The Eye of a Needle

The idea of Repentance is often described as other-worldly as it simply does not fit the laws of nature, at least as we perceive them. For this reason the Sages teach Repentance is among (7) things created before the beginning of time (Pirke d'Rabbi Eliezer 3).

If repentance were to conform to the bi-polar cause and effect of our physical universe, sins would be met with immediate punishment; like matter and anti-matter - yielding a swift zero sum in the end. Who could survive a world like this?

Instead, we understand Hashem is slow to anger, quick to forgive, the Father of Mercy. The process of repentance is from above, underlying and sustaining us, giving us time to right our wrongs. If we repent, we can be forgiven, or even downgrade the severity of our transgressions causing them to be remedied through a series of smaller trials, tribulations, and afflictions. On this, Rabbi David Pinto writes;

All of the trials and tribulations that we face are a reminder from Above to mend our ways, so that we should not descend to the depths. We need only take the first step and then Hashem will come to our aid, as the Midrash says ( Shir Hashirim Rabbah 5:3 ), “Open for Me an opening of repentance the size of the eye of a needle, and I will open for you openings wide enough for wagons and coaches to enter.”

Without Hashem’s help, it is impossible to do teshuvah, yet “if not for Hashem’s help, one would not be able to withstand the Yetzer Hara” ( Kiddushin 30b ). - Paths to Perfection

When we fail to understand how this system works, we can become less diligent in making amends. Worse than this, we can come to believe that we sustain ourselves through our self-sufficiency. This is especially true of those blessed with wealth and abundance. Not usually having to cry out to Hashem, we can sometimes lose the awareness that He is there at all.

Thus, we must all be careful to make sure we're not occluding these truths. In a similar teaching, we read:

... a man came up to him, saying, Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life? And he said to him, Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter [eternal] life, keep the commandments.

The man said to him, Which ones? And Jesus said, You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

The young man said to him, All these I have kept. What do I still lack?  Jesus said to him, If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me. When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.

And Jesus said to his disciples, Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of G_D. - Matthew 19-16-24