“… Know from where you came (mei’eiyin basa) and where you are going (ul’an atah holech) …”
The gemara tells us (Bava Metzia 107a), “that when one departs from the world he should be as pure [from sin] as when he entered the world.”
The Tapuchei Chaim also cites the pasuk (Devarim 28:6) “Blessed shall you be when you come in and blessed shall you be when you leave” to provide a deeper understanding of this precept.
He explains the person comes into the world “mei’eiyin” – spelled with a yud, signifying that he is a proper Yehudi, without any sins. However, he is going “l’an” – spelled without a yud, revealing that he is not the same proper Yehudi and he is now filled with aveiros and transgressions. As a result he will be required to give a din v’cheshbon – a reckoning – in Shamayim.
If one will keep be mindful of these words of warning he will ensure that his departure from the world will be with the yud, as a Yehudi free of sin.
