יחזקאל, פרק י״ח, פסוק כ״ח

Humans possess the remarkable ability to reflect on their actions, correct their paths, and ultimately change their destiny. The journey of repentance does not begin with action, but with a deep internal awareness. This process starts with a kind of vision that is not physical, but rather a profound mental and emotional recognition. A person looks closely at their life choices [ביאור שטיינזלץ] and comes to the intellectual realization that their past actions were wrong [מצודת דוד, מלבי״ם].

This critical realization naturally leads to the next step, which involves a complete turning away from past wrongdoings and an abandonment of sin. As a result of this sincere change, the individual is promised life instead of a sentence of death. Commentators offer different perspectives on why life is the specific reward for this transformation. One approach suggests that it is fitting for the person to continue living so they can use their remaining years to perform more good deeds and further deepen their process of change [מצודת דוד].

Another perspective presents a more radical transformation, suggesting that the act of repentance actually converts past sins into merits. In this framework, there is a direct relationship between a person's dark past and their renewed present. The more wicked the individual was before, the greater their accumulated merits become once they achieve complete and sincere repentance [מלבי״ם].