There are two opposite poles when it comes to doing teshuvoh. The first applies to sinners, about which it is written in Neilah: "You extend a hand to sinners and Your right hand is outstretched to receive returners." Also, "You seek the repentance of the wicked and You do not want their death." That is, even in the worst case of man's debasement, the way is always open before him for repentance. The sinner's teshuva will be accepted and he will be transformed into a new creature, pure and beloved unto Hashem.
The Rambam writes: "How great is teshuvoh which brings a person closer to the Shechina. Yesterday he was despised before Hashem, abominated, an object of contempt, rejected, and today he is beloved and pleasing, close and befriended etc. Yesterday he was dissociated from Hashem, the G-d of Israel, as it is written, `Your sins caused a separation between you and your G-d...' and today he is adhered unto the Shechina, as it is written, `And you, who are adhered unto Hashem your G-d...'" (Hilchos Teshuvoh 7).
At the other pole are those upright people, the servants of Hashem, the G-d-fearing ones, those who strived for betterment and ascension, as it is written, in the haftorah of Shabbos Shuva, "Return O Yisroel unto Hashem your G-d." This is referring to an exalted level of teshuvoh. As one grows in his appreciation of Hashem and recognition of His greatness, he realizes that his level of the previous day was lesser, and he confesses to having fallen short in his past perception. Teshuvoh, therefore, is incumbent upon everyone, from the lowest person to the one who has already advanced greatly, so much that he is almost "...unto Hashem," that is, much closer to Him. (From an essay by HaRav Hakodosh of Ruzhin zy'a.)
From Chazal, however, we learn that this pole of teshuvoh is even more extreme, and beyond its simple concept. This is what they said (Pesikta deR' Kahana, p. 44):
"This can be compared to a prince who became ill. The doctor said that if he ate a certain food, he would be cured, but the prince was afraid to eat it. The king said to him: It cannot harm you. In fact, I will eat some of it. Said Hashem to Israel: Are you then embarrassed to repent? Then I will repent first, as it is written, `So says Hashem: Behold, I shall repent.' If One Who has no sins or misdeeds to be ashamed of declares that He will repent, as it were, how much more should mortals be bound to repent and come before Hashem [in humility]."
*
Rosh Yeshivas Telz, HaGaon R' Chaim Mordechai Katz zt'l, expanded on this idea and said: "This is difficult to understand on a simple level. What meaning does teshuvoh have in connection to Hashem?"
He explains: Teshuvoh means making a fresh start, renewing one's attitude, and this can be found with regard to divine Providence, as well. The world does not operate only along the pre-set laws established at the time of Creation. Rather, it is maintained through an ongoing process that is renewed every single day. "Hamechadesh bechol yom..."
It is in this light that Hashem says to mankind: Do not be wary of doing teshuvoh, that is, to relate anew to your actions, to start afresh. One can always adopt a new approach, rejuvenate one's tactics, just as is prevalent in the world, which is rejuvenated each day with Hashem's power, with improvements, amendments, reformations. This rule has its root and precedent Above.
We must conclude, therefore, that one principle governs both extreme ends of teshuvoh. While we cannot compare the penitent who has committed grievous sins to the one who regrets his lack of appreciation of Hashem at previous levels and repents the hairline sins he has accumulated through his not having been wise enough to know better yesterday what he knows today. Nevertheless, the principle is identical: that of renewal.
Every person and his form of rebirth, re-cognizance. The sinner of a moment ago, is considered a tzaddik now, as we see, "Whoever betroths [someone] on the basis of his being a tzaddik — even if he is a consummate sinner — his betrothal is binding, for he might have had thoughts of repentance at the time" (Kiddushin 49:). The mental urge to do teshuvoh, in of itself, is sufficient to transform a person totally, to metamorphose him from a rosho to a tzaddik. He becomes a new person altogether. Upon a different plane is the already exalted person who strives and achieves greater heights; he becomes closer to the divine Throne. This, too, is a renewal, a new stratum gained.
"In the place where baalei teshuvoh stand, even consummate tzaddikim cannot stand." This should not be surprising, for only one who has spanned the distance from his sin to his present place can know how far he has traversed from the life of a sinner to the life of Torah and G-d-fear, while the tzaddik who measures the difference between one level of understanding and another, but who has never seen true darkness, does not have the scope to be able to measure such a vast distance.
R' Nosson Birnbaum z'l, one of the foremost baalei teshuvoh at the beginning of the twentieth century, once asked: What is that `place' referred to, the place where tzaddikim cannot stand? Is it a place of merit? Can this be? Would this not be unfair to the tzaddikim?
"Perhaps it were more correct to interpret this as a place of happiness! For, truth to say, while one who has always been used to seeing the light is able to appreciate it, still, he cannot appreciate it as fully as one who suddenly discovers the light for the first time after a long, dark night."
