Complete teshuvah lishmah on Sukkos

עיקר התשובה שלימה הוא בסוכות.

The essence of complete teshuvah is on Sukkos.

The Sefas Emes states that although the Yamim Noraim are the time of repentance, the highest, most complete form of teshuvah is reached specifically on Sukkos.

דכתיב מחיתי כעב פשעיך וכענן חטאתיך שובה אלי כו'.

As it is written: "I have wiped away your transgressions like a thick cloud, and your sins like a cloud; return to Me," etc. (Yeshayahu 44:22).

The pasuk's order is striking: first Hashem says He has already erased the sins, and only then calls "return to Me" — implying a teshuvah that comes after forgiveness is already granted.

וזו התשובה היא לשמו.

And this teshuvah is "for His Name" (lishmah).

Since the sins are already wiped away, this return is purely for Hashem's sake — teshuvah lishmah, with no self-interested motive.

כי התשובה מחמת פחד העונשין וגם מפחד הפגם שנעשה בנפש האדם אינו לשמה ממש.

For teshuvah out of fear of punishment, and even out of fear of the blemish (pgam) that was caused to a person's soul, is not truly lishmah.

Repentance driven by dread of punishment, or even by concern over the damage one's sins did to one's own neshamah, is still rooted in the self and is therefore not entirely for Hashem's sake.

רק אחר שמחיתי פשעיך וחטאתיך ואין לו פחד כלל.

Rather, after "I have wiped away your transgressions and your sins" — when he has no fear at all —

Once Hashem has already erased the sins and there is nothing left to fear, the motive of fear is removed entirely, clearing the way for a purer return.

רק שמתגעגע לשוב להתקרב אל השי"ת לעורר האהבה הנסתרת ע"י החטאים זו תשובה שלימה.

And he merely yearns to return and draw close to Hashem Yisbarach, to awaken the hidden love (ahavah nisteres) that was concealed by the sins — this is complete teshuvah.

True, complete teshuvah is pure longing to come close to Hashem and to reveal the love that was always there but had been buried beneath the sins; this is teshuvah me'ahavah, out of love.

ולכן חג הסוכות הנסיון והעדות על בנ"י שאחר המחילה הם עוסקים בתשובה לשמה:

Therefore the festival of Sukkos is the test and the testimony about Bnei Yisrael, that after the forgiveness they are engaged in teshuvah lishmah.

Coming after the forgiveness of Yom Kippur, Sukkos demonstrates and bears witness that Bnei Yisrael continue to serve Hashem out of pure love — teshuvah lishmah — even once all their sins have already been pardoned.

Summary: Reading the pasuk "I have wiped away your sins... return to Me," the Sefas Emes teaches that the highest teshuvah is not driven by fear of punishment or even concern for one's own soul, but is a pure yearning to come close to Hashem and reveal the hidden love beneath the sins — and Sukkos, coming after the forgiveness of Yom Kippur, is the testimony that Bnei Yisrael do teshuvah lishmah.