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The Rambam in the beginning of Hilchot Teshuva codifies the obligation to confess as an integral part of repentance. At the
end of the halacha, the Rambam adds that the need to confess applies even regarding one who injured or caused damage
to another.

א הכלה א קרפ ,הבושת תוכלה ,ם”במר 9 .
הבושת השעישכ הגגשב ןיב ןודזב ןיב ןהמ תחא לע םדא רבע םא השעת אל ןיב השע ןיב הרותבש תוצמ לכ
רשא םתאטח תא ודותהו ’וגו ושעי יכ השא וא שיא רמאנש אוה ךורב לאה ינפל תודותהל בייח ואטחמ בושיו
ךכ יתישעו ךינפל יתעשפ יתיוע יתאטח םשה אנא רמוא ןידותמ דציכ ,השע תוצמ הז יודיו ,םירבד יודיו הז ושע
ךיראמו תודותהל הברמה לכו ,יודיו לש ורקיע והזו ,הז רבדל רזוח יניא םלועלו ישעמב יתשובו יתמחנ ירהו ךכו
רפכתמ ןיא ןנודז לע וא ןתגגש לע ןהיתונברק ןיאיבמש תעב תומשאו תואטח ילעב ןכו ,חבושמ הז ירה הז ןינעב
תיב תותימ יבייוחמ לכ ןכו ,הילע אטח רשא הדותהו רמאנש םירבד יודיו ודותיו ,הבושת ושעיש דע םנברקב ןהל
קיזמהו וריבחב לבוחה ןכו ,ודותיו הבושת ושעיש דע ןתייקלב וא ןתתימב ןהל רפכתמ ןיא תוקלמ יבייוחמו ןיד
לכמ רמאנש םלועל הזכ תושעלמ בושיו הדותיש דע רפכתמ וניא ול בייח אוהש המ ול םלישש יפ לע ףא ונוממ
.םדאה תואטח

Rambam, Hilchot Teshuva 1:1
[Concerning] all commandments of the Torah, whether they be positive or negative, if a man violates any one
of them, either intentionally or erroneously, when he repents and returns from his sinful way, he is obligated to
confess before God, blessed is He, as it is stated: “When a man or woman shall commit [any sin]… Then they
shall confess their sin which they have done” (Bamidbar 5:6-7), which is a confession of words. Such confession
is a positive commandment. How does one verbally confess? [The sinner] states: “I beseech you, Hashem! I
have sinned; I have been obstinate; I have transgressed against you, and have done such and such. And behold, I
have regretted and am ashamed of my actions; and I will never relapse into this matter again.” This is the essential
form of confession; but whosoever lengthens his confession and elaborates about this matter is praiseworthy.
Likewise all those who bring sin-offerings or guilt-offerings, when they offer their sacrifices, whether for their
errors or for intentional sins, do not receive atonement from their sacrifices unless they repent and make a verbal
confession, as it is stated: “He shall confess about that which he has sinned” (Vayikra 5:5). So, too, the guilty
upon whom the court pronounced either a sentence of death or of lashes do not receive atonement either in
their death or in their lashes unless they repent and make a verbal confession. Likewise, concerning one who
injures his friend or causes him financial damage, although he makes restitution of what he owes him, he does
not receive atonement unless he makes a verbal confession and repents by obligating himself never to repeat this
again, as it is stated: “Any sin that man commits” (Bamidbar 5:6).

62 · Halachot of Yom Kippur Tzurba M’Rabanan