Teshuvah From Love

בפסוק ועתה אל תעצבו.

“In the verse: ‘And now, do not be distressed.’”

The Sefat Emet opens by focusing on Joseph’s reassurance to his brothers, stressing the significance of the phrase “and now.”

איתא כי ועתה לשון תשובה.

“It is taught that ‘and now’ is a term indicating teshuvah (return/repentance).”

The phrase suggests a spiritual turning point — a moment of return.

כי גם מקודם שבו השבטים בתשובה כדכ' אבל אשמים אנחנו והי' תשובה מיראה.

“For even earlier the tribes had done teshuvah, as it is written: ‘But we are guilty,’ and that was repentance out of fear.”

Joseph’s brothers had already acknowledged their wrongdoing, but their repentance was motivated by fear and remorse.

אבל עתה עשו תשובה מאהבה ונהפך כל החטא לזכות.

“But now they did teshuvah out of love, and the entire sin was transformed into merit.”

Repentance driven by love elevates one’s past misdeeds, turning them into sources of spiritual merit.

וזה הראה להם יוסף כי למחי' שלחני.

“And this Joseph showed them, saying: ‘For sustenance God sent me.’”

Joseph reframed the past: their actions, once sinful, became instruments of divine purpose.

וכן הוא המדה כי כל הסיבות מתהוים מבעל הסיבות ומ"מ החוטא משתלם על חטאו.

“And such is the principle: all causes originate from the Cause of all causes, and yet the sinner is still accountable for his sin.”

Though God directs events, human responsibility remains intact.

אבל כשמתקבל בתשובה נעשה מכל חטא זכות ממש.

“But when one’s teshuvah is accepted, every sin truly becomes merit.”

Divine acceptance of repentance transforms one’s entire past.

וז"ש אח"כ ועתה לא אתם שלחתם אותי הנה.

“And this is what is said afterward: ‘And now, it was not you who sent me here.’”

Joseph clarifies that after their repentance, their earlier act is no longer counted as theirs.

הגם כי כן הי' מתחלה.

“Even though indeed it was so at first.”

Initially, their deed was a true wrongdoing.

אבל עתה אחר התשובה נתהפך הכל להיות רק מעשה האלקים שעשו תשובה מאהבה.

“But now, after the teshuvah, everything has been transformed to be only the act of God, for they repented out of love.”

The transformative power of love‑driven repentance reframes the entire event as divine action.

ז"ש אל תעצבו כנ"ל:

“Thus he said: ‘Do not be distressed,’ as explained above.”

Joseph encourages them not to grieve, for their repentance has reshaped the meaning of their past.

Summary: The Sefat Emet teaches that Joseph’s words “and now” indicate a shift from repentance out of fear to repentance out of love, which transforms past sins into merit and reframes the entire narrative as part of God’s plan.