Turning Sins into Merit | The Essence of Yom Kippur

Discover the power of repentance. This Yom Kippur, turn your sins into merit before the Holy One Blessed Be He. Resh Lakish said: Great is repentance, for because of it premeditated sins are accounted as errors, as it is said: “Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God, for you have stumbled because of your sin” (Hos. 14:2). Sin is premeditated, and yet he calls it “stumbling.” But that is not so! For Resh Lakish said that repentance is so great that premeditated sins are accounted as though they were merits, as it is said: “And when a wicked man turns back from his wickedness and does what is just and right, he shall live by virtue of these things” (Ezek. 33:19). That is no contradiction, for the one refers to [repentance] derived from love, the other, due to fear.