Halakhah su Isaia 55:6

The pious men of olden days were wont to write their transgressions on a tablet when they sinned in order to confess their sins,¹The previous chapter instructs him to enumerate his sins. This can be done if he records them. Hence the custom of the pious (Perush). also in order to remember, regret and do penance. Because if he remembers his transgressions and that in the future he must give an accounting of them,²Another reason for recording them is to fulfill the demands of the verse. he will do penance, therefore it is good to record them, to fulfill that which is written, “And my sin is ever before me” (Ps. 51:5). And he remembers the day of death, Gehenna, and the day of judgement and lastly the love of heaven which is the best.³Yoma 86b. Let him write them cryptically in order that nobody sees them. The statement of the rabbis that one who declares his sins is called “impudent,” refers to one who enumerates his sins, who tells everyone wherein he sinned. But one is permitted to tell a humble and righteous individual one of his transgressions, that he may be able to teach him how to do penance. Or he should inquire of him inexplicitly, “ If a person has committed such a transgression and comes to repent, how does he do penance?” Even though penance and weeping are good for the person at all times, the days between the New Year and the Day of Atonement are better,⁴Rosh ha-Shanah 18a. and they (penance and weeping) are immediately accepted, as it is written, “Seek ye the Lord while He may be found” (Isa. 55:6). This is said only concerning the individual, but with the community, as long as they are doing penance and crying with whole hearts, they are answered, as in a similar matter where it is written, “For what great nation is there, that hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is whensoever we call upon Him?” (Deut. 4:7) The Day of Atonement is the day of penance for each individual and the community, it is the time of remission and pardon for all Israel. Therefore, all are enjoined to do penance and to confess on the Day of Atonement. And the commandment concerning confession on the Day of Atonement is that it start while yet day before the individual eats or drinks lest he choke. Let him recite the confessional that is customary “But we have sinned,” and this is the quintessence of the Confessional. Transgressions, even though he has confessed them on the Day of Atonement and he is yet within a state of penance, them he confesses on another Day of Atonement, as it is written, “For I know my transgression: and my sin is ever before me” (Ps. 51:5).⁵Yoma 86b.

The Ten Days of Repentance, as characterized by their name, are designated for repentance. During this time everyone is obligated to repent wholeheartedly before God, blessed is His Name, before the coming of the great and awesome day, of Yom Kippur, as it is said, "Before God you will be cleansed" (Leviticus 16:30). It is also said, "Seek God when He may be found", (Isaiah 55:6) and our Rabbis of blessed memory said, that this refers to the ten days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. Therefore, during these days you must examine your conduct and repent of your bad deeds. Sins about which you are in doubt require greater repentance than transgressions of which you are certain, for a person is more regretful when he knows that he committed a sin, than when he is uncertain of it. Therefore, the guilt offering brought in case of doubtful sin must be of greater value than a regular sin offering. During these days You should study more Torah, perform more mitzvohs, give more charity, and spend less time on your business. It was written by Rabbi Moshe Cordovero, of blessed memory, that you should consider these days as if they were Chol Hamoed, by performing only necessary work. Above all, you must set right the wrongs you committed against your fellow man, for which there is no atonement unless you compensate him for any stolen articles or withheld funds¹It is also sufficient if you present the case in all honesty before a Rav or Posek and ask him to decide what you should do. It is, however, by no means proper for you to decide on your own, for regarding matters of money, the Yeitzer Harah (evil inclination) will help you find many loopholes. (Mishnah Berurah 606:1) in your possession, and patch things up and placate him so that he will forgive you.

