Judaism teaches that sins can be forgiven through repentance, prayer, and good deeds. The Jewish concept of repentance, known as teshuvah in Hebrew, is central to obtaining forgiveness from God. The High Holidays of Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are especially focused on repentance and forgiveness. Additionally, prayers like the Viduy confession prayer can help obtain atonement. Doing good deeds and following the mitzvot (commandments) also play an important role in the Jewish understanding of forgiveness.
What is the Jewish concept of sin?
In Judaism, sins are violations of divine commandments or moral laws. Sins can be committed intentionally or unintentionally. Intentional sins are considered more severe. Sins between man and God are distinguished from interpersonal sins. Though individuals bear responsibility for their own sins, Jews also share collective responsibility for the sins of their community.
The Hebrew word for sin is “chet.” This refers to an arrow missing its target, conveying the idea that a sin is a deviation from one’s purpose or moral target. Judaism emphasizes that humans have free will to choose between good and evil. However, a tendency toward sin, known as the yetzer hara, is considered an innate part of human nature.
What is the role of repentance?
Teshuvah, frequently translated as “repentance,” is the central process through which Jews obtain forgiveness from God for sins. The steps of teshuvah are:
- Feeling sincere regret (charata)
- Confessing the sin verbally (viduy)
- Committing to not repeat the sin (kabbalah)
- Making amends to those harmed
Completing all these steps demonstrates true repentance and a desire to repair one’s relationship with God. Sincere teshuvah is said to transform intentional sins into unintentional sins and bring atonement. However, repentance motivated by fear of punishment is less ideal than repentance motivated by love and understanding of God. Deathbed repentance is also not considered sincere.
Regret
The first step of teshuvah is feeling sincere regret for the sin. This involves recognizing the wrongness of the act, feeling shame, and humbling oneself before God. The regret should come from an internal desire to align one’s will with God’s, not external factors.
Confession
Verbally confessing one’s sins to God is the next component of repentance. Prayers like the Ashamnu or Al Chet, in which Jews confess a litany of sins, are part of the Yom Kippur liturgy. Personal confession in one’s own words is also valued.
Resolve
In addition to regretting the past, true repentance requires committing not to repeat the sin in the future. This resolve demonstrates that the repentance is sincere and not merely temporary remorse.
Making Amends
If the sin harmed another person, the final step is to do one’s best to make amends and rectify the situation. This may involve apologizing and asking forgiveness or repaying what was taken.
What is the role of prayer?
Prayers of confession and repentance like the Viduy play a major role in achieving atonement in Judaism. These prayers acknowledge sins before God and express remorse. Reciting these prayers with intention helps obtain forgiveness.
In addition to set prayers, sincerely praying to God in one’s own words to confess sins and ask forgiveness is encouraged. Jews may pray privately or with a minyan (quorum of 10 adult Jews). Individuals or communities may undertake fasting with the prayers to demonstrate humility and sincerity.
The Amidah prayer also contains a confessional prayer. The central section devoted to repentance is especially important on the High Holidays. The Avinu Malkeinu (“Our Father Our King”) prayer is another important confessional prayer during this period.
What is the role of good deeds?
In Judaism, repentance requires pairing words with actions. Doing good deeds, following religious commandments, and improving one’s character traits counterbalance sins and demonstrate true teshuvah. Examples of commendable deeds include:
- Giving charity
- Praying with extra devotion
- Studying Jewish texts
- Observing additional commandments
Deeds of lovingkindness toward others are especially valued. When paired with sincere repentance, these good actions are believed to tip the scales of divine judgment toward mercy.
What is Yom Kippur?
Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, is the holiest day in the Jewish calendar. Yom Kippur centers on repentance and culminates a 10-day period of introspection that begins with Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year).
On Yom Kippur, Jews fast for 25 hours, abstaining from food, drink, bathing, using perfumes, and marital relations. They spend the day in prayer services expressing repentance and praying for forgiveness. The prayers reference communal sins and individual sins. Many Jews also make personal confessions in their own words.
It is believed that sincere repentance on Yom Kippur absolves Jews of their sins against God for the previous year. However, Yom Kippur does not atone for sins against other people. Those require seeking forgiveness from the injured party directly.
What is the role of Rosh Hashanah?
The 10-day period between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur is known as the Days of Awe or Days of Repentance. Rosh Hashanah begins this period of introspection and repentance.
On Rosh Hashanah, God is believed to inscribe each person’s fate for the coming year in the Book of Life. Sincere repentance during the Days of Awe can alter this decree and bring about a good new year. Common Rosh Hashanah practices include:
- Reciting prayers of repentance like Avinu Malkeinu
- Blowing the shofar (ram’s horn)
- Eating apples dipped in honey for a sweet new year
- Reconciling with others and making amends for wrongs
Rosh Hashanah sets the tone for the period of teshuvah culminating on Yom Kippur.
