Pensamento Judaico sobre Oséias 14:2

And the response to this is: "He has told you, O man, what is good, and what does the L-rd require of you…" That is, this would, indeed, be fitting, and reason dictates as you say. But the Blessed One has dealt wondrously with you and does not desire of you thousands upon thousands of rams and ten thousands of rivers of oils, or your first-born, or the fruit of your belly, as it is written (Jeremiah 19:5): "…which I did not command, and which I did not speak, and which did not even enter My mind," as explained by our sages (Taanith 4a). He asks of you only proper conduct; that is, "to do justice…," extremely easy things which can be very quickly attained. And there is no doubt that this wondrous lovingkindness grants absolute success, insuring the good of those who arouse themselves to repentance, but it works to the detriment of those evil men who do not bestir themselves to repent. For if repentance demanded what reason dictated be expended for it, such as thousands of rams and ten thousands of rivers of oil, and the first-born, and fruits of the belly, then there would be some rationalization for the wicked; for though all that is required should indeed be given for it, still, the inclination of man's heart being evil, they could not find it in their hearts to take on these arduous toils. But, now that the Almighty has made repentance so easy, what rationalization can be found for one who does not arouse himself to it? This is the intent of (Succah 52b): "[In the days of the Messiah] the evil inclination will appear to the wicked [in retrospect] as a strand of hair, and they will say: 'How could we not have cut this strand of hair?'" And this is, likewise, the intent of the verse (Hosea 13:9): "You have destroyed yourself, O Israel, for I was your help." That is, the great help and the generous invitation [to repent] that the L-rd gave Israel for their Divine service, intending thereby great success for them — this intent in itself will be the destruction of the wicked, divesting them of an excuse "for having left My Torah." This is the intent of the prophet in (Ibid 14:20): "Return, O Israel, to the L-rd your G-d, for you have stumbled in your iniquity," after which it is indicated how repentance can be attained if it requires thousands of rams, it being stated that this, indeed, is not required, but only one's regretting what has passed, resolving to improve his conduct in the future, imploring mercy of the Blessed One that one's repentance be accepted, and G-d's granting his request and becoming reconciled with him. This is the intent of (Ibid 3): "Take with you words and return to the L-rd. Say to Him: 'Forgive all iniquity and take good, and let our lips pay calves.'" After this we are assured that if we do this, the wrath of the L-rd will turn from us, viz. (Ibid 5): "I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely; for My wrath is turned away from him." "I will love them freely" intimates that the penitent, in reality, should not be accepted with words alone (in keeping with the suggested formula of the prophet: "With what shall I come before the L-rd and bow myself before the high G-d? Shall I come before Him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old? Will the L-rd be pleased with thousands of rams or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my first-born for my transgression, the fruit of my belly for the sin of my soul?") — but he is accepted freely, in an access of lovingkindness.