Likewise, he who brings a sin or a guilt offerings (must also confess their unintentional or willful transgressions when they bring these offerings. Their sacrifice does not atone) for their sins unless they repent and verbally confess, as it is written, "He must confess the sin that be has committed." (Leviticus 5:5).
Similarly, people who are sentenced by the Rabbinical court to be executed, or to be lashed, do not attain atonement through their death7 or lashing unless they repent and confess.
Likewise, someone who injures his fellow or damages his property, his sins are not forgiven even if he pays what he owes him, and is forgiven by the one he has wronged. He must confess to his Creator and resolve never to do such a thing again. As it is written, "When he is guilty of any of the sins of man." (Leviticus 5:5).
[1:2] The goat that is sent to Azazel is (likened to a sacrifice) for forgiveness for all Israel; therefore, the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) recites a verbal confession that includes all Israel, as it is written, "And he shall confess on it, all the transgressions of Israel." (Leviticus 16:21). This goat atones for all transgressions in the Torah8: both those punishable by death and not punishable by death; intentional sins and unintentional sins; those the transgressor is aware of, and those of which he is unaware. This applies only if one repents. If one does not repent, the goat atones only for the light sins9. What are light
16. If one sinned between man, one must placate the person whom he wronged. If he caused him financial loss, he must repay him and ask his forgiveness. If he caused him anguish or embarrassment, he must ask his forgiveness.
17. One should increase his charitable contributions and help people in need with good deeds and kindness.
18. One should constantly repent his sin when appropriate, in order to remind himself not to repeat this misdeed.
19. When one finds himself again in the same circumstances as he was when he sinned, and he did not sin, (this is the highest level of repentance according to Maimonides).
20. One should become an activist and influence others to repent.
7 The Rabbinical court tells the person to repent before he is executed, because there is no repentance after death, since after death there is no choice between good and evil. If he repents, then to complete the cleansing of his soul, he is executed, but his soul is still not cleansed until all his flesh has fallen from his bones. Therefore, he is not buried with righteous Jews until they are able to gather his bones without flesh and rebury these bones where righteous Jews are buried. If he does not repent, he is punished again after his execution.
8 When we had the Holy Temple, God was much more merciful with us because of the numerous righteous people who merited the Holy Temple. Therefore, through the Azazel goat ceremony God forgavethose who repented without punishment. Today, we do not have a Holy Temple and there is no Azazel goat ceremony, and many transgressions require punishment in addition to repentance for forgiveness.
9 If he does not repent then he cannot be forgiven, because there is a rule that one who sins and says that, "I have no need to repent because I will be forgiven on Yom Kippur", he is not forgiven at all. Furthermore, why should someone who does not ask to be forgiven, be forgiven.
We must conclude that this is not a situation where one knows that he sinned and refuses to repent. The Azazel goat helps those who forgot their sin or who did not realize that they sinned, and these people repented on Yom Kippur the sins that they were aware of. This is because God knows his mind and assess that if he was told about these sins he would repent them. Nevertheless there is no actual repentance for these sins. Therefore, his forgiveness is compromised, and he is forgiven for the lighter sins without punishment, and for the grave sins he is forgiven after punishment. However, the punishment for the grave sins are considerably reduced because of the Azazel goat ceremony on Yom Kippur.