Al Chet 11

Category: Al Chet (Confession)

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Exploring the Al Chet Prayer
Rabbi Shraga Simmons

11. For the mistakes we committed before You through insincere confession.
On Yom Kippur when we say each line of the "Al Chet" prayer, we gently strike our heart -- as if to say that it was "passion and desire" that led to these mistakes. Do we really mean it?

Ask yourself:
Did I ever apologize without being sincere?
Have I committed myself to "change" without seriously following up?

 Al Chet # 11
44 Roots of Mistakes
by George Brock

The Sin:  The Mistakes we committed before You through insincere confession.

• Giving apologies- without being sincere.
• Committing to change- without following up.

The Battle:  Is- (1) Change {vs} Staying the same.
                       (2) Sincerity {vs} Insincerity.

The Cause:  The more the “insincere” say; they have changed- the more they stay the same.

The Victory:  Comes when one recognizes the need to change- he embraces it and lets the sin go.

• Sometimes one must “Cut off the finger to save the hand” and live in peace.

The Mistake:  (“Giving apologies- without being sincere”.)

Victory:

The victory comes when one realizes- “Activity” is not “Productivity”. The goal of repentance  is to  show “remorse” and being truly “ashamed” of one's mistakes.

• One should ask God- for the inner strength and courage to do what is right and to avoid
  making the same mistakes in the future.

The Mistake:  (“Committing to change- without following up”.)

• “Some drink from the fountain of  T'shuvah- others just gargle”.

The Goal:  Is to ask God- to help one to “understand” that everything that happens in one's life-is the product of God's will and personal intervention.

“One should ask God to help one-

• Observe what God is trying to teach him.
• Interpret the lesson being taught and improve.
• Implement the corrections in one's life.

Which would in turn cause one to achieve one's soul correction- which only comes through practicing “Sincere T'shuvah” before God”.