Page 21 - HaMizrachi # 22 Rosh HahHana - Yom Kippur 2020 USA

GLOBAL RELIGIOUS LEADERS

Rabbi David Stav

A TIME TO Forgive

om Kippur is upon us, and Why must we go through this sins against G-d if he has not effected
anyone who has ever been hurt complicated process that may be reconciliation with others.
Yby a friend, or some other indi- demeaning or frustrating for one or
vidual (haven’t we all?) knows exactly both of the sides involved? This idea seems somewhat puzzling.
how hard it is to forgive. Those on the What does a person’s unwillingness to
receiving end have nothing but their Our Sages tell us that “Whoever lets excuse someone for having wronged
anger to use as a defense. What else things ‘slide’ a little, G-d will also let him have to do with how he sinned
are they left with? Their dignity has his sins ‘slide’” (Rosh Hashanah 17a). against G-d?
been crushed by having been publicly In other words, nobody can claim to
insulted. Their bodies are still battered have a spotless record when under The answer to this question relates
after being hit or run over. close scrutiny. back to what we’ve just discussed.

After all that, how can we now ask If someone was wronged by someone Those who cannot make an effort to
them to set aside those feelings and else, the one who was wronged had approach those they have wronged;
forgive those who wronged them? In obviously wronged another person, those who cannot set aside their (or
doing so, the perpetrators walk freely, and vice-versa. the other person’s) frustration and
with a broad smile on their faces, while ego will probably not take the matter
their victims, who are compelled to Therefore, the only way we can face seriously when they appear before
forgive their attackers, often continue our Creator in judgment with some their Creator as well.
to carry the incident with them degree of confidence is if we say to Once a year, as we approach Yom
throughout their lives. our Creator: “I’ve been able to be Kippur, it seems as though we all
forgiving in my scrutiny. I’ve repressed
Those asking for forgiveness don’t desire a moment of grace – this is the
have it any easier. What they did may my anger and frustration against time when we all know we can still be
have been completely inadvertent, someone who has wronged me, so different, regardless of how much we
but now they need to peel away their now, You could do the same for me. have endured.
respectability and approach someone If I was able to humble my heart and
claiming to have been wronged by ask for forgiveness from someone We can be reconciled with ourselves
them and ask for forgiveness for what I’ve wronged, perhaps You too can and with those around us, for this is a
they may have done to that individual. ‘humble’ Yourself and judge me with time of forgiveness.
mercy.”
And it might not end there. The victim
might make things difficult for the one There are those who say that Yom Rabbi David Stav is Chief Rabbi of Shoham
trying to ask for forgiveness. Kippur does not atone for a person’s and the Chairman of Tzohar.

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