“The day you were born was the day God decided the world could not continue without you.” These words, attributed to the Baal Shem Tov, feel especially powerful during these Ten Days of Awe, the sacred stretch of time between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur. These days are among the most spiritually charged of the year. Our sages teach that there are times when God feels distant and times when God is close. When is God most near? In these very days, between Rosh HaShanah and Yom Kippur.
It is in this season that God draws near to remind us of our “why.” Why we were placed in this world. Why God chose us to join the human story. These days call us back — not to become someone new, but to return to the truest version of ourselves, the soul God planted within us from the very beginning.
We often hear the word “repentance” used at this time of year, but that word doesn’t quite capture it. In Hebrew, the word most often translated as “repentance” is charatah, which means regret: feeling guilty about the past and promising to become someone completely different. But teshuvah, the word our tradition uses, means something else entirely. It literally means “return.” Teshuvah isn’t about reinventing ourselves; it’s about coming back to who we really are.
Judaism teaches that, at our core, we are already good. We may get distracted, we may get pulled off course, but that doesn’t erase our essence. Teshuvah is the work of realigning with our truest self, of uncovering the spark of God that has always been there.
And because of this, teshuvah is always possible. The righteous do it by going deeper into their authentic selves. And even those who feel far away from God can do it because teshuvah isn’t about creating something brand new, it’s about returning to what has been there all along.
So, I want to invite you into a short reflective practice. Take out a piece of paper and a pen or, if you prefer, open the notes app on your phone. First, write down three moments in your life when your heart felt full. Times when your whole body lit up with energy and joy, when you felt wrapped in warmth, when you felt divinely placed in exactly the right moment.
Now, write down three moments you hope for in the coming year. Moments that will bring you that same physical and spiritual fullness, that same alignment with your truest self.
Let me share with you three of my own moments of complete fulfillment, the ones that remind me of my purpose on this earth, and of the person I must keep returning to, even when it feels hard, even when it feels far away.
In fourth grade, I would stay after school to spend time with the special needs students in my school. To this day, I remember three of their names: Patrick, Margaret, and Daniel. I helped them with homework, talked about our days, and played board games with them. My heart lit up with love and joy during those afternoons, and I cherished every moment.
The second is from my Jewish summer camp. Every Friday night, we had a Shabbat song session. For 30 minutes, over 300 kids would sing and dance with all their might. And there was one song in particular, that everyone would belt out “Shabbat Shalom” at the top of their lungs. Each time, a wave of happiness and warmth spread over me. Even now, I can still hear it echoing in my ears, and the same joy comes rushing back.
The third is from my summer in Israel in 2022. On Shavuot, a few of us decided to experience the tradition of learning all night. We hopped from one study session to another all across Jerusalem. As dawn broke, we walked to the Kotel to close our night of learning. When I saw the Wall bathed in the first rays of the rising sun, I was speechless. My entire body was filled with meaning and joy.
Now it’s your turn. Whether you take a few minutes tonight, tomorrow, or sometime in the week ahead, let this Shabbat, Shabbat Shuva, the Shabbat of Returning — be your moment to recall the sparks of divine goodness within you. Let those memories guide you back to your truest self.
Shabbat Shalom,
Rabbi Ashira Boxman
