One Hundred Words on the Parshah
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One Hundred Words on the Parshah
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Aseres Yemei Teshuva
A mashal is told about a princess who married a commoner. The simple husband did not appreciate her royalty and didn't treat her properly. One day, her father, the king, came for a visit. While the king was there, the husband treated her royally. When the king was getting ready to leave, the princess began to cry. She said, "as soon as you leave, he will stop treating me well."
The moral of the story is that on the Yomin Noraim, there is a religious conscience, but it quickly fades. May the inspiration stay with us for the long term.
There was a fire in an ancient village. A visitor noticed the village people banging on drums. Soon the fire was out. The visitor went back to his own village and told them about this trick. Sure enough, at the next fire, the villagers banged the drums. However, their fire did not go out. Someone explained to the villagers that it's not the drums that extinguish the flames. The noise notifies the people to put out the fire.
The Maggid of Dubna (Lithuania, circa 1800) used this mashal to promote feelings of Teshuva during the Yomin Noraim. It is not enough to beat your chest while saying the prayers asking for forgiveness for sins, rather feelings of repentance are paramount.
All learning should be a zechus for a refuah shelaimah for Yosef Ezriel Ben Chaya Michal