If some one is not able to repay the person he stole from for whatever reason, he should donate to the local tzedakah in the area from which he stole. Obviously, it’s far from lechatchilah but it has merit. Also, everyone is supposed to say tefilas zaka bofore yom kippur. Lakewood puts out signs on erev yom kippur saying that it is minhag hamakom for everyone to verbalize that they are moichel everyone. On a different note, some one once asked the Chofetz Chaim how he can do Teshuva for spreading damaging Loshon Harah. The Chofetz Chaim responded that he should take a pillow case stuffed with feathers up to the roof of the tallest building and empty the contents into the wind. Afterward, he should go around town and collect each and every feather. “But that’s impossible” the man cried. “Likewise with loshon harah” replied the Chofetz Chaim. “Once the words are out of your mouth, the damage is done and they can never be taken back”
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