"Rabbi Chanina bar Pupa said, ‘Anyone who does something [forbidden] and [subsequently] has regret in it, is immediately forgiven’" (Chagigah 5a).
This comes across as a powerful statement, since we are told elsewhere that there is a minimum requirement from one who seeks a complete atonement from G-d. He, at least, needs to experience the day of atonement together with his teshuvah.
Secondly, considering the deliberation which the sages use in their wording, why was this paradigm phrased that he had "regret in it" (i.e. in his sin), rather than saying that he had regret "because" of his act?
The Ben-Yehoyadah explains, that there are two types of regret. There are those who feel remorse over their sins, out of awareness of a Divine retribution for what they have committed. Such regret was motivated by their fear of punishment which will come upon them because of their sins. Thus, their regret is not in the misdeed itself, but rather a regret that came about because of their sin. It is certainly true, that teshuvah which comes from such regret is virtuous. However, being that their act against the will of G-d had separated themselves from Him, their teshuvah is still incomplete. They still require a Yom Kippur to remove the barriers between themselves and G-d.
There is, however, a more complete teshuvah over one’s sins. A person who has a sensory awareness of G-d’s exaltedness, knows that the greatest form of adversity for man is to separate himself from G-d. The actual act of committing a sin, causes that separation. Therefore, when that person commits a sin, his foremost regret is not over a fear of personal punishment, but a fear of being distanced from G-d. His remorse is over the barrier which his sin had created between G-d and himself. This is not a regret that came from an outcome of his sin, but rather a regret in the act itself.
We can then understand that if the misdeed itself distanced man from G-d, then sincere regret over this separation, will in fact, break down the barrier which was just created.
Usher Smith has studied at Yeshiva Shaarei Torah (Monsey NY), Talmudical Academy Of Central NJ (Adelphia NJ), and Beth Medrash Govoha (Jerusalem Israel and Lakwood NJ)
