Baal teshuva

Main article: Repentance in Judaism

Baal teshuva or ba'al teshuvah (Hebrew: בעל תשובה‎; for a woman, בעלת תשובה, baalat teshuva; plural, בעלי תשובה, baalei teshuva), sometimes abbreviated to BT, is a term that often refers to a Jew who turns to embrace Orthodox Judaism. Baal teshuvah literally means, "master of repentance, or master of return", i.e., one who has repented or "returned" to God. It is often contrasted with "FFB" (Frum From Birth), which refers to Jews who are born into families that are already religiously observant, and who have been conceived, born, and raised Jewishly.

Historically, the term referred to a Jew who transgressed the halakhah (Jewish law) and completed a process of introspection to "return" to the straight path. In contemporary times, the phrase is primarily used to refer to a Jew from a secular background who becomes religiously observant (normally in an Orthodox fashion) later in life. (The alternative term, chozer biteshuvah (חוזר בתשובה) is more commonly used in Israel).

The Babylonian Talmud expresses high regard for baalei teshuva with the statement, "In the place where baalei teshuva stand, even the perfectly righteous cannot stand" (Berakhot 34b)."

Baal teshuva movement

There is an increasing large baal teshuva movement, and a number of organizations seeking to aid the cause.

Famous baalei teshuva

• List of Baalei teshuva

See also

• Chabad
• Aish HaTorah
• Off the derech: A Jew who was formerly mitzvah-observant
• Oorah (organization)
• Orthodox Judaism outreach
• Ohr Somayach
• The Jerusalem Kollel
• Machon Meir - Center for Jewish Studies in Jerusalem