An amazing true story that shows how important it is to ask for mechilah

In the days leading up to Yom Kippur, we ask our friends to forgive us for having hurt them during the year. And we try to forgive those who have wronged us, too. This way, we hope Hashem will forgive our aveiros on Yom Kippur.

Which do you think is harder: to ask someone for forgiveness, or to forgive someone who hurt you?

Here is an amazing true story that shows how important it is to ask for mechilah, even if it’s years after the hurtful episode took place. (All identifying details have been changed.)

The Talmid Chacham’s Regret

Rav Chaim was a rosh yeshivah in Europe. One day, he suddenly developed a serious illness and had to be taken to hospital. The doctors did all sorts of tests and recommended different treatments, but nothing worked. Rav Chaim’s illness continued to worsen. He sensed he didn’t have much time left in Olam Hazeh, and began to prepare for Olam Haba. In the meantime, everyone was davening for his recovery.

One of Rav Chaim’s close friends went to visit the previous Rachmastrikva Rebbe of Yerushalayim, Harav Yisroel Mordechai Twersky ztz”l. He told the Rebbe about Rav Chaim’s serious illness. The Rebbe listened closely and then said, “Tell the choleh that he must do a complete teshuvah!”

Rav Nesanel felt very uncomfortable. How could he possibly tell Rav Chaim, who was such a tzaddik and talmid chacham, to do teshuvah? Rav Nesanel explained to the Rebbe that Rav Chaim was a tremendous talmid chacham who had certainly done teshuvah already.

Again, the Rebbe said, “Tell him that he must do a complete teshuvah!”

Rav Nesanel realized that the Rebbe wasn’t saying this lightly, and that he had no choice but to relay the Rebbe’s message to Rav Chaim.

He went to Rav Chaim’s hospital bed and told him what the Rebbe had said. After thanking Rav Nesanel, Rav Chaim thought long and hard about what the Rebbe might be referring to. Teshuvah? Ever since he realized that the doctors couldn’t help him, he had done one cheshbon hanefesh after the other. He spent all day, every day, doing teshuvah for all the big and small aveiros he could remember doing during his life. What was he forgetting?