On Yom Kippur, we want to do teshuvah sheleimah. Here are some guidelines to succeed in teshuvah:
1] Take Small Steps
It states (Hoshea 14:2) אלקיך 'ה עד ישראל שובה, "Return Yisrael until Hashem your G-d..." Rebbe Reb Shmelke zt'l taught that a key word in this phrase is עד, "until". This hints at the idea that one should think "I only have to do עד, "until" a specific limit. That will make the task not seem overwhelming. For example, when a person is walking down a road, carrying a heavy package, he should think to himself, "I only have to walk until I reach the house that is a few feet ahead of me." And when he gets there, and he sees a stone a few feet further, he should tell himself, "I only have to reach that stone." This is hinted in the words ישראל שובה, Yisrael, do teshuvah, עד, only up to a certain degree. Divide the path of teshuvah into small parts, and you won't find it so hard.
This is as tzaddikim taught (Tehillim 95:7) תשמעו בקולי אם היום, that a person should think that he only must serve Hashem "today." That makes it easier. Tomorrow, he should think the same, so that he shouldn’t feel overwhelmed and despaired. But if all that is being expected from him is to improve in small intervals, he can push himself along on the path of teshuvah.
This is also hinted in the piyut, עד לעדי עליון מלך ימלוך, that the way to announce Hashem as King is עד עדי, to continually tell yourself, "Only until here," and then tell yourself again, "Only until here." With this method, you will succeed in making Hashem your king.
2] Do What You Can, Hashem Will Help
A second important counsel in teshuvah is to know that we do the most we can, and Hashem helps us with the final parts of teshuvah. Tur (Orach Chaim 606) teaches that one must go to the mikvah on erev Yom Kippur. He explains that although we are still tamei meis, and the taharah isn't complete (because we can't cleanse ourselves from tumas meis since we don't have a parah adumah), nevertheless, the tevilah will purify him to an extent. Tur also quotes Reb Saadya Gaon, who says that one should make a brachah on this tevilah. The Bach explains that although he didn't become entirely tahor, he should recite a brachah on partial purity.
The halachah is that we don't say a brachah; nevertheless, there is an important lesson here. A person should purify himself as much as he can, even when he can't purify himself entirely. The same is true with the purity of the soul, with teshuvah. One should do teshuvah as much as he can, and it will be considered like he did teshuvah sheleimah. And when he does what he can, Hashem will help him complete the teshuvah.
Regarding Torah, it states (Devarim 30:12) לא היא בשמים, it isn't in heaven. Rashi writes, "If it were in heaven, you would be obligated to go up, to learn it." But how is it possible to climb to heaven? Is there a gigantic ladder from the earth to heaven that one can climb? Chofetz Chaim zt'l explains that Rashi is teaching us a great lesson. A person should do as much as he can, and then Hashem will help him, as it states (Tehillim 57:3) עלי גומר ל-לא, we begin, and Hashem completes the deed. If the Torah were in heaven, a person would have to climb the tallest ladder... and heaven would help him reach the heavens.
We can use modern technology to help us understand this concept. In today’s day and age, large heavy doors open without much effort. A person stands in front of a door, a sensor sees him, and the massive door slides open for him. He doesn’t even have to turn the handle. However, he must do one thing: he must come to the door. This means that in our generation, a person has to do very little, and Hashem will help him from Above. But he must do something. He has to show up. He comes to do teshuvah, and Hashem will help him succeed.
