On Repentance - Chapter 3, Part II

(4) Notwithstanding that the blowing of the ram's horn trumpet on Rosh ha-Shanah is a Scriptural statute, its blast is symbolic, as if saying: "Ye that sleep, bestir yourselves from your sleep, and ye slumbering, emerge from your slumber, examine your conduct, turn in repentance, and remember your Creator!...

(7) 7 The community is obligated to hear the tekiahs according to the order of the blessings (of the silent amidah prayer). How is that? The prayer leader says [the three standard introductory blessings known as], avot (forefathers), gevurot, (strengths) and kedushat Hashem (sanctity of the name); malkhiot (kingships); and blows three blows. He then says, zikhronot (remembrances) and blows three. Then he says shofarot (shofar blows) and blows three. And he [concludes with the concluding sections known as] avodah (service), hodiyah; (thanksgiving) and the blessing of the priests.

(1) You remember the dealings of [men in] today’s world, and You [also] consider the behavior of all those who lived in earlier times. In Your Presence are revealed all hidden things and the multitude of secrets from the beginning of creation; for there is no forgetfulness before the throne of Your Glory, and there is nothing hidden from Your eyes. You remember all that has been done, and even all that which is formed is not concealed from You. All is revealed and known before You Adonoy, our God Who observes and looks until the end of all generations. For You set an appointed time of remembrance, to consider every soul and being; to cause numerous deeds to be remembered and the multitude of creatures without end.

(5) If idolaters will demand one of a group of women, saying: "Yield us one of among you and we will defile her, if not we will defile you all", let all be defiled, rather than surrender to them one soul in Israel.⁴Terumot, 8.12. C. G. Likewise, if idolaters will say to a group of men: "Yield us one of you and we will kill him, if not we will kill you all", let all of them be killed rather than surrender to them one soul in Israel. If, however, they single out the one, saying: "Give us that man, if not we will kill you all", if he be guilty of a capital crime, as, for example, Sheba son of Bichri⁵See Second Samuel; 20. 1. G., they may surrender him to them, but it is not commendable to advise them to do so; if he be not guilty of a capital crime, they all must submit rather than surrender them one soul in Israel.

(359) Our God and God of our fathers,

(360) let our prayer come before you

(361) and do not ignore our supplication.

(362) For we are not so brazen-faced

(363) and stiff-necked

(364) to say to you,

(365) Adonoy, our God, and God of our fathers,

(366) “We are righteous and have not sinned.”

(367) But, indeed, we and our fathers have sinned.

(368) We have trespassed [against God and man, and we are devastated by our guilt];

(369) We have betrayed [God and man, we have been ungrateful for the good done to us];

(370) We have stolen; We have slandered.

(371) We have caused others to sin;

(372) We have caused others to commit sins for which they are called רְשָׁעִים, wicked;

(373) We have sinned with malicious intent;

(374) We have forcibly taken others' possessions even though we paid for them;

(375) We have added falsehood upon falsehood; We have joined with evil individuals or groups;

(376) We have given harmful advice;

(377) We have deceived; we have mocked;

(378) We have rebelled against God and His Torah;

(379) We have caused God to be angry with us;

(380) We have turned away from God's Torah;

(381) We have sinned deliberately;

(382) We have been negligent in our performance of the commandments;

(383) We have caused our friends grief;

(384) We have been stiff-necked, refusing to admit that our suffering is caused by our own sins.

(385) We have committed sins for which we are called רָשָׁע, [raising a hand to hit someone].

(386) We have committed sins which are the result of moral corruption;

(387) We have committed sins which the Torah refers to as abominations;

(388) We have gone astray;

(389) We have led others astray.

(390) We have turned away

(391) from Your commandments

(392) and from Your good laws,

(393) and we have gained nothing from it.

(394) And You are the Righteous One

(395) in all [punishment] that has come upon us;

(396) for You have acted truthfully

(397) and we have acted wickedly.

(154) Our God and God of our fathers,

(155) forgive our iniquities

(156)
On Shabbos add:

(157) (on this Shabbos day, and)

(158) on this Day of Atonement.

