Photo Credit: Jewish Press

Self-criticism can sometimes help us improve ourselves, but feeling greatness and elevation can help even more. Rabbeinu Yonah, who passed away 756 years ago this week, wrote prolifically from the city of Girona, in medieval Spain, about repentance and self-improvement. He explains that if we only remember who we are and remind ourselves of our roots, it will be much easier to live properly:

“A person, first of all, should know his self-worth, be familiar with his elevated status and be aware of the greatness of his ancestors and G-d’s affection for them. And, to the fullest possible extent, he should not do anything that would shame his ancestors.

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“When he lusts to do something improper, he should be ashamed of himself and ashamed of his ancestors, and he should speak to his soul and say:

“‘A person as great and as important as I, who has many good, elevated, and superior qualities, and who is the descendant of spiritual giants, how could I possibly do this terrible thing and have my sin be in front of G-d and my ancestors?’”

May the memory of Rabbeinu Yonah be a blessing for us all.

Translation by Yehoshua Siskin

 


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Sivan Rahav-Meir is a primetime news anchor with weekly broadcasts on television and radio. Her “Daily Thought” has a huge following on social media, with hundreds of thousands of followers, translated into 17 languages. She has a weekly podcast on Tablet, called "Sivan Says" and has published several books in English. Sivan was recognized by Globes newspaper as Israel’s most popular female media figure and by the Jerusalem Post as one of the 50 most influential Jews worldwide. She lives in Jerusalem with her husband Yedidya and their five children.