Recently, Hope and Temi (my 4-year-old daughter) have been reading a book about all the different types of cars and trucks that dominate our roads. Temi is a very bright, sharp and confident young girl (my wife and I each "humbly" take full credit). Naturally, Temi has absorbed the information from the book and has an impressive command of a wide array of cars and trucks.
However, even great people have challenges, and Temi is no exception. The other day Temi and I went for a walk through the streets of Bexley. Our stroll provided Temi the opportunity to show off her newfound knowledge. As we passed a Jeep, Temi yelled and declared that we were looking at a Jeep. When we saw a minivan, one could hear the chant of "I see a minivan, I see a minivan" down the block. Then came the pickup truck debacle. As we walked by a pickup truck, Temi emphatically stated that it was a dump truck. In the most sensitive, empathetic and caring way possible, I broke the news to Temi that she was mistaken. I explained that we were in fact looking at a pickup truck and not a dump truck. She looked at me dead in the eyes and said, "We are going to have to tell Mommy that she taught me the wrong truck!"
Questions for the Shabbos table: Next week the Jewish People will start to recite selichot (prayers of forgiveness) in anticipation of Rosh Hashanah. In order for a person to genuinely ask for exoneration one has to accept responsibility for his/her actions. Have you ever received an apology from a person who believes they did nothing wrong? Does their apology mean anything to you? How does the empty apology make you feel? Next week when we ask G-d for forgiveness, how do we ensure that we are sincerely remorseful and apologetic for our actions?
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