09/14/2023
A shared feature between recovery and Teshuvah is that of the effectiveness of the group over the individual. Research has shown that one-to-one therapy in addiction is not as effective as group meetings, much like communal prayer for forgiveness is superior to individual prayer. The most potent factor of a 12-Step meeting is that the group exerts a force that an individual cannot achieve. Jewish law states that tefillah b'tzibur, communal prayer, is far more effective than individual prayer. There are certain prayers that require a minyan, and this is where a person can be functional just by his existence. As with a minyan, just one's presence at a 12 Step meeting is functional, and one contributes to others' recovery just by attending a meeting, This contribution is crucial in emerging from the selfism of addiction. (Excerpted from Teshuvah Through Recovery by Rabbi Abraham Tweski)