In a recent lesson, Rabbi Yoel Pinto—son and successor of the Admor Rabbi Yoshiyahu Pinto—addressed the relationship between a person and the Creator, focusing on the sense of shame that often prevents individuals from turning to God.
According to him, the bond between a Jew and God is comparable to that of a father and his child: “Just as a child can approach his father at any time to ask for advice or help, so too can every Jew turn to God and ask for anything they need.”
However, Rabbi Pinto explained that many people hesitate to do so. “A person knows how many times they’ve gone against the will of God, how many times they’ve acted in ways that are unworthy—and they feel ashamed.”
But, according to Rabbi Pinto, this approach is misguided: “A single moment of remorse, one moment of sorrow over past actions, is enough for God to have mercy, turn toward the person, and want them back.”
As an example, Rabbi Pinto cited the verse, “That soul shall be cut off from before the Lord,” which appears in the context of a severe transgression punishable by karet (spiritual excision). “Seemingly, it should have said ‘from before Elohim,’ since the name Elohim connotes judgment,” he explained. “But the Torah says ‘from before the Lord’—and the name ‘Lord’ (Y-H-V-H) represents mercy. Meaning, even when a person is cut off, even when they are disconnected—they are still standing before the attribute of mercy. Their cry of pain comes from before the Lord, and God is willing to set everything in order for them.”
This article was written in cooperation with Shuva Israel