Synagogue Sermon
But (1962)
Teshuvah – or repentance – is a psychological and spiritual phenomenon which, according to Jewish teaching, must be expressed verbally as the vidui or confession. Maimonides, in his Code of Jewish Law, tells us that the major part of the vidui, which we recite all through this season of teshuvah, consists of the words aval anachnu chatanu “but we sinned.” These three words, which acknowledge moral error and failure, constitute the essence of the vidui.Three words are not much, and one should perhaps not quibble with Maimonides. And yet, Maimonides was a man of highly exacting standards and extremely economical with his words. We may then ask: should it not be sufficient, to express the essential intention of the confession or vidui, that we say merely the one word chatanu, “we sinned?” As a matter of fact, the author of “Tanya” indeed maintains that in order to fulfil the requirement of confession it is sufficient to recite that one solitary Hebrew word, chatanu.The answer, I believe, is that Maimonides had a specific intention in including the word aval. And we, who incorporate the same words in our introduction to the longer form of the vidui, comprehend the same idea, though without articulating it. And that is, that the word aval, “but,” is indeed crucial. As a matter of fact, our major sin consists of that one word aval, “but.”Very few people are downright mean and malevolent. Most human beings are well-intentioned people who rarely sin maliciously. Rather, we recognize the truth, we adore and admire virtue and righteousness, and we acknowledge that we in all our ways ought to live this kind of life. However, we rationalize and find alibis and excuses for our misbehavior. We look high and low to justify our departure from the way of virtue and decency. We know the truth and yet we do not follow it – because, “but…” The word “aval” or “but” represents the exception we take to the life that is good and right and decent, by justifying, rationalizing, and apologiz…
