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Selichos For the first day of the week Published and copyright © 1999 by Kehot Publication Society To order your copy call: 1-877-4 Merkos or email: orders@kehotonline.com |
Fortunate are those who dwell in Your House; they will yet praise You, Selah. Fortunate is the people for whom this is so, fortunate is the people whose G-d is G-d. A Psalm by David: I will exalt You, my G-d, the King, and I will bless Your Name forever and ever. Every day I will bless You, and I will extol Your Name forever and ever. G-d is great and exceedingly exalted, and His greatness is unfathomable. One generation to another will laud Your works, and tell of Your mighty acts. I will speak of the splendor of Your glorious majesty and of Your wondrous deeds. They will proclaim the might of Your awesome acts, and I will recount Your greatness. They will utter the remembrance of Your abundant goodness, and sing exultantly of Your righteousness. G-d is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and great in kindness. G-d is good to all, and His mercy is on all His works. G-d, all Your works will give thanks to You, and Your pious ones will bless You. They will declare the glory of Your kingdom, and tell of Your might. To make known to humans His mighty acts, and the glorious splendor of His kingdom. Your kingship is a kingship over all worlds, and Your dominion is throughout every generation. G-d supports all the fallen, and straightens all the bent. The eyes of all look expectantly to You, and You give them their food in its time. You open Your hand and satisfy the desire of every living thing. G-d is righteous in all His ways, and benevolent in all His deeds. G-d is close to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. He fulfills the will of those who fear Him, and He hears their cry and delivers them. G-d watches over all who love Him, and He will destroy all the wicked. My mouth shall declare the praise of G-d, and all flesh shall bless His holy Name forever and ever. And we shall bless G-d from now to eternity; Halleluyah.Exalted and sanctified be His great Name (Cong.: Amen) in the world that he created according to His Will, and may He establish His Kingship, and cause His redemption to sprout, and bring near His Mashiach (Cong.: Amen), in your lifetimes and in your days, and in the lifetimes of the entire House of Israel, speedily and soon, and say "Amen". (Cong.: Amen. May His great Name be blessed forever and for all eternity; Blessed) May His great Name be blessed forever and for all eternity. Blessed and praised, and glorified and exalted, and honored and upraised and lauded be the Name of the Holy One, blessed is He (Cong.: Amen) beyond all blessings and songs, praises and consolations, that are uttered in the world, and say "Amen." (Cong.: Amen)The chazzan recites Half-Kaddish
Yours, G-d, is the righteousness, and ours is the shamefacedness. What can we complain about? What can we say? What can we speak, and how can we justify ourselves? Let us search and examine our ways, and return to You, for Your right hand is extended to receive those who repent. We do not come before You with kindness, nor with [good] deeds. We knock at Your doors like paupers and like beggars. We knock at Your doors, Merciful and Gracious One, please do not turn us away empty-handed from Your Presence. Please do not turn us away empty-handed from Your Presence, our King, for You are the One who hears prayer.
You who hears prayer, to You all flesh will come. All flesh will come to prostrate themselves before You, G-d. They will come and prostrate themselves before You, Lord, and will honor Your Name. Come, let us prostrate ourselves and bow, let us kneel before G-d, our Maker. Enter His gates with thanksgiving, His courtyards with praise; give thanks to Him, bless His Name. Behold, bless G-d all servants of G-d who stand in the house of G-d in the nights. Raise your hands in sanctity and bless G-d. Let us come to His dwellings, let us prostrate ourselves at His footstool. Exalt G-d, our G-d, and prostrate yourselves at His footstool, He is holy. Exalt G-d, our G-d, and prostrate yourselves toward His holy mountain, for G-d, our G-d, is holy. Prostrate yourselves before G-d in the splendor of holiness; tremble before Him all the earth. And we, through Your abundant kindness, we shall come into Your house, we will prostrate ourselves toward Your holy Sanctuary in awe of You. We will prostrate ourselves toward Your holy Sanctuary, and we will thank Your Name for Your kindness and for Your truth, for You have exalted Your word above all Your Name. G-d, G-d of Hosts, who is like You, the Mighty G-d, and Your faithfulness surrounds You. For who in the sky can be compared to G-d, who among the mighty [celestial] beings can be likened to G-d ? For You are great and perform wonders, You alone, O G-d. For great above the heavens is Your kindness, and Your truth reaches to the skies. G-d is great and exceedingly exalted, and His greatness is unfathomable. For G-d is great and exceedingly exalted; He is awesome above all celestial powers. For G-d is a great G-d and a great King over all celestial powers. For what power is there in heaven or on earth that can do like Your deeds and like Your mighty acts? Who would not fear You, King of nations, for this befits You; for among all the wise of the nations and in all their dominions, there is none like You. There is none like You, G-d; You are great and Your Name is great in might. Yours is the arm with might; Your hand will be strengthened, Your right hand will be exalted. Yours is the day, the night is also Yours; You established the luminary [the moon] and the sun. For in His hands are the depths of the earth, and the heights of the mountains are His. Who can recount the mighty acts of G-d, proclaim