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Shareכָּל מִצְוֹת שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה בֵּין עֲשֵׂה בֵּין לֹא תַּעֲשֶׂה אִם עָבַר אָדָם עַל אַחַת מֵהֶן בֵּין בְּזָדוֹן בֵּין בִּשְׁגָגָה כְּשֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה תְּשׁוּבָה וְיָשׁוּב מֵחֶטְאוֹ חַיָּב לְהִתְוַדּוֹת לִפְנֵי הָאֵל...
כֵּיצַד מִתְוַדִּין. אוֹמֵר אָנָּא הַשֵּׁם חָטָאתִי עָוִיתִי פָּשַׁעְתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ וְעָשִׂיתִי כָּךְ וְכָךְ וַהֲרֵי נִחַמְתִּי וּבֹשְׁתִּי בְּמַעֲשַׂי וּלְעוֹלָם אֵינִי חוֹזֵר לְדָבָר זֶה. וְזֶהוּ עִקָּרוֹ שֶׁל וִדּוּי. וְכָל הַמַּרְבֶּה לְהִתְוַדּוֹת וּמַאֲרִיךְ בְּעִנְיָן זֶה הֲרֵי זֶה מְשֻׁבָּח.
All commandments of the Torah, whether they be positive [do this!] or negative [don't do this!]— if a person transgresses any one of them, either on purpose or accidentally, when a person does repentance [teshuva] and returns from their sin, they must confess verbally before God...
How is the verbal confession made? A person says: "Please, God! I have sinned; I have been obstinate; I have trespassed against You, in doing this and that. Now, behold! I have repented and am ashamed of my actions; I'm never going to do it again." This is the essence of the confession, but anyone who elaborates in confessing and goes on and on is, indeed, praiseworthy.
2. Regret
3. Commit to not doing it again
וידוי זוטא
אָשַֽׁמְנוּ. בָּגַֽדְנוּ. גָּזַֽלְנוּ. דִּבַּֽרְנוּ דֹּֽפִי. הֶעֱוִֽינוּ. וְהִרְשַֽׁעְנוּ. זַֽדְנוּ. חָמַֽסְנוּ. טָפַֽלְנוּ שֶֽׁקֶר. יָעַֽצְנוּ רָע. כִּזַּֽבְנוּ. לַֽצְנוּ. מָרַֽדְנוּ. נִאַֽצְנוּ. סָרַֽרְנוּ. עָוִֽינוּ. פָּשַֽׁעְנוּ. צָרַֽרְנוּ. קִשִּֽׁינוּ עֹֽרֶף. רָשַֽׁעְנוּ. שִׁחַֽתְנוּ. תִּעַֽבְנוּ. תָּעִֽינוּ. תִּעְתָּֽעְנוּ:
Short Confession (English adapted from Kol HaNeshamah High Holiday Machzor, p. 819)
We have acted wrongly, we have been untrue, and we have gained unlawfully and have defamed. We have harmed others, we have wrought injustice, we have zealously transgressed, and we have hurt and have told lies. We have improperly advised, and we have covered up the truth, and we have laughed in scorn. We have misused responsibility and have neglected others. We have stubbornly rebelled. We have offended, we have perverted justice. we have stirred up enmity, and we have kept ourselves from change. We have reached out to evil, we have shamelessly corrupted and have treated others with disdain. Yes, we have thrown ourselves off course, and we have tempted and misled.
Which one of these is really standing out to you this evening?
הרב קוק, עין איה על פאה א טו
ע"כ כשם שיש תועלת גדולה לתיקון הנפש בוידוי העונות... בוידוי המצות, למען ישמח בהם בלבבו ויחזק ארחות חייו בדרך ד'.
HaRav Kook, commentary to Mishnah Peah
Just as there is a great benefit to self-improvement through confessing one’s sins, so is there great benefit to confessing one’s good deeds, in order that one will be happy in their heart and strengthen their ways in the path of God.
Ahavnu -We have loved,
Bachinu- We have cried,
Gamalnu- We have given back,
Dibarnu yofi- We have spoken great things!
He’emanu- We have believed,
v’Hish’tadalnu- and we tried to give our best effort,
Zacharnu- We have remembered,
Chibaknu- We have embraced,
Ta’amnu Sefer- We have chanted Your book!
Yatzarnu- We have created,
Camahanu- We have yearned,
Lachamnu avur ha-tzedek- We have fought for justice!
Mitzinu et ha-tov- We have exhausted all the good we could do.
Nisinu- We have tried,
Sarnu lirot- We have turned aside to see,
Asinu asher tzivitanu- We have done as You have commanded us!
Peirashnu- We have expounded Torah.
Tzadaknu, lifamim- We have been righteous, sometimes,
Karanu b’shimcha- we have called out in Your Name!
Ratzinu- We have been steadfast in our will,
Samachnu- We have rejoiced,
Tamachnu- We have supported one another.
How does this framework land for you? Do you find it helpful to use this time to think about not only our sins, but our merits as well?
Before his death, Rabbi Zusya said “In the coming world, they will not ask me: ‘Why were you not Moses?’ They will ask me, ‘Why were you not Zusya?’
In what ways have you not been you this year?
How can you tell the difference?
Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, in his book Jewish Wisdom, tells the story of Rabbi Samson Raphael Hirsch, the leader of the then-new Jewish movement in 19th century Germany called Orthodoxy, who surprised his students one day when, as he neared the end of his life, he insisted on traveling to Switzerland. Perplexed, his students asked him why such a journey was so important to him. In response, he explained, When I stand shortly before the Almighty, I will be held answerable to many questions. But what will I say when God asks – and he is certain to ask – “Shimshon, did you see my Alps?”
...
So maybe this year, instead of (or at the very least in addition to) focusing on the bad things we did, let’s ask ourselves: What are the good things that we haven't done? What haven’t we yet done to contribute to the transformative change that needs to happen in the world?
What is one good thing that you haven't done yet for your community, that you want to focus on in the coming year?
What is one good thing that you haven't done yet for the world, that you want to focus on in the coming year?
