194. Hilchos Teshuvah
Avodas Kochavim 12:16
If someone tears a bald spot on his head or self-mutilates out of grief because his house collapsed or his ship sank, he would not receive lashes. Lashes are only given if one does these things for the sake of the dead, or if he self-mutilates in the service of an idol.
If a person makes a bald spot on another person’s head, or if he cuts another person’s flesh, or if he tattoos another person with that person’s assistance, then if they both acted intentionally, they both receive lashes. If one acted intentionally and the other acted unintentionally, only the one who acted intentionally is liable for the penalty of lashes.
Teshuvah 1:1
If a person violated any of the mitzvos in the Torah, whether it was a positive or a negative commandment and whether he acted intentionally or unintentionally, when he repents, he must confess before God. This is as per Numbers 5:6-7, “If a man or a woman commits any of the sins of man... they must confess the sin that they have committed.” This refers to a verbal confession, which is itself a mitzvah.
One confesses by saying, “I beseech You, God! I have sinned, transgressed, and acted iniquitously before You by performing such-and-such act. Behold, I regret and am embarrassed because of my deeds and I promise not to repeat this act again.” This is the basic formula; increasing one’s confession and elaborating on one’s deeds is considered praiseworthy.
Those who brought sin-offerings or guilt-offerings in the Temple also had to perform verbal confession. Sacrifices will not atone for sins until the ones who bring them repent and perform verbal confession as per Leviticus 5:5, “He must confess the sin he has committed over it.” Similarly, those sentenced to execution or lashes by the court do not achieve atonement through their punishments unless they also repent and confess. Likewise, if someone injures another person or damages his property, he does not achieve atonement by paying damages until he also confesses and resolves not to do this thing again, as implied by Numbers 5:6, “any of the sins of man.”