The Gemara (Bava Kama 50a) states that one who says that Hakadosh Baruch Hu is a "vatran" (that He dismisses wrongdoings), has forfeited his life. As a source for that statement, the Gemara quotes this week's parsha: "Hatzur tamim pa'alo, ki kol drachav mishpat". The D'var Avraham asks, how can the Gemara say that Hashem does not forgive wrongdoings? Don't we spend the entire Yom Kippur begging and pleading with Hashem to do just that - to forgive and forget our sins?
The answer is that there is a difference between vitur (disregarding a wrongdoing) and selicha (forgiveness). To ask of someone to be mevater on something means to ask that it be disregarded because you feel that what you did is not important enough to bother the offended party. Therefore, if someone says that Hashem is a vatran, he has forfeited his life since by definition, he has stated that he (and his actions) are not of any importance to anyone, so technically there is no reason for him to live. On the other hand, to ask for selicha, forgiveness, means to acknowledge that you have indeed committed a terrible offense, yet you are nevertheless asking the offended party to be kind and forgive your indiscretion. That, says the D'var Avraham, is the focus of Yom Kippur. Not to marginalize ourselves or our sins, but rather to confess them in great detail, and beg of Hashem that He forgive us for what we have done.
As we approach Yom Kippur, we should keep this valuable lesson in mind. We must realize our significance, and the importance of our actions. We must not attempt to downplay what we have done; rather we must truly regret all of the golden opportunities we have squandered, and promise to do better in the future. And in that merit, may we be zoche to a gmar chasima tovah, and a year full of bracha and hatzlacha.
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