User:Sije/Mishneh Torah/The Book of Wisdom/Laws of Repentance/Chapter Two
Chapter Two
1 Which is complete repentance? One who had the same opportunity as when he sinned, and it is possible for him to do so, and he withdrew and did not do it because of his repentance; not from fear and not from weakness of strength. How? One who came unto a women in sin, and afterward in time he was secluded with her, and he remains in his love of her and in the strength of his body and in the province in which he sinned, and he withdrew and did not sin – this is a man of complete repentance. This is what Solomon said: "And remember your Creator in the days of your youth". And if he only repented in the days of his old age, and in a time that he it is not able to do what he has done – although it is not superb repentance, it is helpful for him and he is a repentant. Even if he sinned all of his days, and he repented on the day of his death, and he died with his repentance, all of his sins are forgiven, as it says: "As long as the sun will not darken, and the light and the moon and the stars, and the clouds return after the rain" - which is the day of death - which implies that if he remembered his Creator and repented before he will die, it is forgiven for him. 2 And what is repentance? It is that the sinner should leave behind his sin, and should remove it from his thought, and should determine in his mind that he shall not do it again, as it says: "The wicked shall leave behind his way, and the man of evil his thoughts". And so shall he regret on that he committed as it says: "For after my repentance, I regreted", and He Who Knows secrets should testify upon him that he shall never return to this sin, as it says: "And we will no longer say 'our god' for the work of our hands". And he has to confess with his lips and say these things that he determined in his heart. 3 Whoever confesses with words and did not determine in his heart to leave behind, is likend to one who immerses and a creeping animal is in his hand, that the immersion doesn't help him until he'll throw away the animal. And so it says: "And he who admits and leaves behind will be compassioned". And he has to detail the sin as it says: "Please, this nation sinned a big sin and they made for themselves a god of gold". 4 It is from the ways of repentance that the repentant should constantly shout out before God with crying and with supplications, and does charity according to his strength, and distances himself a lot from the thing with which he sinned, and changes his name meaning to say "I am someone else and I am not the same man that did those acts", and changes all of his actions to good and to a right path, and exiles from his location, for exile effaces sin, because it causes him to submit himself and to be unpretentious and a humble spirit. 5 And it is a great praise for a repentant that he should confess in public, and should inform them his sins, and reveals sins that are between him and between his fellow to others, and tells them: "Truly, I sinned to so-and-so and did to him this and this, and I today repent and regret". And whoever is haughty and does not inform but covers up his sins, his repentance is not complete, as it says: "He who covers up his sins will not succeed". When are these words said? By sins that are between man and his fellow. But by sins that are between man and God, he does not have to publicize himself; and it is an audacity for him if he revealed them; but he repents before God, blessed is He, and details his sins before Him, and confesses on them before the public without details. And it is a favor for him that his sin was not revealed, as it says: "Praised is he whose transgression is forgiven; whose sin is covered". 6 Although the repentance and shouting out are always good, during the days between Rosh haShanah and the Day of Atonement it is even better, and it is right away accepted, as it says: "Seek God when He is found". When are these words said? By an individual. But a community, whenever they repent and shout out with a whole heart, they are answered, as it says: "like God, our God, whenever we call out to Him". 7 The day of Atonement is a time of repentance for all; for an individual and for the public, and it is an end of pardon and forgiveness for Israel. Therefore, all must repent and confess on the day of Atonement. And the commandment of confession of the Day of Atonement is that he should begin from the Eve of the day, before he shall eat, in case he will choke on the meal before he will confess. And although he confessed before he will eat, he confesses again on the nights of the Day of Atonement at the Evening Service, and he confesses again at the Morning Service and at the Additional Service and at the Afternoon Service and at the Conclusion Service. And where does one confess? An individual after his prayer; and the leader in the middle of his prayer, at the fourth blessing. 8 The confession that all of Israel have been accustomed to is: "Indeed we sinned"; and that is the main part of the confession. Sins that he confessed on them on this Day of Atonement, he confesses on them again on another Day of Atonement, even though he remains in his repentance, as it says: "For my transgressions I will know and my sin stands before me constantly". 9 Repentance and the Day of Atonement only forgive on sins that are between man and God; for example, someone who ate a forbidden thing or who had forbidden sexual intercourse, and suchlike. But sins that are between man and his fellow, for example, he who wounds his fellow, or who curses his fellow, or steals from him, and suchlike, it is never forgiven for him until he will give his fellow that which he owes him and he will appease him. Even though he returned to him the money that he owes him, he has to appease him and request from him that he should forgive him. Even though he only teased his fellow with words, he has to appease him and beg from him until he will forgive him. If his fellow didn't want to forgive him, he brings him a row of three people from his friends, and they beg him and request from him. If he wasn't appeased to them, he brings him a second and a third. If he didn't want, he leaves him and goes away, and this one who didn't forgive is the sinner. And if he was his teacher, he goes and comes even a thousand times until he will forgive him. 10 It is forbidden for a man to be cruel and will not appease, but he should be easy to appease and difficult to get angry. And at the time that the sinner requests from him to forgive, he forgives with a whole heart and willing soul. And even though he distressed him and sinned towards him a lot, he should not take revenge nor bear a grudge. And this is the way of the seed of Israel and their willing heart. But the star-worshippers, uncircumcised of heart, are not like this, rather: "And he kept his wrath forever". And so it says on the Gibeonites, because they did not forgive and were not appeased: "and the Gibeonites are not from the children of Israel". 11 He who sins towards his fellow, and his fellow died before he shall request forgiveness, he brings ten people and has them stand on his grave, and he should say before them: "I sinned to God, the God of Israel, and to this so-and-so, for this and this I have done to him". And if he owed him money, he should return it to the heirs. If he did not know of any heirs, he should place it in Court, and should confess.