The High Priest’s first confession TB Yoma 36

 On daf TB Yoma 36 the High Priest has already immersed himself for the second time into a mikvah (from this time on, immersing in a mikvah in the Temple’s courtyard). donned his white linen clothing, and ready to say his first confession. Rabbi Meir and the sages disagree in the order of the since in this confession

"§ The Sages taught in the Tosefta: How does he confess? What is the formula of the confession? It is: I have done wrong (עָוִיתִי), I have rebelled (פָּשַׁעְתִּי), and I have sinned (וְחָטָאתִי). And likewise, with regard to the scapegoat, it says that the confession is in that order: “And he shall confess over it all of the children of Israel’s wrongdoings and all their rebellions and all their sins” (Leviticus 16:21). And likewise, when God revealed Himself to Moses it says: “Forgiving wrongdoing and rebellion and sin (״נוֹשֵׂא עָוֹן וָפֶשַׁע וְחַטָּאָה״)” (Exodus 34:7). This is the statement of Rabbi Meir.

“And the Rabbis say that the meaning of these terms is: Wrongdoings (עֲוֹנוֹת) are intentional transgressions, 15:31). This refers to sins committed intentionally... Rebellions (פְּשָׁעִים) are rebellious transgressions, when one not only intends to violate a prohibition but does so as an act of defiance against God... With regard to the phrase: All of their sins (חַטֹּאתָם), these are unwitting sins. And it says: “If a soul should sin unwittingly” (Leviticus 4:2).”

The Yom Kippur Machzor with commentary adapted from the teachings of Rabbi Joseph B. Soloveitchik explains the underpinning logic of each sequence of the three words. “According to R’ Meir, the order is פֶשַׁע, then עָוֹן, and then וְחַטָּאָה, while the Chachamim (the sages-gg) reverse the sequence to וְחַטָּאָה, then עָוֹן, and then פֶשַׁ

“In general, עֲוֹן signifies a sin due to temptation, פֶשַׁע means a sin due to a rebellion against God, while חַטָּאָה describes a sin committed by mistake. The Chachamim maintain that when reciting Viduy (confession-gg), one should ascend the scale of gravity of sin, while R’ Meir maintains that one should descend this scale. The logic of the Chachamim is that Viduy should gradually transition from mistake to intentional sin to rebellion, thus starting with the sins that are less corrupting and progressing to those that are more corrupting.

“R’ Meir, on the other hand, maintains that because it is more difficult to do teshuvah (repentance-gg) for those sins that one commits by mistake, since one does not feel much guilt about them, one starts with the sins for which it is less difficult to repent and transition to those sins for which is more difficult to repent (Noraot HaRav, volume 6,pp, 138-142).” (Page 598)

The halakha follows the sequence of the Sages and not Rabbi Meir in all our makhzorim, High Holiday prayer books.