Tanya/ Iggeres Ha’Teshuvah – The Epistle on Repentance, Chapter 11, Class 4
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Therefore, “He removes our sins every year.”16
וְלָכֵן “מַעֲבִיר אַשְׁמוֹתֵינוּ בְּכָל שָׁנָה וְשָׁנָה”,
As to all the sins for which we confess in the Al Chet annually, though repeatedly violated,
וְכָל הַחֲטָאִים שֶׁמִּתְוַודִּים בְּ”עַל חֵטְא” מִדֵּי שָׁנָה, אַף שֶׁחָזַר וְעָבַר עֲלֵיהֶם –
we again confess for them on Yom Kippur in the coming year, and so on always.
חוֹזֵר וּמִתְוַדֶּה עֲלֵיהֶם בְּיוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים בְּשָׁנָה הַבָּאָה, וְכֵן לְעוֹלָם.
“Every year” does not necessarily imply a yearly pardon, for three times every day, we pronounce, “Blessed are You, O G‑d, Who is gracious and abounds in forgiveness.”
וּ”בְכָל שָׁנָה וְשָׁנָה” לָאו דַּוְקָא, אֶלָּא כְּמוֹ כֵן בְּכָל יוֹם וָיוֹם ג’ פְּעָמִים מְבָרְכִים: “בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה’ חַנּוּן הַמַּרְבֶּה לִסְלוֹחַ”,
As our Sages teach,17 the prayers were instituted in place of the daily sacrificial offerings.
וּכְמַאֲמַר רַבּוֹתֵינוּ־זִכְרוֹנָם־לִבְרָכָה: “תְּפִלָּה כְּנֶגֶד תְּמִידִין תִּקְּנוּהָ”,
The daily morning sacrifice would atone for the sins of the previous night, and the daily evening sacrifice atoned for the sins of the past day,
וְתָמִיד שֶׁל שַׁחַר הָיָה מְכַפֵּר עַל עֲבֵירוֹת הַלַּיְלָה, וְתָמִיד שֶׁל בֵּין הָעַרְבַּייִם עַל שֶׁל יוֹם,
and so on, day by day, constantly.
וְכֵן מִדֵּי יוֹם בְּיוֹם לְעוֹלָם:
Just as in former times, atonement was secured by the regular altar offerings, nowadays, too, our prayers and repentance bring about forgiveness.
What, however, is the difference between the forgiveness granted on Yom Kippur and that granted daily?
[“Every year” means only that] Yom Kippur atones for the grave sins while the regular offering of the olah sacrifice atoned only for the violation of positive commands.
אֶלָּא שֶׁיּוֹם הַכִּפּוּרִים מְכַפֵּר עַל עֲבֵירוֹת חֲמוּרוֹת, וְהַתָּמִיד, שֶׁהוּא קָרְבַּן עוֹלָה, מְכַפֵּר עַל מִצְוֹת עֲשֵׂה בִּלְבַד,
In our time, worship with repentance [substitutes for offerings], atoning only for violations of positive commands, as noted above.
וְכֵן הַתְּפִלָּה בִּזְמַן הַזֶּה עִם הַתְּשׁוּבָה, כַּנִּזְכָּר לְעֵיל.
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FOOTNOTES
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16. Liturgy, Yom Kippur Amidah (Machzor, Annotated Edition, p. 51).
17. Berachot 26a.
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