Sorry

The following paragraphs are excerpts from an article It's time to apologize by Dave Gordon.

"Apologies are so important in Judaism that not only is there a holy day dedicated to teshuvah (repentance), but there are three different words that mean "I'm sorry" in Hebrew: slicha, mechila and kapara.
Amazingly, the formula for a kosher apology is embedded within the word "slicha." Each letter in the word is a different step in the process of atonement, and G-d spelled out the prescription for beginning one's teshuvah using the letters' actual character meanings.
The letters in the Hebrew alphabet are not only letters, but they also represent ideas. Each letter's name is a concept. The letters of slicha are as follows: samech, lamed, yud, het and hey. Samech in Hebrew means "trust," and it's the very thing that has to be rebuilt in the process of an apology....
...Lamed means "learning" in Hebrew. Our mistakes are the things that we hope to turn into learning experiences. In making a kosher apology, we express to the people that we hurt that we have learned from our mistake and will try hard to not let it happen again.
...Yud is similar to the word yad, which means "hand." What we do to re-establish our bond with someone is shake their hand, or offer a metaphorical outstretched hand in reconciliation....
...The het is exactly the same word for "sin" in Hebrew. Judaism requires us to take responsibility for our actions, hold ourselves accountable for our mistakes and apologize when we've hurt someone. The het is there to remind us that we need to own up to what we've done, and that it is a sin against G-d to hurt our fellow human beings.....
...The het means you recognize the sin, and own up to the mistake or the hurt caused.
...Finally, the hey. Jewish tradition tells us that the letter hey is the symbol for Hashem. Just as surely as we must ask the people in our lives for forgiveness, it is also essential to ask Hashem for forgiveness, and seek from Him strength to not repeat the hurtful action. As well, this reminds us that G-d is watching, and is aware of, the relationships we have with others, and knows if we've hurt someone and if we've atoned properly."
To read full article, click on the link blow.
http://www.jewishindependent.ca/Archives/Sept07/archives07Sept21-05.html