CHASSIDIC PEARLS ON PARSHA BY RABBI LAZER BRODY PARSHAS NETZAVIM

And you will return unto Hashem (Devarim 30:2). When we contemplate the rewards that the Torah promises for the mitzvah of "teshuva", not only in the world to come but in this world as well, it's astonishing that we're not putting all our efforts into teshuva. Many people think that the mitzvah of teshuva, literally "returning to Hashem", is for the secular alone; nothing could be further from the truth. Our Torah requires us to "return unto Hashem", that is, until we fully reach Hashem, we haven't yet completed the mitzvah. Hashem's phenomenal rewards for those who return to Him include mercy, ingathering of the exiles, the Land of Israel, protection from enemies, and all sorts of abundance (Ibid, 3 – 9). With Hashem's loving grace, the following parable actualizes the benefits of listening to Hashem and fulfilling His commandment of teshuva; in other words, it's a good idea to do business with Hashem…