Atonement in Judaism is the process of causing a transgression to be forgiven or pardoned.

In Rabbinic Judaism

Rabbinic Judaism Rabbinic Judaism ( he, יהדות רבנית, Yahadut Rabanit), also called Rabbinism, Rabbinicism, or Judaism espoused by the Rabbanites, has been the mainstream form of Judaism since the 6th century CE, after the codification of the Babylonia ...

, atonement is achieved through

repentance Repentance is reviewing one's actions and feeling contrition or regret for past wrongs, which is accompanied by commitment to and actual actions that show and prove a change for the better. In modern times, it is generally seen as involving a co ...

, which can be followed by some combination of the following: * confession * restitution * the occurrence of

Yom Kippur Yom Kippur (; he, יוֹם כִּפּוּר, , , ) is the holiest day in Judaism and Samaritanism. It occurs annually on the 10th of Tishrei, the first month of the Hebrew calendar. Primarily centered on atonement and repentance, the day' ...

(the day itself, as distinct from the Temple service performed on it) * tribulations (unpleasant life experiences) * the experience of dying. * the carrying out of a sentence of

lashes Flagellation (Latin , 'whip'), flogging or whipping is the act of beating the human body with special implements such as whips, rods, switches, the cat o' nine tails, the sjambok, the knout, etc. Typically, flogging has been imposed on a ...

execution Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty, is the state-sanctioned practice of deliberately killing a person as a punishment for an actual or supposed crime, usually following an authorized, rule-governed process to conclude that ...

imposed by an ordained court (not now in existence) * Temple service (not now in existence, e.g. bringing a sacrifice). Which of these additions are required varies according to the severity of the sin, whether it was done willfully, in error, or under duress, whether it was against God alone or also against a fellow person, and whether the Temple service and ordained law courts are in existence or not. Repentance is needed in all cases of willful sin, and restitution is always required in the case of sin against a fellow person, unless the wronged party waives it. According to

Maimonides Musa ibn Maimon (1138–1204), commonly known as Maimonides (); la, Moses Maimonides and also referred to by the acronym Rambam ( he, רמב״ם), was a Sephardic Jewish philosopher who became one of the most prolific and influential Torah ...

, the requirements for atonement of various sins between man and God are as follows: The sentence of an ordained court (when available) can also substitute for Yom Kippur + tribulations + dying. In Judaism, once a person has repented, they can be close to and beloved of God, even if their atonement is not yet complete.

True repentance

The

Mishnah The Mishnah or the Mishna (; he, מִשְׁנָה, "study by repetition", from the verb ''shanah'' , or "to study and review", also "secondary") is the first major written collection of the Jewish oral traditions which is known as the Oral Tor ...

states: According to

, in order to achieve true repentance the sinner must abandon their sin, remove it from their thoughts, and resolve in their heart never to repeat it, as it is said, “Let the wicked forsake his way and the man of iniquity his thoughts" (Isaiah 55:7). Likewise, they must regret the past, as it is said, "Surely after I turned I repented" (Jeremiah 31:18). They must also call Him who knows all secrets to witness that they will never return to this sin again.

Lashes (''Makkot'')

The third chapter of tractate

Makkot Makot (in Hebrew: מכות) (in English: "Lashes") is a tractate of the Mishnah and Talmud. It is the fifth volume of the order of Nezikin. Makkot deals primarily with laws of the Jewish courts (beis din) and the punishments which they may adminis ...

enumerates 59 offenses, each entailing lashes. Anyone guilty of a sin which is punished by Kareth ("excision") may be atoned by receiving these lashes. The author of this teaching, Hanina bar Gamaliel, adds: "If by the commission of a single sin one forfeits his soul before God, then all the more so by a single meritorious deed (such as voluntary submission to punishment) his soul should be saved."

Execution

The

Pentateuch The Torah (; hbo, ''Tōrā'', "Instruction", "Teaching" or "Law") is the compilation of the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, namely the books of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. In that sense, Torah means the ...

specifies capital punishment, as opposed to private retribution or vengeance, for the following crimes: adultery (Lev. 20:10; Deut. 22:22); bestiality (Ex. 22:18 . V. 19 Lev. 20:15); blasphemy (Lev. 24:16); false evidence (intended to lead to a conviction) in capital cases (Deut. 19:16-19); false prophecy (Deut. 13:6, 18:20); idolatry or inciting others to the same (Lev. 20:2; Deut. 13:7-19, 17:2-7); incestuous or unnatural connections (Lev. 18:22, 20:11-14); insubordination to supreme authority (Deut. 17:12); kidnapping (Ex. 21:16; Deut. 24:7); licentiousness of a priest's daughter (Lev. 21:9); murder (Ex. 21:12; Lev. 24:17; Num. 35:16 et seq.); rape committed on a betrothed woman (Deut. 22:25-27) or fornication by or with her (Deut. 22:20, 23–24); striking or cursing a parent, or otherwise rebelling against parental authority (Ex. 21:15,17; Lev. 20:9; Deut. 21:18-21); Sabbath-breaking (Ex. 31:14, 35:2; Num. 15:32-36); witchcraft and augury (Ex. 22:17; Lev. 20:27).Paraphrased fro
CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
Jewish Encyclopedia on ''Makkot'' (1906, PD).

In other Jewish denominations

Some

Jewish denominations Jewish religious movements, sometimes called "religious denomination, denominations", include different groups within Judaism which have developed among Jews from ancient times. Today, the most prominent divisions are between traditionalist Ortho ...

may differ with Rabbinic Judaism on the importance or mechanics of atonement. Consult the articles on specific denominations for details.

References

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Judaism Judaism ( he, ''Yahăḏūṯ'') is an Abrahamic, monotheistic, and ethnic religion comprising the collective religious, cultural, and legal tradition and civilization of the Jewish people. It has its roots as an organized religion in th ...

Jewish theology