all His praises. Yours, G-d, is the greatness and the might, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty; even all in heaven and on earth. Yours, G-d, is the kingship, and You are exalted, supreme over all. Yours are the heavens, the earth is also Yours; the world and all its fullness-You founded them. You set all the boundaries of the earth; summer and winter-You fashioned them. You crushed the heads of the Leviathan, You gave him as food for the nation [wandering] in the wilderness. You split open a fountain and brook; You dried up mighty streams. You divided the sea with Your might; You shattered the heads of sea-monsters on the waters. You rule the pride of the sea; when its waves surge, You calm them. G-d is great and exceedingly exalted in the city of our G-d, His holy mountain. G-d, G-d of Israel, enthroned upon the cherubim, You alone are G-d. The Almighty is revered in the great council of the holy ones, and awe-inspiring over all who surround Him. And the heavens will praise Your wonders, G-d; Your faithfulness, too, in the assembly of the holy ones. Come, let us sing to G-d; let us raise sounds to the Rock of our deliverance. Let us approach His Presence with thanksgiving; let us raise sounds to Him with hymns. Righteousness and justice are the foundations of Your throne; kindness and truth precede Your countenance. Let us take sweet counsel together; let us walk with the throng to the House of G-d. For His is the sea, as He made it; and His hands formed the dry land. For in His hand is the soul of every living being and the spirit of all human flesh. The soul is Yours, and the body is Your handiwork; have pity on Your labor. The soul is Yours and the body is Yours, G-d, act for the sake of Your Name. We have come [relying] on Your Name, G-d, act for the sake of Your Name; for the sake of the glory of Your Name, for Gracious and Merciful G-d is Your Name. For the sake of Your Name, G-d, forgive our iniquity, for it is great.
Forgive us, our Father, for in our great foolishness we have erred. Pardon us, our King, for our iniquities are many.
The following section is only recited on the first night of selichos Our God and God of our fathers:
How can we open the mouth before You, who dwells in the stretched-out [heavens]? In what way can we pour out prayers? We loathed Your upright and honest paths; we clung to abominations and despicable deeds. We went after vain and misleading oracles; we were stubborn and acted with insolence. Because of us You raged against the secure Dwelling Place [the Holy Temple]: it was destroyed, and the pleasing scent [of the offerings] ceased; driven away and made to wander about were the anointed priests-they who knew how to arrange burnt-offerings and sacrifices. You chastised us oftentimes through the envoys that were sent, but we were not attentive to listen to those who rebuked. From then until now we have been dispersed, slain, slaughtered and butchered. We are left a mere few, among cut-down thorns, our eyes pining without finding relief. The oppressors of Your people who bow to Bel, why do they succeed in the morning and the evening? They rise up against You, uttering blasphemies: "Crushed ones, in whom do you trust?" [You] Who dwells eternally and are holy: observe the humiliation of those who groan; they rely on You and bond with You. May we be delivered forever by Your right hand's awesome deeds, for we trust in Your abundant mercy.
For we trust in Your abundant mercy, and we rely on Your righteousness, and we hope for Your forgiveness, and we yearn for Your deliverance. You are a King who loves righteousness from of old, who makes the iniquities of His people pass away and removes the sins of those that fear Him. You are the One who made a covenant with the first [generations] and keeps the oath with the latter [generations]. You are the One who descended on Mount Sinai in the cloud of Your glory and showed the ways of Your benevolence to Moses, Your servant. You revealed to him the paths of Your kindnesses, and made known to him that You are a merciful and gracious G-d, slow to anger and abundant in kindness, and abounding in beneficence, and guiding the entire world with the attribute of mercy. And so it is written: "And He said: I will make all My benevolence pass before you, and I will call out with the Name of G-d before you; and I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and I will be merciful with whom I will be merciful."
Almighty One, You are slow to anger, You are called the Master of Mercy, and You have taught the way of repentance. Remember this day, and every day, the greatness of Your mercy and kindness to the descendants of Your beloved. Turn to us with mercy, for You are the Master of Mercy. We approach Your Presence with supplication and prayer, as You have made known aforetimes to [Moses] the humble. Turn from Your fierce anger, as it is written in Your Torah. May we shelter and lodge in the shadow of Your wings, as on the day when "G-d descended in a cloud." Pass over rebellious sins and erase guilt as on the day when "And He stood there with him [Moses]." Give ear to our cry and be attentive to our speech, as on the day when "he invoked the Name of G-d;" and there it is said:"And G-d passed before him and proclaimed:The following two verses are recited only when praying with a quorum of ten.
G-d, G-d, Almighty, Merciful and Gracious, Slow to Anger and Abundant in Kindness and Truth; Preserver of Kindness for Thousands [of generations], Forgiver of iniquity, and rebellious transgression and sin, and He who cleanses." Forgive our iniquity and our sin, and take us for Your heritage.
Forgive us, our Father, for we have sinned; pardon us, our King, for we have rebelliously transgressed. For You, G-d, are good and forgiving, and abundant in kindness to all who call upon You.
