The Path Back to Ourselves and G-d
During these days, we are given three great pathways towards the goal of a meaningful, close and intimate relationship with G-d.
These tools help us create a relationship with G-d who loves, is close to and wants a relationship with us. In addition, G-d created us to partner with Him to rectify and to bring light and holiness into the world
These 3 pathways are Teshuvah (returning), Tefillah (Prayer), and Tzedakah (Charity).
Teshuvah literally means ‘turning’ or ‘returning’ to the essence of who we truly are.
Who are we? We are beautiful creations of G-d. Each of us has been gifted with extraordinary and invaluable treasures; our body, our soul, our lives, and our character traits. G-d has given us the capacity for love, compassion, kindness, generosity, forgiveness, creativity, and so much more. We have the ability to dream, imagine, think, to speak, to cry and so on. Unfathomable and beautiful treasures to have. The work of life is not to become someone different. It is to learn how to channel what is already within us in the right ways, in G-d-like ways.
Our tradition teaches that teshuvah was built into the universe even before the creation of the world. From the very beginning, G-d created the possibility of return. He knew that human beings, created with free will, would sometimes make mistakes. But we are not doomed by our mistakes, we are mandated to learn from them. We have the capacity to return.
Perhaps our challenges are not what gets in the way of our lives, they are the way.
Our soul remains pure, but our connection to G-d can become clouded by the choices and decisions we make. Teshuvah gives us the opportunity to cleanse the vessel; to clear away what separates us from G-d so that we can reconnect with our Creator.
And perhaps this is one of the most important things to remember during this season: G-d loves us, wants us to want to be close and will help us.
Teshuvah is not about hating ourselves or being consumed by everything we have done wrong. If G-d loves us, then we too must learn to see ourselves with love and compassion.
We are called to love ourselves, not selfishly, but with the understanding that we are creations of G-d, entrusted with so much that is precious and holy.
And if we recognize the Divine soul within ourselves, we can also learn to see the holiness in others. We are called to extend our love to others.
Teshuvah is one path by which we work on channeling, expressing and directing our treasures in the right way. We are not defined by our mistakes. We can regret what we have done, ask for forgiveness, and choose differently. And teshuvah does not require us to change overnight. Sometimes it begins with one small change: one action we want to improve, one habit we want to leave behind, one relationship we want to repair or one character trait we want to express in a better way.
It is about turning toward the person we were created to become and the relationship with G-d we once had.
Another pathway to an intimate relationship with G-d is tefillah, prayer.
Tefillah includes crying out to G-d and speaking to Him honestly, with an open heart.
We ask. We praise. We thank. And sometimes, we simply cry.
There is something deeply human and deeply spiritual about crying out to G-d. It is an acknowledgment that we need Him, that we are not in control, and that we want and need a relationship with Him.
Through prayer, we turn toward G-d with our hopes, fears, gratitude, and tears, and open our hearts to a deeper connection with Him.
Tzedakah is the third way we can work on our relationship with G-d.
When we give, we become givers. And since G-d is the ultimate Giver, giving is one way that we imitate G-d. Through tzedakah, we become G-d’s partners in the world. We begin to see ourselves as individuals entrusted with something unique and important to contribute. Our time. Our resources. Our abilities. Our compassion. Our love.
We are challenged to use all the beautiful qualities G-d has given us to bring more goodness and holiness into the world, in ways that only we can.
The deep message of Teshuvah, Tefillah, and Tzedakah is that through teshuvah, we return to our truest selves, through tefillah, we turn toward G-d and cry out to Him and through tzedakah, we become givers and partners with G-d.
We are all beautiful souls, carrying important and holy treasures within. We have been given beautiful qualities and the freedom to choose how we will use them. May we learn to channel those gifts in ways that bring us closer to G-d, closer to one another and closer to ourselves.
Knowing that G-d loves us helps us learn to love ourselves, love one another, and use the precious lives we have been given to become partners with G-d in bringing more goodness, compassion, love and light into the world.
Much love
Elissa
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