Shabbat Shuva

Overview

Shabbat Shuva is the Shabbos that falls between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, within the Ten Days of Teshuvah. It takes its name from the opening words of its haftarah, "Shuva Yisrael" — Return, O Israel, unto Hashem your God. Traditionally marked by a discourse rousing the community to repentance, it is the great Shabbos of return, when the gates of teshuvah stand fully open. The Sfas Emes explores teshuvah driven by fear and by love, teshuvah as a renewal of creation, and the unique power of Shabbos to lift both body and soul back to their root.

Themes

• Teshuvah from fear and love
• The ever-open gates of return
• The pure inner point
• Shabbos empowers teshuvah
• Teshuvah as new creation
• Ascending levels of teshuvah

Must-read teachings

1. 1The Ten Days reveal teshuvah's hidden gateRegarding the matter of the Aseres Yemei Teshuvah (Ten Days of Repentance): as Chazal said, "In the place where baalei teshuvah (penitents) stand, even complete tzaddikim cannot stand," and therefore normally there are only the six days of …תרמ"ח
2. 2Ascending Levels of TeshuvahChazal said: Great is teshuvah, for it reaches up to the Kisei HaKavod (the Throne of Glory). Chazal teach that teshuvah is so great that it ascends all the way to Hashem's Throne of Glory. The explanation: there are several levels in teshu…תרנ"ג
3. 3Two modes of teshuvah, fear and loveOn the verse, "Bring us back to You, Hashem, and we shall return." The Sefas Emes examines the seeming redundancy: we ask Hashem to return us, and then we say "and we shall return." And these are two kinds of teshuvah: out of fear (yirah) a…תרמ"א
4. 4Shabbos empowers reciprocal teshuvahShabbos Teshuvah — for Shabbos assists teshuvah, as it is written, "Seek Hashem when He is found" (Yeshayahu 55:6), [and] "For My thoughts are not your thoughts" (Yeshayahu 55:8). The Sefas Emes explains that Shabbos Teshuvah is so named be…תרנ"ד
5. 5Shabbos as Teshuvah Out of LoveShabbos is teshuvah out of love (teshuvah mei'ahavah). The Sefas Emes opens with his thesis: Shabbos embodies the higher form of teshuvah, the one driven by love rather than fear. For teshuvah out of fear is the teshuvah of the wicked, out …תרס"ב
6. 6Teshuvah reveals the hidden good above natureOn the pasuk, "Return, O Yisrael… take all sin away and accept the good" (Hoshea 14:2-3) — Rashi explains: "Teach us a good way"; see there for further explanations. The Sefas Emes opens with the haftarah of Shabbos Shuvah, focusing on the …תרמ"ד
7. 7Teshuvah awakens Hashem's unconditional loveIt is written: "Just as the rain comes down… so shall be My word…" (Yeshayahu 55:10-11). Just as rain never returns to the heavens without accomplishing its task of watering the earth, so too Hashem's word does not return empty — it inevita…תרס"ג
8. 8Teshuvah through the power of TorahOn the pasuk, "Return, Yisrael, unto Hashem your God; take with you words" (Hoshea 14:2-3). The Sefas Emes opens with the navi's call to teshuvah, noting that we are told to "take words" with us — the avodah of teshuvah is bound up with wor…תר"ס