We went through a difficult summer. My son developed a complicated medical issue; he suffered and so did we. I was dealing with doctors and various forms of healing, schlepping between hospital and home, with a painful upheaval of all routine. The life of every member of my family was turned upside down, and I hoped for a big yeshuah and a complete refuah. In Elul, I sat and made a cheshbon hanefesh – what did I need to fix? In my mind I reconstructed the past until I came to one of the years when I was in cheder.
There was a fight in the cheder courtyard, a serious fight that escalated until I, embarrassingly enough, hit a younger child.
The child cried for a long time, but I didn’t think it was a big deal. I went on with my life, and the incident was forgotten. Now I remembered it, and I felt that I had to appease that child who was no longer a child. I know him; he is an avreich who lives in another city – I had no idea exactly where, and how would I start searching for him?
I davened to Hashem to help me find this avreich in order to ask for his forgiveness. Each day I begged for this, using simple words from the depths of my heart.
Rosh Hashanah came. During the break before shofar blowing I went outside, and whom did I meet there? It was that boy! A nice avreich wheeling a baby carriage.
I stood in amazement. What was he doing here? He doesn’t daven in this shul. I bentched him with a chag sameiach and a shanah tovah and asked him what had brought him here.
“We’re staying with my in-laws,” the avreich said. “They live nearby, and I walked here with my wife so that she’d be able to hear tekios in shul while I watch the baby until they finish up.”
I was excited. “What hashgachah!” I told him about the memory that had surfaced in my mind. I asked him to forgive me for this fight, and that dear avreich forgave me fully and wished a refuah sheleimah to my son and a shanah tovah umesukah to me and my family.
Tears of joy and purity washed over me. I felt how Hakadosh Baruch Hu had mercy on me and brought me close to Him. He brought about the zechus that I would be able to ask for forgiveness, and come pure and clean to hear shofar.
