In the Talmud it states: "Rabbi Eliezer said: 'A person should do teshuva [repent] one day before his death.'" Therefore, a person must do teshuva every day, not knowing exactly when the day of his death will arrive. Rabbi Yochanan ben Zakkai explained this statement with a story.

Once, a king informed all of the people who resided in his palace that they were invited to a feast. However, he did not tell anyone at what time the party was scheduled.

Some of the servants said, "We have so much work to do. We cannot just cease working while we wait until the king tells us that it is time for the feast. When the king does decide that it is time, we will notice the preparations being made. Only then will we prepare ourselves and put on our fine clothes for the party."

Other servants were wiser. They said. "The king is capable of preparing a banquet at a moment's notice. We had better wash up and get dressed now, so we won't be caught off guard." They dressed in their finest clothing, eagerly awaiting any mention of the upcoming party.

After some time passed, the king suddenly made an announcement: "All residents of the palace are to come to the banquet hall immediately." Everyone rushed to follow the king's order. The clever servants were all dressed appropriately for a royal feast, and they proceeded to the banquet hall. The ones who had not prepared themselves were afraid that they would be locked out if they didn't hurry, so they didn't take the time to change out of their soiled work clothes.

The king was very pleased with the wise servants and served them a lavish feast. To the other servants he turned and said, "Fools! Why did you not get ready immediately? Did I not tell you that I was preparing a banquet? How dare you arrive in shabby work clothes! You do not deserve to partake in the feast!"

"What shall we do?" the servants asked, shame-faced.

The king replied, "You will stand by and watch as the others enjoy their feast. Your embarrassment will be your reward."

Rabbi Yochanan explained to his students, "You must be like the clever servants in the story. G-d can summon any one of us to His palace with a moment's notice. Prepare yourselves each day, through teshuva and good deeds. Then when your time comes, you will ascend directly to heaven with pure souls, and you will be admitted at once to the "banquet," to enjoy G-d's presence. This is the way of the righteous.

"The foolish servants are like people who feel that they can behave in any fashion for their entire life, and who insist that they will improve their behavior right before they die. When they are summoned to Heaven, sometimes at a moment's notice, they arrive still wearing their "dirty clothes," their bad deeds that they hadn't done teshuva for. Imagine their shame as they see the righteous enjoying the feast that G-d has set out for them.

Reprinted from the Tzivos Hashem Newsletter