deformity and how to get to the basics of it and correct it (the behavior was probably long time ago) before it got into physical deformity? Thank you Reply

Marty Denver August 9, 2013

Limbs Reference the 613 laws into two categories: 248 and 365. We say the 248 represents the number of limbs. Is that delineated anywhere? I know there are 206 bones and the number of organs seems to depend on how they are listed or grouped but, combined with the bones, I can't get it to add up to 248. Thank you. Reply

katrin Germany August 8, 2013

Thank you so much for your kind reply, Rabbi New. I've been troubled by this, but now I'm relieved and feel a lot better now. Thank you for teaching us and sharing your wisdom with us. Reply

Rabbi Moshe New MTC August 7, 2013

To Katrin Hashem told Moshe that he would not enter Eretz Yisrael because of the incident with the rock. There are many explanations given by the commentaries why this case is the exception and Hashem withheld His forgiveness.

As for the rest of us, Hashem declares unequivocally in His Torah that nothing stands in the way of Teshuvah. Furthermore, please remember that Hashem doesn't ask of a person more than he can do. You are only held accountable for transgressions that you are aware of. What He asks of us most of all is to serve Him with joy. Reply

louise leon PA August 6, 2013

tshuvah (forgiveness?) It seems unfair to me that only observant Jews (or other enlightened individuals) are aware of the 613 torah mitzvoth. Thusly, only these selected people will escape the "threat" of reincarnation? Seems to me that there are many other people who live an exemplary life (my opinion) and deserve to be treated as well as those respecting and observing the 613 torah mitzvot. Reply

katrin Germany August 4, 2013

How can we know we're forgiven our sins if Moshe Rabeinu wasn't? Can we be sure that G-d forgives us our sins on Yom Kippur? Why could Moshe not enter erez Israel? It seems that he wasn't forgiven the sin of having hit the rock? Maybe I have done something that upsets G-d in the same way and I don't know about it? Reply

Moishe New May 31, 2013

confession Indeed, the confession is made to G-d. (If the sin is one where we harmed another person, than we need to recompensate and ask their forgiveness.) Reply

Anonymous May 30, 2013

Mitzvah to Do Teshuvah Are we to confess our sins directly to G_d? If not, how do we go about confessing? To whom do we open up to if not directly to G_d? Reply

Is It a Mitzvah to Do Teshuvah?