It is related that the Baal Shem Tov zy”a once entered a boarding house and saw numerous merchants there, including horse dealers, cattle sellers, butchers, leather dealers, etc. It was during the time of year when the fair was open, and they had all come to buy and sell their wares. They would spend every day doing business, and they would come in the evening to the boarding house to rest.
When the Besh”t saw how immersed in their business these men were, he felt sorry for them. He said to them, “I have a question for you, my brothers. Can you tell me the difference in price between a good horse and a bad horse?”
The horse dealers began to laugh at the silly question. One of them spoke up and said, “There is a huge difference! A good horse that is able to run fast and which can carry a rider can fetch 100 gold coins or more. A bad horse that is too weak to run fast or carry and rider and can only pull a small cart can only be sold for 10 gold coins at most.”
The Besh”t, however, continued to speak and he asked, “Why is it good for a horse to be able to run fast? This could be a detriment. If it runs off the path, it will get very far away before you can catch it and get it back!” The merchants now understood that he was hinting to deep matters and they waited to see what he would say next. The Besh”t continued to say, “It is true that a fast horse may get lost and run far away but it will also get back on the right path very quickly!”
He then said in a voice full of love and pleasantness, “You should be able to understand on your own what I am getting at. You are all good Jews. You descend from great men. Even if you wander very far from the good path, do not despair! You still possess greatness within you and you can quickly return to the proper path.”
This is the meaning of the Navi’s words (Yirmiyahu 3:22): “Shuvu banim shovavim.” Return you backsliding children! Even if you have slid backwards, you are still Hashem’s children, and you can return to Him by doing teshuva. The road to do this is fully open during the month of Elul!
May we all merit doing a full teshuva out of love, so that our sins are transformed into merits, and may we all have a kesiva v’chasima tova!
