"Is Repentance Difficult?" – Three Simple Steps to Change Your Perspective

What do the words "repentance" mean to you?

For many of us, repentance appears as a challenging task; some deny it, while others postpone it to tomorrow. Yet, if we look at the simplicity of the matter, we discover that it is not "in the heavens" and anyone can return to it through a few simple steps:

There are three main stages in the repentance process:

1. Regret (Thought) - The sinner should abandon his sin and completely remove it from his thoughts.

2. Confession (Speech) - Confessing your deeds verbally.

How does one confess? Say: "Please, Hashem, I have sinned, I have transgressed, I have committed iniquities before You, and I have done so and so. I am ashamed of my actions, and I will never return to this act." This is the essence of confession, and the more one confesses and extends this matter, the better.

It should be noted that one who confesses verbally but has not resolved in their heart to abandon the sin is like one who immerses with a defiled object in hand, for the immersion does not help until one throws the object from their hand.

3. Resolution for the Future (Action) - Determine in your heart never to commit this act again, to regret fully what has passed, and to have Hashem testify that you will not return to this sin forever.

Now, the question arises - for which sins should one confess, and what about sins you cannot remember?

"Confession is a commandment from the Torah, and it is an essential part of repentance. The general confession recited in prayer is not sufficient. Each person must also confess their private sins.

And the holy Zohar says: "Do not say that Hashem does not receive him until he specifies all his sins from the day he came into the world because, in truth, he does not need to explain, except for the sins he remembers, and all other sins follow them."

Although the primary part of repentance is abandoning the sin, it is proper for the penitent to undertake a resolution to atone for his sin. It is important to know that the Torah atones for iniquity, and even serious transgressions are pardoned by learning."

(Taken from the booklet "In Halacha and Aggadah," based on the rulings of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef, zt"l).

More on this topic:

Your Ticket to Rosh Hashanah: 111 Ideas for a Small Resolution

"What's the point of repenting if I always fail?" Two answers to empower you

Just Before the Coming of the Messiah: What Should We Strengthen? Hint: Not What You Thought

"I feel no desire to keep the commandments": 3 Surprising Points to Know