The pious have disappeared from the earth, and of the upright among man there is none. No one calls on Your Name in righteousness, bestirring himself to take hold of You. Save, G-d, for the pious have ceased, for the faithful have vanished from among the children of man. For with You is the source of life, in Your light we shall see light. For with G-d there is loving-kindness, and with Him there is abundant redemption; and He will redeem Israel from all its iniquities.
As a father has mercy on his children, so, G-d, have mercy on us. Deliverance is G-d's; Your blessing is upon Your people, Selah. G-d, Tzeva'ot, is with us; the G-d of Jacob is a stronghold for us, Selah. G-d, Tzeva'ot, fortunate is the person who trusts in You. G-d, save; may the King answer us on the day we call.
Please forgive the iniquity of this people in accord with the greatness of Your kindness, and as You have forgiven this people from Egypt until now; and there it is said:
"And G-d said: I have forgiven in accord with your word."
My God, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see the desolations of ourselves and of the city upon which Your Name is proclaimed. For it is not on account of our own righteousness that we offer our supplications before You, but because of Your abundant mercy. Lord, hear; Lord, forgive; Lord, be attentive, and act and do not delay; for Your sake, my God, for Your Name is proclaimed upon Your city and upon Your people.
The following section is only recited on the first night of selichos
on all subsequent days there are different paragraphs readOur God and God of our fathers:
There is no one who calls out in righteousness; the good man is like a briar. To ask for mercy for those thoroughly crushed, no one at all can be found. The faultless and poor is vanished, the pious has ceased, and the righteous has been trampled. An impoverished generation is held to account for its iniquity, who can be found to direct its ways? With our sins we added to inflame wrath [even against] those who like members of [Your] household offered themselves to intercede in prayer; how then can strength be mustered by old or young to confess and pray to the One who is holy and ever-awake? I tremble and am afraid on behalf of the Camp [of Israel] to voice a cry to the One who searches [the heart] with probing; deficient in kindness and replete with the stench [of sin]-how can I find favor with supplication? You who are good to those who call upon You with emboldened soul, bearing their burden and providing [their] sustenance, expand Your precious kindness upon me, respond to my voice by listening with love! Consider my crushed spirit before You like one of worthy character and skilled in prayer, like an elder and fluent, and not like a boor, that it be not shamed. For the sake of my relief remember Your mercy that it be not concealed. Our needs are numerous, they cannot be expressed because of scant knowledge and abundant bitterness; it is all before You, O Molder of Clay, [our] Guide and Shepherd, Shelter and Guard. We are left like a pole upon a mountain in our solitude, our glory has become loathsome and despicable; answer us, give us sustenance in our servitude, seek out our lost ones to add them to Your counted ones. Those stricken with plagues by the rods of Your chastisements, scattered, separated and pawned among the nations-shelter them in Your Abode from strife and judgments, for they long to behold Your glory. The sound of Your might hews flames, allotting a good portion or its opposite. Your beloved ones are knocking, with a sorrowful voice-be pleased with their offering [of prayer] and stand in their midst. They persevere in fasting to subdue their heart, hide their multitude from wrath in Your chambers. They plead in an undertone, moving the lips, please do not withhold their desire. Your Name, O Living God, is glorified; may we remain with the good life [that comes] from You, with whom the fount of life wells up. Look and answer us, and enlighten our eyes!
Almighty, King, who sits on the throne of mercy and acts with kindness, pardoning the iniquities of His people, removing every first [sin], increasingly granting pardon to sinners and forgiveness to rebellious transgressors; who does righteous deeds with all who are flesh and spirit; You who does not e them according to their evil; Almighty One, You who taught us to recite the Thirteen [Attributes of Mercy], this day remember unto us the covenant of these Thirteen, as You made known aforetimes to [Moses] the humble one, as it is written: "And G-d descended in a cloud and stood there with him, and he invoked the Name of G-d.And G-d passed before him and proclaimed:The following two verses are recited only when praying with a quorum of ten.
G-d, G-d, Almighty, Merciful and Gracious, Slow to Anger and Abundant in kindness and Truth; Preserver of Kindness for Thousands [of generations], Forgiver of iniquity and rebellious transgression and sin, and He who cleanses. "Forgive our iniquity and our sin, and take us as for Your heritage.
Forgive us, our Father, for we have sinned; pardon us, our King, for we have rebelliously transgressed. For You, Lord, are good and forgiving, and abundant in kindness to all who call upon You.
The following section is only recited on the first night of selichos Do not enter into judgment with us, for no living being will be justified before You. Let our prayer come before You, and do not hide Yourself from our supplication. Let the groan of the prisoner come before You; as befits the greatness of Your might, release those condemned to die. Lord, hear our voice; may Your ears be attentive to the sound of our supplications. Please, let Your ear be attentive and let Your eyes be open to Your people Israel.
As a father has mercy on his children, so, G-d, have mercy on us. Deliverance is G-d's; Your blessing is upon Your people, Selah. G-d, Tzeva'ot, is with us; the G-d of Jacob is a stronghold for us, Selah. G-d, Tzeva'ot, fortunate is the man who trusts in You. G-d save; may the King answer us on the day we call.
