Question:
About 40 years, when I was growing up in Australia, we often had Shabbat meals together with my grandparents and first cousins. I remember one Shabbat when my cousin bravely tried to recite kiddush. It was difficult for him because he could barely read Hebrew. After stumbling through it, I foolishly made an embarrassing comment about how slow he was. I can’t remember how old I was at the time, but I was almost certainly under barmitzvah. My cousin has since moved to America where he is a very succesful and brilliant lawyer. I now live in Israel. We are on very good terms with each other but we speak extremely rarely becasue we are both so busy and he is not at all religious. The last time we communicated was probably a few years ago. I feel bad about embarrassing him. Should I email him to apologise? He may not even remember the incident, although he was probably quite hurt at the time so he might remember it.
Thank you
Answer:
Hello,
This seems the correct thing to do. You can write to him, that the incident that happened 40 years ago, believe it of ot is still gnawing at you, and you feel bad about it, and want to ask him forgiveness. Yes, it was childish at the time, but nevertheless you feel bad about it.
IY”H it will work out well.
Bet wishes
