Ha'azinu:
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Pasuk (32:18): "You ignored the Rock Who gave birth to you, and forgot G-d who brought you forth."

The Dubno aggid comes and gives the following homiletical explanation of the Pasuk: M"You forgot the rock that gave you the ability to forget and you forgot the G-d Who bore you."

The Dubno Maggid gives the following parable to help explain this Pasuk:

There was once a person who was accused of owing allot of money to a bank.  As a last hope, he hired a famous lawyer to help prove his innocents.
The lawyer advised him that the only chance that he has to win the court case is if he pretends that he is insane.  The court will then be convinced that such an insane man could not have received such a large loan from the bank, and he would be set free from the charges.

The man listened to the lawyer and acted insane, and at the end the case was dismissed, and he was a free man. 

The lawyer came over to him and then asked for payment for his service.
The man then started acting crazy, the lawyer then tells the man, "You can't convince me that you are crazy, for I was the one who taught you to act this way."

Hashem has blessed us all with the ability to forget, as long as we use this ability positively, it can be a great blessing, for it benefits those who have suffered past experiences, and forgetting, helps them get over the past and look forward to the future.  By forgetting the past painful experiences, one can look at the positive things in life, and still live a happy life, even though he may have suffered in the past.

However, if we use it to forget Hashem, then we are misusing our gift from Hashem. 

Every trait that a person is blessed with, can be used to bring one closer in the serving of Hashem, and can also take one further from Hashem.
It is up to each one of us to utilize what we are given, in a positive way.

The Baal Shem Tov writes that even undesirable traits one can use for constructive purposes.  For example, a person who has the trait of hatred, can use it to hate evil. 

Yom Kippur is a time where we confess the sins which we may have done during the past year, sins which we may have already forgotten, and we decide that we would like to better our ways during the coming year.

A human may forget, however Hashem remembers everything, if this is so, why do we have to mention the Vidduy (confession), on Yom Kippur?

Rav Dessler explains that we are only able to ask Hashem for forgiveness if we make the effort to recognize and deal with the hidden causes, the root, of our sins, this is the true need of Vidduy. Vidduy is here to awaken ones self about the true causes for ones sins.  One who tries to ignore the truth, and pretends that he is unaware of his sins, will find that Hashem ignores his prayers, measure for measure.  However, one who tries his best to discover the root of his sin, the cause of his present state, Hashem will then take effort to find favour in him.  

Let us not just hit our chest while saying the Vidduy, without taking thought on what we are confessing about.  Let us each try to find in ourselves how we may have done wrong, with each confession that we say, and may Hashem bring out favor for us and the rest of Clal Yisroel.

(Adapted from - Dubno Maggid, Sancturies in Time, Rabbi Goldwaser, Growth through Torah.)

Gemar Chasima Tova!