By Rabbi Moshe Perets
How One Can Refine His Traits of Character ?
Every person is obligated to frequently search his own actions and make an accounting with his soul, to determine if he is acting in a correct way in God’s eyes. If he finds that he acted wrongly, or if he transgressed God’s will in one of his Seven Noahide Commandments, or he erred in acting in a moral way, then he should change his ways and conduct, and he should accept upon himself that henceforth he will act in the correct way, and he will stop transgressing the commandments that God has given him.
A person should have regret for doing wrong and change his sinful ways, and ask for forgiveness from God for the sins that he transgressed. This process, by which one asks and begs forgiveness from God, is called “repentance.” God certainly accepts sincere repentance, and forgives the repentant sinner for his transgression.
One should not think that his actions are already sealed before God, and since he sinned very much, it is impossible for him to return and become a righteous `person. This is not true, for God is merciful and constantly anticipates that those who want to return to Him will repent and correct their ways.
When they do, He accepts them fully and has mercy on them, and when they repent in the correct way and completely remove themselves from their wrong actions, and they accept His Kingship and resolve to observe their commandments for the future, God forgives them for their sins and does not punish them for the past.
It is incumbent on every person to try to achieve understanding of the Creator according to his capability, and he should meditate always on the greatness of the Creator, and on His supervision over the whole creation, in order to awaken his heart to love and fear Him.
This comprehension and understanding needs to be in a manner that causes the proper feelings toward the Creator, meaning love of God and fear of Him.
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Rabbi Moshe Perets is the President of the Noahide Academy of Israel, Founder and Executive Director of NoahideAcademy.org, the world’s largest Noahide informational website. He accomplished his Rabbinical Studies at the Chabad Yeshiva and his medical studies at the University of Louvain in Brussels, Belgium.
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