Seeking God While He May be Found

Seek the Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near; Let the wicked abandon his way and the sinful his thoughts; Let them return to the Lord so that He may have mercy on him, to our God, because he is generous with forgiveness.                               Isaiah 55:6-7

            These are the opening verses of the prophetic reading for the public fast days.

            The purpose of public fasting is repentance, as Mishna B’rura [548:1] writes: “(the fast was instituted) to arouse the hearts to the ways of repentance, the fast is merely preparation for repentance.”

            If the above is true for public fast days in general, it applies all the more so to the Fast of Gedalya, which occurs during the Ten Days of Repentance.

            Indeed, the first two verses of the reading deal with repentance.

            Based upon our Sages’ homily, there is a particular connection between Isaiah’s words and “the fast of the seventh month,” [Zachariah 8:19] the Fast of Gedalya. The Talmud [Rosh haShana, 18a] quotes Rabba bar Avuha, who defines the time “He may be found,” the time which is easiest to find God, as the ten days between Rosh haShana and Yom Kippur.

            Maimonides, in his Laws of Repentance cites Rabba bar Avuha’s comment:

Even though repentance and calling out (to God) are desirable at all times, during the ten days between Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur, they are even more desirable and will be accepted immediately as the verse states: "Seek the Lord while He is to be found." [Isaiah 55:6]            Laws of Repentance 2:6

My father compared this to the seasonal lowering of the price of fruit. Since the Ten Days of Penitence are the season of repentance, the “cost” is lower.

       The second verse of the prophetic reading as well finds practical expression in the Laws of Repentance. Radak comments:

“Let the wicked abandon his way” refers to deeds and speech; “and the sinful his thoughts” adds that (the sinner) must abandon his evil thoughts, for repentance can have no effect on that which is visible (i.e. actions) without affecting that which is hidden (i.e. one’s thoughts)

            Maimonides codifies this point thus:

What constitutes repentance? That a sinner should abandon his sins and remove them from his thoughts, resolving in his heart, never to commit them again as the verse states "Let the wicked abandon his way” [Isaiah 55:7]  Laws of Repentance 2:2

And beyond this:

Anyone who verbalizes his confession without resolving in his heart to abandon (sin) can be compared to (a person) who immerses himself (in a mikvah) while (holding the carcass of) a lizard in his hand. His immersion will not be of avail until he casts away the carcass. Ibid. 2:3

            As well, the second phrase of the verse teaches a practical halacha. Malbim comments that the words “Let them return to the Lord” refer to repentance which is motivated by love of God “and knowledge that He is the Creator of the world,” while “to our God, because he is generous with forgiveness” implies repentance motivated by fear of punishment, “which is a very low level.”

            Maimonides commences the final chapter of his Laws of Repentance with an explanation of the superiority of repentance out of love (of God) versus repentance out of fear:

A person should not say: "I will fulfill the mitzvot of the Torah and occupy myself in its wisdom in order to receive all the blessings which are contained within it or in order to merit the life of the World to Come." "(Likewise, he should not say) I will separate myself from all the sins which the Torah warned against so that I will be saved from all the curses contained in the Torah or so that (my soul) will not be cut off from the life of the World to Come." It is not fitting to serve God in this manner. A person whose service is motivated by these factors is considered one who serves out of fear. He is not on the level of the prophets or of the wise. … One who serves (God) out of love occupies himself in the Torah and the mitzvot and walks in the paths of wisdom for no ulterior motive: not because of fear that evil will occur, nor in order to acquire benefit. Rather, he does what is true because it is true, and ultimately, good will come because of it. This is a very high level which is not merited by every wise man. It is the level of our Patriarch, Abraham, whom God described as, "he who loved Me," for his service was only motivated by love. This is the lofty level which God commanded us (to seek) as conveyed by Moses as the verse states: "Love God, your Lord.'' [Deuteronomy 6:5]

            Indeed, the prophetic reading for the public fast days is the source of practical laws of repentance.