Yom Kippur 5784
- Torah Tavlin
- Oct 11, 2024
- 2 min read
Updated: Apr 7
ושבת עד ה' אלקיך ושמעת בקלו ... (דברים ל-ב)
MASHAL: There was once a young teenager who was having a rough couple of years, to say the least. He had a fall out with his parents at a young age and it made him very angry. New friends seemed to bring him “relief” from his terrible predicament, so he followed them, unfortunately, down a path he never thought he’d go. Slowly, slowly he drifted away from Torah observance.
Years passed, some were better than others, but coupled by his strained relationship with family and old “religious neighbors,” he barely showed his face. He was off some- where far away, and eventually he was almost completely forgotten about by those who used to be close to him.
And then suddenly it happened. After years of not showing his face, he suddenly began to frequent his house. Little by little he opened up and started talking to the neighbors once again. It was as if a light switch had suddenly turned on.
Naturally, it was to everyone’s great interest what happened to him, but it wasn’t until an old friend asked him “What was it that brought you to do teshuvah?” that the young man answered: “Someone told me that every night, my parents leave the door of their home unlocked, anticipating my return. They never wanted me to find the door to come home locked, no matter when. I thought, ‘If my parents want so much for me to return to them, I cannot disappoint them!’”
NIMSHAL: Hashem leaves His door open for us as well, so that when we return to Him, we will always find the path to repentance open. He is always available for us and for all of our needs. Hashem seeks a connection with us and therefore makes Himself available at any time we seek Him. How we hope and pray we will merit this soon!