Teshuvah in Two Directions
Forgiving and Asking Forgiveness: Sound Bytes for the High Holidays 5777
Maimonides, Mishneh Torah, Laws of Repentence 2:9
Teshuvah and Yom Kippur only atone for sins between a person and God; for example, a person who ate a forbidden food or engaged in forbidden sexual relations, etc. However, sins between a person and their fellowโfor example, someone who injures another person, curses or steals from them, etc. will never be forgiven until they give the other person what they owes them and appeases them. Even if they return the money that is owed, they must still appease the other person and ask them for forgiveness. …
If the other person does not wish to forgive them, they should bring a group of three people and approach with them and request [forgiveness]. If they are not appeased, one must repeat the process a second and third time. If they [still] do not want [to forgive], one should leave them be. The person who refuses to grant forgiveness is [now] the sinner.
ืืื ืืชืฉืืื ืืื ืืื ืืืคืืจืื ืืืคืจืื ืืื ืขื ืขืืืจืืช ืฉืืื ืืื ืืืงืื ืืืื ืื ืฉืืื ืืืจ ืืกืืจ ืื ืืขื ืืขืืื ืืกืืจื ืืืืืฆื ืืื, ืืื ืขืืืจืืช ืฉืืื ืืื ืืืืืจื ืืืื ืืืืื ืืช ืืืืจื ืื ืืืงืื ืืืืจื ืื ืืืืื ืืืืืฆื ืืื ืืื ื ื ืืื ืื ืืขืืื ืขื ืฉืืชื ืืืืืจื ืื ืฉืืื ืืืื ืื ืืืจืฆืื, ืืข”ืค ืฉืืืืืจ ืื ืืืื ืฉืืื ืืืื ืื ืฆืจืื ืืจืฆืืชื ืืืฉืืื ืืื ื ืฉืืืืื ืื. …
ืื ืจืฆื ืืืืจื ืืืืื ืื ืืืื ืื ืฉืืจื ืฉื ืฉืืฉื ืื ื ืืื ืืจืืขืื ืืคืืืขืื ืื ืืืืงืฉืื ืืื ื, ืื ื ืชืจืฆื ืืื ืืืื ืื ืฉื ืื ืืฉืืืฉืืช ืื ืจืฆื ืื ืืื ืืืืื ืื ืืื ืฉืื ืืื ืืื ืืืืื.
