יחזקאל, פרק ל״ג, פסוק ט״ז

The immense power of repentance changes not only a person's present and future but actively reshapes the meaning of their past. The primary approach among commentators is that all prior wrongs, spanning from the very first misdeed until the moment a person turns away from a harmful path, are completely set aside. The promise that these past actions will no longer be remembered means they will not stand against the person or lead to their death. Because the individual has now chosen to practice justice and righteousness, they are granted life.

Taking this concept even further, another perspective explores the deeper meaning of a past that is no longer remembered. When a person repents out of love, their past wrongs are literally transformed into merits. The misdeeds are not merely forgotten; they cease to exist as sins altogether. The individual is viewed as though they had never done wrong, having only performed acts of justice and righteousness. For example, if someone injures another or steals and later returns the stolen property, the original act of theft is no longer held against them. Instead, they receive full credit for actively fulfilling the positive commandment of returning what was taken and settling their debt. By transforming a former sin into a fulfilled commandment, the person secures true life [מלבי״ם].