“…. it is the Day of Atonement to provide you atonement before Hashem” (Vayikra 23:28)
Hashem has granted Klal Yisrael the gift of being able to attain atonement for our sins, unlike a secular court, which metes out punishment to an individual who has committed a crime. Furthermore, a person who does teshuvah is even considered on a higher level than a tzaddik.
Rabbeinu Yonah notes in the first chapter of Shaarei Teshuvah the awesome magnanimity of Hashem, Who has detailed for us the process of teshuvah that will enable us to free ourselves from our wrongful deeds, to escape punishment, and to quell His ire.
We learn in the Medrash Shir HaShirim, that Hashem says: Open for Me an opening like the eye of a needle, and I will open for you openings through which wagons and carriages can enter. All that Hashem requires is a very small gesture in the right direction. This is, as our Sages tell us, because Hashem knows the nature of a person, and it is difficult for one to reverse his disposition and temperament. We are promised that one who desires to repent will immediately be accepted by Hashem.
Moreover, Hashem’s kindness concerning the teshuvah process is so great that Hashem has even made provisions for those situations where a person may not know he has sinned and as a result he will not do teshuvah. As we learn (Avos 3:16), “Hashem wanted to bestow merit upon the Jewish people…”
The Sefer V’Ahavta Osanu cites that the first Mishna in Shavuos discusses the laws concerning an individual who either entered the Beis HaMikdash or partook of the sacrificial foods lacking awareness at some stage, or forgetting that he was spiritually impure. What happens if the individual had no idea, was not at all aware that he had committed a sin? How will he repent if he does not know he sinned?
The Mishna tells us that although he is not aware that he needs to do teshuvah, the sacrifices of goats that are brought on the Shalosh Regalim (Pesach, Shavuos, and Succos) and on Rosh Chodesh atone for the serious aveirah of his impurity. That is one of the greatest kindnesses that Hashem provides for us.
In addition to the opportunity we have of doing teshuvah when we know we have sinned – by acknowledging the transgression, regretting having sinned, admitting that we have sinned, making a commitment not to repeat the sin in the future, prayer and charity – we are fortunate to be able to attain atonement even when we are unaware that we have sinned.
Our Sages tell us (Avodah Zarah 3a) that Hashem doesn’t require more from a person than he is able to do. In that context, the Rambam (Hilchos Talmud Torah 3:13) states, “A person who desires to merit the crown of Torah, should be careful with all his nights, not giving up even one…” Our commentaries expound that the words “his nights” (as opposed to “all the nights”) tell us that each person’s “night” of learning Torah is unique to him, only demanding that which he personally can achieve, and not that which someone else can do.
An individual came to the hospital for surgery, but the procedure was delayed. The nurse informed the patient that he would have to wait until later in the day but he could not eat or drink anything since she didn’t know the exact time of the surgery.
A rav who was nearby overheard the conversation and sympathized with the patient.
“Don’t have mercy on me,” said the man in pain. “I know very well why this is happening to me. I used to be a shomer Torah u’mitzvos (an observant Jew), but I left Yiddishkeit. I often didn’t fast, even though I knew I had an obligation to do so. Now I am forced to fast, instead of getting a mitzvah for fasting.” The man was despondent and regretted the direction his life had taken.
The rav was very moved and asked him, “Do you know what today is?”
“No,” he answered.
“Today is Asarah B’Teves,” said the rav.
The man broke down in tears and cried bitterly. He had been granted Divine assistance to be able to fast on the Tenth of Teves, although he had never had such an intention originally. The man took it as a sign from Heaven that Hashem still loved him and wanted him to resume doing mitzvos.
After the surgery, which was successful, an interesting sheilah was posed to R’ Yitzchak Zilberstein. The man wanted to know whether he could recite the tefillah of Aneinu that is said on fast days, even though at the outset he had no intention of fasting.
The answer given was that in the Shulchan Aruch it says that even if a person had fasted for a few hours involuntarily because he had become preoccupied with work, and then he decided to fast the rest of the day, he can say the tefillah of Aneinu. So too, in this case, where the person had originally not eaten because of his anticipated surgery, and had not given any thought to fasting for the mitzvah, he could now recite the tefillah of Aneinu.
The man saw this as the first step on his journey back to Yiddishkeit. “This emanated from Hashem; it is wondrous in our eyes” (Tehillim 118:23).