In Judaism, a ba'al teshuvah (Hebrew: בעל תשובה‎; for a woman, בעלת תשובה‎, baalat teshuva or baalas teshuva; plural, בעלי תשובה‎, baalei teshuva, "master of return [to God]") is a Jew from a secular background who becomes religiously observant. The sages said: "The place whereon the penitent stand the wholly righteous could not stand;" as if saying: "their degree is above the degree of those who ever did not sin, because it is more difficult for them to subdue their passion than for the others.