Please forgive the iniquity of this people in accord with the greatness of Your kindness, and as You have forgiven this people from Egypt until now; and there it was said:
"And G-d said: I have forgiven in accord with your word."
My G-d, incline Your ear and hear; open Your eyes and see the desolations of ourselves and of the city upon which Your Name is proclaimed. For it is not on account of our righteousness that we offer our supplications before You, but because of Your abundant mercies. Lord, hear; Lord, forgive; Lord, be attentive, and act and do not delay; for Your sake, my G-d, for Your Name is proclaimed upon Your city and upon Your people.
The following section is only recited on the first night of selichos
on all subsequent days there are different paragraphs readOur God and God of our fathers:
Let the cry for graciousness come before You; please let Your ear be attentive to pleading. G-d, hear justification, be attentive to chanting, You who looks at uprightness and disregards slander. We are embarrassed, we are ashamed to raise our head, for we caused the scent of our fragrance to become odious; we made crooked the straight paths, and perverted the [written and oral] Torahs; thus we hide our faces in the ground. There is distress and anguish from every side, [we are] sheep adrift without a stronghold. Turning to the right, the axe strikes; from the left there is dread and the preying hunter. Let Your all-seeing eyes be open to the privation and affliction from extended troubles; with Your straight ways turn and change lamenting to exultation, reproofs to favor. We have been delivered to captivity and plunder because of our iniquities; we, our kings, and our priests were put to shame. From the height of glory and mighty love, You hurled [us] down to the ground, to desolation and scorn. We did not entreat Your Presence, to offer supplication, to become wise with Your truth, [to avert] the stench [of sin] from rising. As the sound of the grinding [of Torah-study] abated, we would have been destroyed like Sodom, in just one brief moment, were it not for [Your] grace. You took pity to retain the remaining residue, You provided a stake and a fence and gathered [them] in. You cast us away [again] because of [our offense] equivalent to the three [cardinal sins] that You loathe, and because of us You trampled the longed-for Palace [the Holy Temple]. We acted corruptly, behaving treacherously; we were made to suffer from yoke to yoke. [Please] remember-You promised never to despise [us, but] to gather the scattered and to rule over them. But after all that has happened, You are true and righteous, and the fault is ours. Today, as of old, we are here before You with great sin because there is no change. The poor nation is held in shame and contempt, pushed about, swept aside, given over to plunder, exile and servitude, with trial and cleansing; O turn in kindness to pardon and healing. In Your mercy of so many times may we be saved in You; fulfill [the promise] of "And I will save them": some will come from afar in droves, and some from the north, from the wilderness and Kittim. They are Yours, Your servants and Your people; hearten Your sweet ones as in the days of old. Draw us after You, place us among Your inscribed ones, all desire to revere Your Name. O our Beloved One, increase the smallest into a thousand, and the tiny one into a nation to be strong within our borders. In all Your righteousness have compassion upon all of us together, please turn back Your anger, and comfort us.
Almighty, King, who sits on the throne of mercy and acts with kindness, pardoning the iniquities of His people, removing every first [sin], increasingly granting pardon to sinners and forgiveness to rebellious transgressors; who does righteous deeds with all who are flesh and spirit; You who does not them according to their evil; Almighty One, You who taught us to recite the Thirteen [Attributes of Mercy], this day remember unto us the covenant of these Thirteen, as You made known aforetimes to [Moses] the humble one, as it is written: "And G-d descended in a cloud and stood there with him, and he invoked the Name of G-d.And G-d passed before him and proclaimed:
The following two verses are recited only when praying with a quorum of ten.
G-d, G-d, Almighty, Merciful and Gracious, Slow to Anger and Abundant in kindness and Truth; Preserver of Kindness for Thousands [of generations], Forgiver of iniquity and rebellious transgression and sin, and He who cleanses." Forgive our iniquity and our sin, and take us as for Your heritage.
Forgive us, our Father, for we have sinned; pardon us, our King, for we have rebelliously transgressed. For You, Lord, are good and forgiving, and abundant in kindness to all who call upon You.
As a father has mercy on his children, so, G-d, have mercy on us. Deliverance is G-d's; Your blessing is upon Your people, Selah. G-d, Tzeva'ot, is with us; the G-d of Jacob is a stronghold for us, Selah. G-d, Tzeva'ot, fortunate is the man who trusts in You. G-d help; may the King answer us on the day we call.
At the outgoing of [the day of] rest, we first approach You; incline Your ear from on high, You Who are enthroned upon praise-[Accede] to hear the raised voice and the prayer!
Bestir Your mighty right hand to act valiantly, because of the righteousness of the one who was bound and a ram was slaughtered in his place; please shield his descendants as they cry while it is still night-
[Accede] to hear the raised voice and the prayer!
Please seek those who seek You as they seek Your Presence, be accessible to them from Your heavenly abode and do not avert Your ear from the cry of their supplication-
[Accede] to hear the raised voice and the prayer!
