198. Public Confession

Teshuvah 2:4

Ways to achieve teshuvah include: constantly calling out, beseeching God; acting charitably as much as one is able; separating from the thing that causes one to sin; changing one’s name to demonstrate that, symbolically, he is a new person; changing one’s behavior completely to the path of righteousness; and self-exile from one’s home. Exile is a form of atonement because it humbles a person.

Teshuvah 2:5

It is praiseworthy for a penitent to confess in public and to publicize his sins to others, revealing transgressions he committed against them. He should tell them, “Even though I sinned against such-and-such person by committing such-and-such deeds, I now repent and express my regret.” If a person conceals his sins because of pride and does not reveal them, he will not be able to achieve a complete teshuvah as per Proverbs 28:13, “One who conceals his sins will not succeed.”

This is only the case when it comes to sins between a person and his fellow man. However, when it comes to sins between a person and God, it is not necessary to publicize them. Quite the contrary, revealing them could actually be arrogant. In such a case, one should just repent before God and specify his sins to Him. In public, he should just make a general confession. In such a case, it is better not to reveal one’s sins as Psalms 32:1 says, “Happy is one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is concealed.”