Weekly Parsha Review Laced with Humor and Sarcasm from The Oisvorfer Ruv

Yom Kippur 2021: Michila (Forgiveness In 12 Easy Steps)

Raboyseyee and Ladies,

MICHILA (FORGIVENESS IN 12 EASY STEPS)

We’re back in 2021 with our annual Michila (forgiveness) form. We are back  because you went back to your old ways, mamish minutes after Yom Kippur 2020 was over. You hurried the Maariv davening (as you do daily during the year), you then rushed out of shul as if someone yelled fire, and not five minutes into the meal, you were bad-mouthing the head of seating, the parents whose kids were climbing on the benches, the chazan, the speaker, the rabbi, and a few of the men and women you stam azoy saw in shul today. Oy vey!

Let us not forget the massive amounts of hurtful things that came out of your mouth this past year. The number of people you gossiped about, slandered and worse. What could be worse? Not much! Oy vey!

Your slate, efsher clean as you left shul last Yom Kippur, is filthy all over again. But lucky for you, the RBSO is about to give you another chance to get your act together.  Says the heylige Toirah (Vayikro 16:30), azoy: “For on this day [Yom Kippur] He shall effect atonement for you to cleanse you. Before G‑d, you shall be cleansed from all your sins.” Is that it? What could be better?

Not so fast buddy because avada you recall learning, or already know, that on Yom Kippur, the RBSO mercifully forgives and even erases all the sins we have committed “before G‑d”—but not the sins we may have committed against our fellow man. Yikes, and let’s get real: the RBSO knows just who you are and why you behave as you do. After all, that’s how He made us. We are less than perfect and He is seemingly Ok with us as long as we try and also apologize at least once a year by fasting and klapping “al cheyts” (beating our chests) several hundred times. During davening, and in raised voices, we repeat over and again the RBSO’s 13 Attributes of Mercy. Of course, there are other symbolic minhogim (customs) instituted over the years including increasing charity giving and waiving a chicken over our heads. Shoin, we have -over the past eleven years delved into each of these, and for those interested, click here www.oisvorfer.com and search Yom Kippur for more on these topics.

Ober, our rebbes also taught us those sins between man and man (too, include man and a woman, especially not your own), require personal apologies and requests for forgiveness.

Back in yeshiva the heylige Ois was taught that one should go as far as circling the house of one he has offended in the hopes that the offended will make an appearance so that one can then engage in personal michilah?

Ober is this practical given the number of people you offended? And let’s not forget the traffic between homes. Nu, thank the RBSO and avada Al Gore for inventing the internet and others who gave us text, WhatsApp, Fact time and other means of instant communication, and today, especially during corona times, when according to some it’s mamish dangerous to extend a hand in asking for forgiveness, we have the ability to do so by email. And to simplify the procedure and without much emotion or even sincerity – nebech, you too may ask and also get forgiveness and thereby improve your chances with the RBSO for your giferliche behavior this past year.

And the good news? Just as the offending individual is enjoined to sincerely seek forgiveness, so too, the victim is expected to wholeheartedly forgive—provided he/she is assured that the plea for forgiveness is indeed or somewhat sincere. To gain proper michila in 5782 for sins committed in 5781 and before, simply follow these very simple instructions.

 PRE YOM KIPPUR MICHILA (FORGIVENESS FORM):

WHO SHOULD USE THIS FORM?

ALL SPEAKERS AND FACILITATORS OF LOSHOIN HORO AND OR RICHILUS.

  • Note:  MAY ALSO BE USED BY THOSE WHO LISTENED TO THE ABOVE, AND MAMISH ENJOYED HEARING THE GOSSIP.

 

II: CAN ALSO BE USED TO SAY I’M SORRY TO ANYONE ELSE YOU PISSED OFF DURING THE PAST YEAR, OR EVEN YEARS, INTENTIONALLY OR NOT.

III: THIS FORM MAY –AT YOUR OWN RISK- ALSO BE USED IN LIEU OF FLOWERS AND OR JEWELRY BETWEEN HUSBANDS AND WIVES, PREFERABLY YOUR OWN!

COMPLETE ALL FIELDS

1- Sinner’s Name (you!) ____________________________

2- Sinner’s Cell # (yours)___________________________

3- Sinner’s email address (List all email addresses used during the past 12 months to bad-mouth a friend, relative, business partner, your rabbi, and including those you barely know__________________________________________

4- EMAIL ADDRESS OF THE PERSON WHOSE FORGIVENESS YOU SEEK

To: ____________________________

(List person(s) you aggrieved and from whom you seek forgiveness). Use a new form for each recipient. Use extra sheets if necessary.

5- LIST YOUR SPECIFIC SIN AGAINST THE PERSON

What I specifically said or wrote about you. Attach copies of any and all emails, text messages, and anything that you wrote, exchanged and or forwarded about another friend, relative and others, here___________________

5a- YOU ARE ON A ROLL; LET’S COMPLETE THE FORM AND COME CLEAN

Name of offended goes here: ________________. I owe you an apology. And I also want you to know that I Googled you mercilessly and then took great delight in forwarding any and all schmutz to all on my email list.

6- CIRCLE THE APPROPRIATE BOX:

How many times I bad mouthed you in the past year:

1-5

6-10

weekly

whenever the opportunity presented_____________ whenever your name came up in regular conversation____________.

7- I am sorry!

ADDITIONAL NOTE TO THOSE OFFENDED:

8- We are in this together.

9- I am indeed guilty as charged for being the conduit for others reading, receiving and then further forwarding the schmutz I dug up on you, and though I mamish had fun at your expense, though I mamish did bad, I beseech you and ask that you offer me mochila (forgiveness) in order that the RBSO will go easy on me.

10- Why should you consider my request and offer complete forgiveness? Because it’s likely the case that you did the same: you too are guilty as sin of disseminating loshoin horo. Don’t be walking around like a victim! If you don’t forgive me, you are nothing but a hypocrite and the RBSO should punish you severely. Moreover, I will tell everyone on my email list that you are bad!

11- I am willing to forgive you if you forgive me. Shoin!

12- Thank you

Signature______________________

Notarized______________________


Wishing you all a Gemar Tov and an easy fast-

The Heylige Ois

Yitz Grossman

 

 

 

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1 Comment

  1. GAVELOCK
    September 15, 2021 - 2:55 pm

    This one is great!
    How you come up with the material is unbelievable!

    Reply

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