#selichos

His friend smiled and said “that’s one way of looking at it. There are other ways of looking at it”

My husband said “do share?”

One more week and it’s already the Yom HaDin. One more week to prepare ourselves for the great day of Judgement. We all know that on Rosh Hashana Hashem is judging our deeds of the whole year and decides on our next year. For many of us this could be a little bit frightening as we all know in our hearts what we did or didn't do this past year. Someone just showed me a sefer in which they speak about a certain Moroccan Jew living in Paris called "David". This David was a top exporter of Moroccan esrogim. Every year he would visit Gedolei Yisroel -among whom Rav Shteinman shlit'a- and gift them the most beautiful Moroccan esrogim. David had a wealthy neighbor and friend in Paris who -as the story goes- happened to be the son-in-law of the Moroccan king. One day he asked his neighbor if his father-in-law would come to visit sometimes. "Not a lot" the king's son-in-law answered him, "Usually we'll have to go there, but sometimes he does come to see the grandchildren". "Tell me," David was intrigued, "I never met nor spoke to a king. Would it perhaps be possible for me to talk to your father-in-law once he's here?" The neighbor told him he could try. Some time passed by and he called David over and told him "the king is here, you can come if you'd like to meet with him". Excitedly David rushed to his neighbor's house and had an audience with the king. At one point during their conversation the king asks him if he has children and how old they are. "Yes, I have" David answered politely, "the oldest is seventeen and the youngest turns Bar Mitzvah in a month". "He turns what?" the Moroccan king asked. "Bar mitzvah?" "Thirteen" David quickly corrects himself, "by us -by the Jews- thirteen is an important age when the boy becomes responsible for all of his own deeds and becomes legally obligated to abide by all of G-d's laws set out for us". "I see" the king slowly says, "tell me. Would it be appropriate for me as a non-Jew to give him a gift? I understand it's a important religious thing, so I'm wondering if I could give one?" A little perplexed David the Esrogim seller smiled, "yes, sure it is. A gift is always appreciated from anyone." The king now pulled out a chequebook, wrote a cheque and handed it to David. The man took the cheque, looked at it and started to tremble in complete shock, it said "$40.000,-". A sight the king noticed, "I see you're all shaken up. But you don't understand. I am a king. Whenever I give out presents I do not give less than $40.000 because I'd be downgrading my own kingship. I only give 40.000 or more. Not less. It would be a affront to my honor". The king couldn't have people talking about him being a miser for giving less. 

This Shabbos is also called “Shabbos Selichos” because Motzei Shabbos we (Ashkenazim) start saying Selichos, begging Hashem to forgive us for everything we did and that He will accept our prayers on Rosh Hashana.

If the Moroccan king -who is merely of flesh and blood- is already like that than even more so should the King of Kings be gracious upon us. This is also what we say in Shemonei Esrei by Shema Koleinu, “שמע קולנו ומלפניך מלכנו ריקם אל תשיבנו” [and do not turn us away empty handed from before You Our King] because it would be a disgrace to Your Kingship.

cont: Nevermind that previous ask. I answered my own question I think. It’s motzei shabbos. I should have thought about that.