One year, at the beginning of Chodesh Elul, the month of mercy and forgiveness, a young man asked me, “Honored Rav, with the arrival of Elul, we stand at the threshold of teshuvah and forgiveness. I would like to ask the Rav: What should I improve this month?”
“Tell me how your day goes, and I will instruct you in which area to improve,” I replied.
He was slightly taken aback and greatly ashamed to disclose such personal information. “I am embarrassed to reveal to the Rav what I do during the day. Not everything is up to par.”
“In that case, you know very well which areas in your life need improvement. Why, then, do you ask me to tell you?”
Unfortunately, there are numerous people who are stricken with countless sins. They erroneously feel that they are completely fine and have no need for teshuvah. With this attitude, their sins swell to untold proportions, year after year. When they are about to embark on their Final Journey, they will have a hefty load to lug along with them to the World to Come, and it will not be full of glistening gems.
But this man was in a good place. He was prepared to repent his misdeeds. B’ezrat Hashem, he will discover them and completely regret them. They will then be atoned for and transformed into merit.
