If you had to choose the one part of your body which is most crucial for the process of repentance, what would it be?
Hakham Yoseph Hayyim 'a"h, in his book "Mayim Hayyim", writes that this organ is the heart. Any thought or action that we do that is associated with Teshuba (Teshuva) must emerge from the depth of our hearts. Those who fast, cry out, and beg - must do so with a contrite heart. In fact, there are a number of verses in the bible which support this idea. For example, when Moshe Rabbenu guided the Children of Israel to repent (Parashath 'Eqeb 10:16) he said: "You should cut away the barrier/covering of your heart." Symbolically, Moshe Rabbenu describes the heart of those who sin as being blocked by a covering which separates them from the Master of the universe.
We must pay close attention to our heart and its level of purity. The heart is likened to a king who rules over his servants. The heart too, is in charge of all the body organs. If the king lacks wisdom, what benefit is there in having smart servants? So too, the heart which is in charge of the rest of the body must not be blemished, otherwise, the whole body will be affected.
My dear friends, our heart is a shining gem, pure and bright. Its level of cleanliness determines our closeness to the Almighty. Our sins coat our heart, this precious gem, with layers which create separation and detachment between us and our Creator. During this time, the month of Elul, let us focus on brightening and shining our hearts, and remember that our Sages tell us: "G-d seeks the heart" (Sanhedrin 106:)
