Teshuvah 1:2-2:1

So the first halakha, which we read last time, so we don't need to reread entirely, but it lays out a very important concept, which is worth reminding ourselves of, which is that basically, whenever anyone makes a mistake, and I'm going to insist we translate things differently because I don't like the S word here.

Whenever someone makes a mistake or an error...

there are two things they need to do in order to make it right.

The first is pretty simply to acknowledge what's gone wrong, which we call vidui, or is translated here as confession, I think, again, inappropriately.

And the second is to do something different about that.

So you have to understand what you've done and then to act upon it.

Now, he's laid out for us what that confession language might look like, which is wonderfully simple.

And he's emphasized that it's a positive mitzvah.

And the version here, right, where you just say simply, listen, God, I made a mistake.

I messed up.

I feel bad about it.

I won't do it again.

Those are the components, right? Acknowledgement.

I made a mistake.

Regret.

Feel bad about it.

And change.

I won't do it again.

I mean, those are the essential things you teach anyone, especially you think about small children, how to teach them about apologies and saying sorry.

Those are the components.

You have to know what you did, you have to feel bad about what you did, and you have to do it differently.

Famously, a lot of people try and apologize having not acknowledged what they did.

So that's the old, I'm sorry if you feel bad, which is not an apology, because an apology requires you acknowledge what you've done.

You have to say, I'm sorry for doing this.

And then you have to make a plan to make it different.