The word tövbe (repentance) derives from the Arabic root twb, meaning "to feel remorse," and corresponds to "returning (from sin)" in Aramaic and Syriac. To err is human—people falter, sin, and make mistakes. What matters is recognizing the wrong, turning away from it, and resolving not to repeat it. Sometimes this awakening begins from within, and sometimes through signs from the outside world. Ultimately, the reparable part of the mistake must be made right, while a lasting mindfulness must be built around what cannot be undone. One may even perform extra acts of kindness or charity to bring peace to the conscience.

After all, none of us are truly innocent of a sin we have never been tested with. Yet it remains in our hands to use our reason and pass the make-up exams of the tests we once failed.