Can teshuva be commanded? Why free choice lies at the heart of teshuva

At first glance, teshuvah seems straightforward: recognize mistakes, feel remorse, resolve to change. Yet when we examine the Rambam's Hilchos Teshuvah closely, fundamental questions emerge.

The Rambam only lists viduy as a formal obligation. What about the internal, emotional process of teshuvah? Is that a mitzvah?

Some argue that teshuvah is not a mitzvah at all, just the procedure we follow when we fail in our other obligations. On a deeper level, teshuvah cannot be a mitzvah because it expresses the essence of the soul that transcends all mitzvos.

This concept gives us profound insight into the true nature of teshuvah and explains why the Rambam chose to explore free choice specifically in the context of Hilchos Teshuvah. An authentic return to Hashem from the depths of our souls cannot be mandated, because it is intrinsic to who we are—an ultimate expression of our free choice.

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