Yom Kippur Prayers: Forgiveness for All?
Question
The Yom Kippur are worded “We have sinned …,” implying that every Jew who recites these prayers is not only praying for the forgiveness of oneself, but for all their fellow Jews. Does not mean that if one fails to pray or lacks kavana as they pray, they are still forgiven because plenty of their fellow Jews have prayed for them to be forgiven? Or must each person recite these prayers oneself in order to be forgiven?
Answers
When it comes to Teshuvah, there are two dimensions: the individual and the Klal. As individuals, we are obligated to go through the process of Teshuvah (confession, accepting not to do it again in the future, regret) to reach complete atonement. A person who does not go through that process cannot reach a level of complete atonement.
Is it possible to have partial atonement? Yes, absolutely. Hashem judges each person according to who they are and what their spiritual state is at the moment when they approach the Teshuvah process.
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