What I’ve Learned (So Far) About Teshuvah From “The Good Place”, By Jon
This episode is Jon Spira-Savett’s attempt to collect my thoughts about how The Good Place illustrates, riffs on, critiques and expands on the Jewish concept of teshuvah (personal change as “returning”), especially as taught in the writings of Rabbi Moses Maimonides. What have I learned so far, and has it affected me in my life? This episode is an exposition in one voice and not a conversation, and for those who prefer just to read it the “script” is linked here.
And yet again (click on the link for the original in its full contest):
Rabbi Moses Maimonides (Rambam),
Mishneh Torah, Hilchot Teshuvah 2:1
What is complete teshuvah?
It is when the thing that you did wrong comes to one’s hand, and it is in one’s power to do it and one separates and does not do it because of teshuvah. And not from fear and not from a failure of strength/power/capacity.
For instance? If a man had improper sexual relations with a woman and after a time found himself alone again with her, and still loves her, and has the same physical capacity and is in the same city where he wrong with her, and separates and did not do the wrong thing — this is a complete ba’al teshuvah/master of teshuvah.
… and if one only did teshuvah in one’s old age or at a time when it was not possible to do what one had done, even though this is not an elevated teshuvah it is still effective teshuvah and that person is a master of teshuvah.
