We are nearing the end of the Ten Days of Repentance. This is a very important time for introspection and repentance.
These Ten Days of Repentance are a gift from Hashem because they require us to take stock of our lives. Yom Kippur itself is a gift from Hashem as well, because it is a day of forgiveness. In fact, the Mishnah states that Yom Kippur is one of the two happiest days of the year; as the Gemara explains, this is because it is a yom selicha umechila, “a day of forgiveness.” Hashem has given us a unique opportunity to repent, change and be granted forgiveness. Of course, forgiveness does not come for free; it is the result of a process of repentance.
