The Lord Works In Mysterious Ways

Last Thursday night, a little less than a week before Rosh Hashana (our Jewish New Year), I received an email from Gina. (Read Below)

I spent a rather restless/sleepless night contemplating the content of her email. I share this with you including my response.

It is over eleven years now during which time I was involved with the legal ramifications of my behavior. It is and was important to read of Gina's pain and "disgust" with regard to her former rabbi; me.

I am cogniscent of the ramifications that took place then and obviously that is still carried today.

Tshuvah is not living with remorse for what was. Rather Tshuvah is defined by "doing the next right thing". I strive to do the "next right thing".

Judaism teaches that God forgave the people of Israel for worshipping the Golden Calf by presenting the Israelites with the gift of his Thirteen Attributes of Mercy". God forgave and forgives us for our errors in judgment (our sins). It is up to us to forgive ourselves. It is incumbent upon us to receive the Tshuvah of others and thus to offer them our forgiveness.

I believe that it is impossible to "forgive and forget:" We humans do not have a delete mechanism.  We can however learn to forgive both ourselves and others in the spirit by which God forgives each of us.



PLEASE READ GINA'S EMAIL TO ME AND MY RESPONSE TO HER BELOW-




Rabbi, 

As a former congregant of Bnaih Torah... a former child congregant I am still very upset that you chose to work with kids given your condition. In fact I am disgusted and ever since I have lost a lot of faith in Judaism and have not felt as though my Bat Mitzvah was a holy as it should have been considering you were the one who conducted it.  Couldn't you have worked with adults instead?  I am disgusted but none the less wish you luck with your recovery... Hope you have good holidays and repent for a long time.  

Gina

Hi Gina,

      Thank you very much for your e mail. It is poetic that I read it late last night, just before I went to bed. It allowed me to reflect on my "journey" in life, in preparation for this last Shabbat of the year and these days before Rosh Hashanah.

      Most of my waking hours are spent speaking with my "brothers" and "sisters" in recovery. I work/share exclusively with adults who are struggling with the disease of addiction. My web site is www.recoverythroughtorah.com

      I have profound regret for the disappointment/anger that I brought to you and to countless others.

      Please know, without any excuse or rationalization that my Federal offense consisted of viewing four thumb-nail images of child pornography for a matter of several seconds. I am not minimizing my offense; this "crossed-the-line" and constituted a Federal offense of "possession of child pornography." I have paid my formal debt to society, but the scars remain.

      I devote my life to doing Tshuvah and by living a Twelfth Step through my work with Recovery Through Torah.

      Tshuvah  primarily  consists of two elements; doing Tshuvah and accepting Tshuvah. Accepting ones own Tshuvah; forgiving ones self and accepting  another's Tshuvah; forgiving another.

      I wish you and your family a Shanah Tovah.

     Rabbi Juda/Yehuda Mintz

Response from Gina-

 

Rabbi Mintz, 

Shanah Tovah- I forgive you for the past and wish you luck on your journey. 

Gina