Self Awareness

The Parsha addresses the issue of theft, stating that a thief must confess and repay the victim the principal amount plus a penalty. When the Torah directs the thief to confess, it states, “he shall confess the sin he did.” The phrase “that he did” seems to be extra, and needs to be understood.The Beis Yaakov of Alexander explains that the phrase “that he did” emphasizes that the thief must not only confess to the act of stealing but also address the underlying jealousy that prompted the theft. The additional wording highlights the unchecked urge of jealousy as the true motivator for the act of stealing, and thus, an additional confession is necessary.We can understand this better by using an analogy of visiting a doctor. When you visit a doctor you don't merely want a prescription for your symptoms; we expect the doctor to identify and address the root cause of our ailment. Similarly, the thief should not only confess to the act of stealing but also confront the underlying issue, which in this case is jealousy.Consider a scenario where you feel slighted by a coworker at work, leaving you hurt without an opportunity to resolve it. Returning home, you might find your child making a mess, and in a moment of frustration, you react disproportionately. Upon regaining your composure, it’s obvious that you need to mend the hurt caused by your outburst, but we are now learning that you also need to recognize that your anger stemmed from the unresolved hurt from work.The next time we face a challenge, rather than merely extinguishing the flames of our mistakes, let us strive to identify their origins and address them at the source.