Lamentations 5:21

הֲשִׁיבֵ֨נוּ יְהֹוָ֤ה ׀ אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ ונשובה חַדֵּ֥שׁ יָמֵ֖ינוּ כְּקֶֽדֶם׃

O Lord, Return us to you, And we will return. Renew our days as of old!

Falling in between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, there is a special name and theme to this Shabbat: Shabbat Shuva, or the Shabbat of Return. We are to use this Shabbat, and this ten day period between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur to focus on “shuvah,” or returning. Having transgressed by dint of being human, this Shabbat we focus on reigning ourselves in; seeking a reversion back to who we were before we erred, committing ourselves to making better choices in this coming year.

A particularly well-known verse on returning is this one at the end of the book of Lamentations. The sequence of events makes it unusual. Instead of acknowledging that it is primarily our responsibility to do the returning, it lays the responsibility on God. First, God, you return us. Then we will return. Such a statement brings up a troubling theological question: If God is the creator of all, isn’t God also responsible for our transgressions? In some ways, this must be true. We are products of an ancient universe – or to use the Torah’s terms, made in the image of God. On the other hand, we are responsible for the choices we make. Both can be true. 

Perhaps such a statement is meant to teach us that shuvah – repentance – is not a one sided act. Yes, we are responsible for our actions, but often we need a divine nudge to get the ball rolling. Our mistakes are our own, the shuvah we are responsible for is only in our hands to do. Yet, we need help. True repentance is terribly difficult. When faced with what seems to be an impossible uphill battle, why not turn to the one who made us and lay some of the burden there as well? Help me, God, so I can help myself!