Talk:Confession (Judaism)

message: I don't get why this article at first claims that confessing to God in front of others is forbidden but then goes on to describe times when Jews confess either to themselves or outloud (or singing!) during communal prayer. Isn't that a "public confession"?
¶  I have enlarged this article considerably and hope that meets with general approval.  I would appreciate the help of others regarding the last word of Ashamnu. Sussmanbern (talk) 18:53, 11 December 2011 (UTC)

message: Unless I misunderstand, the article delineates between sins to G-d and sins towards another Jew. Sins against G-d are always to be confessed in private.  Sins against another Jew can be publically confessed.--Mcmoran 13:12, 31 May 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Confession Judaism: Public vs. Private 

message: I have sought some clarity concerning the Jewish Law concerning 'forgiveness of sin' and specifically, the role of the Rabbi and/or Priest in this process.  It appears that sins against another Jew are addressed and obtained form the offended Jew in accordance with the Law.  Does the Rabbi/Priest actually forgive those sins confessed that are against G-d??--Mcmoran 13:19, 31 May 2007 (UTC)
thread_title:  Clarity: Atonement or Forgiveness for sins 

message: The wikipedia article Repentance in Judaism included a section on viduy. Because this article was the correct place for it, I deleted the content there and am temporarily pasting it here for integration:
Viduy (confession) is an integral part of the repentance process.  It is not enough to feel remorse and forsake sin, although such feelings are a commendable first step.Soloveitchik, Joseph.  On Repentance.  253.  qtd. in Telushkin, 159.  See also Yonah's Shaarei Teshuva, cited above. A penitent must put his or her feelings into words and essentially say, "I did such-and-such and for that, I am sorry." Excuses for and rationalizations of the sin are not accepted at this stage of the repentance process. The verbal confession need not necessarily be a confession to another person; confessing alone may allow the penitent to be more honest with him- or herself.Telushkin, Joseph.  You Shall Be Holy.  New York: Bell Tower, 2006.  Print.   p. 158
Viduy is slightly different for sins committed against God or one's self than they are for sins committed against another human.  Abraham Joshua Heschel once wrote, "According to Jewish tradition, even God Himself can only forgive sins committed against Himself, not against man."Heschel, Abraham Joshua.  The Sunflower: On the Possibilities and Limits of Forgiveness.  Ed. Simon Wiesenthal.  N.Y: Schocken, 1997, 164-166. True repentance requires the penitent to approach the aggrieved party and correct the sin however possible.  The Jewish concept of repentance is not simply the renouncement of sin in general, but rather in the specific sin done against a specific person or group of people.  Only then must one go through the introspective processes described above.Lipstadt, Deborah E. Wiesenthal.  The Sunflower.  183-187.
Boruch Baum (talk) 05:49, 10 September 2015 (UTC)
thread_title:  Integration from another article

message: This article doesn't mention the confession in the weekday Amidah.  Blessings 4, 5 and 6 form a unit that thanks God for giving the knowledge to distinguish good from evil, the desire to repent, and granting forgiveness.  The 6th blessing begins with an explicit (but brief) confession:  "Forgive us, Father, for we have sinned." (English translation from The Authorized Daily Prayerbook, 1912, Eyre and Spottiswood, London, page 46; ). Douglas W. Jones (talk) 19:40, 19 May 2023 (UTC)
thread_title:  Confession in the Amidah