Why is it important to do teshuvah modestly?
Question: What is the connection between the ripening of grapes and modesty in the process of teshuvah?
Answer:
The Ben Ish Chai explains that the word “ripened” (hivshilu) also hints at cooking (bishul).
When a dish is cooked in a covered pot, it cooks better and faster.
So too with teshuvah: when a person improves himself modestly, without publicizing his deeds and without seeking honor, the process of repair is more likely to succeed.
About this it is said:
“And walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8).
The message: not all spiritual progress needs to be visible to others. Sometimes it is precisely quiet, inner work that brings the greatest results.