Story: repentance

With great remorse, a man entered the private room of Rabbi Shmuel of Lubavitch to ask for a formula for repentance. Since the man was ashamed to admit that he was the sinner, he explained that a friend had committed the sins and was too embarrassed to appear before the Rebbe personally. Therefore, his friend had asked him to come to the Rebbe on his behalf. Consequently, the visitor then gave the Rebbe a list of sins his “friend” had supposedly committed.

“What a fool the other man is,” the Rebbe answered with a knowing smile, “instead of sending you to ask for him, he could have come himself and said that you sent him!” (Told by the Rebbe, 12 Tammuz 5714.)