24 Vayikra 2026 Torah

In our present era, we need to make some tangible evidence of our sorrow for disobeying God if possible, and we must be sincere and repentant. For example, after I made a big unintentional mistake by telling someone something that was not true, I told them that what I said was not true and corrected my mistake. People can often let these things go. First, they lied and then by not saying anything when they realized that what they said was not true, they are lying again and not truly sorry they did what they did. Self abasement is violence against ourselves and is wrong. When we find out that we have been sinning in some area, we need to completely repent. Going through the process of repentance should be enough to make us work hard at learning and applying God's commandments so we do not sin. 

 We know that most the Israelites were literate because we even have ancient letters written by women. This was no doubt due to each person's responsibility to learn and keep God's commandments.

 When the Temple still existed, we were required to make a sacrifice for our unintentional sin. We do not always understand God's commandments. I think it had to be painful to have to sacrifice one of their animals because of sin. Perhaps our sin causes God pain because God knows we are doing something that is bad for us. God wants what is best for us. This is one of my favorite scriptures. Deuteronomy 5:29 NKJV says, "Oh, that they had such a heart in them that they would fear Me and always keep all My commandments, that it might be well with them and with their children forever." 

 For intentional sins, God requires complete repentance and well as being sorry for our sin. Psalms 51:14-17 is an example of a prayer for intentional sin; it does not require a sacrifice but requires complete repentance. The reason God does not want a burnt offering for intentional sin is because God wants complete repentance.

Psalms 51:14-17 NKJV says,Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth Your praise. For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart – these, O God, You will not despise. 

Unintentional sins are now forgiven by the sacrifice of our Messiah Yeshua, but of course, they also require being sorry for our sin and complete repentance, and like I said, some tangible response if possible. It is not always possible. We are to confess our sins to God. Confessing them to a person is not the same as confessing them to God.