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Forgiveness Makes No Sense!

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Forgiveness Makes No Sense!

On what grounds should you forgive me if I wronged me? Yom Kippur is a day of forgiveness. Learn from G-d, the ultimate Forgiver.

Topics:

Forgiveness, Yom Kippur

By Aryeh Weinstein

Rabbi Aryeh Weinstein is the Director of the Jewish Learning Academy at Lubavitch of Bucks County, Pennsylvania as well as the Rabbi of The Shul at Newtown. Rabbi Weinstein is the host of the Beginning Within podcast and the creator of The Bar Mitzvah Prep School to help Bar Mitzvah boys prepare for their Bar Mitzvah in a meaningful way.

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6 Comments

Steven Stone Las Vegas, Nevada USA September 24, 2015

Forgivness I believe forgiving is different than not forgetting. By not forgiving it becomes something terrible that takes up space in our lives and festers like a disease. Take a person you are angry that you didn't have a deep personal relationship with. That person passes away. Are you going to carry that grudge the rest of your life? Its always better to forgive but not forget. Reply

Moshe NY September 22, 2015

Should I forgive everyone, even those who killed my child Should I forgive everyone, even those who intentionally killed my child or relative, who declared "death to Israel", "death to Jews"? How it can be that while Judaism value life as the highest treasure at the same time teaching to forgive those who inflicts loss of Jewish life. This is the fundamental question. In your video clip, although it is very good, you have addressed only the very obvious and very superficial situations on the level of a husband and wife. It is easy to address and easy to forgive. Try to forgive your blood enemy. This is totally different story. Please elaborate. Reply

Peggy Western PA September 12, 2013

A beautiful concise explanation of forgiveness. If one listens to this message with God in mind, one will find His shalom for ones life. Reply

Avraham California September 12, 2013

Forgiveness is often described as a healing tonic force by which those who offer forgiveness are healed from the harm done them. We should not trivialise the necessity of the perpetrator of that harm to accomplish all the components of atonement as the Rambam ( Maimonides) described. Anything less than that is both ineffective in rectifying injury and provides an easy way out for the perpetrator who has not improved his /herself in any way. Yom Kippur should not be regarded as an opportunity for appealing to Hashem's relationship with us as the rationale for begging for forgiveness but an opportunity to explore the full ramifications of atonement. Similarly I disagree with the Rabbi's opinion that it is the depth of a relationship between people that may serve as an incentive for both asking for and offering forgiveness. That is an ineffective exchange of niceties .. The most obvious example of the critical importance of not trivialising forgiveness is the impossibility of anyone being able to either ask for or offer forgiveness for murder. Since the victim is not available -from whom can the murderer beg forgiveness?
The work by Simon Wiesenthal ( The Sunflower) is the finest account of the possibilities and limitations of forgiveness and should be required reading for all Jews. Mr Wiesenthal describes his real -life account ( in a concentration camp ) of being asked by a dying nazi to provide forgiveness for the murder of Jews. The issue is- how should Wisenthal respond to this dying murderer?
Let us not trivialise forgiveness- lest we forget.., Reply

Nelson Dallas September 12, 2013

"Forgiveness Makes No Sense" presentation A simple, clear and very helpful explanation on a topic of deep meaning and importance. Thank you.
Have an easy and meaningful fast. Reply

Fernande Canada April 7, 2013

You're wonderful Rabbi Reply

Forgiveness Makes No Sense!

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