Community Magazine April 2012

distinguishes between two levels of repentance. A person can repent for wrongdoing from yir’a – out of fear of retribution. The Talmud teaches that when a person repents out of fear, Gd views his sins as though they were committed unintentionally, thus eliminating his guilt. But a person can achieve a superior level of repentance, through feelings of ahava – from genuine love and appreciation of the Almighty. When one repents out of love for Hashem, his sins are actually transformed into merits. On the lower level of repentance, a sinner is forgiven for the wrong he committed. One who has developed a true fear of Gd is remorseful for his sin – the din – because he recognizes the inevitable consequences before the Almighty. But he is not necessarily ready to dedicate himself to do Gd’s will and atone for the heshbon , and so, the one who repents from yir’a is still held accountable for the constructive acts that he failed to perform. But if one achieves the more exalted level of repentance from ahava , then unlike the one who repents only out of fear, her regrets not only his wrongful actions, but also his failure at the time to please Gd by using his talents for good and performing Hashem’s missvot . Therefore the sinner who repents from love is not only pardoned for the sin according to the din , but is also forgiven for the heshbon – the valuable activities he could have performed at the time of the sin. Constructive and Destructive Speech The Gaon’s distinction between din and heshbon applies to speech, as well. People who speak lashon hara are held accountable for the harm caused by their speech, for spreading information that should never be spread and indulging their egos at the expense of another person’s dignity. But they are also liable for the positive words they could have spoken but did not. Our mouths can be used for countless valuable purposes. We use the faculty of speech for reciting Tehillim , for sharing Torah insights, and for discussing halachic questions with a rabbi. We use our mouths to call an old friend to reconnect and maintain friendships. Words are the tools with which we bring comfort and encouragement to those who need it, and cheer up friends and relatives who are lonely or despondent. Speech is the instrument through which we build relationships with our children, spouses, parents, and other family members. Our words have the capacity to bring joy, security and warmth to the people around us. And this is what makes the sin of lashon hara especially grievous. It not only causes irreparable damage to relationships and reputations, but also takes us away from the endless wellsprings of missvot associated with speech. The time spent at an affair indulging in gossip could have been used to build meaningful friendships. The hours we spend at the Shabbat table could be utilized for enhancing familial relationships, making guests feel welcome, Dedicated inmemory of Mr.&Mrs. Jacques&Rachel Gindi  16 COMMUNITY MAGAZINE