Is it better to sin and repent or to avoid sinning?
Considering our sins effect others, I think the latter is better. On Yom Kippur, Hebrew prayers of repentance are said communally. Everyone's sin effects the community. Thus everyone is accountable to everyone as well as God.
Below is a list of sins read outloud as a congregation. None of us should be so stiff necked to say they have not sinned. On a personal, individual level, God knows our sins.
Rejecting the "stiff-necked" denial of sin through public and communal confession is also a safeguard against isolation. By reciting it aloud together, we weave our individual failings into the shared fabric of the community, acknowledging how one person's "hard-heartedness" or "deceit" ripples outward, wounding relationships and the collective soul. It's a radical act of vulnerability: no one stands alone in repentance, and thus no one bears the burden by themselves.
When it comes to true repentance, "remorse" isn't just a footnote—it's the spark that ignites true teshuvah (repentance). In the Jewish tradition, the process of repentance demands gut-deep regret for the wrong done. Otherwise, confession risks becoming rote theater.
Listing Sins In Advance
I propose that Yom Kippur repentance prayers can be used as a forward reminder of the sins to avoid in the coming year.
Isaiah 30:21 esv -- And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.
Avoid regrets by guarding our ways in the future. Here are the Yom Kippur Penitence Prayers. Read them and weep:
The Viddui (Confession)
Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, features central penitence prayers known as "Viddui" (confession).
The Viddui comprises two main parts: the shorter "Ashamnu" (an acrostic listing of sins) and the longer "Al Chet" (a detailed enumeration of sets of transgressions).
Ashamnu (Short Confession)
This opening section humbly acknowledges human frailty:
Our God and God of our fathers, let our prayer come before you, and do not ignore our supplication. For we are not so brazen-faced and stiff-necked to say to you, Adonai, our God, and God of our fathers, “We are righteous and have not sinned.” But, indeed, we and our fathers have sinned.
Then is the list of sins organized as a Hebrew alphabetical acrostic:
We have been guilty (Ashamnu).
We have betrayed (Bagadnu).
We have stolen (Gazalnu).
We have spoken slander (Dibarnu dofi).
We have perverted (He'evinu).
We have committed iniquity (V'hirsha'nu).
We have been presumptuous (Zadnu).
We have committed robbery (Chamasnu).
We have twisted (Tafalnu sheker).
We have counseled evil (Ya'atznu ra).
We have lied (Kizavnu).
We have scoffed (Latznu).
We have rebelled (Maradnu).
We have scorned (Ni'atznu).
We have been perverse (Sararnu).
We have been wicked (Avinu).
We have transgressed (Pasha'nu).
We have oppressed (Tzararnu).
We have been stiff-necked (Kishinu oref).
We have been impious (Rasha'nu).
We have corrupted (Shichatnu).
We have abhorred (Ti'avnu).
We have gone astray (Ta'inu).
We have led astray (Tita'enu).
Can you relate?
These are really categories of sins. Our personal details might come to mind. Wait, there's more.
Al Chet (Long Confession)
This expands on specific sins, categorized in sets of 10–13, each ending with a plea for pardon.
First Set:
For the sin which we have committed before You under duress or willingly.
And for the sin which we have committed before You by hard-heartedness.
For the sin which we have committed before You inadvertently.
And for the sin which we have committed before You with an utterance of the lips.
For the sin which we have committed before You with immorality.
And for the sin which we have committed before You openly or secretly.
For the sin which we have committed before You with knowledge and with deceit.
And for the sin which we have committed before You through speech.
For the sin which we have committed before You by deceiving a fellowman.
And for the sin which we have committed before You by improper thoughts.
For the sin which we have committed before You by a gathering of lewdness.
And for the sin which we have committed before You by verbal [insincere] confession.
For the sin which we have committed before You by disrespect for parents and teachers.
And for the sin which we have committed before You intentionally or unintentionally.
For the sin which we have committed before You by using coercion.
And for the sin which we have committed before You by desecrating the Divine Name.
For the sin which we have committed before You by impurity of speech.
And for the sin which we have committed before You by foolish talk.
For the sin which we have committed before You with the evil inclination.
And for the sin which we have committed before You knowingly or unknowingly.
