Teshuvah is a wonderful thing, but sometimes it comes too late to prevent the damage that has already been done. There is no time limit to teshuvah. It is always accepted, thus allowing for a person who has lived a life of abandon to die and leave this world as a tzaddik, righteous person. There is, however, a collateral damage with regard to his children. This is a damage that is irreparable. When parents go along their merry way, living a life of abandon, a lifestyle that is antithetical to Torah, they must remember that their children are watching. Impressionable minds are influenced by what they observe, and it becomes part and parcel of their psyche. At one point in their lives, the parents may decide that enough is enough. There is more to life than living for “today”, with a total disregard for the consequences. One of these consequences is their children, who unfortunately have learned a lifestyle that is wasteful and self-destructive.
This, explains Melitzei Aish, is the Torah’s message. Shicheis lo – lo, “Corruption, not him, but banav muman – his children, however, remain blemished.” Self-corruption may be repaired through teshuvah, but the children are lost – until they also come to their senses.
