As I was walking home Monday night from the Knesset after Yom Kippur I noticed cars back on the road again. In Sderot during Yom Kippur there is no, I mean no cars on the road, that holds true for most Jewish cities in Israel. Can you imagine walking down I-5 or any major road in your town where you live; well you can do it here one day a year.

As we were walking I turned to Kobi and said “Well it looks like walking in the street is over with until next year”. Then Kobi said something profound. “We are right back to where we were yesterday”, and sure enough we were. We had just finished praying that our sins would be forgiven; I mean the ink on the pardon wasn’t even dry yet and we’re back sinning. What’s wrong with this picture?

I remember as a kid, Dad taking us to Disneyland one day. There was a lot of traffic on the road so Dad decided to drive on the shoulder to speed things up. Well he got stopped by the CHP. Dad had the ability to talk his way out of traffic tickets and this time was no exception. With a “Sorry Officer it won’t happen again” we off and running again… right back on the shoulder. This time dad almost hit the same officer that had just pulled him over… Dad wasn’t as lucky this time!

Do we continue to sin and do our own thing, relying on the mercy of G-D? Should we be so foolish to continue tempting G-D as the children of Israel did in the wilderness? G-D forbid! How many times did your kids need to do something wrong before you spanked them? How long do we think our loving, caring, companionate heavenly Father will allow us to be rebellious before He spanks us? A loving father will not allow his children to act up without some repercussions of those actions will he?

David did some horrendous things in his life and was always able to ask for forgiveness and it was granted to him by Ha’shem but there were prices to be paid; a son died, 70,000 dead… There is no sin so great that G-D won’t forgive you if you ask Him but at the same time we shouldn’t be like a dog returning to its vomit either. Forgiveness is for those who honestly ask for it. If you are just looking for fire insurance… go to Allstate, but if you are looking to have your name written in the Book of Life then you need to come to your heavenly Father with a broken and contrite heart, and that He will not despise.