Word of the Day

Elul 8, 5779
September 8, 2019

Regret, as opposed to guilt, is often accompanied by a feeling of loss. An example: If you misplace your wallet with a thousand dollars in it, you feel regret, not guilt. You have lost something of value. When we are focused on spiritual growth, regret helps remind us that our actions have caused us to lose something that is dear to us. Perhaps it is the trust of someone we love. Perhaps it is an image we had of ourselves. Regret helps us to recognize this loss, which will then hopefully inspire us to make a change.   


From our Sources

Regret is one’s doing something and then going back on it and wishing it had not been done. It is of great value in relation to repentance, for if one commits a sin and then regrets it, it is as if he had not sinned. And it is impossible to repent without regret….
- Ways of the Tzadikim (15 th century)
 
In truth, remorse over the past indicates an acute awareness of our imperfections – an awareness which must be engraved in the heart. In fact, the Hebrew word  charatah , meaning “remorse” is related to  charitah “engraving.” Once this awareness is so engraved, we stand a better chance of never again forgetting our history and repeating our past actions.
-Rabbi DovBer Pinson, adapted

Reflections

How do you connect feelings of regret to feelings of loss?
What do you regret as you consider the past year?
How does regret feel in your body?
How might your regrets inform the process of repentance you will undertake during the High Holy Days?