HEAVEN - Day Six of Aseres Yemei Teshuva - In an unbelievable, last-second turn of events, a man on his deathbed did a complete teshuva—sincerely repenting and returning to Hashem—securing his portion in the Olam Shekulo Tov with just 0.4 seconds left on his life clock.
After being hit by a bus and rushed to a local hospital, 76-year-old Daniel Greenberg knew he wasn't long for this world. Remembering the famous teaching in Maseches Avodah Zarah that "there are those who acquire their eternity in a single hour," Greenberg achieved true, heartfelt teshuva right at the proverbial buzzer with his final breath.
"Whoooaaaa! The mad lad actually pulled it off!" one malach exclaimed in the Yeshivah Shel Ma'alah. "Incredible!"
Another added, "Amazing! He acquired his Olam Haba literally at the Neilah of his life!"
According to Shamayim sources, the tzaddikim and malachim eagerly welcomed Greenberg to the Heavenly Court, not feeling cheated at all by the fact that he spent a lifetime steeped in aveiros before repenting at the last second.
"The Rambam explicitly rules in Hilchos Teshuva that even if someone was a rashei gamur all his days and did teshuva in his final moment, none of his sins are remembered," noted the Malach Michoel. "The Gates of Repentance are always open, especially during the Aseres Yemei Teshuva."
According to the Satan, Greenberg was "this close" to a long painful, career in Gehenom. "I had the whole prosecution case written out for his Din," he complained, pacing nervously in the Heavenly Court. "Then he plays the ultimate teshuva m'ahava card right before his soul leaves his body. We got robbed!"
At publishing time, Greenberg's family was so moved by his dramatic final return to his Creator that they immediately began studying the parshas hashavua and announced they would be attending shul every Shabbos.
