Teshuvah: A Revolutionary Jewish Idea

Dr. Nadav Berman, a visiting scholar from the University of Haifa, will present “Teshuvah: A Revolutionary Jewish Idea,” during Tuesdays at the J on Sept. 17.

Tuesdays at the J starts at 10 a.m. with refreshments and conversation and the presentation starts at 10:30 a.m.

During the month of Elul, Jews are called for a process of self-reflection and moral perfection which is captured in Judaism by the term Repentance, or “Teshuvah”: a Hebrew word whose meaning is “return”. However, what exactly is Teshuvah?

As we shall learn in this shi‘ur, this idea runs counter to various scientific beliefs that push toward a deterministic view of the human creature. In addition, the idea of Teshuvah is seemingly contrasted with the moral conviction that a sin or a crime must be paid for completely. In fact, the Hebrew Bible itself incudes a stark opposition to the moral adequacy of Teshuvah: Jonah the Prophet. In this talk, accompanied by a Powerpoint presentation, we ask what Teshuvah is and whether it is at all possible, by considering several early Jewish texts; the philosophy of Rabbi Avraham Yitzhak haCohen Kook, who made Teshuvah into the keystone of his Jewish thinking; and the poem “The Life You Have” by Yona Wallach. 

Dr. Nadav Shifman Berman is a scholar of Jewish thought, ethics, and law. He is a Research Fellow at the Faculty of Law, University of Haifa, and previously was a postdoctoral associate Ben-Gurion University of the Negev and at Yale University. During September-October 2024, he will be a Visiting Scholar at the Jewish Studies program at Arizona State University. Nadav’s scholarly publications are available at https://haifa.academia.edu/NadavSBerman, and his musical compositions of Hebrew poets’ songs are available here.

The program is free, but reservations are required.