The order of the [9 Av] day: [Eliezer ben Yoel haLevi] wrote in the Avi haEzri: the night of 9 Av they take off their sandals and go to the synagogue and sit on the ground like mourners and light no more than one light, with which to read the Book of Lamentations and kinot. And the shaliaḥ tzibur stands and prays Aravit and says the full Kaddish and reads the Book of Lamentations and says kinot, and after that the Kedusha d’Sidra, and starts with “And You are holy." And "To Zion will come a redeemer" is not said, for there is no redemption that night, nor "And as for Me, this is My covenant," for it seems to be establishing a covenant over kinot, and there is no relation to say "And as for Me, this is My covenant" for all is exempted then. But in a mourner's house it is said, for if the mourner is exempted, the comforters are not. And he says Kaddish without "May they be accepted." And they go home, and do not greet one another except in the manner of mourners or chastened ones. And if 9 Av ends on Shabbat or the day after, they do not say "Your Justice is justice." Just as on a new moon that falls (being on the Sunday after) Shabbat, that they do not say "Your Justice is justice" on Shabbat that is 9 Av it is called a mo'ed. And they do not say Psalm 90:17 [and Psalm 91]. And some of the Gaonim wrote that they do not say Psalm 90:17 [and Psalm 91], and also not to say the Kedusha d'Sidra. And Rav Zemaḥ Gaon wrote they do not say Psalm 90:17 [and Psalm 91] but they say "And to Zion will come" and all of the Kedusha d'Sidra, except for "And as for Me, this is My covenant."And Rabbeinu Nissim wrote that they do not say Psalm 90:17 [and Psalm 91] but it is our custom to say in the evening and morning to say "And as for Me, this is My covenant." And why not say it? And the people studies Job and Jeremiah and the kinot in the morning and does the order of blessings and hymns according to other days and there are places where it is customary not to say the Song [of the Sea]. And those praying the eighteen blessings individually say "Answer us" within "Hear our Prayer," and the shaliaḥ tzibur between "Redeemer" and "Healer" as on other fast days, and says "Comfort" within "Builder of Jerusalem." And unlike other public fast days twenty-four blessings aren't said and a Closing of the Gates prayer is not said. And Rav Amram wrote it is our custom to increase seliḥot in "Forgive us." And teḥinot are not said, as it is called a mo'ed, and if it falls on Monday or Thursday one says "God, long-suffering" but does not say "And He is merciful" and in Spain they do not say "God, long-suffering." And they take out a Torah scroll and read three aliyot from the section of Va-etḥanan, "When you bear children." (Deuteronomy 4:25–40). And the maftir is the third. And the maftir reads from Jeremiah, "I will gather, gather them" (Jeremiah 8:13 - 9:23). And [Eliezer ben Yoel haLevi] wrote in the Avi haEzri that one rolls the Torah scroll in its place so as not to reduce its honor. But in Tractate Soferim 18:4 it is written: Some read the book of Lamentations in the evening, and some delay it until the morning to after the reading of the Torah scroll. After the reading of the Torah scroll, one stands and wallows in ash, and they puncture their clothes and read in weeping and wailing. If they know how to translate, all the better. And if not, give it to one who knows how to translate so that all the people and the women and children will understand, for women are required as are men, as are male children. And the one who reads on 9 Av says "Blessed is the True Judge." And some place the scroll case on the ground and say "Fallen is the crown of our head" (Lamentations 5:16) and tear their clothes and weep like a person whose dead lies before them. And some change their places, and some get down from their benches. And all wallow in ashes and do not greet one another all night and all day until all the people have finished their kinot. And at them time of kinot it is forbidden to talk or go outside, so as not to stop one's heart from grieving. And similarly, not to talk with idolaters. And if there is a mourner in the town, he goes at night to synagogue, and in the day, until they finish kinot. And if there is an infant to circumcise, they circumcise him after they finish kinot. And some delay the circumcision until after noon. And some say that we do not bless over a cup but bless without a cup. And according to the Tosafot we bless on a cup but give it to a child to drink. and we are not concerned that perhaps he may be drawn to drink from it even after he grows up, because it is not a permanent matter. And therefore, on 9 Av that falls on the day after Shabbat we don't say Havdalah and give it to a child, because we are concerned that he may be drawn to it, for it is considered a permanent matter, because, according to the structure of the years, it sometimes falls on Shabbat once every three or four years. A sandak changes into other clothes, but not really white ones. One time when 9 Av fell on Shabbat and was postponed to the next day, Rabbeinu Yaavets was a sandak, and he prayed Minḥa while the day was still going and washed and did not finish his fast since it was a festival for him. And evidence can be found from where it is taught (Eruvin 51a) "Said Rabbi Eliezer bar Tzadok: I am a descendant of Senaav ben Binyamin. One time, the Ninth of Av fell on Shabbat, and we postponed it until after Shabbat, and we fasted but did not complete it because that it was our Festival." And some have the custom not to slaughter or prepare necessities for the break-fast until after noon. At Minḥa they read "And Moses implored" (Exodus 32:11-14, Exodus 34:1-10) as on other fast days, and the haftarah is "Seek out" (Isaiah 55:6–56:8). And Rabbeinu Hai wrote that his custom was to read "Return" (Hosea 14:2-10) as the haftarah. And they pray the eighteen blessings and say "Comfort" within "Builder of Jerusalem" and "Answer us" within "Hear our Prayer," and the shaliaḥ tzibur between "Redeemer" and "Healer."