Are all sins forgiven when a person gets married?

Hello, 

It is written in the Jerusalem Talmud, tractate Bikkurim (chapter 3, halacha 3), that a groom is forgiven for all his sins, and this is derived from what is written (Genesis 28:9), "So Esau went to Ishmael and took Mahalath the daughter of Ishmael." Was her name Mahalath? Was it not Basemath? Rather, this teaches that all his sins were forgiven. Likewise, a bride is forgiven for all her sins (Tashbetz Katan, siman 565; responsa of Maharam Mintz, siman 109; Mateh Moshe, entry on bringing in the bride, letter 2; Eliyah Rabbah, siman 573, letter 2; and Mishnah Berurah there, small note 8. The same is written by Kedushas Levi in his discourse for Shavuos, beginning with the words Kol Yamim Tovim. So too is the conclusion in Yabia Omer, volume 3, Even HaEzer, siman 9, letter 2. And so answered Rav Chaim Kanievsky, may he be well, in the book Menachah L'Chaim, siman 15, letter 89. See also Aishel Avraham, siman 573). Even in a second marriage, the groom and bride are forgiven for all their sins (Eliyah Rabbah there, and responsa of HaElef Lecha Shlomo, Orach Chaim, siman 60, since the Sages derived this matter from Esau, and Esau had several wives; if so, it is evident from this that even in a second marriage all sins are forgiven. See also Mishnah Berurah there). However, many of the later authorities have already written that whatever is forgiven to a groom and bride for their sins applies only if they return in complete repentance, namely confession, remorse, and acceptance for the future (see Sefer HaDarash VeHaIyun, volume 1, essay 132; Yabia Omer, volume 3, Even HaEzer, siman 8, letter 17; Sefer Derech Sichah, volume 1, page 679; and Sefer Menachah L'Chaim, page 211, in the name of Rav Chaim Kanievsky, may he be well. See further what is brought there in Menachah L'Chaim, note 585, and in Sefer Yismach Lev, Marriage Matters, volume 1, pages 47-48). With regard to sins between one person and another, such as theft, one must also return the stolen item to its owner and appease him until he agrees to forgive; without this, they are not forgiven (for it is no better than Yom Kippur, which does not atone until one returns what was stolen to his fellow and appeases him, as Rambam wrote in Hilchos Teshuvah, chapter 2, halacha 9. This is also brought in Sefer Yismach Lev there, page 47, in the name of the Imrei Emes of Gur, of blessed memory. However, he brought from Sefer Pardes Yosef that his view is not so). 

Blessings, Hillel Meirs