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September 12, 2023

Why One Who Repents Can Be Greater Than One Who Never Sinned in the First Place

A lesson from loss.

An oft cited talmudic adage states that, “in the place where those who have repented of their sins (ba’aley t’shuvah) stand, even the completely righteous do not stand.” In a 1969 lecture, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik explains why this is so, drawing on another talmudic anecdote, about a student who—after the death of his teacher—performs the ritual rending of his garments (kri’ah) twice: once at the funeral, and the other after he realizes he can no longer ask his mentor a simple question about saying the blessing (b’rakhah) over bread. (Yiddish with English subtitles. Audio, 17 minutes.)

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September 12, 2023

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