Maimonides’

Hilchot Teshuvah

“The Rules of Repentance”

Translated by

Rabbi Yaakov Feldman

Chapter One

1. Anyone who either purposefully or accidentally transgresses any of the mitzvot of the Torah, either an imperative or a prohibition, must verbally confess to that before G-d when he does teshuvah and repents for his sin. As it’s written: "A man or woman whocommits a sin ... should confess for the sin he (or she) has committed" (Numbers 5:6-7).This refers to verbal confession, which is an imperative.One confesses by saying: "Please, G-d: I’ve sinned, transgressed and rebelledagainst You by doing thus and such. Behold, I’m remorseful and ashamed of my deed, andI’ll never do it again". That is the gist of confession; say more than that and expand upon it and you’re to be praised.Similarly, those who’d bring sin- or guilt-offerings for accidental or purposeful sinswould only be atoned for by those sacrifices after they’d have done teshuvah and verballyconfessed. As it’s written: "And he should confess to his sin" (Leviticus 5:5).Likewise, those culpable for a court-imposed death sentence or for flogging wereonly atoned for by their death or flogging when they did teshuvah and confessed.Similarly, one who hurt someone or caused him monetary damage would only beatoned for by confessing and resolving never to do that again, even after he repaid what he owed him. As it’s written: "When a man or a woman commits any of the sins one might commit ... he (or she) shall confess for the sin he (or she) committed” (Numbers 5:6).

2. Because the scapegoat acted as an atonement for all of Israel, the High Priest confessed upon it in the name of all of Israel. As it’s written: "And he will confess upon it all of the transgressions of the Children of Israel ....” (Leviticus 16:21).The scapegoat would atone for all the sins in the Torah: for the serious ones, andfor light ones; for those done purposefully, and for those done accidentally; for those thesinner was aware of, and for those he was not aware of -- as long as the sinner didteshuvah. But if he didn’t do teshuvah, the scapegoat would only atone for light sins. As to which are "light" or "serious" sins, the serious ones are those that incur acourt-imposed death sentence or spiritual excision. Vain and untrue oaths would also beserious sins, even though they don’t incur excision. All other prohibitions and imperativesthat don’t incur spiritual excision are light sins.3. In our days when the Holy Temple no longer stands and there’s no longer anatoning altar all there is, is teshuvah.Teshuvah atones for all sins. Even if one were a wrongdoer his whole life but he didteshuvah in the end, all his wrongdoing would go un-cited. As it’s written: "And thewrongdoing of the wrongdoer will not make him stumble on the day he does teshuvah forhis wrongdoing" (Ezekiel 33:12).Yom Kippur in itself will atone for those who do teshuvah. As it’s written: "He willforgive you on that day” (Leviticus 16:30).