The ancient rabbis grappled with this very question, particularly the roles of repentance (teshuva) and prayer in shaping our destinies.
We find a fascinating debate in Vayikra Rabbah 10, a Midrash on the book of Leviticus. Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi lock horns over which is more effective: repentance or prayer. Rabbi Yehuda argues that repentance accomplishes half, while prayer accomplishes all. Repentance, he says, can partially reverse a harsh heavenly decree, but prayer can wipe the slate clean entirely. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi flips the script: repentance accomplishes all, prayer only half. It's quite the disagreement!
To back up his claim about repentance, Rabbi Yehuda bar Rabbi brings up the story of Cain. Remember him? The one who, well, didn't exactly get along with his brother Abel? According to Rabbi Yehuda bar Rabbi, an edict was decreed against Cain after the first murder. But because Cain repented, half of the punishment was lifted! How do we know he repented? The verse says, "Cain said to the Lord: My iniquity is too great to bear" (Genesis 4:13). And how do we know half the edict was withheld? Because instead of the verse saying he was "restless and itinerant," it says Cain "lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden" (Genesis 4:16). He was still exiled, but he wasn't in perpetual, unending motion. He found a place to settle.
But wait! Not everyone agrees that Cain truly repented. Rabbi Yudan, in the name of Rabbi Aivu, suggests Cain flung his garments behind him as if to deceive God, pretending to start his wandering but not actually intending to. Rabbi Berekhya, citing Rabbi Ilai bar Shemaya, adds that Cain departed like someone misleading his Creator. Did he actually repent, or was it just a show?
Then, Rabbi Huna, in the name of Rabbi Ḥanina bar Yitzḥak, offers a completely different perspective! He says Cain departed joyously! Imagine that! According to this interpretation, Cain even encounters Adam, who asks what happened in his trial. Cain replies, "I repented and was granted a compromise." Hearing this, Adam slaps his face, lamenting, "The power of repentance is so great and I did not know?" At that moment, Adam recites, "A psalm, a song for the Sabbath day" (Psalms 92:1) – which, in this context, is interpreted as a song for the day of repentance, teshuva.
What a scene! Can you picture it? Adam, realizing the transformative power of repentance after all this time. It’s a powerful image.
Now, what about prayer? According to Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi, who believes prayer accomplishes all, we see this in the story of King Hezekiah. The Midrash (rabbinic interpretive commentary) points out that Hezekiah's reign was only supposed to last fourteen years. But after becoming gravely ill, he prayed, and God added fifteen years to his life (Isaiah 38:5). Prayer, in this view, has the power to completely rewrite our fate.
Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, who championed repentance as the ultimate force, finds his proof in the story of the people of Anatot. God had decreed that their young men would die by the sword (Jeremiah 11:22). However, because they repented, they were later included in the genealogical records of those returning to Zion from Babylon (Nehemiah 7:27). Their lives were spared! If you don't buy that, he offers the example of Konya (also known as Jehoiachin), who was decreed to be childless (Jeremiah 22:30). But the tradition argues that this meant he wouldn't succeed "in his days," but he would have children who would succeed him.
Rabbi Aḥa and Rabbi Avin bar Binyamin, quoting Rabbi Abba, declare just how mighty repentance truly is: It voids both edicts and oaths! They cite (Jeremiah 22:24) regarding Konya as an example of voiding an oath, and again reference (Jeremiah 22:30) ("Write this man childless") as an example of voiding an edict. They then point to I (Chronicles 3:17), which lists Konya's descendants. Asir, they explain, means "prisoner" (beit haasurim), referring to Konya's imprisonment. And She'altiel? His name suggests that the kingdom of David was "planted" (hushtela) through him.
Rabbi Tanhum ben Rabbi Yirmeya even offers a mystical interpretation: Asir represents God, who bound Himself with an oath. She'altiel signifies that God consulted with His heavenly court to annul that very oath!
Finally, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, who says prayer accomplishes only half, brings up Aaron. God was angry with Aaron and threatened to destroy him (Deuteronomy 9:20). Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin, in the name of Rabbi Levi, explains that "destruction" here means the eradication of children. Because Moses prayed for Aaron, half the edict was withheld: two of Aaron's sons died, but two survived.
So, what are we to make of all this? Do we have the power to change our destiny? Is it through repentance, prayer, or a combination of both? Perhaps the key takeaway isn't about choosing one over the other, but recognizing the potential for transformation that lies within us. The rabbis, through these stories, remind us that even in the face of seemingly immutable decrees, the possibility of change, of teshuva, always remains. Food for thought, isn't it?
