Repentance Rejected/2

Hashem's Response to Teshuvah

Exegetical Approaches

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Repentance is Lacking

Though an initial read of the verses suggests that the nation repented, in reality their repentance was either incomplete or lacking altogether.  As such, they needed further punishment.

Sources:RambanVayikra 26:16Vayikra 26:41Devarim 31:17About R. Moshe b. Nachman, Akeidat YitzchakVayikra #70About R. Yitzchak Arama, AbarbanelVayikra 26:40-41Devarim 4:29-31Devarim 31:17-18About R. Yitzchak Abarbanel, R. Avraham SabaTzeror HaMor Devarim 31About R. Avraham Saba (Tzeror HaMor), SefornoVayikra 26:40-41Devarim 31:17-18About R. Ovadyah Seforno, BiurVayikra 26:40About the Biur (Netivot HaShalom), ShadalDevarim 31:17About R. Shemuel David Luzzatto, ?Netziv, R. D"Z HoffmannVayikra 26:40-42Devarim 4:30About R. David Zvi Hoffmann

"וְהִתְוַדּוּ אֶת עֲוֺנָם"

• Words without actions – According to Ramban, Akeidat Yitzchak, and Abarbanel the confession was not a complete return to Hashem.  Though the people recognized and admitted to their sins, this was not accompanied by a change of ways.
• Only leaders confess – Abarbanel and Seforno suggest that only the leaders of the generation such as Daniel, Ezra and Nechemiah confessed but the laypeople did not.¹
• Command form – According to the Biur and R.D"Z Hoffmann the word "וְהִתְוַדּוּ" does not mean "and they will confess" but rather "and they shall confess".²  As such, it is not a description of what the nation will do but rather Hashem's command of what they should do and thus says nothing about their actual repentance.

"וְאָמַר... הֲלֹא עַל כִּי אֵין אֱלֹהַי בְּקִרְבִּי מְצָאוּנִי הָרָעוֹת "

• Partial repenatnce - Ramban suggests that this verse too refers to only partial repentance, a recognition of wrongdoing without a correction thereof. Tzeror HaMor simiallry posits that the nation might have repented in words but not in their heart, or only for part of their sins.³

"אֲנִי אֵלֵךְ עִמָּם בְּקֶרִי וְהֵבֵאתִי אֹתָם בְּאֶרֶץ אֹיְבֵיהֶם"

"וְאָנֹכִי הַסְתֵּר אַסְתִּיר פָּנַי"

"אָז יִכָּנַע לְבָבָם הֶעָרֵל וְאָז יִרְצוּ אֶת עֲוֺנָם"

Power of repentance

When did this happen?

Relationship between rebukes of Vayikra and Devarim

No Punishment

The verses which speak of Hashem's punishment are reinterpreted so that the text contains no reference to punishing the nation after their repenting.

Sources:Sifra Vayikra26:40-41About the Sifra Vayikra, Lekach TovVayikra 26:40-41About R. Toviah b. Eliezer, Ibn EzraVayikra 26:40-41About R. Avraham ibn Ezra, RalbagVayikra 26:40-41About R. Levi b. Gershom, R. Avraham SabaTzeror HaMor Devarim 31About R. Avraham Saba (Tzeror HaMor), ?Biur? HaKetav VeHakabbalah, NetzivVayikra 26:40-41About R. Naftali Tzvi Yehuda Berlin, ?R. D"Z HoffmannVayikra 26:40-42About R. David Zvi Hoffmann,

Punishment Despite Repentance

Although the nation will indeed repent, Hashem will continue to punish them for their original sins.

Sources:R. Saadia GaonTafsir Vayikra 27:41Tafsir Devarim 31:17-18About R. Saadia Gaon, RalbagDevarim 31:16-18About R. Levi b. Gershom, R. Avraham SabaTzeror HaMor Vayikra 26:40About R. Avraham Saba (Tzeror HaMor)

¹ Ramban does not say this explicitly but in his singling out of Daniel, Ezra and Nechemiah as those who confessed it would seem that he too agrees with this point.

² R. N"H Wessely points out that had this been a description of the people's repentance the verse would have read "יתודו" and not "וְהִתְוַדּוּ ".  R. D"Z Hoffmann further supports the fact that "וְהִתְוַדּוּ " is a command by pointing to the same form of the word in Bemidbar 5:7.

³ He points out that verse 16 enumerates three sins, turning to idolatry, leaving Hashem and reneging on  His convenant.