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During Musaf of Rosh Chodesh the words Ulichaporas Pasha is added on during a leap year. Why is this done? And what is the significance of it?

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Simple answer -- there are twelve terms of request in a normal year (chaim, shalom, sason, simcha ...), one for each month. Leap year has a thirteenth month, so a thirteenth term. Now why we say "indemnity of iniquity" [try saying that five times fast!] per se (other than it follows nicely from the previous pair about forgiveness and pardon), and whether given phrases map to specific months or if it's 12=12, I don't know. Though I assume that "pasha" is the most severe form of sin, so it's reasonable that we don't push our luck and thus only ask for forgiveness for it every few years.

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    The three expressions for different types of sin are used widely (e.g. on every Yom Kippur), פשע and חטא, עון . Sometimes חטא is used as a generic form but otherwise all three occur together. It is inconceivable that this form of sin can only be atoned during this restricted period, so why is it left out during normal years?
    – Avrohom Yitzchok
    Dec 26, 2011 at 9:26
  • @AvrohomYitzchok unless you are satisfied by Gershon's answer about Pesach, is this still an unanswered question? I thought of it this morning and wonder if you ever got an answer.
    – rosends
    Oct 27, 2015 at 12:56
  • @Danno Double AA already questioned Gershon's answer about Pesach. And I just commented on Gershon's second answer. So - so far, I am not satisfied with the answers offered.
    – Avrohom Yitzchok
    Oct 27, 2015 at 15:24
  • @AvrohomYitzchok I wrote up a whole long question on this and then found beureihatefila.com/files/2011-07-01_Tefila_Newsletter.pdf which goes through it and explains some good ideas.
    – rosends
    Oct 27, 2015 at 15:36
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    @Danno Thank you. The comment "In truth, we have a need for all thirteen acts in every month-see Siman 422, 2." rang true for me.
    – Avrohom Yitzchok
    Oct 27, 2015 at 15:58
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I just found a Kunteros Achron #448 published on the bottom of the Taamei Haminhagim #448. He writes that the reason we say Ulichaporas Pasha is in case the year was made into a leap year in error and through that we are eating Chomeitz on Pesach.

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    How could this possibly be? Rosh Hashana 25a: הלך ומצאו רבי עקיבה מצר. אמר לו, יש לי ללמוד שכל מה שעשה רבן גמליאל עשוי, שנאמר "אלה מועדי ה', מקראי קודש, אשר תקראו אותם" -- "אשר תקראו אותם" בין בזמנן בין שלא בזמנן; אין לי מועדות אלא אלו.
    – Double AA ♦
    May 5, 2013 at 17:56
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A thought that I had today. The main purpose of Rosh Chodesh according to what we say in Mussaf is "Roshei Chadosim L'Amcha Nosato, Zman Kaporo Lchol Toldosom" and this is reaffirmed when we have an additional 13th month by saying Ulichaporas Pesha. There are those that say Slichos Yom Kippur Kotton Erev Rosh Chodesh to have a Kaporo for the entire previous month.

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  • You seem to say: "The main purpose of Rosh Chodesh" is to get "Kaporo Lchol Toldosom"; so only when there is a leap year we say "Ulichaporas Pesha". !?
    – Avrohom Yitzchok
    Oct 27, 2015 at 15:22

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