We know the famous medrash story that when God created the world, he asked truth, what to do with one who sins and I believe truth said death, he asked Torah and Torah said a sacrifice, but God said, all one should do, is repent, return to the good way.

This concept of Teshuvah, repentance, turning over a new leaf, rebirth, beginning anew, is a profound concept.

If we explore the dynamics, versus those societies that didn’t have it, a new religion, a new understanding, a new human emerges.

Take Roman society, a very strict harsh society – lacking the notion of repentance, the society had harsh judgments – mainly, the first time you screwed up was the last time.

But in Judaism, though the standard is high, the regulations, punishments, exceptionally lax, for the belief is, we are born imperfect and to become perfect takes a lot of repentance. Sent via my BlackBerry from Vodacom – let your email find you!