(159) Blot out and remove

(160) our transgressions and sins⁵⁰Were it not for the intervention of the wondrous power of Hashem’s grace, our moral and physical entity would have long ceased, as a consequence of our transgressions. This would have been our fate in accordance with the law of cause and effect which functions in Hashem’s world according to His will. It is only Hashem Himself, He Who originally ordained that law, Who in the omnipotence of His will, can also suspend that law. Only He can cause the wrong which was done to become as if it had never occurred. Only Hashem can uproot in its entirety the sin and consequential effect of sin. He has assured this wondrous power of His benevolent grace to every Jew who fulfills the true purpose of Yom Kippur by doing teshuva, true repentance. Thus we cry out to Him “Blot out and remove our transgressions and sins from before Your eyes” for in the words of the prophet, Hashem alone blots out our transgressions.

(161) from before Your eyes, as it is said:

(162) “I, I [alone] am He

(163) Who blots out your transgressions

(164) for My own sake;⁵¹Were Hashem to destroy us because of our transgressions, His Name would be desecrated among the nations of the world. Thus says the prophet, He blots out our transgressions for His own sake.—Metsudas Dovid
According to Malbim, “for My own sake” implies for the sake of the favor and lovingkindness which is His attribute (כִּי חָפֵץ חֶסֶד אָנִי).

(165) and your sins, I will not recall.”⁵²Yeshaya 42:25. This implies that our sins will be blotted out so thoroughly that not even the slightest trace will remain. Thus says Hashem, “and your sins, I will not recall” because there will be nothing left to recall.—Metsudas Dovid

(166) And it is said,

(167) “I have swept away like a thick cloud⁵³The word פְּשָׁעֶיךָ, your transgressions, which implies a wanton disregard of Hashem’s will is compared to an עָב, a thick cloud. Just as a thick cloud darkens the earth so too, our transgressions cause darkness in our lives.—Malbim

(168) your transgressions,

(169) and like a mist⁵⁴The word חַטֹּאתֶיךָ, your sins, which implies error, or sins committed unknowingly, is compared to an עָנָן, a mist cloud, which does not cause such terrible darkness. So too, our sins do not create such severe blackness in our lives.—Malbim your sins;

(170) return to Me,

(171) for I have redeemed you.”⁵⁵Yeshaya 44:22

(172) And it is said,

(173) “For on this day

(174) He will make atonement for you,

(175) to cleanse you;

(176) from all your sins,

(177) before Adonoy, you will be cleansed.”⁵⁶In our translation, the words, מִכֹּל חַטֹאתֵיכֶם are joined with the words לִפְנֵי ה' תִּטְהָרוּ, thus reading “from all your sins before Adonoy, you will be cleansed”; implying that the entire sentence is a statement of fact, i.e., that Yom Kippur is a day in which Hashem atones our sins. According to Targum Yonassan ben Uziel, however, the words מִכֹּל חַטֹאתֵיכֶם are joined to the previous words—לְטַהֵר אֶתְכֶם—changing the entire concept of the sentence. According to the Targum the sentence reads: כִּי בַיּוֹם הַזֶה יְכַפֵּר עֲלֵיכֶם לְטַהֵר אֶתְכֶם מִכֹּל חַטֹאתֵיכֶם. “For on this day He will make atonement for you to cleanse you from all your sins”; and thus the final three words of the sentence לִפְנֵי ה' תִּטְהָרוּ represent a command to cleanse ourselves before Him, as the Targum says: וְאַתּוּן קָדָם ה' תּוֹדוּן סוּרְחָנוּתְכוֹן וְתִדְכּוּן “And you—confess your wrongdoings before Hashem, and then you will be cleansed.” Klei Yakar, obviously influenced by Targum explicitly states that this sentence is not a blanket promise of atonement, for Yom Kippur atones only for those who cleanse themselves with honest repentance.

(5) All of the prophets commanded concerning repentance; Israel will not be redeemed save by repentance. Indeed, the Torah long since assured us that in the end, at the close of the period of exile Israel will turn to repentance and be momentarily redeemed, even as it is said: "And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessings and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt bethink thyself among all the nations, whither the Lord thy God had driven thee, and shalt return unto the Lord thy God, and hearken to His voice according to all that I commanded thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thy heart, and with all thy soul; that then the Lord thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the peoples whither the Lord thy God hath scattered thee" (Deut. 30.14).³Yoma, 87b. C. G.

Rabbi Eliezer says: If the Jewish people repent they are redeemed, and if not they are not redeemed. Rabbi Yehoshua said to him: If they do not repent, will they not be redeemed at all? Rather, the Holy One, Blessed be He, will establish a king for them whose decrees are as harsh as those issued by Haman, and the Jewish people will have no choice but to repent, and this will restore them to the right path.