One last thing: I read something nice on Yom Kippur. There’s a collection of Divrei Torah that is printed up and given out in my shul every week. I enjoy reading most of it. It happens to contain a small piece from Avi Weiss most of the time, and I usually skip it. On Yom Kippur, someone told me to read it, as it has a nice story. I did read it, and enjoyed the story (although I didn’t necessarily agree with his message). Here’s the story:
One Yom Kippur a congregant of the father of the Hasidic movement Rabbi Yisrael Baal Shem Tov entered into the synagogue, prayed for several moments and left.
The rabbi was stunned. The congregant was well known in the community and had finished his prayers in such haste. “Why,” the rabbi asked him, “were you so quick?”
“I’ll tell you,” the man replied. “I felt that the prayer I offered connected to G-d. I sensed deep inside that G-d had heard my requests.”‘
“What did you say, “the Baal Shem Tov asked, “What did you say that made you believe G-d listened?”
“I admitted before the Holy One, blessed, be He, all my sins. I indicated that there were days that I missed prayer, and yes, as a butcher there were times I was not honest in measurements. Looking up to the Ark I said to G-d, “I’ll make a deal with you. If you forgive me, I’ll forgive you for all the pain that too often suffuses the world.”
The Baal Shem Tov looked at the man, embraced him and said. “Naarishe kind – foolish child, you had G-d by the coattails. You could have asked him to forgive the entire Jewish people, indeed the entire world.”