“If we claim not to have sin, we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we acknowledge [confess] our sins, then, since he is faithful and just, he will forgive them and purify us from all unrighteousness and wrongdoing” (1 John 1:8-9).
The following confession of sins is from the Kedushah, Ashamnoo, Al Chet in the Sidur or Jewish Prayer book. This ‘confession of sins’ is read ten times in the synagogue on Yom Kippur. At the end, there is a statement that the Jewish people have no King except yod-hey-vav-hey to forgive and pardon their sins, and they seek Him for their atonement. On the Day of Atonement the Jewish people are faced with the reality that they have no Temple, no priesthood, and no altar of sacrifice, no atonement, no salvation (yeshua). On the Day of Atonement, we who believe in Yeshua, should be fasting and praying for the nation of Israel and their corporate salvation and final redemption through the High Priest of Adonai, Yeshua.
As a believer in Yeshua of Nazareth as the Messiah of Israel, reading this confession of sins makes me stop and think seriously about how I perceive sin and how deep into my heart the iniquity goes. I am grateful to Yeshua for becoming the kapparah or atonement for my sins that are contained on this extensive list (and those that are not). I have received the pardon, the complete forgiveness that is asked for in this prayer through the High Priest who entered the heavenly Holy of Holies to offer his blood. HalleluYah!
Definition of Sin:
“Everyone who sins breaks the Torah; in fact sin is lawlessness (being without Torah)” (1 John 3:4).
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.
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.
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 [hardness of heart].
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 [gossip, lashon hara].
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.
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.
For these, God of pardon, forgive us, as we have no place to come to make our offerings.
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 mitzvot, whether [the prohibitions] can be rectified by a specifically prescribed act or not, those of which we are aware and those of which we are not aware; those of which we are aware, we have already declared them before You and confessed them to You, and those of which we are not aware – before You they are revealed and known, as it is stated:
The hidden things belong to the Lord our God, but the revealed things are for us and for our children forever, that we may carry out all the words of this Torah (Deuteronomy 29:28). For You are the Pardoner of Israel and the Forgiver of the tribes of Yeshurun in every generation, and aside from You we have no King who pardons or forgives sins.
“How blessed are those whose offense is forgiven, those whose sin is covered! How blessed those to whom Adonai imputes no guilt, in whose spirit is no deceit!” (Psalm 32:1-2, Romans 4:7-8).
Please explain “sins for which we incur the penalty of excision and childlessness. ” Thank you 🙂
That is a good question for which I honestly don’t have an answer. It is part of the Amidah recited on Yom Kippur as a tradition. If I would venture to answer this, I would consider they fall into the categories of the ‘sins we commit inadvertently’ or ‘without knowledge of’. When I consider those women in Scripture who were barren, Sarah, Rachel, Hannah and Elizabeth, there are no sins recorded that would cause them to be childless. Sarah’s child had to be by faith in a woman who was past childbearing years, Rachel had to not be jealous of her sister and her husband’s concubine, Hannah’s prayers were desired and received by God and she was faithful to entrust her son to the priesthood and Elizabeth’s husband had to be rendered speechless for her to conceive a child.
Sexual sin could create childlessness, however, that doesn’t play out in the real world. Plenty of men and women who are fornicating or committing adultery do have children, while those who are faithful to their marriage vows remain childless.
In this particular instance, in the Amidah on Yom Kippur, it would seem each individual should seek the LORD for why they are childless and continue to praise Him for they may have a child at the ‘appointed time’ like each of the women mentioned, Sarah, Rachel, Hannah and Elizabeth.