Confession

(6) Speak to the Israelites: When a man or woman commits any wrong toward a fellow man, thus breaking faith with the LORD, and that person realizes his guilt,

(7) he shall confess the wrong that he has done. He shall make restitution in the principal amount and add one-fifth to it, giving it to him whom he has wronged.

(1) All of the commandments in the Torah: whether they be the positive commandments, or the negative commandments; if a person transgressed any of them, whether he did so intentionally, whether he did so unintentionally, when he repents and returns from his sin - he is obligated to confess before God, blessed be He, as it says (Numbers 5:6-7), When a man or a women does any of the sins of man...and he shall confess his sin that he committed... - this refers to a verbal confession. And confession, that is a positive commandment. How does he confess? He says, "Please God, I have sinned, I have erred, I have [willfully but unrebelliously] transgressed, I have done such-and-such [specific sins], I am regretful, and ashamed for my actions, and I will never again return to my old ways." This is the essence of the confession, and anyone who wants to lengthen [his confession], this is praiseworthy...And also someone who has injured his fellow or damaged his property, even though he has repaid what he owes him, he has not atoned until he confesses and turns away from similar actions forever, as it says, From any of the sins of man (Numbers 5:6).

(3)Anyone who confesses verbally and does not commit in his heart to abandon [sin], this is like a person who immerses [in a purity pool] while holding an unclean creature in his hand, so that the bath is not effective until he sends away the unclean creature, and so it says, One who admits and abandons is given mercy (Proverbs 28:13). And he must specify the sin, as it says, This nation has sinned a great sin and made a golden god for themselves (Exodus 32:31)....

(5) It is very praiseworthy for the penitent to confess in public and disclose his sins to them, and reveal interpersonal sins to others and tell them: “I surely sinned against so-and-so and did such-and-such to him; but today, behold, I return and regret.” But anyone who is prideful and does not disclose, but rather hides his sins – his teshuvah is not complete, as it says, One who covers his transgressions shall not prosper (Proverbs 28:13). What situation are we talking about? Interpersonal sins. But with regard to sins between a person and the Omnipresent, one need not expose oneself; and it is arrogance if one reveals them. Instead, one should return before God, blessed is He, specify his sins before Him, and confess them in public only generally. And it is better for him that his sins are not revealed, as it says, Happy is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered (Psalms 32:1).

(1) Transgressions between people are not subject to atonement on Yom Kippur unless the offender appeases the offended party. Even if one aggrieved another with words alone, this appeasement is necessary. If one cannot effect appeasement at first, one must return a second and a third time, taking along three people. If the offended party will not be appeased after three visits, one may desist. [Rema: afterwards, however, the offender should relate before ten people that forgiveness was sought--Mordechai on Yoma, and Maharil]. If he is one's Rabbi, one must go to him several times until the Rabbi is appeased. [Rema: one should not be cruel and withhold forgiveness (Maharil), unless it is for the benefit of the one seeking forgiveness (Yoma). If one was a victim of slander, one need not forgive. (Mordechai and Smag and Hagahot Maimuni, Teshuvah chapter 2, and Mahariv).

(1) ...If one's friend were demeaned by lashon hara... and through this suffered physical, financial or other harm, this falls in the category of all the sins between people, for which even Yom Kippur and the day of death do not atone until one receives forgiveness. One must, therefore, ask pardon for this...and even if the other does not yet know anything about the matter, the offender must reveal what transgressions were committed and ask forgiveness, since the offender knows that harm was done through this speech.

(3) One should appease the other each time with new persuasions, and at the time of requesting forgiveness one must detail the specifics of how one wronged the other. If, however, the other would be embarrassed by learning the details of the transgression, then one should not mention specifics. Furthermore, one who requests forgiveness from a group is not exempted if one knows that a particular individual was specifically wronged.

This Level demonstrates that God is a King who endures insult to a degree that cannot be imagined. Behold, without doubt nothing is hidden from God’s awareness, and there is no moment when a human being is not nourished and sustained by the supernal power that descends from above. Therefore a person never sins against God without simultaneously receiving a sustaining flow of energy from God at the very moment of sin, animating the limbs. Despite the fact that the person uses this energy to sin, God does not withhold it in the least. Rather, God endures this insult and continues to provide the animating life force, even though the person abuses this power to sin, to rebel, and to attempt to anger God. Still, God endures the insult.

One cannot say that God does not have the power to withhold this energy from a person, Heaven forbid. God has the power to shrivel a person’s hands and feet with a single word, as God did with Jeroboam (Kings I 13:4). Despite the fact that God has the power to reverse the flow of energy, saying, “Since you sin against Me—sin with your own power and not Mine,” God nevertheless does not withhold this benefit; rather, God endures the insult and continues to send the flow of power, providing the person with God’s goodness. Behold, this is a level of insult and tolerance that cannot be described.

This is why the ministering angels refer to God as the King who Bears Insult. This is the meaning of “Who is God like You.” You are a God of kindness and generosity, a God with the power to take vengeance and take back what is Yours, yet You show tolerance to insult until the person repents.

Behold, this is a Level that one must emulate, meaning: tolerance. We must tolerate insult even to this degree and not retract the benefits we give to others.