Traditionally mashgichim spend much of their time in Elul instilling in their charges fear of the terrible punishment awaiting them unless they repent — or at least one of Israel’s most respected senior mashgichim recently told our mussar vaad.
The Mabit in his Beis Elokim however takes a very different approach. He defines teshuvah as drawing closer to Hashem from the distance and separation caused by sin. In every sin he notes there are two consequences: 1) one incurs liability for punishment; and 2) one angers Hashem by transgressing His command and thereby distances himself from Him.
To focus on avoiding punishment writes the Mabit does not constitute teshuvah because it ignores the separation from Hashem caused by ignoring His commands. Indeed one who remains oblivious to the distance created between himself and Hashem by the transgression of His Will and concerns himself only with punishment increases Hashem’s “anger” and widens the distance between Hashem and him.
How can we heighten our awareness of the distance that has grown between us and Hashem so that we can begin the arduous road back toward Him? Perhaps the place to start is by contemplating what a G-d-centered life would be like and measuring our own lives against that standard.
