I have taken off my cloak how will I put it back on? I have washed my feet how can I soil them?” (Shir Hashirim 5:3)
Rashi hears in this verse the cry of a despairing sinner who finds no purpose in donning his travel garments for he sees neither route nor recourse no possibility of retracing his steps. With the next verse however comes a ray of hope: “Dodi shalach yado min hachor — My Beloved stretched His Hand through the opening and my heart was stirred.”
What is this opening? And what is the message that transformed the offender’s perspective?
We’re all too familiar with sinning. Our personal pathways as well as the landscape of Klal Yisrael’s history are strewn with obstacles and stumbling blocks. We often falter or stumble and it can take great effort to regain our footing.
