Baal teshuva

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Main article: Repentance in Judaism

Baal teshuva (Hebrew: בעל תשובה; for a woman: בעלת תשובה, baalat teshuva; plural: בעלי תשובה, baalei teshuva), sometimes abbreviated to BT, is a Hebrew term referring to a person who has repented. Baal teshuva can be translated idiomatically as "one who has done repentance." It is often contrasted against FFB, frum from birth.

The term historically referred to a Jew who had transgressed the Halakha ("Jewish law") and completed a process of introspection and "returned" to the straight path. However, in contemporary times, the phrase is primarily used to refer to a Jew from a secular background who has become religiously observant (normally in an orthodox fashion) later in life. (The alternative term "chozer b'teshuva"