It has been suggested that Baal teshuva movement be merged into this article. (Discuss) Proposed since January 2024.
Jew who returns to or adopts Orthodox Judaism
In Judaism, a ba'al teshuvah (Hebrew: בעל תשובה; for a woman, בעלת תשובה, ba'alat teshuva or ba'alas teshuva; plural, בעלי תשובה, ba'alei teshuva, 'owner of return [to God or his way]') is a Jew who adopts some form of traditional religious observance after having previously followed a secular lifestyle or a less frum form of Judaism.[1]
Originally, the term referred to a Jew who transgressed the halakhah (Jewish law) knowingly or unknowingly and completed a process of introspection to "return" to the full observance of God's mitzvot.[1] According to the Mishneh Torah of Maimonides, the Talmud says that a true ba'al teshuvah stands higher in shamayim (lit. 'heaven') than a "frum from birth", even higher than a tzadik:[2]
The sages said: "The place whereon the penitent stand the wholly righteous could not stand;" as if saying: "their degree is above the degree of those who ever did not sin, because it is more difficult for them to subdue their passion than for the others."[3]
In modern times, the phrase is primarily used to refer to a Jew from a non-Orthodox background who becomes religiously observant in an Orthodox fashion. However, there is no strict definition of a ba'al teshuva and so the concept can also encompass Orthodox-leaning Jews who become stricter in their observance, such as those who go from keeping kosher only at home to also avoiding non-kosher restaurants.[4]
The alternative term, chozer b'teshuvah (חוזר בתשובה), plural chozrim b’teshuvah, is more commonly used in Israel.[5] In Hebrew, chozer b'teshuvah translates to 'returning to return' or 'returning to repentance'.[6]
According to the teachings of the Torah, "whoever judges himself will not be judged"; however, in the described history of Talmudic times and early Hasidism, many tzadikim were able to "see" the transgressions of others.[citation needed]
Mar b. R. Ashi said: I am disqualified to judge in a scholar’s lawsuit. What is the reason? Because I love him as much as I love myself, and a person is unable to find fault with himself.[7]
For the most part, the stature and the preparation of these Tzadikim presuppose a balance that allows a peaceful coexistence even with those who have committed serious transgressions because otherwise, the intent to rage against them and, worse, to obtain advantages from them would certainly prevail.
^ ab"What Is A Ba'al Teshuvah?". My Jewish Learning. The phenomenon has inspired a number of scholarly works. Among them, Becoming Frum, an ethnographic look at how the newly religious learn the language and customs of their new Orthodox communities [...]
^Rabbi Aaron L. Raskin. "Tzaddik — The Baal Teshuvah". Chabad.org.
^"Laws of Repentance 7:4, citing Berakot, 34b. C. G." Mishneh Torah.
^Levin, Sala (4 March 2016). "Jewish Word: Baal Teshuvah". Moment Magazine.
^Dana Kessler (11 December 2018). "'Baal Teshuvah': The Next Generation". Tablet.
^Levin, Sala (4 March 2016). "Jewish Word: Baal Teshuvah". Moment Magazine.
^Finkel, Avraham Yaakov. Ein Yaakov Jason Aronson, Inc (p. 116)
בעל תשובה; for a woman, בעלת תשובה, ba'alat teshuva or ba'alas teshuva; plural, בעלי תשובה, ba'alei teshuva, 'owner of return [to God or his way]') is...
The baalteshuva movement is a description of the return of secular Jews to religious Judaism. The term baalteshuva is from the Talmud, literally meaning...
decided in his heart." A Jewish penitent is traditionally known as a baalteshuva. Numerous guides to the repentance process can be found in rabbinical...
his artistic life came when he first noticed a fellow student drawing. Baal-Teshuva writes that, for the young Chagall, watching someone draw "was like a...
1944) is a Sephardi Haredi rabbi, rosh yeshiva, and a leader of the baalteshuva movement among Sephardi and Mizrahi Jews in Israel. He is the founder...
against God and against other human beings. Repentance in Judaism (Hebrew: Teshuva), traditionally, consists of regretting having committed the sin, resolving...
the 1970s by secular Jews adopting a Haredi lifestyle as part of the baalteshuva movement; however, this has been somewhat offset by those leaving. The...
and ecstatic prayer" to synagogue services. It is distinct from the baalteshuva movement of return to Orthodox Judaism. The term "Jewish Renewal" describes...
more observant of Orthodox Judaism is called teshuva ("return" in Hebrew) making the "returnee" a baalteshuva ("master of return"). Orthodox Jewish outreach...
groups over the past 25 years, there has been a trend (known as the Baalteshuva movement) for secular Jews to become more religiously observant, though...
ISBN 3-8228-5504-9. Jacob Baal-Teshuva (Hrsg.): Christo, der Reichstag und urbane Projekte. Prestel, München 1993, ISBN 3-7913-1307-X. Jacob Baal-Teshuva: Christo &...
Abstraction, p. 17 Breslin 1993, p. 286. Breslin 1993, p. 297–42. Baal-Teshuva, p. 50. Baal-Teshuva, p. 57. Breslin 1993, p. 333–42. Ashton 1983, p. 150–151....
hassidim, reside in Israel and in the United States. Israel Ben Eliezer, the "Baal Shem Tov", is regarded as its founding father, and his disciples developed...
Tzedakah Land of Israel Brit Bar and bat mitzvah Marriage Bereavement Baalteshuva Philosophy Ethics Kabbalah Customs Rites Synagogue Rabbi Texts History...
Jewish religious law, in Israeli society and actively engages in the Baalteshuva movement, encouraging non-Orthodox Israelis of Sephardic and Mizrahi-Jewish...
Tzedakah Land of Israel Brit Bar and bat mitzvah Marriage Bereavement Baalteshuva Philosophy Ethics Kabbalah Customs Rites Synagogue Rabbi Texts History...
He and Rabbi Reuven Elbaz are considered the leaders of the Sephardi baalteshuva movement in Israel. He is involved in activities centered on helping...
can. Descendants of converts can become rabbis. For instance, Rabbi Meir Baal Ha Nes is thought to be a descendant of a proselyte. Rabbi Akiva was also...
List of Quebec musicians Music of Canada Music of Quebec Leap Manifesto Baalteshuva Although Hammond was originally supposed to produce the record, he was...
available to all and the rest is available to subscribers only, such that the Teshuva cuts off in the middle to non-subscribers). Epstein, Morris. All About...
of the 20th century. Carlebach was also considered a pioneer of the Baalteshuva movement ("returnees to Judaism"), encouraging disenchanted Jewish youth...
Archived from the original on July 20, 2008. Retrieved October 6, 2008. Baal-Teshuva, Jacob. Louis Comfort Tiffany. Taschen. pp. 12–14. Kemeny, George; Miller...
Europe. A kollel will often be in the same location as the yeshiva. BaalTeshuva yeshivot catering to the needs of the newly Orthodox. A post-high school...
Tzedakah Land of Israel Brit Bar and bat mitzvah Marriage Bereavement Baalteshuva Philosophy Ethics Kabbalah Customs Rites Synagogue Rabbi Texts History...
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