על חטא שחטאנו לפניך ביודעים ובלא יודעים
“For the sins that we have committed before You, knowingly and unknowingly.”

QUESTION: Since it already says, “For the sins that we have committed before You bezadon u’bishgagah — intentionally and unintentionally” — isn’t this redundant?

ANSWER: In the Gemara (Kiddushin 20a) Rav Huna says, “When one commits a transgression and repeats his wrongdoing a second time, the deed becomes something which seems permissible to him, for his repeated performance of the sin has removed his inhibition regarding it.”

The intent of the person in this confession is that in the beginning when he committed a transgression he was aware that he did something wrong and felt remorse. However, after the sin was repeated a few times it became a habitual way of life and he continued doing it callously and no longer felt that he was doing something wrong.

(פון אונזער אלטען אוצר בשם אור כשלמה)