Teshuva means "return," but it is most often known to mean "repentance". The various steps in accomplishing this are well-known, such as; regret, confession, leaving the sin, commitment, repayment, apology….

     But there is a major aspect regarding teshuva that is not so well known. What is the difference between a religious Jew who repents, especially before the New Year, and a Jew who did not know the Torah's ways who then turned to a Torah life?

     To the religious Jew who repents, teshuva is a maaseh, a good "deed" that he did. To the Jew who turns to a Torah life, teshuva is a medraiga, "a level" he lives on. It is what he has become, a baal teshuva (a master of return).