They tremble and quake at the day of Your coming, shaking from the fury You carry as one giving birth for the first time; please wipe away their filth, and they will praise Your wonders-
[Accede] to hear the raised voice and the prayer!
You are the Creator of every creature formed, You prepared from of old a remedy to deliver them from distress by gratuitously granting them grace from the guarded treasury-
[Accede] to hear the raised voice and the prayer!
Sublime One, if the rebellious transgressions of Your congregation have become immense, please strengthen them from the treasure stored in Your celestial abode; they come to You to be granted gratuitous grace-
[Accede] to hear the raised voice and the prayer!
Please turn to the sufferings, and not to the sins; justify those who cry to You, Doer of wonders, please be attentive to their supplication, O G-d, G-d Tzeva'ot-
[Accede] to hear the raised voice and the prayer!
Look with favor at their entreaty as they stand in the night, please regard it with favor, like a fully consumed offering and burnt-offerings; show them Your miracles, Doer of great things-
[Accede] to hear the raised voice and the prayer!
At the outgoing of [the day of] rest, we first approach You; incline Your ear from on high, You who dwells on praise-[Accede] to hear the raised voice and the prayer!
Almighty, King, who sits on the throne of mercy and acts with kindness, pardoning the iniquities of His people, removing every first [sin], increasingly granting pardon to sinners and forgiveness to rebellious transgressors; who does righteous deeds with all who are flesh and spirit; You who does not requite them according to their evil; Almighty One, You who taught us to recite the Thirteen [Attributes of Mercy], this day remember unto us the covenant of these Thirteen, as You made known aforetimes to [Moses] the humble one, as it is written: "And G-d descended in a cloud and stood there with him, and he invoked the Name of G-d.And G-d passed before him and proclaimed:The following two verses are recited only when praying with a quorum of ten.
G-d, G-d, Almighty, Merciful and Gracious, Slow to Anger and Abundant in kindness and Truth; Preserver of Kindness for Thousands [of generations], Forgiver of iniquity and rebellious transgression and sin, and He who cleanses." Forgive our iniquity and our sin, and take us as for Your heritage.
Forgive us, our Father, for we have sinned; pardon us, our King, for we have rebelliously transgressed. For You, Lord, are good and forgiving, and abundant in kindness to all who call upon You.
As a father has mercy on his children, so, G-d, have mercy on us. Deliverance is G-d's; Your blessing is upon Your people, Selah. G-d, Tzeva'ot, is with us; the G-d of Jacob is a stronghold for us, Selah. G-d, Tzeva'ot, fortunate is the man who trusts in You. G-d help; may the King answer us on the day we call.
Do not recall against us former iniquities; let Your mercies come swiftly towards us, for we have been brought very low. Do not remember the sins of our youth and our rebellious transgressions; may You remember us in accordance with Your kindness, because of Your goodness, G-d.
G-d, remember Your mercies and Your kindnesses, for they are from the beginning of the world. Remember us, G-d, with favor for Your people; recall us with Your salvation. Remember Your congregation which You acquired of old, the tribe of Your heritage which You redeemed, this Mount Zion where You dwelt. G-d, remember the affection for Jerusalem, do not forget the love of Zion until eternity. Arise, and have mercy for Zion, for it is the time to be gracious to her, for the appointed time has come. G-d, remember the day of Jerusalem against the Edomites who said "Raze it, raze it to its very foundation!" Remember Abraham, Isaac and Israel Your servants, to whom You swore by Your very Self and You said to them: "I will increase your offspring like the stars of heaven, and this entire Land of which I spoke I will give to Your offspring and they will inherit [it] forever." Remember Your servants, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; do not turn to the obstinacy of this people, to its wickedness and to its sin. Please do not reckon for us a sin that which we did foolishly and that which we have sinned. We have sinned, our Rock; forgive us, our Creator.
