The Tefillah of Hareini Mochel

The Tefillah of “Hareini Mochel”:

Sefer Kadosh Yisroel (a biography of the Ahavas Yisroel of Vizhnitz zy”a) relates that when the Ahavas Yisroel once visited a certain city, several audacious people hung up flyers viciously besmirching both him and his holy ancestors. Some of the chasidim showed the Rebbe the flyer and told him that even though they knew the Rebbe was mevater and forgave them, he could not be mochel on the kavod of his fathers and, therefore, he had to respond.

The Rebbe replied by loudly proclaiming the words of the prayer recited before Kriyas Shema, “Ribono Shel Olam, I hereby forgive anyone who angered or started up with me.”