When a person is about to leave this world, he should confess his sins. Confession is an expression of remorse for one’s transgressions and a request from God that death itself should serve as atonement for these sins.

When a person is critically ill, a dilemma often arises over the message that should be conveyed to him: Should one offer him words of encouragement and urge him to fight his illness and hope for recovery? Or should the state of affairs be presented to him in a realistic manner, and thereby perhaps help him to prepare properly for his death, which will also aid his soul in its future path? A highly sensitive formulation has been created that should be presented to the patient in such a circumstance:

“Many have recited confessions and not died, and many have not recited confessions and have died. In reward for confessing, you shall live, and whoever confesses has a portion in the World to Come.”

The following is the translation of the formula of the confession:

“Our God and the God of our fathers, may our prayers come before You, and do not hide Yourself from our supplication, as we are not so arrogant or stubborn as to say before You, Lord, our God and God of our fathers, that we are righteous and have not sinned, but we and our fathers have sinned.

“We have transgressed, we have acted treacherously, we have robbed, we have spoken slander. We have acted perversely, and we have acted wickedly, we have acted presumptuously, we have performed violence, we have framed lies. We have given bad advice, we have deceived, we have scorned, we have rebelled, we have provoked, we have turned away, we have committed iniquity, we have transgressed, we have persecuted, we have been obstinate. We have acted wickedly, we have corrupted, we have acted abominably, we have strayed, we have spoken in derision. We have turned away from Your commandments and good laws, to no avail. You are just in all that befalls us, as You have acted faithfully, and we have done wickedly.”

If it is not possible to recite the above version, one should say instead:

“I acknowledge before You, Lord, my God, God of my fathers, that my recovery and my death are in Your hand. May it be Your will that You heal me completely, but if I die, let my death be atonement for all the sins, transgressions, and rebellious acts with which I have sinned, transgressed, and rebelled before You. Grant me a portion in the Garden of Eden, and grant me the merit to partake of the World to Come, which is stored away for the righteous.”

If one does not have the ability or time for even that version, the basic formula of the confession is:

“May my death be atonement for all my transgressions.”

If the patient is able to do so, he should recite the full text of the long confession which appears in the Yom Kippur prayers.

Among some Sephardic communities, it is customary to recite the liturgical poem, “My yearning, God, is to You,” which includes the entire text of the confession. The text can be found in Sephardic prayer books.

It is recommended for the individual to also recite the following psalms if he is able: 16, 23, 25, 51, 91, 102, 103, 121, 139, 142.

In the case of a dying man who cannot utter the words verbally, those surrounding him should recite the words to him so that he may contemplate them in his mind.

When it is suggested to a patient that he recite the confession, one should try to make sure that no children or especially sensitive people are present, as their crying could cause the dying man even further discomfort.