Remember to us the covenant with the Patriarchs, as You said: "And I will remember My covenant with Jacob, and also My covenant with Isaac, and also My covenant with Abraham I will remember; and I will remember the Land." Remember to us the covenant with the first [generations], as You said: "And I will remember for them the covenant with the first [generations] whom I took out from the land of Egypt before the eyes of the nations, to be their G-d; I am G-d." Do unto us as You promised us: "Yet despite all that, when they will be in the land of their enemies, I will not despise them nor loathe them so as to destroy them, to annul My covenant with them; for I am G-d, their G-d." Bring back our captivity and have mercy on us, as it is written: "G-d, your G-d, will return your captivity and have mercy on you, and He will again gather you from all the peoples where G-d, your G-d, has scattered you." Gather our dispersed, as it is written: "If your dispersed will be at the furthermost part of heaven, from there G-d, your G-d, will gather you, and from there He will take you." Wipe away our rebellious transgressions like a thick cloud and like a mist, as it is written: "I have wiped away your rebellious transgressions like a thick cloud, your sins like a mist; return to Me, for I have redeemed you." Wipe away our rebellious transgressions for Your sake, as You have said: "I, I am He who wipes away your rebellious transgressions for My sake, and I will not recall your sins." Whiten our sins as snow and as wool, as it is written: "Come now, let us reason together, says G-d; though your sins will be like scarlet, they will become white as snow; though they be red as crimson, they will become as [white] wool." Sprinkle pure waters upon us and purify us, as it is written: "And I will sprinkle pure waters upon you, and you shall be pure; I will purify you from all your defilements and from all your idols." Have mercy on us and do not destroy us, as it is written: "For G-d, your G-d, is a merciful G-d; He will not abandon you, and He will not destroy you, and He will not forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them." Circumcise our hearts to love your Name, as it is written: "And G-d, your G-d, will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, to love G-d, your G-d, with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live." Be accessible to us when we seek You, as it is written: "And from there you will seek G-d, your G-d, and you will find, when you search for Him with all your heart and with all your soul." Bring us to Your holy mountain and gladden us in Your House of Prayer, as it is written: "I will bring them to My holy mountain and I will gladden them in My House of Prayer; their burnt-offerings and their sacrifices will find favor upon My altar, for My House shall be called a House of Prayer for all peoples."Hear our voice, G-d, our G-d, have pity and mercy upon us, and accept our prayer with mercy and favor.The Ark is opened. The passage is recited verse by verse by the chazzan and the congregation, up to (but not including) the verse beginning "Do not forsake us."
Return us to You, G-d, and we shall return; renew our days as of old.
Do not cast us away from Your Presence, and do not take Your Spirit of Holiness away from us.
Do not cast us away in old age; do not forsake us when our strength fails.
Do not forsake us, G-d, our G-d; do not be far from us. Show us a sign for good, that our foes may see and be shamed, for You, G-d, have helped us and consoled us. Give ear to our words, G-d; consider our thoughts. May the words of our mouth and the meditation of our heart find favor before You, G-d, our Rock and our Redeemer. For it is for You, G-d, that we hoped; You will respond, Lord, our G-d.Our G-d and G-d of our fathers: may our prayer come before You, and do not hide Yourself from our supplication, for we are not so brazen-faced and obstinate as to say before You, G-d, our G-d and G-d of our fathers, that we are righteous and have not sinned. Indeed, we and our fathers have sinned.The Ark is closed.
We have become guilty; we have betrayed; we have robbed; we have spoken slander. We have committed iniquity, and we have acted wickedly; we have willfully sinned; we have done violence; we have framed lies. We have given evil counsel; we have deceived; we have scoffed; we have rebelled; we have provoked; we have turned away; we have committed iniquity; we have rebelliously transgressed; we have oppressed; we have been obstinate. We have been wicked; we have corrupted; we have acted abominably; we have strayed; we have led others astray.
We have turned away from Your commandments and from Your good laws, and it has not profited us. But You are the Righteous One in all that has come upon us, for You have acted truthfully, and it is we who acted wickedly.
We have become more guilty than all people; we are more shameful than all generations; joy has departed from us; our heart is sickened by our sins; our desirous place has been ruined, and our splendor has been disturbed; the abode of our Holy Temple was destroyed because of our iniquities; our Palace has become desolate; the beauty of our Land is gone to aliens, our strength to strangers.
Yet still we have not returned from our error. How can we be so brazen-faced and obstinate as to say before You, G-d, our G-d and G-d of our fathers, "We are righteous and we have not sinned;" but, indeed, we and our fathers have sinned.
Our toil has been plundered before our eyes, pulled and torn from us. They placed their yoke upon us, we are bearing it on our shoulders. Slaves rule over us, there is none to free us from their hand. Many troubles have encompassed us. We called unto You, G-d, our G-d, but because of our iniquities You have distanced Yourself from us. We turned away from following after You, we have gone astray, and we have become lost.
Your righteous anointed declared before You: "Who can discern errors? Cleanse me from hidden [faults]." Cleanse us, G-d, our G-d, from all our rebellious sins, and purify us from all our defilements; and sprinkle pure waters upon us and purify us, as it is written by Your prophet: "And I will sprinkle pure waters upon you, and you shall be pure; I will purify you from all your defilements and from all your idols."
Daniel, the delightful person, cried out before You: "My G-d, incline Your ear and hear, open Your eyes and see the desolations of ourselves and of the city upon which Your Name is proclaimed; for it is not for our righteousness that we offer our supplications before You, but because of Your abundant mercies. Lord, hear! Lord, forgive! Lord, be attentive, and act and do not delay; for Your sake, my G-d, for Your Name is proclaimed upon Your city and upon Your people."
Ezra the Scribe said before You: "My G-d, I am ashamed and confounded to lift my face to You, my G-d; for our iniquities have increased to above the head, and our guilt has grown to the heavens." "But You are the G-d of forgiveness, gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abundant in kindness, and You did not forsake them." Do not forsake us, our Father, and do not cast us off, our Creator; do not abandon us, our Molder, and do not make an end to us, as for our sins. G-d, our G-d, fulfill for us the word You promised us in the tradition through Jeremiah, Your seer, as it is said: "In those days, and at that time, says G-d, the iniquity of Israel will be sought for and it shall not be there, and the sins of Judah-and they shall not be found, for I will forgive those whom I leave to remain." Your people and Your heritage hunger for your goodness, thirst for Your kindness, long for Your deliverance; may they recognize and know that mercy and forgiveness belong to G-d, our G-d.
