A Congregation of Messianic Jews (and Gentiles) that believe Yeshua (Jesus)
is the promised Messiah of the Hebrew Scriptures.

 For Sin

 

"But if we walk in the light as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Yeshua HaMashiach cleanses us from all sin.  If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.         (1 John 1:7-9)

 

We do not live in a perfect society or a perfect world.  We live in the real world.  The world in which we live our lives is full of day to day mishaps, misfortunes, and violence.  We may hear, read, or often eye-witness tragedies, disasters, wars, and even find ourselves in danger at times.  All the mishaps and misfortunes are the result of fallen humans who have inherited a sinful nature from Adam.  Since the time of Adam, civilization has faced countless acts of sin-violence and war, the very worst of humans.  No matter how good we tried to be by showing others kindness, we always fall short of the honor and righteousness of the holy God.  The human condition of guilt, shame, suspicion, frustration, and anger are the result of our depravity.  Humans are spiritually dead, separated from God.  Now matter how we try to cover sin by ourselves we can never expiate or atone for our sin.  We are stuck with the sin problem, which inevitably affects our mind, thinking, and behavioral choices. 

 

In the Messianic Jewish faith we understand that it is not Jewish tradition and practicing Jewish rituals that corrects the sin problem but it is God.  God has provided a Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) for us when we face our sin before the holy God.  Well before this day approaches, we examine ourselves, confessing our sin with various prayers of penitence either with the prayer book or in our private solitude with the Heavenly Father.  The Day of Atonement is the day to humble ourselves, fast, and come to be forgiven.  In Jewish tradition the Day of Atonement is the day of standing before God with a humble heart, a broken heart, confessing sin and repenting of sin (Mark 11:25).

 

On the Day of Atonement we recite or chant the prayer Al Het, (lit. for sin), in synagogue.  Before praying Al Het some Jewish traditions pray, "Lord our God and God of our fathers, to have mercy on us and forgive us all our sins, grant us atonement for all our iniquities, and forgive and pardon us for all our transgressions" [Siddur Tehillat Hashem, Nusach Ha-Ari Zal with English, p. 302].  On the Day of Atonement we stand in the synagogue before our King as we confess, "Al het shehatanu lfaneha..."  This translates to, "For the sin which we have committed before you..."

 

Some traditional Jewish communities confess the following sins out of the prayer book,

 

1)  committing sin under duress or unwillingly; 2) committing sin by hard heartedness; 3) committing sin inadvertently; 4) saying something with an utterance of the lips; 5) committing sin immorally; 6) committing sin openly or secretly; 7) committing sin with knowledge and deceit; 8) committing sin through speech; 9) committing sin by deceiving a fellow man; 10) committing sin with improper thoughts; 11) committing sin with gathering of lewdness; 12) making a verbal insincere confession; 13) being disrespectful to parents and teachers; 14) committing sin intentionally or unintentionally; 15) committing sin by using coercion; 16) committing sin by desecrating the Divine Name; 17) committing sin with impurity of speech; 18) committing sin with foolish talk; 19) committing sin with the evil inclination; 20) committing sin knowingly and unknowingly

 

"For all of these, God of pardon, pardon us, forgive us, atone for us"

 

1) committing sin with false denial and lying; 2) committing sin with bribe-taking or a bribe-giving hand; 3) committing sin by scoffing; 4) committing sin with evil talk [about another]; 5) committing sin with business dealings; 6) committing sin by eating and drinking; 7) committing sin by taking and giving interest; 8) committing sin with a haughty demeanor; 9) committing sin by the prattle of our lips; 10) committing sin by a glance of the eye; 11) committing sin with proud looks; 12) committing sin with impudence

 

"For all these God of pardon, pardon us, forgive us, atone for us"

 

1) committing sin by casting off the yoke of heaven; 2) committing sin by passing judgment; 3) committing sin by scheming against a fellowman; 4) committing sin by a begrudging eye; 5) committing sin by frivolity; 6) committing sin with obduracy; 7) committing sin by running to do evil; 8) committing sin by tale bearing; 9) committing sin with causeless hatred; 10) committing sin by embezzlement; 11) committing sin with a confused heart

 

"For all these, God of pardon, pardon us, forgive us, atone for us"

 

We further pray, "Val hataim hayavim aleyhem...", dealing with sins of obligation and that which we incur,

 

 

1) to bring a burnt-offering; 2) to bring a sin offering; 3) varying offering (according to one's means); 4) to bring a guilt-offering for a certain doubtless trespass; 5) the penalty of lashing for rebelliousness; 6) the penalty for forty lashes; 7) the penalty for death by the hand of heaven; 8) the penalty of excision and childlessness; 9) the penalty of the four forms of capital punishment by the Court (Bet Din): stoning, burning, decapitation, and strangulation [Siddur Tehillat Hashem, 302-304] 

 

All these confessions of sin that the traditional Jewish community prays are violations of the Torah, and living up to this standard by fulfilling the obligations cannot atone for sin.  Merely keeping the commandments of Torah do not atone for our sins.  Atonement for our sins is made possible through Yeshua, by his blood.  As Jewish and non-Jewish believers we have confidence that because of Yeshua's sacrificial work we are cleansed from all our sin, the price of atonement paid for with Messiah's atoning death.

 

We are all sinful in the Jewish community.  If this were not so then it would be absolutely unnecessary to appear before God in synagogue year after year on the Day of Atonement.  Simply put, we must accept our sinful condition when we appear before the King (Mark 11:25).  Frankly, as tradition tzedakah, tshuvah, and tfillah would merely be senseless Jewish good deeds if we say we have no sin, and we are liars to deny it making God a liar (1 John 1:10).  There simply would be no point, no meaning, and no purpose to Yom Kippur.  (If we have no sin, then we need no atonement.)  On the contrary, our confession and our repentance are absolutely necessary to receive God's forgiveness.  The Beloved John tells us if we confess our sin God is faithful and right to make us pure and forgive us. 

 

As we stand in the synagogue praying the prayer, For Sin, may we beat our breast in true repentance and confession of sin for the forgiveness of God.  The Son of God has atoned for our sins and the Father has forgiven us of the guilt.  Let us remember what our Lord taught the talmidim about people trusting in themselves to be right with God while despising other people,

 

 "And the tax-collector standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven,

 but beat his breast saying, 'God be merciful to me a sinner!'    (Luke 18:13)   

 

 

      Cantor Lyle Leibovitz