Forgiveness
Even if one Sinned Many Times:
Even if one does teshuva every year during the Yomim Noraim but still falls quickly back to his old ways year after year, he should not despair and think that there is no hope for him. He should know that the gates of teshuva are still open for him. In His infinite mercy, Hashem will forgive him again and give him another chance.
It is related that the Ruzhiner Rebbe zy"a was once instructed by his doctors to spend time by the ocean. For this purpose, he traveled to the seaside city of Odessa.
The Rebbe was informed that a grandson of Rav Yaakov Emden, whose name was Meir, lived in Odessa. This Meir had been a talmid chochom and ben aliyah who had left the proper path. He also was extremely poor. The Rebbe met him and invited him to come live in Ruzhin, promising to support him financially if he did so.
R' Meir agreed. He moved to Ruzhin, where the Rebbe took care of all his physical needs, and he became a baal teshuva.
One day, the Rebbe noticed that Meir looked very sad. He asked him why he seemed so upset, and said, "If it is because of your sins, your teshuva took care of that!"
He answered, "I sinned so much, and even after I did teshuva, I have sinned some more. I don't know if my teshuva will be accepted again."
The Rebbe told him, "Meir, they say that you are a genius and a big lamdan. Therefore, I will answer you in an analytical way.
"During the tefillos of Rosh Hashanah, we say: 'For You are the forgiver and pardoner (salchan u'machlan) of the tribes of Yisroel. We may ask why we say the words 'salchan u'machlan', when the words 'soleach u'mochel' seem more appropriate. The answer is seen from the verse that states (Shemos 23:5): 'Rovetz tachas masai (crouching under its burden).' The Gemara (Bava Metziah 33A) says 'rovetz v'lo ravtzan.' Rashi explains that 'ravtzan' means an animal that is accustomed to this, as opposed to 'rovetz', which means that it happened once. We see that an extra ‘nun’ indicates something that happens consistently.
"Thus, we are saying that Hashem forgives us consistently, not just one time. Even if we need to do teshuva many times, He will always forgive us."
One Who Forgives Others is Forgiven by Hashem:
One year before Rosh Hashanah. The Chofetz Chaim zt'l said in a shmuess to his students, "When a person turns to Hashem on erev Rosh Hashanah and declares that he wants to do teshuva, Hashem could answer him, 'Why should I forgive you? You were busy with your desires all year. You sinned against Me. Why should I allow you to repent?'
"There is, however, one way that we can appease Him. If we forgive our friends who sinned against us, then He will, in turn, forgive us. This is a kal v’chomer. If a flesh and blood human being can overcome his natural instinct to hold a grudge, then Hashem, the Father of Mercy, will certainly forgive him."
All Sins are Considered Accidental:
The pasuk states (Hoshea 14:2): "Because you have stumbled in transgression." Sefer Avodas Yisroel writes that this refers to the time of the destruction of the Bais Hamikdosh, when everyone was surrounded by suffering. Since life was so difficult and people could not think straight, all their sins were considered accidental.
Our Defense is that We Accepted the Torah:
The Medrash (Pesikta on Rus, 61) states that in the future, the leaders of the nations of world will come with claims against the Jewish nation. They will say that the Jews served idols just like they did. At that time, the Heavenly defender of Klal Yisroel will be silent, as the pasuk states (Daniel 12:1): “At that time, Michoel stood (in silence)."
Hashem will then say, "Why are you remaining silent and not defending My children? I promise that I will speak of their charity and save My children.
"With what charity? With the charity they did to My world by accepting My Torah. For if they had not accepted it, I would have returned the world to nothingness."
The Satmar Rov zy"a (Divrei Yoel on Rosh Hashanah, Ois 62) asks why Michoel was silent. Why didn't he even attempt to defend Klal Yisroel?
He answers that his silence actually helped the Jewish people. This prophecy is regarding the end of days, the era right before the arrival of Moshiach, when the nation will be full of sin, and the prosecuting forces will come with many accusations. Michoel will have no good defense. Therefore, he will be silent because he knows that Hashem will then step in Himself to speak up in the nation's merit because they accepted the Torah. And when Hashem Himself speaks in defense of Klal Yisroel, no angel will have the audacity to dispute Him.
With this in mind, he explains the words of the piyyut: "B’ein meilitz yosher... Without any defender against the reciter of sin.' This means that when we have no one to defend us from the words of the prosecutor, and even Michoel is silent, then Hashem will come and speak "words of laws and judgements”. He will defend us by bringing up the fact that we accepted His laws in the Torah, and this will save us.