"Compassionate G-d" is Your Name. "Gracious G-d" is Your Name. Your Name is called upon us; G-d, act for the sake of Your Name. Act for the sake of Your truth. Act for the sake of Your covenant. Act for the sake of Your greatness and glory. Act for the sake of Your Law. Act for the sake of Your majesty. Act for the sake of Your Meeting House. Act for the sake of Your remembrance. Act for the sake of Your kindness. Act for the sake of Your goodness. Act for the sake of Your Oneness. Act for the sake of Your honor. Act for the sake of Your teaching. Act for the sake of Your kingship. Act for the sake of Your eternity. Act for the sake of Your secret counsel. Act for the sake of Your might. Act for the sake of Your magnificence. Act for the sake of Your righteousness. Act for the sake of Your holiness. Act for the sake of Your abundant mercies. Act for the sake of Your Shechinah. Act for the sake of Your praise. Act for the sake of Your beloved who rest in the dust. Act for the sake of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Act for the sake of Moses and Aaron. Act for the sake of David and Solomon. Act for the sake of Jerusalem, Your holy city. Act for the sake of Zion, the abode of Your glory. Act for the sake of the desolations of Your Sanctuary. Act for the sake of the destruction of Your altar. Act for the sake of those who were slain for Your holy Name. Act for the sake of those who where slaughtered for Your Oneness. Act for the sake of those who went through fire and water for the sanctification of Your Name. Act for the sake of the nursing infants who have not sinned. Act for the sake of the weaned children who have not transgressed. Act for the sake of the school-children. Act for Your sake, if not for ours. Act for Your own sake and deliver us.
Answer us, G-d, answer us. Answer us, our G-d, answer us. Answer us, our Father, answer us. Answer us, our Creator, answer us. Answer us, our Redeemer, answer us. Answer us, You who seeks us, answer us. Answer us, faithful G-d, answer us. Answer us, You who are steadfast and kind, answer us. Answer us, You who are pure and upright, answer us. Answer us, living and enduring One, answer us. Answer us, good and beneficent One, answer us. Answer us, You who knows our nature, answer us. Answer us, You who suppresses anger, answer us. Answer us, You who dons righteousness, answer us. Answer us, Supreme King of kings, answer us. Answer us, You who are awesome and exalted, answer us. Answer us, You who forgives and pardons, answer us. Answer us, You who responds in time of distress, answer us. Answer us, You who redeems and rescues, answer us. Answer us, righteous and upright One, answer us. Answer us, You who are close to those who call upon Him, answer us. Answer us, You who are hard [to be provoked] to anger, answer us. Answer us, You who are easy to be pacified, answer us. Answer us, You who are merciful and gracious, answer us. Answer us, You who listens to the destitute, answer us. Answer us, You who supports the wholesome, answer us. Answer us, G-d of our fathers, answer us. Answer us, G-d of Abraham, answer us. Answer us, Dread of Isaac, answer us. Answer us, Mighty One of Jacob, answer us. Answer us, Helper of the Tribes, answer us. Answer us, Stronghold of the Matriarchs, answer us. Answer us, You who responds in a time of favor, answer us. Answer us, Father of orphans, answer us. Answer us, Judge of widows, answer us.
He who answered our father Abraham on Mount Moriah, may He answer us. He who answered his son Isaac, when he was bound on the altar, may He answer us. He who answered Jacob in Beth-El, may He answer us. He who answered Joseph in prison, may He answer us. He who answered our fathers at the Sea of Reeds, may He answer us. He who answered Moses at Horeb, may He answer us. He who answered Aaron with the censer, may He answer us. He who answered Pinchas when he rose from amid the congregation, may He answer us. He who answered Joshua in Gilgal, may He answer us. He who answered Samuel in Mitzpah, may He answer us. He who answered David and his son Solomon in Jerusalem, may he answer us. He who answered Elijah on Mount Carmel, may He answer us. He who answered Elisha in Jericho, may He answer us. He who answered Jonah in the bowels of the fish, may He answer us. He who answered Hezekiah, King of Judah, in his illness, may He answer us. He who answered Chananyah, Mishael and Azariah in the fiery furnace, may He answer us. He who answered Daniel in the lion's den, may He answer us. He who answered Mordechai and Esther in Shushan the capital, may He answer us. He who answered Ezra in the exile, may He answer us. He who answered all the righteous, and the pious, and the wholesome, and the upright, may He answer us.
And David said to Gad: "I am exceedingly distressed. Let us fall into the hand of G-d, for His mercies are abundant, and let me not fall into human hands."
