Hilchot Tshuva, Chapter 1, Halacha 4

Moving right along, Rambam continues with the concept that the essence of Tshuva is “Confession”, and atonement for sin can only be granted if you verbalise the nature of the sin. He also introduces the concept of abandoning the sin. Interesting to note that he didn’t start off with the concept of abandoning the sin before beginning the Tshuva process (compare to Sharei Tshuva)

הִלְכּוֹת תְּשׁוּבָה פֵּרֶק א, הלכה ד

וְכֵן כָּל מְחֻיְּבֵי מִיתוֹת בֵּית דִּין, וּמְחֻיְּבֵי מַלְקוּת--אֵין מִתְכַּפֵּר לָהֶם בְּמִיתָתָם אוֹ בִּלְקִיָּתָם, עַד שֶׁיַּעֲשׂוּ תְּשׁוּבָה וְיִתְוַדּוּ. וְכֵן הַחוֹבֵל בַּחֲבֵרוֹ אוֹ הַמַּזִּיק מָמוֹנוֹ--אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁשִּׁלַּם לוֹ מַה שְׁהוּא חַיָּב לוֹ--אֵין מִתְכַּפֵּר לוֹ, עַד שֶׁיִּתְוַדֶּה וְיָשׁוּב מִלַּעֲשׂוֹת כְּזֶה לְעוֹלָם: שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר "מִכָּל-חַטֹּאת הָאָדָם" (במדבר ה,ו).

Hilchot Tshuva, Chapter 1, Halacha 4

And similarly, anyone who deserves death from a Beit Din, or deserves lashes – the lashes or death do not grant atonement, unless he did tshuva and confessed. Similarly, if one injured his fellow or caused him financial damage – even though he paid him what he owes him, he does not not receive atonement unless he confesses, and accepts not to do the action again, ever, as it is written: “From every sin of man” (Bamidbar 5:6).

Hilchot Tshuva, Chapter 1, Halacha 3

OK, I'm experimenting with a new look for these Halachot which will hopefully make it easier to read.

הִלְכּוֹת תְּשׁוּבָה פֵּרֶק א

ג וְכֵן בַּעֲלֵי חַטָּאוֹת וַאֲשָׁמוֹת--בְּעֵת שֶׁמְּבִיאִין קָרְבְּנוֹתֵיהֶם עַל שִׁגְגָתָן אוֹ עַל זְדוֹנָן, אֵין מִתְכַּפֵּר לָהֶן בְּקָרְבָּנָם, עַד שֶׁיַּעֲשׂוּ תְּשׁוּבָה, וְיִתְוַדּוּ וִדּוּי דְּבָרִים: שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר "וְהִתְוַדָּה--אֲשֶׁר חָטָא, עָלֶיהָ” ויקרא ה,ה

Hilchot Tshuva, Chapter 1

And similarly, someone who brings a Chatat (sin offering) or Asham (guilt offering) – at the time that they bring their sacrifice, whether for an inadvertent sin or a deliberate sin, they are not atoned with the sacrifice unless they do Tshuva. And they must confess with a verbal confession as it is written “And they will confess that which they sinned” (Vayikra 5:5)

Hilchot Tshuva, Chapter 1, Halacha 2

Chodesh Tov, here’s my second instalment of Rambam’s Hilchot Tshuva:

הלכות תשובה פרק א

ב כֵּיצַד מִתְוַדֶּה--אוֹמֵר אָנָּא ה' חָטָאתִי עָוִיתִי פָּשַׁעְתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ, וְעָשִׂיתִי כָּךְ וְכָּךְ, וַהֲרֵי נִחַמְתִּי וּבֹשְׁתִּי בְּמַעֲשַׂי, וּלְעוֹלָם אֵינִי חוֹזֵר לְדָבָר זֶה. זֶה הוּא עִיקָרוֹ שֶׁלַּוִּדּוּי; וְכָל הַמַּרְבֶּה לְהִתְוַדּוֹת וּלְהַאֲרִיךְ בְּעִנְיָן זֶה, הֲרֵי זֶה מְשֻׁבָּח.

Hilchot Tshuva, Chapter 1

2 How should one confess? Say “Please HaShem, I have sinned, I have transgressed, I have been bad before You, and I did such and such, and now I regret it and I am embarrassed by my actions, and I will never return to this thing”. This is the essence of confession, and anyone who increases the confession and expands this thing, this is praiseworthy.

Hilchot Tshuva, Chapter 1, Halacha 1

Every year during Elul I try to work through a Tshuva text (often Rabeinu Yona’s Sharei Tshuva), but due to other distractions normally fail to make significant progress.

This year I thought that I’d try something a little different. Every day from now until Yom Kippur I will try to (bli Neder) post and translate a Halacha from Rambam’s Hilchot Tshuva.

I’m doing this primarily for myself. Hopefully the act of typing a translation will help me internalize the halacha, although I hope that it is also of benefit to others.

The translation is my own. I am not a language scholar or professional translator so I apologize for any inaccuracies in the translation. If you notice an error, please feel free to leave a comment.

So without further ado, here is Rambam’s Hilchot Tshuva:

הלכות תשובה

מצות עשה אחת, והיא שישוב החוטא מחטאו לפני ה', ויתוודה
וביאור מצוה זו ועיקרים הנגררים עימה בגללה, בפרקים אלו

The Laws or Tshuva (Repentance)

One positive Mitzva, and that is to return from a sin which you sinned before HaShem and to confess.
An explanation of this Mitzva, its principles, parameters, and what is included will be discussed in these chapters.

הלכות תשובה פרק א

א כָּל הַמִּצְווֹת שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה, בֵּין עֲשֵׂה בֵּין לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה--אִם עָבַר אָדָם עַל אַחַת מֵהֶן, בֵּין בְּזָדוֹן בֵּין בִּשְׁגָגָה--כְּשֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה תְּשׁוּבָה וְיָשׁוּב מֵחֶטְאוֹ, חַיָּב לְהִתְוַדּוֹת לִפְנֵי הָאֵ-ל בָּרוּךְ הוּא: שֶׁנֶּאֱמָר "אִישׁ אוֹ-אִשָּׁה כִּי יַעֲשׂוּ מִכָּל-חַטֹּאת הָאָדָם . . . וְהִתְוַדּוּ, אֶת-חַטָּאתָם אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ" (במדבר ה,ו-ז), זֶה וִדּוּי דְּבָרִים. וּוִדּוּי זֶה מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה.

Hilchot Tshuva, Chapter 1

1 For all the Mitzvot in the Torah, whether positive or negative – if a person transgressed one of them, whether deliberately or inadvertently - he should do Tshuva and return from the sin. He is obligated to confess before G-d, Blessed is he as it is written: “If a man or woman if you transgress any sins of man … you should confess the sin which you did” (Numbers 5, 6-7). This is verbal confession. This confession is a positive commandment.