There is a perfect analogy to describe the kind of Teshuva we do on Yom Kippur.
Imagine for yourself, a Father who is strolling through the busy ‘Shuk’ (Marketplace) for Arba Minim in Yerushalayim on Erev Sukkos, on the hunt for that ‘perfect’ Lulav and Esrog. He takes along his precious little toddler, ‘Yankele’. He instructs Yankele to stay close and not to leave go of his hand and stray from him in this commotion. However, in the process and tumult of inspecting various Lulavim etc. Yankele becomes dis-attached from his father and wanders off on his own.
Soon, Yankele’s Tatty realizes that his son is no longer with him and he begins to search frantically for his lost son! He hurries to the Police station to inquire whether they have received a lost child. To his relief, they answer in the affirmative and ask him to prove that the boy is truly his own son. All of a sudden, a shrieking child is heard in the background…..
TATTY!!!
Yankele makes a beeline straight for his Tatty and grabs him and hugs him tight…WHERE DID YOU GO, TATTY!!!! Why did you leave me! In this instant, there are no questions as to this Father/Son relationship, Yankele holds his father tight and vows to never let go again!
This is the definition of Teshuva – Repentance! This moment in time facilitates the most powerful type of connection to Borei Olam; through the power of a true Teshuva!
We are all children of Hashem. We love our Tatty in heaven and he loves us unconditionally in return. Hashem provides for all of our needs. We try to stay close and keep a connection with Hashem. However, we are all human and at times we stray far away by virtue of our sins which act as a barrier to distance ourselves from Hashem Yisborach.
However, there comes a moment in time – when we fall so low, we stumble so severely AND THEN WE SUDDENLY FIND HASHEM (Yom Kippur is such a day)!
In this instant, we cry out to Hashem with the force of all of our mishaps, of our trials, tribulations and failures – and we scream; TATTY, WHERE ARE YOU?? WHY DID YOU LEAVE ME!! I NEED YOU!!!
We proceed to grab Hashems hand with such a fierce love and longing and with a deep and unswerving desire to never let go again!
This situation of love is the distinguishing characteristic between our situation before and after Yom Kippur.
It is this overwhelming feeling of love, generated by our finding Hashem during the awesome days of Rosh Hashana through Yom Kippur, which leads us into the days of Sukkos – which are precisely defined as days of love and devotion to Hashem!
In fact, everything we do on Sukkos (from our move into the Sukkah – to our shaking of our Arba Minim) is replete with the overtones and demonstration of love for Hashem Yisborach!
<Heard From Harav Shimshon Pincus Z’L>
