The Mishna stated beforehand (we wrote about last week) that each time a person does a good deed this creates an angel which defends a person in the Heavenly Courts. If this is so, why does a person need to repent for their sins? As long as they have accumulated a large amount of good deeds this should be sufficient to protect them from any punishment.

The Midrash Shmuel explains that nevertheless as long as a person has sins he will be punished no matter how many good deeds he has. Repentance though has the power to remove the sins he has done and save him from any punishment. 

I think it is also possible to understand that the first part of the Mishna which states that a Mitzvah creates a defending angel is in reference to a person's overall judgement in determining if this person was a good or bad person. Once that is determined if a person has sins (for "there is no righteous person who is free of sin") those sins need to still be accounted for and this is what the second part of the Mishna is referring to. The only way to save himself from the punishment for these sins is through repentance.

As we enter the new month of Elul and we prepare for the High Holidays may we all merit to perform full repentance on any sins we may have.

Shabbat Shalom,

Heath