The pasuk in Shemos (19:5) states: “And now (v’atah), if you surely listen to My voice and you shall be to Me as a segulah from all the other nation because the entire land is to Me.” Chazal say (Bereishis Rabbah 21:6) that the word “v’atah” always connotes teshuva.
Sefer Avodas Yisroel explains that the yeitzer hara comes to a person and says, “How could you do teshuva? You are full of sins!” However, this is definitely untrue. If one genuinely desires to do teshuva, he should know that even if he is full of sins, that is all in the past. From now on, he can do good. Therefore, the word “v’atah” – and now – refers to teshuva, as the way to do teshuva is to leave the past in the past, and to focus on rectifying oneself now.
Rav Mordechai Chaim of Slonim zy”a (Sefer Avkas Rochlin, Perek 12, Ois 3) quotes Rav Shalom of Prohovitch zy”a as explaining this idea with a parable of a garment that is covered in mud. One should not try to clean it while it is still wet, as this will only cause it to get dirtier. Rather, one must wait until it dries and he can then rub all the dirt away. So too, when a person is muddied by sin, he should not fall to despair and constantly think about his aveiros. This will only cause him to get dirtier and to do more sins. Instead, he should put his sins out of his mind and focus on serving Hashem from now on. If one does this, he will eventually be able to clean his neshama very easily.