Merciful and gracious One, I have sinned before You. G-d, full of mercy, have mercy on me and accept my supplications. G-d, do not rebuke me in Your anger, and do not chastise me in You wrath. Be gracious to me, G-d, for I am feeble; heal me G-d, for my bones are terrified. My soul, too, is very much terrified, and You, G-d: until when? Return, G-d, rescue my soul, save me for the sake of Your kindness. For in death there is no mention of You; in the grave who will give thanks to You? I am wearied with my sighing; every night I drench my bed, I melt my couch, with my tears. My eye is dimmed because of anger, aged because of all my tormentors. Depart from me all workers of evil, for G-d has heard the sound of my weeping. G-d has heard my supplication, G-d will accept my prayer. All my foes shall be shamed and exceedingly terrified; they will turn back, they will be shamed in an instant.
He wounds and He heals; He causes death and He restores life; He raises from the grave to eternal life. When a son sins, his father strikes him; but a compassionate father heals his pain. A slave who rebels is led out in chains; but if his master so desires, he breaks his chains. We are Your firstborn son and we have sinned against You; our souls are sated with bitter wormwood. We are Your servants and we rebelled against You, [thus we suffer]-some with plunder, some with captivity, some with the whip. We beg of You, in Your abundant mercies, heal the pains that overwhelm us, before we be annihilated in captivity.
You [angels] who bring in [pleas for] mercy, bring in our [plea for] mercy before the Presence of the Master of mercy. You [angels] who cause prayer to be heard, cause our prayer to be heard before the Hearer of prayer. You [angels] who cause outcry to be heard, cause our outcry to be heard before the Hearer of outcry. You [angels] who bring in tears, bring in our tears before the King who is appeased by tears. Intercede and increase supplication and entreaty before the King, the high and exalted G-d. Mention before Him, cause to be heard before Him, the Torah and the good deeds of those who repose in the dust. May He remember their love, and give life to their offspring, so that the remnant of Jacob not be lost. For the flock of the faithful shepherd has become a disgrace; Israel, the unique nation, an example and a taunt. Hasten, answer us, G-d of our salvation, and redeem us from all harsh decrees; and in Your abundant mercies save Your righteous anointed and Your people.
Our Master who is in heaven, we plead to You as a captive who pleads to his captors. All captives are redeemed with money, but Your people with mercy and pleading. Grant us [our] requests and petitions, so that we be not turned back from You empty-handed.
Our Master who is in heaven, we plead to You as a slave pleads to his master. We are oppressed and abide in darkness, souls embittered from troubles that are abounding. We have no strength to appease You, our Master. Act for the sake of the covenant that You made with our forefathers.
Guardian of Israel, guard the remnant of Israel, and let not perish Israel, those who say "Hear O Israel."
Guardian of the unique nation, guard the remnant of the unique people, and let not perish the unique nation, those who proclaim the Oneness of Your Name, "G-d is our G-d, G-d is One."
Guardian of the holy nation, guard the remnant of the holy people, and let not perish the holy nation, those who repeat three times the three-fold sanctification to the Holy One.
You who becomes favorable through [pleas for] mercy and are appeased by supplications, become favorable and appeased to an afflicted generation, for there is no helper.
Our Father, our King, You are our Father. Our Father, our King, we have no king but You. Our Father, our King, have mercy on us. Our Father, our King, be gracious with us and answer us, for we have no [good] deeds; deal with us with charity and kindness for the sake of Your great Name, and save us.
As for us, we know not what to do, but our eyes are upon You. G-d, remember Your mercies and Your kindnesses, for they are from the beginning of the world. G-d, may Your kindness be upon us as we have put our hope in You. Do not recall against us former iniquities; let compassion come swiftly towards us, for we have been brought very low. Be gracious to us, G-d, be gracious to us, for we are abundantly sated with humiliation. When in anger, remember to be compassionate! When in anger, remember the binding [of Isaac]! When in anger, remember uprightness! When in anger, remember the love! G-d, save; may the King answer us on the day we call. For He knows our nature, He is mindful that we are dust. Help us, G-d of our deliverance, for the sake of Your Name's glory, and save us, and atone our sins for the sake of Your Name.Exalted and sanctified be His great Name (Cong.: Amen) in the world that He created according to His will, and may He establish His Kingship and cause His redemption to sprout, and bring near His Mashiach (Cong.: Amen), in your lifetimes and in your days, and in the lifetime of the entire House of Israel, swiftly and soon, and say "Amen." (Cong.: Amen. May His great Name be blessed forever and ever. Blessed) May His great Name be blessed forever and ever. Blessed and praised, and glorified, and exalted, and extolled, and honored, and lauded be the Name of the Holy One, blessed is He (Cong.: Amen), beyond all blessings and songs, praises and consolations, that are uttered in the world, and say "Amen." (Cong.: Amen) May the prayers and supplications of the entire House of Israel be accepted before their Father in Heaven, and say "Amen." (Cong.: Amen) May there be abundant peace from heaven, and a good life, upon us and upon all Israel, and say "Amen." (Cong.: Amen) He who makes peace in His heights, may He make peace upon us and upon all Israel, and say "Amen." (Cong.: Amen)[The Chazzan recites the Complete Kaddish]
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