Why One Who Repents Can Be Greater Than One Who Never Sinned in the First Place https://mosaicmagazine.com/picks/religion-holidays/2023/09/why-one-who-repents-can-be-greater-than-one-who-never-sinned-in-the-first-place/

September 12, 2023 | Joseph B. Soloveitchik
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An oft cited talmudic adage states that, “in the place where those who have repented of their sins (ba’aley t’shuvah) stand, even the completely righteous do not stand.” In a 1969 lecture, Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik explains why this is so, drawing on another talmudic anecdote, about a student who—after the death of his teacher—performs the ritual rending of his garments (kri’ah) twice: once at the funeral, and the other after he realizes he can no longer ask his mentor a simple question about saying the blessing (b’rakhah) over bread. (Yiddish with English subtitles. Audio, 17 minutes.)

Read more on Ohr Publishing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xYhPDz6Vpms