Rabbi Yehuda and Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, Rabbi Yehuda says: Repentance accomplishes half and prayer accomplishes it all.4Repentance can partially reverse a harsh heavenly decree against a person, and prayer can reverse it in its entirety. Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi said: Repentance accomplishes it all and prayer accomplishes half. According to Rabbi Yehuda bar Rabbi, repentance accomplishes half. From whom do you derive it? It is from Cain. An edict was decreed against him. Once he repented, half of the edict was withheld from him. From where is it derived that he repented? As it is stated: “Cain said to the Lord: My iniquity is too great to bear” (Genesis 4:13). From where is it derived that half the edict was withheld from him? That is what is written: “Cain departed from the presence of the Lord, and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden” (Genesis 4:16). “Restless and itinerant” (Genesis 4:14) is not written here, but rather, “in the land of Nod, east of Eden.”5The edict was that he would be exiled, would never find respite in one place and would continuously wander. After repenting, although he was exiled, he did not continuously wander. Another matter, “Cain departed” – from where did he depart? Rabbi Yudan said in the name of Rabbi Aivu: He flung his garments behind him and departed, as one who deceives the One On High.6He flung his garments over his shoulder as though intending to begin his ongoing wandering. In reality though, he had no intention of doing so. Rabbi Berekhya said in the name of Rabbi Ilai bar Shemaya: He departed like one who is deceiving and misleading his Creator.7According to both these opinions, Cain did not repent. Rabbi Huna said in the name of Rabbi Ḥanina bar Yitzḥak: He departed joyously, just as it says: “Behold, he, too, is departing to meet you and he will see you and rejoice in his heart” (Exodus 4:14). When he departed, he encountered Adam the first man. [Adam] said to him: ‘What happened in your trial?’ He said: ‘I repented and was granted a compromise.’ When Adam the first man heard this, he began slapping his face. He said to him: ‘The power of repentance is so great and I did not know?’ At that moment, Adam the first man recited: “A psalm, a song for the Sabbath day” (Psalms 92:1).8Shabbat is expounded to mean the day of repentance [teshuva]. The following verse: “It is good to praise [lehodot] to the Lord,”– lehodot is expounded to mean to recite confession [vidui]. Rabbi Levi said: This psalm, Adam the first man recited it. According to the opinion of Rabbi Yehuda ben Rabbi, who said: Prayer accomplishes it all, from whom do you derive it? It is from Hezekiah. Hezekiah’s primary reign was only fourteen years. That is what is written: “It was in the fourteenth year of King Hezekiah” (Isaiah 36:1).9As described in the continuation of the narrative (Isaiah chapter 38), Hezekiah became gravely ill at that time and God stated that he would die. Due to his prayer, fifteen years were added for him, as it is stated: “I am adding fifteen years to your days” (Isaiah 38:5). According to the opinion of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, who said that repentance accomplishes it all, from whom do you derive it? It is from the people of Anatot, as it is stated: “Therefore, so said the Lord…the young men will die by the sword” (Jeremiah 11:22). Since they repented, they were privileged to be recorded in the genealogical record,10This is the record of those returning to Zion from Babylon. Since they were listed, it is clear that they had not been killed previously. as it is stated: “The people of Anatot, one hundred and twenty-eight” (Nehemiah 7:27). And if you do not derive it from the people of Anatot, derive it from Konya: “Is this [man Konya] a spurned, broken idol [etzev]? [Is he an unwanted vessel? Why have they been cast, he and his descendants, and thrown into the land that they did not know?]” (Jeremiah 22:28). Rabbi Abba said: Like a bone with marrow, that once it is shattered nothing of value remains.11All the bone marrow has been removed. Rabbi Ḥelbo said: Like the wicker basket of dates that when you empty it, nothing of value remains, “is he an unwanted vessel?” Rabbi Ḥama bar Ḥanina said: Like chamber pots. Rabbi Shmuel bar Rabbi Yitzḥak said: Like the receptacles of bloodletters. Rabbi Zeira said: ‘I heard something on this from Rabbi Shmuel bar Rabbi Yitzḥak, who would expound about this, but I do not know what it was.’ Rabbi Aḥa Arikha said: ‘Perhaps it was this: “Write this man childless, a man who will not succeed in his days”’ (Jeremiah 22:30). He said to him: ‘Yes, in his days he will not succeed, but he will succeed in the days of his son.’12Although he was initially decreed childless, it is inferred from the conclusion of the verse – “for no man of his offspring shall be accepted to sit on the throne of David and to rule again in Judah” – that he would have children. Rabbi Aḥa and Rabbi Avin bar Binyamin in the name of Rabbi Abba: Great is the power of repentance, and it voids an edict and voids an oath. An oath, as it is stated: “As I live, the utterance of the Lord, for if Konya, son of Yehoyakim, [king of Judah, would be a signet ring upon My right hand, then from there I would sever you]” (Jeremiah 22:24). It voids an edict: “Write this man childless, a man who will not succeed in his days,” and it is written: “The sons of Konya, Asir, She’altiel his son” (I Chronicles 3:17); Asir, because he was in prison [beit haasurim]; She’altiel, because the kingdom of the house of David was planted [hushtela] from him.13The verse is interpreted to mean that Konya, also called Asir, begot a child, She’altiel, while imprisoned. Rabbi Tanḥum ben Rabbi Yirmeya said: Asir, this is the Holy One blessed be He, who bound Himself with an oath. She’altiel, because God consulted with His supernal court to annul His oath. According to the opinion of Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi, who said that prayer accomplishes half, from whom do you derive it? It is from Aaron, as initially an edict was decreed against him, as it is stated: “The Lord was very angry with Aaron to destroy him [and I prayed for Aaron, too, at that time]” (Deuteronomy 9:20). Rabbi Yehoshua of Sikhnin said in the name of Rabbi Levi: Destruction is nothing other than the eradication of children, just as it says: “I destroyed his fruit from above and his roots from below” (Amos 2:9). Since Moses prayed on his behalf, half the edict was withheld from him; two [of Aarons sons] died and two remained. That is what is written: “Take Aaron, and his sons with him.”
