Forgiveness from God and our Friends Part 1

(1) What is complete teshuvah? When a person has the opportunity to commit the same sin, and he possess the ability to do it, but he separates and does not do it because of teshuvah and not out of fear or lack of strength.

(2) What is teshuvah? It is when a person abandons the sin that he sinned and removes it from his thoughts and commits in his heart that he will not do it again, as it says, The wicked should abandon his path etc. (Isaiah 55:7). And also that he regrets sinning, as it says, After I returned I regretted (Jeremiah 31:18). And the One Who Knows Hidden Things testifies about him that he will never return to this sin, as it says, And we will no longer call the work of our hands “god” etc. (Hosea 14:4). And he must confess verbally and say these things that he has committed in his heart.

(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).

(6) Even though teshuva and crying out are desirable all year, on the ten days between Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur, they are more desirable, and are immediately received, as it says: "Seek out G-d and you will find him. Call to him, and he will be close" (Isaiah 55:6). This is talking about someone who is doing teshuva alone. But if someone if doing teshuva as part of a quorum, anytime that they do teshuva with a full heart, they are answered, as it says, [For what great nation is there, that has God so near to them,] as the Lord our God whenever we call to Him (Deuteronomy 4:7).

(7) Yom Kippur is a time of teshuva for everyone, for the individual and for the public, and it is the end of [the time for that's year's] forgiveness and pardoning for Israel. Therefore, all must do teshuva and confess on Yom Kippur. The commandment of confession for Yom Kippur starts on the eve of the day, before one eats [in preparation for the fast], lest one choke during the meal before [one gets the chance to] confess. Even though one confesses before he eats, he confesses again during the evening prayer the night of Yom Kippur. And he confesses again during the morning prayer, and the Musaf prayer, and the afternoon prayer, and during the Ne'ilah prayer. How does one confess [during these times]? Privately, after one's prayer [i.e. the Shemoneh Esrei]. And the cantor, during his prayer in the fourth blessing.