Restitution as Teshuva: Opening the Gates of Blessing for Ukraine

Negotiations on Ukraine’s accession to the European Union are not only a diplomatic process but also a test of the country’s readiness to embrace the core principles of European civilization. One of these principles is the rule of law, which cannot be imagined without restoring violated property rights. In international law, this is called restitutio in integrum—a return to the original state. But for us, the Jewish people, this is not an abstract legal formula; it is an ancient biblical imperative.

The Torah repeatedly forbids the appropriation of another’s property: “You shall not steal” (Shemot 20:13), “You shall not move your neighbor’s boundary marker” (Devarim 19:14). Even more explicitly—it commands hashavat gezela, the returning of wrongfully taken property. In Devarim (22:1) we read: “You shall surely return to your brother what he has lost”—and the sages of the Talmud (Tractate Bava Kamma) extend this principle to all cases of property rights violations. Even if a stolen item has passed into the hands of third parties, the obligation to restore justice remains.

The Talmud describes two paths to rectification: returning the object in kind or paying compensation if return is impossible. This rule was later embedded into modern international law: the ideal option is full restoration, but if that is impossible, then equivalent compensation must be given.

The history of Israel offers us another important lesson. After returning from the Babylonian exile, the Jewish people rebuilt not only the Temple but also their ancestral fields, homes, and plots of land—properties allocated to families since the time of Yehoshua bin Nun. This was not merely an economic act; it was a spiritual one—restoring the bond between people, land, and law.

Today, Ukraine stands before a similar choice. During the years of Soviet rule, and before that under Nazi occupation, millions of people were stripped of their homes, land, and businesses. Much of this property went into state ownership and later into the hands of new owners through privatization. But the principle of justice demands we acknowledge: if something was taken unlawfully, it leaves a wound in the body of society until it is made right.

The experience of the former socialist bloc shows clearly that restitution is not only an act of justice but also an important step toward prosperity. Germany (the eastern part—former GDR), the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, and Slovenia—all of these countries, in one way or another, carried out restitution, returning property or providing compensation. Today, decades later, they have clearly outpaced Ukraine in economic and social development, strengthened their legal systems, and become full members of both the EU and NATO. I do not believe this is mere coincidence. Rather, it reflects a deeper pattern we know from our tradition: when a nation corrects an injustice and returns what was wrongfully taken, it opens the way to blessing. As the Torah says (Devarim 6:18): “Do what is right and good”—and then you will enter the land and dwell in it.

The experience of Central and Eastern European countries proves that systemic restitution is not a utopia but a reality. Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia began this process as early as 1991, before privatization, in order to return as much as possible to former owners or their heirs. Austria and Germany developed hybrid models: return in kind where possible and compensation where return was not feasible.

For Ukraine, adopting a restitution law would not simply be a matter of meeting EU conditions; it would be an act of teshuva—collective repentance and repair. It would be an acknowledgment of past wrongs and a readiness to build the future on truth. Such reform would strengthen public trust, attract foreign investment, and show the world that the principle of the rule of law in Ukraine is not a declaration but a reality.

In Jewish tradition, there is the concept of tikkun olam—repairing the world. It does not begin with grand declarations but with concrete actions: returning what was taken and thus healing the wound caused by injustice.

Perhaps this very step—restoring what was wrongfully taken—will become for Ukraine the spiritual key that opens the gates of blessing. As the prophet Yeshayahu (32:17) teaches: “The work of righteousness shall be peace, and the effect of righteousness quietness and security forever.”

Restitution is not only a legal obligation. It is an opportunity for a nation to stand before history and before the Almighty with clean hands, ready to turn the page to a new chapter—a chapter of freedom, justice, and prosperity.