Shabbat Teshuva

Welcome to Embrace Shabbat. The Chidah teaches that וְשַבְתָּ עַד ה׳ אֶלוֹקֶיך ָ, return to Hashem, your G-d , can also be read as וְשַבָת עַד ה׳ אֶלוֹקֶיך ָ. Shabbat is atime of Teshuva. There are many sources that highlight and explain this connection. The Mishnah Berurah writes that Shabbatclothing represents the holiness of the day. We change into special Shabbatclothing, as it is not proper to greet royalty with dirty clothing. Similarly,our neshama is our clothing and we must do teshuva so that we can greet theShabbat queen when we are "freshly laundered." Additionally, Shabbat signifies the end of theweek. Many people take time at night to contemplate their day and strive tomake changes the following day. The same is true at the end of the week, month,and year. Shabbat is the end of the week, and it is therefore a time forTeshuva on the previous week. Thirdly, the Gemara teaches that even if aperson worshipped idols, they are forgiven through Teshuva. Shabbat is a daythat brings kapparah and one shouldengage in teshuva so they can be forgiven for any type of sin. The Chidah teaches further that Shabbat hasthe power to get rid of the tuma ,which allows a person to do Teshuva. The Gemara teaches: כׇּל הַמִּתְפַּלֵּל בְּעֶרֶב שַׁבָּת וְאוֹמֵר ״וַיְכוּלּוּ״, שְׁנֵימַלְאֲכֵי הַשָּׁרֵת הַמְלַוִּין לוֹ לָאָדָם מַנִּיחִין יְדֵיהֶן עַל רֹאשׁוֹוְאוֹמְרִים לוֹ ״וְסָר עֲוֹנֶךָ וְחַטָּאתְךָ תְּכֻפָּר ״, one who prays on Erev Shabbat and recitesvayechulu (the paragraph from Kiddush that speaks about creation) , the two angels who accompany the person,place their hands on his head and tell him, "your iniquity will be removed andyour purposeful sin will be atoned." This idea is based on a passuk in Yeshaya, which the Maharshateaches was said by angels to tell someone that their teshuva was accepted. What is the connection between vayechulu and Teshuva? A person needs two witnesses in order totestify in court. Because וַיְכוּלּו ּ is a testament to a person's belief that Hashem created the world insix days and rested on the seventh, they must be a kosher witness. Therefore,the angels remove a person's sin so that they can serve as that witness. A further connection is in a Midrash broughtin the Orchot Tzaddikim, Shaar HaTeshuva. The Shaar states that Teshuva isgreat because it reaches the kisei hakavod. When Moshe Rabbeinu went into theheavens, he found groups of angels with an open Sefer Torah. They were readingabout the first day of creation and they spoke about the praise of Torah. Moshewent up to the second heaven, and saw angels reading about the work on thesecond day of creation and they paused to speak about the praise of Torah andof the Jewish people. In the third heaven, he found angels reading about thethird day of creation and speaking about the praise of Yerushalayim. In thefourth one, he found angels reading about the fourth day of creation andspeaking about the praise of Mashiach. In the fifth heaven, he found angelsreading the fifth day of creation and speaking about the negativity of gehenom . In the sixth heaven, he foundangels reading about the sixth day of creation and speaking about the praise ofGan Eden. When he got to the seventh heaven, the angels were reading about theseventh day of creation, beginning with the passuk וַיְכוּלּו ּ, and speakingabout Teshuva. Teshuva reaches the kisei haKavod. The seventh heaven, which is the heaven in front ofG-d and corresponds to Shabbat, is the heaven where the angels were discussingteshuva. We see from here the special connection between Shabbat and Teshuva.When a person does Teshuva on Shabbat, they are lifted up the highest ofplaces, the kisei haKavod itself.B'ezrat Hashem, we should take advantage of this power of Teshuva which isconnected to Shabbat. Have a Shabbat Shalom.