Learning to forgive from the ultimate forgiver.

1986 Game 6 of the word series. NY Mets VS. Boston Red Sox. Mets are down by one run in the bottom of the tenth inning. Two outs and two strikes on Mookie Wilson. The tying run is on third and the winning run is on first. The crowd is going wild and suddenly the pitcher throws a wild pitch and the runner on third comes in to tie the game. Now the crowd is literally rocking the house. Then it happened. The Boston Red Sox gift of a lifetime. A bouncer to the first baseline. An easy enough play for the award-winning first baseman. Bill Buckner puts the glove down to pick up the ball and it bounces past him. The winning run comes home. The rest is history.

The following night the Mets go on to come back from 3 runs behind Boston and win the world series. As a Mets fan in NY, this moment would never be forgotten forever. However, there is another story that not that many people know about that is related to this event. 

Bill Buckner’s life would never be the same. Forced to quit Baseball as a type of Boston punishment for his error. His four years old son was blamed by parents of other children in school for the mistake that cost Boston the world series. Name-calling and fistfights occurred daily for the family. Bill never took the error so seriously however the fan's criticism was never-ending.

The Buckner’s decided to move far away from Boston and settled in on a ranch. It was not until Boston finally won a world series years later did the fans forgive him. And only a few years after that did Bill forgive the fans for the evil that they put his family through. 

Soon is Rosh Hashanah our day of judgment. The Bal Hatanya explains that since HaShem is infinite his power to forgive is infinite. Whatever mistakes we made can easily be erased as long as we are sincere in change. Chassidus explains that our obligation is to truly believe that once we repent for our misdeeds, we are a completely new creation. Our relationship is now with a clean slate, ready to write a new and better story of the future. A story that makes us proud of ourselves and a story of hope and strength. 

We as well should work hard to emulate HaShem's character and forgive our fellow Jew for any wrongdoing. Forgive the same way we would want to be forgiven if the situation was reversed. Keeping a grudge inside brings only negativity. Release the pain and agony from within and allow room for blessings to enter in its place. Wishing everyone a happy and healthy new year blessed with unlimited blessings. 

Yitzchok Friedman