Every so often, I come across a Torah commentary that stops me in my tracks. This week, it was the Ohr HaChaim on Parshas Pinchas. At first, his words seemed to contradict one of the most fundamental principles of teshuvah: that we should stop blaming others and take responsibility for our own choices. But the more I sat with his insight, the more I realized he wasn’t contradicting that principle—he was revealing another essential step in the journey back to Hashem. His comment led me to reflect on what it really means not only to change our actions, but to change our relationship with the things that once pulled us away from the people we were meant to become.

There are moments when a single Torah commentary forces us to rethink something we thought we understood.

For years, I’ve believed that genuine growth begins by looking inward. When we fail, we shouldn’t waste our energy blaming others. We should accept responsibility, examine ourselves honestly, and ask how we can become better people.

Then I came across a remarkable comment from the Ohr HaChaim on this week’s Parshas Pinchas. At first, it seemed to challenge everything I had come to believe. But the more I reflected on it, the more I realized that it wasn’t contradicting that principle at........

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