The Chance to Return
The season of the Yamim Nora’im, the Days of Awe, is not only a time of solemn reflection but
also one of profound hope. The Midrash teaches us, through the words of our sages, that the
pathway of Teshuva—repentance and return—is always open, even when the distance between
us and our Creator feels distant.
Rabbi Avraham Haleva, a towering Sephardic rabbinic figure of the late 19th and early 20th
centuries, addressed this theme in one of his sermons for Rosh Hashanah. Born in Jerusalem in
1858 to Rabbi Yitzhak Haleva, young Avraham was recognized early for his scholarship and
piety. At the age of 29, he was appointed as a shadar (rabbinic emissary), a role reserved for
Jerusalem’s most respected rabbis. Representing not only the Sephardic community of the
Holy City but also the Mughrabi congregation and the renowned Kabbalistic Yeshiva Bet El,
Rabbi Haleva traveled extensively—through Persia, North Africa, Italy, and the
Balkans—carrying with him the spiritual voice of Jerusalem. Eventually, he settled in Livorno
(Leghorn), Italy, where he continued to serve his community until his passing in 1921.
In his work Minhat Avraham, Rabbi Haleva cites a Midrash that poignantly captures the
essence of Teshuva. Rabbi Shemuel, in the name of Rabbi Meir, relates a parable:
A prince once rebelled against his father, violating his rules and bringing shame to the royal
household. Ashamed and fearful, the prince left the palace. The king, longing for his son’s
return, sent messenger after messenger, urging him to come home. Yet the prince,
overwhelmed by guilt, replied that he could never face his father after all that he had done.
“Not only have I broken the commands of my father,” he confessed, “but also the decrees of
the king.” When the king heard this, he responded with compassion: “A son who feels shame
is already humbling himself before his father. Such a son can surely return.” (Devarim Rabbah
2:16).
Rabbi Haleva explains that this parable underscores a fundamental truth: the gift of Teshuva is
unique to human beings. Unlike any other creature, we possess the ability to reverse course,
to undo damage, and to reshape our destiny. Shame and fear, while natural responses to sin,
must not paralyze us. On the contrary, they can serve as the very first steps on the road back.
This message resonates with the writings of Rabbi Haim Palachi of Izmir, one of the very
influential Sephardic sages of the 19th century. In his monumental work Mo‘ed le-Kol Hai,
Rabbi Palachi emphasizes that even when a person feels broken and weighed down by failure,
God “opens the gates of Teshuva wide, wider than the gates of prayer.” For Rabbi Palachi,
shame is not a final barrier but a sign of awakening, a holy spark that ignites the return to
righteousness.
The teachings of these Sephardic sages create a rich harmony: Rabbi Haleva’s compassionate
parable, Rabbi Palachi’s encouragement that shame can be a doorway to return, insist that we
are never too far away, God waits to embrace us and to take us back.
As the new year begins, these Days of Awe invite us to embrace this possibility of return. They
challenge us to examine our lives and to summon the courage to make it better. They call us
not only to refrain from past errors but also to strive toward loftier goals.
The message of our sages speaks to all of us: God is waiting for us like a parent waiting for a
beloved child. Teshuva is not beyond our reach; it is the very essence of renewal.
Tizku le-shanim rabot.
also one of profound hope. The Midrash teaches us, through the words of our sages, that the
pathway of Teshuva—repentance and return—is always open, even when the distance between
us and our Creator feels distant.
Rabbi Avraham Haleva, a towering Sephardic rabbinic figure of the late 19th and early 20th
centuries, addressed this theme in one of his sermons for Rosh Hashanah. Born in Jerusalem in
1858 to Rabbi Yitzhak Haleva, young Avraham was recognized early for his scholarship and
piety. At the age of 29, he was appointed as a shadar (rabbinic emissary), a role reserved for
Jerusalem’s most respected rabbis. Representing not only the Sephardic community of the
Holy City but also the Mughrabi congregation and the renowned Kabbalistic Yeshiva Bet El,
Rabbi Haleva traveled extensively—through Persia, North Africa, Italy, and the
Balkans—carrying with him the spiritual voice of Jerusalem. Eventually, he settled in Livorno
(Leghorn), Italy, where he continued to serve his community until his passing in 1921.
In his work Minhat Avraham, Rabbi Haleva cites a Midrash that poignantly captures the
essence of Teshuva. Rabbi Shemuel, in the name of Rabbi Meir, relates a parable:
A prince once rebelled against his father, violating his rules and bringing shame to the royal
household. Ashamed and fearful, the prince left the palace. The king, longing for his son’s
return, sent messenger after messenger, urging him to come home. Yet the prince,
overwhelmed by guilt, replied that he could never face his father after all that he had done.
“Not only have I broken the commands of my father,” he confessed, “but also the decrees of
the king.” When the king heard this, he responded with compassion: “A son who feels shame
is already humbling himself before his father. Such a son can surely return.” (Devarim Rabbah
2:16).
Rabbi Haleva explains that this parable underscores a fundamental truth: the gift of Teshuva is
unique to human beings. Unlike any other creature, we possess the ability to reverse course,
to undo damage, and to reshape our destiny. Shame and fear, while natural responses to sin,
must not paralyze us. On the contrary, they can serve as the very first steps on the road back.
This message resonates with the writings of Rabbi Haim Palachi of Izmir, one of the very
influential Sephardic sages of the 19th century. In his monumental work Mo‘ed le-Kol Hai,
Rabbi Palachi emphasizes that even when a person feels broken and weighed down by failure,
God “opens the gates of Teshuva wide, wider than the gates of prayer.” For Rabbi Palachi,
shame is not a final barrier but a sign of awakening, a holy spark that ignites the return to
righteousness.
The teachings of these Sephardic sages create a rich harmony: Rabbi Haleva’s compassionate
parable, Rabbi Palachi’s encouragement that shame can be a doorway to return, insist that we
are never too far away, God waits to embrace us and to take us back.
As the new year begins, these Days of Awe invite us to embrace this possibility of return. They
challenge us to examine our lives and to summon the courage to make it better. They call us
not only to refrain from past errors but also to strive toward loftier goals.
The message of our sages speaks to all of us: God is waiting for us like a parent waiting for a
beloved child. Teshuva is not beyond our reach; it is the very essence of renewal.
Tizku le-shanim rabot.
This essay is by contributing author, visiting rabbi, and special guest of Congregation Ahavath Achim:
Rabbi Nissim Elnecavé. Comments and inquiries are welcome at [email protected].
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Rabbi Nissim Elnecavé. Comments and inquiries are welcome at [email protected].
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Contact us to contribute to our blog, newsletter, or with comments.
Sponsor or Donate towards our blog or newsletter to help us keep growing and thriving.
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Mailing address: 5150 SW 85th Ave. Portland, OR 97225
Phone: 503.227.0010
[email protected]
