An inspiring way to reclaim your integrity and renew your sense of moral purpose.
"Like water, teshuvah is both destructive and creative. It dissolves the person you were but simultaneously provides the moisture you need to grow anew. It erodes the hard edges of your willfulness but also refreshens your spirit. It can turn the tallest barriers of moral blindness into rubble while it also gently nourishes the hidden seeds of hope buried deep in your soul. Teshuvah, like water, has the power both to wash away past sin and to shower you with the blessing of a new future, if only you trust it and allow yourself to be carried along in its current." -from Part VII
In this candid and comprehensive probe into the nature of moral transgression and spiritual healing, Dr. Louis E. Newman examines both the practical and philosophical dimensions of teshuvah, Judaism's core religious-moral teaching on repentance, and its value for us-Jews and non-Jews alike-today. He exposes the inner logic of teshuvah as well as the beliefs about God and humankind that make it possible. He also charts the path of teshuvah, revealing to us how we can free ourselves from the burden of our own transgressions by:
? Acknowledging our transgressions ? Confessing ? Feeling remorse ? Apologizing ? Making restitution ? Soul reckoning ? Avoiding sin when the next opportunity arises
This candid and comprehensive probe into the nature of moral transgression and spiritual healing examines both the practical and philosophical dimensions of teshuvah, Judaism's core religious-moral teaching on repentance, and its value for us today.
"Masterful.... [Newman's] analysis of sin and repentance is ... much clearer, much deeper, and more adequate to the phenomena of sin and repentance than any previous treatment of the subject."
-Rabbi Elliot N. Dorff, PhD, rector and distinguished professor of philosophy, American Jewish University; author, The Jewish Approach to Repairing the World (Tikkun Olam): A Brief Introduction for Christians
"Blesses [us] with insights into the frailty and divinity of the soul. Dr. Newman teaches us that the past can be transformed, the sinner can be reborn, the God of justice can become the God of forgiveness. In short, he has given us the way of hope."
-Rabbi Naomi Levy, author, To Begin Again and Talking to God
"Beautiful, wise, thorough ... reminds us that our greatness will not be judged by our supposedly grand accomplishments, but by how each of us deals with our inevitable moral failings, however great or small."
-Rabbi Nancy Flam, co-director of programs, Institute for Jewish Spirituality
"In easily accessible language both religiously and psychologically informed, Newman guides us through our own return. Don't go near the High Holy Days without this wise and inspiring moral classic."
-Rabbi Lawrence Kushner, Emanu-El Scholar, Congregation Emanu-El, San Francisco; author, The Way Into Jewish Mystical Tradition and Kabbalah: A Love Story
"Amazing. Readers seeking to redress their own misdeeds will find not only a gentle guiding toward the path of repentance but a treasury of Jewish wisdom about that path."
-Rabbi Arthur Waskow, director, The Shalom Center; author, Godwrestling-Round 2
