Congratulating Him
Now after all this effort so you might think that you’re entitled to selichah mechilah, that you deserve a pat on the back. After all, you’re not merely putting in your application for teshuva by saying the long al cheits. You’re enhancing that application with the creation of a Torah mind; with attitudes that are prerequisites for real teshuvah.
And that brings us to the final attitude we want to acquire on Yom Kippur. It’s an attitude we’re speaking about all year long only that we’re not listening to what we’re saying so it doesn’t go into our heads. In the daily tefillos that we say every day we say Baruch Atah Hashem harotzeh b’teshuva – we thank You, Hashem, that You want teshuvah.
Now we don’t understand that. What does it mean that we’re thanking Him? As far as we’re concerned we think we're doing a favor if we do teshuvah. It's a gift from us to Hashem. Oh, how nice we are. We pat ourselves on the back for that.
So along comes the siddur and it teaches us that we have it all wrong. Baruch Atah Hashem means we are bent-kneed in gratitude to You Hashem. In the holy language, berech means a knee. And baruch means, the One to Whom everyone must bend their knees in gratitude. And so Baruch Atah Hashem – we bend our knees to You, Hashem, for the gift of teshuva. We’re thanking Him for accepting us back.
After all, when a person does wrong things, why should he be forgiven? Hanefesh hachotei he teimos – a man who does a sin, he should die (Yechezkel 18:20). How can a person expect forgiveness after estranging himself from the love of his Father? How can he expect to be forgiven after trampling on the law of the King of the world? Just because you’re going to come along today and try to acquire these attitudes included in Avinu Malkeinu and ask forgiveness? Try that with a king of flesh and blood and see how far it’ll go.
And yet, we’re told that we can expect it. Hakadosh Baruch Hu is willing to accept repentance and forgive us. He’s the Rotzeh b’teshuva! And so we say, “Baruch Atah Hashem; Thank You Hashem for wanting my teshuva; for wanting me back!”
That’s a good thing to think about the first maariv after Yom Kippur, even before you eat something. You’re in a rush to go home to a meal but at least that one bracha say slowly. Oh, such an opportunity to come back to you! It deserves the greatest gratitude!
And so we say Baruch Atah Hashem, we thank You Hashem, harotzeh, because You accept teshuvah. We thank You. We didn't expect it. We don't deserve it. You're willing to accept us back again.
And not only He’s willing but He even favors us. He smiles upon us if we do teshuvah. Harotzeh means it's a ratzon. He likes us! Oh, that's even more! We didn't think of such a thing. We were happy that He lets us come back at all. But He takes us back with open arms. He welcomes us back!
