Parasha Thoughts
By Rabbi David Cohen
וְהִתְוַדּ֗וּ ×ֶֽת־חַטָּ×תָ×Ö® ×ֲשֶ×֣ר עָשׂוּ֒ וְהֵשִ×֤יב ×ֶת־×ֲשָ×מוֹ֙ בְּרֹ×ש×֔וֹ וַחֲמִישִ×ת֖וֹ יֹסֵ֣ף עָלָ֑יו ×•Ö°× Ö¸×ªÖ·Ö•×Ÿ לַ×ֲשֶ×֖ר ×ָשַ×Ö¥× ×œÖ½×•Ö¹×ƒ
And they shall confess their sins which they perpetrated, and he shall make restitution for his sin. (5
The Torah does not frequently mention Vidui, confession. Interestingly, the Torah mentions confession here specifically in reference to theft. Why? The Chidushei Ha’Rim responds with a very powerful idea. Theft is a primary category of sin. Hashem has given us every organ and limb of our body for a particular purpose – to serve Him. When we veer from that goal we are guilty of theft – not simply petty theft, but stealing from Hashem.
When we violate the “terms” of our “loan” from Hashem, we are acting as thieves. In other words, every sin, regardless whether it is manifest against man or Hashem, is by its very nature an act of theft.
Shabbat Shalom