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"According to the Rambam we know that someone has done
teshuvah when he makes amends, asks for forgiveness, and doesn't
do the same thing again when put in a similar situation later.
This year I found myself saying to someone that I don't
know if I'll do the same thing because habits are hard to
break, but I will certainly try not to. I suspect this is
a common case (though not necessarily articulated as such). I find
myself wondering whether the Rambam means 'yeah, it could take
years to know', or if he means the narrower case of your intention
at the time that you apologize and ask forgiveness." --
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cellio,
2009-09-27
[For my friends celebrating Yom Kippur tonight/tomorrow, may you have an easy fast, and a blessed year.]
there's an answer
It's lovely to want to help the poor, and your intention to help the poor is nice too, but you haven't fulfilled the mitzvah of tzedakah - (Which is literally "righteousness")- until you put money into the hand of someone who needs it.
WHen one actually reads hilchot teshuvah in Rambam, he's clear (that's why it's pleasant to read Rambam, he has excellent,clear, nice to read Hebrew) it's obvious: the actual words that he says aren't usually given in full. He actually says that teshuva is not complete until the opportunity arises to repeat the offense and one doesn't, not out of fear of being caught, but out of genuine desire to repent. Thus he clearly means - it could be years until you know - and until then, one's teshuvah (literally "return" as in, to God) is only partial.
Re: there's an answer - & here's a detour!
This is how we know that Judaism doesn't "condemn homosexuality", as anti-gays insist.
Judaism forbids a sexual act. One specific sexual act. And not all gays do it (In fact, the biggest practitioners of this are already locked up, so, there ya go!). But we know that "homosexuality" isn't condemned any more than "wanting to eat treif" is condemned: because Judaism doesn't care nearly as much about what you want to do as it does what you actually do.
But I digress!
May we all be sealed for a good year.