Ctrl C, Ctrl V or Ctrl Z?

According to Chassidic teachings, there is no such thing as coincidence, and everything one sees or hears is a lesson that can be applied to one's life and behavior.

This is true even to the extent that in every technological innovation one can find lessons that help one understand life better – how it works, and how to better take advantage of it.

Allow me to share an example.

One can copy thousands of pages in seconds with just six clicks of the keyboardA very useful tool that makes life much easier are "Windows" shortcuts. "Control C" allows you to copy texts, "Control V" allows you to insert copied texts, etc. These tools introduced the "Copy and Paste" option, which means, in other words, the capacity to transfer words and ideas from one place to another without having to transcribe them. All you need to do is to press "Control C" in order to copy the text and then "Control V" to insert it wherever you feel it belongs...

What does this teach us?

A few things.

First of all, it pays to learn how things work, because that way you save lots of time. Someone who doesn't know how to copy and paste would have to type each letter of the desired text. By knowing the shortcuts, one can copy thousands of pages in seconds with just six clicks of the keyboard (Ctrl A, Ctrl C, Ctrl V).

The same is true in one's personal life. There are many people who spend much time trying to reinvent the wheel. If they were to take the time to read the "Users Guide," they would not have to waste time trying to discover what has already been discovered. They would be able to dedicate their time to build upon that which has already been built. For a Jew, the Torah is the Users Guide, and it pays to acquaint oneself with it in order to have a more productive and efficient life.

Another idea:

One of the most useful Windows short cuts is "Control Z." By pressing it, one can undo his last actions. Did you write or erase too much? No problem. Just type "Control Z" and you will return to where you were before your mistake. (And if you "corrected" yourself by mistake, don't worry... just type "Control Y" and you will undo your "correction"!)

This is an important lesson regarding repentance. Many understand repentance, Teshuvah, as a radical change in one's behavior or an importation of something foreign, to "Copy and Paste." Instead of leading a "normal" life, they incorporate seemingly strange behaviors such as kosher, Shabbat, tefillin, Torah study. To some people, these changes their loved ones have incorporated into their lives are threatening and create resistance.

The true idea of repentance does not imply change as much as it implies return. To return to what one really is. It is not just "Copy and Paste." Rather, it is "Control Z" – undoing mistakes, and returning to an original state of being.