How does the concept of forgiveness relate to justice?
Judaism balances its concepts of sin, repentance, and divine forgiveness with principles of justice. Though God is merciful and readily accepts sincere repentance, this does not supersede the demands of justice.
Even if God forgives the sinner, earthly justice may still require punishment or making amends. Sin has concrete impacts on others, and justice is required to restore moral balance. Forgiveness from God does not automatically exempt someone from human justice.
At the same time, justice allows for tempering punishments with mercy when appropriate. The possibility of redemption is always present. Judaism’s simultaneous emphasis on justice, mercy, and the possibility of teshuvah brings balance.
What sins are harder to repent for?
Though Judaism stresses God’s openness to sincere repentance, certain types of sins are considered more severe. These sins create barriers between the sinner and God that make repentance more challenging:
- Sins against other people: Seeking forgiveness of the victim is required in addition to repenting before God. Damaged relationships must be repaired.
- Repeated sins: Habitual sinners have a harder time with true teshuvah, as it requires permanently changing entrenched behaviors.
- Sins done intentionally: Intentional sins are viewed as more severe than unintentional sins.
- Sins involving loss of life: Taking a human life, even unintentionally, represents an almost unforgivable severing of one’s relationship with God.
Though difficult, repentance and atonement for even severe sins are possible if the sinner achieves full teshuvah.
What sins cannot be forgiven?
Judaism teaches that most sins can be forgiven by sincere repentance. However, a small category of sins are “unforgivable” in that repentance and Yom Kippur do not provide atonement for them:
- Intentional desecration of God’s name: Publicly humiliating Judaism or God intentionally without later making amends.
- Murder: Committing premeditated murder and not undergoing capital punishment.
- Leading others to sin: Seducing or manipulating others into committing grave sins.
- Despair: Utterly losing hope in one’s potential to repent.
These severe offenses damage a person’s relationship with God irreparably. Only the arrival of the messianic era can provide atonement for them.
However, even for these sins, sincere repentance and good deeds can temporarily suspend a person’s punishment and elevate the soul.
How does seeking and granting forgiveness relate to obtaining divine forgiveness?
Seeking forgiveness from those one has wronged is an important element of repentance in Judaism. Only once a sinner has attempted to make amends to other people can they obtain full atonement from God.
Jews are obligated not only to repent sincerely, but also to appease and reconcile with parties they have injured. Forgiving others who sincerely apologize is also considered virtuous and mirrors God’s quality of mercy. Rosh Hashanah marks a time Jews seek forgiveness from others and grant forgiveness to those who have wronged them.
Letting go of anger or resentment toward those who have hurt you is seen to facilitate letting go of your own sins as well. The interpersonal dynamics around forgiveness help create the conditions for divine forgiveness.
What is the role of suffering in atonement?
Suffering is not seen as having inherent atoning value in Judaism. The idea that suffering can “make up for” a sin reflects ancient pagan ideas foreign to Judaism’s teachings. Judaism rejects this idea, maintaining that true teshuvah focuses internally on repairing the soul and relationship with the divine.
However, suffering may lead a person to introspection and awareness of sins, sparking the process of teshuvah. Illness or misfortune are sometimes seen as wake-up calls to examine one’s actions. In this sense, suffering can set the stage for repentance, but does not atone independently.
Additionally, in cases of severe sin, a period of imposed restraint or punishment may precede the restoration of an offender’s full status in the community. This time for self-reflection can encourage full repentance.
How is atonement after death conceptualized in Judaism?
Judaism traditionally does not emphasize repentance and atonement after death. The focus is on using one’s life on earth to fulfill one’s purpose and follow God’s ways. However, Kabbalistic and Chasidic traditions developed concepts of post-mortem atonement:
- Gehenna: The soul undergoes a maximum 12-month cleansing process of punishment/atonement before ascending to paradise.
- Reincarnation: The soul reincarnates to achieve rectification and fulfillment it did not attain in previous lives.
- Divine mercy: God exempts the soul from Gehenna and forgives sins out of unconditional love for the Jewish people.
The dominant view remains that repentance and atonement should occur in earthly life through teshuvah. However, God’s mercy ultimately triumphs over judgment.
Conclusion
Judaism offers a comprehensive process of teshuvah, centering on repentance, prayer, and good deeds, through which most sins can be atoned for. The High Holidays provide an annual landmark for intensive reflection, repentance, reconciliation and renewal of the relationship between God and man. Though justice is not compromised, a culture of hope and possibility for redemption prevails. Sincere repentance represents the believer’s inner transformation and return to their highest self.