Waiting with Open Arms | Rabbi Ari Bensoussan

Vayimaen is this massive movement that we have now, Baruch Hashem, inside our Jewish world. And there are so many that come out all the time, who can follow all the Vayimaens? But then, a few weeks ago, I saw Don Ghermezian, and it inspired me. I was blown away by not just the story, but by his humility of giving over the truth. I was so blown away by it, I went to school that day and I played it for my boys on the board, and they all watched and they were wowed by it. But then one of my students, he said to me, Rabbi, but... Does Hashem really want us to come back? I've done things that I shouldn’t, I've looked at things that I shouldn't, and that was a beautiful story, but that worked for him. Does Hashem really want us to come back? And I told him the story I'm about to tell you. There was this incredible Rav, who lived in Russia during the time when you were not allowed to practice Judaism in Russia, and unfortunately, although he really held on as much as he could, his children, they were taken off by the KGB, and they were taken into what it was that the Russian Communist Society would brainwash them with. They had sent letters home, saying, We're done with your Neanderthalic way of life, your old way of looking at things. You can go back to the caves with your Jewish aspect. We’re enlightened now. This rabbi, eventually, he left Russia when the Jews were liberated from there, and he came to Israel. And he would end up building an incredible Kiruv organization of Russians. Forty years later, he was once giving a Shiur, and one of the Russians in the crowd had asked the same question that my student had asked me. Rebbe, I know there's a concept of Teshuva, but I've done so many things, I've looked at things I shouldn’t, I've eaten things I shouldn't, I've broken that which God built. Does He really want me back? And the Rebbe, the Russian Rebbe, who for years had put up with so much, who had never really cried all that much, through all the pain he'd been through, staying staunch and strong, stoic, finally broke, and he began crying. And he went over to that man, and he held his hand and he said to him, My sons, my sons, that the Russians took from me, if they would walk through that door right now, if they would walk through that door and come running up to me and say to me, Abba, Tatty, I'm so sorry. We've been so far. Please take us back. You think I would hesitate for a moment? Or do you think I would grab them up, hug them and kiss them and say, All that matters is that you're here in my arms right now. I said to my student, Hashem is not saddened by the sin. Hashem is saddened if the sin causes you never to return. Hashem is saddened if the sin convinces you that Hashem is too small to allow for His forgiveness to wash you clean. Thank you, Vayimaen, for giving me and giving so many Yidden that feeling, that knowledge, that Hashem loves us and is waiting with open arms for us to come back.