“We have no other king, who forgives other than you” (Yom Kippur Davening)
There is a story told about a king who was going through the countryside, and he came to an impasse. He realized that it would be more convenient at that point to go through someone’s private field. Though the field had a fence around it, the king used his right of imperial domain to break the fence and “trespass” through this property. The owner of the property was an ignorant peasant who never saw the king and would not have even been able to ascertain from the clothing and pomp of the entourage that someone important was going through his grounds. He reacted as every peasant would and picked up stones and started throwing them at the trespassers. The peasant had good aim and managed to wound many in the party, including the king himself. The king’s guards quickly seized the peasant, and the men in the entourage sentenced him to death. However, the king was an astute and compassionate man and called over the peasant to question him. The king came to realize that this poor peasant had no idea that the trespassers were the king’s party. Therefore, instead of the death sentence, the king sentenced him to be a street cleaner in the capital city. This peasant was a proficient worker and climbed the ladder of the Royal Cleaning Services until he eventually was given the position of the king’s royal janitor in the palace itself. As this peasant cleaned the royal palace, and interacted with the objects and people who surrounded the king, he came to have a much better understanding of who the man he assaulted was. He requested a meeting with the king and the request was granted. He came to the king, prostrated himself, and begged forgiveness for the crime which he committed, not only to the person of the king but to the entire government. The king readily forgave him, for he understood that he had no ill intent while doing the act.
During the days of selichos we awaken to realize that there is a Holy One in the world. Rosh Hashanah awakens us to realize who we are and in front of who we stand. We feel exalted – honored to be the children of Hashem. After Rosh Hashanah, upon having seen the King up close, singing the pizmonim of His Majesty and His Glory, we too (like the peasant) beseech Hashem for forgiveness for the infractions which we have done. We say it and we mean it, “If I would have realized what I was doing, and in front of whom I was doing it, I would have never done it!” To the degree that we feel this regret, it is to that level we can receive forgiveness from Hashem.
Let us utilize these days of Aseres Yimei Teshuva to contemplate how, like the peasant, we are in the in presence of the greatest King. We need to thank Him for these special days, which are a wake-up call and give us an opportunity to correct our ways.
Our personal story should also end off with a gmar chasima tova!
