We live in such a world of grey areas. We are constantly forced to make decisions. We all make our share of regrettable decisions. We all experience guilt. Let Us Make Man.
Guilt is an important sensation which can function or malfunction.
Healthy guilt, like physical pain, is a warning signal that there is a threat of something dangerous happening to the person, or that something has already happened, and needs correction. Similarly, guilt is a distressful feeling which deters people from violating their values, or serves as an indicator that one has transgressed a value and needs to do something to bring the system back to proper functioning. What the Torah teaches us regarding transgression is that we can do something to bring the system back to proper functioning. The generation that sinned with the golden calf was able to set things straight. Even though they fell from the most elevated plain, they returned to their exalted spiritual state through soul searching, understanding what brought them to their low state of behavior, and a sincere desire to correct it.