613 Mitzvot
Positive Mitzvah 73
Confessing a sin

Vayikra (Leviticus) 5:5
Vehayah khi-yesham le'akhat me'eleh vehitvadah asher khata aleyha.
And it shall be, when he shall be guilty in one of these things, that he shall confess that he has sinned in that thing:

We live in a society that often does not want to take responsibility for its errors. But this mitzvah says that we must admit that we were wrong when we sin. It is not enough to just feel sorry for what we did wrong, but we must also say that we have done wrong. This is a very important part of Teshuvah (repentance). Humility is very important part of a sincere confession.

The sin offering could not be accepted unless there be confession of sin.

David sang to YHVH, "I acknowledged my sin to You. I didn't hide my iniquity. I said, I will confess my transgressions to YHVH, and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Selah." (Tehillim/Psalms 32:5)

Shlomo (Solomon) wrote "He who conceals his sins doesn't prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy." (Mishle/Proverbs 28:13)

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 righteous to forgive us the sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we haven't sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1 Yochanan/John 1:8-10)

Not only do we confess our sins to YHVH, but to each other, for it says, "Confess your offenses to one another, and pray for one another" (Ya'akov/James 5:16).