Q&A: A Difficulty with the Confession
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
A Difficulty with the Confession
Question
In the confession we emphasize several times that we are wicked. For example: “We have turned away from Your commandments and Your good laws, and it has not been worthwhile for us, for You have acted truthfully and we have done wrong.” There were many things this year in which I was not as I should have been, but I think that relative to being a human being, I was more or less okay. True, I could have done better, but does that make me wicked?
Answer
“We have done wrong” does not mean “we were wicked people.” The intention is: we committed wicked deeds, that is, improper acts. By the way, if something in the text does not seem right to you, don’t say it. Make your confession in your own words.