In the weekday Amidah, immediately after the prayer for discernment, we read the prayer for repentance. When examined carefully, we can detect in this prayer a deep understanding of the process by which moral and spiritual enlightenment progress, to the point where the human will and the divine will coincide and coalesce.
“Bring us back to Your Torah, our Father, draw us near to your service, our King, and turn us back, in perfect repentance before You. Blessed are You, Lord, who takes pleasure in [literally, “who wants”] repentance.”
“Bring us back to Your Torah, our Father,” refers to cognitive understanding;
“…draw us near to your service, our King,” refers to experiential action;
“…and (re)turn us, in perfect repentance before You,” refers to spiritual transformation.
“Blessed are You, Lord, who takes pleasure in (literally, “who wants”) repentance.” In blessing G-d this way, we realize that what we want is what G-d wants. And, of course, when we position our lives in such a way, well, isn’t that the essence of repentance? Making our will conform to the will of the Holy One, Blessed be He?
Note also the progression of verbs: “bring us back;” “draw us near;” (re)turn us.”
“bring us back,” the cognitive—Torah study—can indeed bring us back, but only so far.
“draw us near,” the experiential—performance of the mitzvot can draw us near (in the same sense that a korban—a sacrifice—draws us near to the altar and thus, to G-d
(re)turn us,”—but at the end of the day, true repentance is an act of grace, an inner turning that is less an act of will than a gift from G-d.
Note also the progression of nouns: “Father” teaches us; “King” commands us; “You” embrace us.
As the great Sufi poet Rumi wrote:
Wherever you turn, there is the Face of G-d.
This Face runs and extends infinitely and forever.
True spiritual lovers have sacrificed themselves
for the sake of that Face, desiring nothing in return.