There was a misnaged who believed that everything he did against the chasidim was l'shem shamayim and a great mitzvah. He caused a lot of trouble for the great tzaddik, Rebbe Boruch'l of Mezhibuz zy'a, but he thought he was acting correctly. Before Yom Kippur, this misnaged approached Rebbe Boruch’l and said, "I don't really need to ask you forgiveness because everything I did was a mitzvah. However, since it is erev Yom Kippur, I thought it was nevertheless appropriate to seek forgiveness."
In response, Rebbe Boruch’l quoted the verse (Bamidbar 14:20), כדבריך סלחתי, and explained, "I forgive, in the manner that you spoke. You say 'I’m sorry', but you don't really mean it, and I say 'I forgive you', and I don't really mean it. סלחתי, I forgive you with the same sincerity, כדבריך, as you asked for forgiveness." But if we truly regret our aveiros, Hashem will accept our teshuvah and forgive us.
One year, on erev Yom Kippur, Rebbe Henoch of Alexander zt'l made a cheshbon hanefesh and felt very broken by his sins. He was so embarrassed and broken that he couldn't show his face in public. Throngs of chassidim were streaming to Rebbe Bunim of Peshischa zt'l on erev Yom Kippur to receive his brachos for a good year. Rebbe Henoch didn't want to miss out on this opportunity, but he was too ashamed to show his face! He decided to go to Rebbe Bunim together with a group of chassidim. He would stand on the side and receive the Rebbe's brachah without drawing attention to himself. After receiving the Rebbe's brachah, Rebbe Henoch tried to beat a hasty retreat, but Rebbe Bunim called him back. At that moment, Rebbe Henoch thought, "The Rebbe wants me. So, I'm not all that bad." As he approached the Rebbe, Rebbe Bunim told him to forget it and that he could go on his way.
Rebbe Henoch understood: When he was humble and broken from his sins, he was on an exceptional level, and Rebbe Bunim wanted something from him. Perhaps he wanted his tefillos or something else. He had a lot of potential then. But when arrogance overtook him, he lost that level, and the Rebbe sent him away.
