I don’t have a knack for keeping plants alive. Often, I add too much water, or most of the time, forget to water the plant until it is just too late.
Sometimes, I pretend the plant will grow in environments in which it is clearly impossible: no sunlight or window in sight. Determined to try harder, I purchased a plant that supposedly only needs watering once a month and moreover, bought a special indoor grow light to nourish the plant in windowless rooms. Instead of putting the plant in places where growth is bound to fail, I decided to change the conditions and try again.
Teshuvah translates as repentance or return. A return to the ways God intended us to follow and a turning away from the paths that cause us to fall. Maimonides explains that real teshuvah, true repentance, occurs when we put ourselves in the same situation and resist engaging in the same habit. However, in which ways have we changed our environment leading up to that moment? If we find that we relentlessly gossip, perhaps we need to switch up the social scene in which we place ourselves. If we are prone to eating after 10pm, perhaps we add in mental distractions in the evening hours. If we always react to frustrating moments with anger instead of patience, perhaps we create a mantra to recite internally before speaking.
In other words, we must give ourselves the tools to grow…if we want to grow.
The indoor plants need extra elements to survive. Why wouldn’t we examine our souls and offer the same gifts to ourselves?
May it be a season of change and a season of growth…for my plant and for ourselves.
Shana Tovah
Rabbi Nicole Guzik is senior rabbi at Sinai Temple. She can be reached at her Facebook page at Rabbi Nicole Guzik or on Instagram @rabbiguzik. For more writings, visit Rabbi Guzik’s blog section from Sinai Temple’s website.
