At this week’s Shabbat Assembly I discussed the following aspect of Teshuva with the students: How can we ask Hashem for forgiveness if we know that we are human and are going to make mistakes and sin again? It sounds so disingenuous.
I told the children a story about a boy who was having a very bad day. In the morning, he woke up late and missed the school bus. His parents were very angry. At school, the boy was doing a math problem and he pushed too hard on his pencil, which broke. When he looked in his backpack for another pencil, the backpack fell and all of its contents emptied onto the floor, causing a commotion. The teacher did not yell, but looked at the boy angrily. His horrible day continued at lunch. He took school lunch from the counter and was holding the tray with one hand when he lost his balance and all his food fell on the floor. It was a big mess! Recess should have been a safe place for the boy. He scored a touchdown in his football game. Great!! But when he went to spike the ball, it hit something and deflated. All of his friends were angry with him.
When the boy returned home from school his Mom asked him about his day. He told her how bad his day was and he began to cry. His Mom said “I know you make mistakes and sometimes you are careless, but you are my son, always and forever. I love you and always will.” A smile appeared on the boy’s face and he started his homework.
This story is synonymous with our relationship to Hashem. Hashem knows that we will make mistakes and do the wrong thing at times, but we are always His children. Hashem will always love us. Hashem will always hear our sincere words and our Teshuva. As Rashi explains in the story of the beracha from the angel to Yaakov, even if a member of Bnai Yisrael sins, he is still a part of Bnai Yisrael.
This dvar Torah is based on an article I read in Ohel Avraham 5773.
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