For all these, God of pardon, pardon us, forgive us, atone for us.
Second Set:
For the sin which we have committed before You by false denial and lying.
And for the sin which we have committed before You by a bribe-taking or a bribe-giving hand.
For the sin which we have committed before You by scoffing.
And for the sin which we have committed before You by evil talk [about another].
For the sin which we have committed before You in business dealings.
And for the sin which we have committed before You by eating and drinking.
For the sin which we have committed before You by [taking or giving] interest and by usury.
And for the sin which we have committed before You by a haughty demeanor.
For the sin which we have committed before You by the prattle of our lips.
And for the sin which we have committed before You by a glance of the eye.
For the sin which we have committed before You with proud looks.
And for the sin which we have committed before You with impudence.
For all these, God of pardon, pardon us, forgive us, atone for us.
Third Set:
For the sin which we have committed before You by casting off the yoke [of Heaven].
And for the sin which we have committed before You in passing judgment.
For the sin which we have committed before You by scheming against a fellowman.
And for the sin which we have committed before You by a begrudging eye.
For the sin which we have committed before You by frivolity.
And for the sin which we have committed before You by obduracy.
For the sin which we have committed before You by running to do evil.
And for the sin which we have committed before You by tale-bearing.
For the sin which we have committed before You by swearing in vain.
And for the sin which we have committed before You by causeless hatred.
For the sin which we have committed before You by embezzlement.
And for the sin which we have committed before You by a confused heart.
For all these, God of pardon, pardon us, forgive us, atone for us.
Additional Biblical References (Korbanot Section):
And for the sins for which we are obligated to bring a burnt-offering.
And for the sins for which we are obligated to bring a sin-offering.
And for the sins for which we are obligated to bring a varying offering [according to one's means].
And for the sins for which we are obligated to bring a guilt-offering for a certain or doubtful trespass.
And for the sins for which we incur the penalty of lashing for rebelliousness.
And for the sins for which we incur the penalty of forty lashes.
And for the sins for which we incur the penalty of death by the hand of Heaven.
And for the sins for which we incur the penalty of excision and childlessness.
And for the sins for which we incur the penalty of the four forms of capital punishment executed by the Court: stoning, burning, decapitation and strangulation.
For [transgressing] positive and prohibitory commandments, for the sins for which we deserve death by the hand of Heaven or by the hand of the court, for all of them, God of pardon, pardon us, forgive us, atone for us.
These prayers are typically recited in Hebrew during services, but translations aid personal reflection. Variations exist across traditions (e.g., Sephardic liturgy may differ slightly).
That just about does it. If this list leaves out any of your sins, just add them yourself.
For My Christian Friends
Jesus frequently called for "metanoia"—a profound change of mind and heart, turning away from sin toward God's kingdom.
"From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand'" (Matthew 4:17, ESV). Similarly, in Mark's Gospel: "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel" (Mark 1:15, ESV).
Jesus warned repeatedly of the consequences of unrepentance: "No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all likewise perish" (Luke 13:3, ESV).
Like Judaism, there was a communal aspect in teaching on forgiveness. Jesus tied repentance to reconciliation: "Pay attention to yourselves! If your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him, and if he sins against you seven times in the day, and turns to you seven times, saying, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him" (Luke 17:3-4, ESV).
While Jesus didn't use the modern term "confession" in a ritual sense, he taught extensively on acknowledging sin, seeking God's forgiveness, and extending it to others.
In the Lord's Prayer, Jesus instructed: "And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors" (Matthew 6:12, ESV). He elaborated: "For if you forgive others their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you, but if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses" (Matthew 6:14-15, ESV).
Jesus taught that if withhold forgiveness, forgiveness will be withheld from us.
Where Forgiveness Gets Tricky
Must we forgive those who do not seek forgiveness? Judaism in Christianity have slightly different views on this question. Erica Kirk demonstrated a profoundly Christian approach. This gets into the psychological benefits of forgiveness to the injured party. Sometimes the person who hurt you is deceased, so they can not offer an apology. And just because one suffers from an injury, doesn't mean it was the result of a sin. Which in turn begs the question of whether we should apologize for something we don't think is wrong?
I will leave there. We are into Sukkot. That is a far more joyful holiday.
