And so may it be Your will Adonoy, our God, and God of our fathers, that this coming year be for us, and for all Your people, the House of Israel, the end and limit of the captivity of Your people, the House of Israel; and the last of our exile and mourning, and a happy end to our days of affliction and misery; for our servitude has been protracted, and the yoke of captivity is long upon us; and behold each day we become more and more diminished, and with the increase in years, we are less in number, and in the length of time, we are dwindling away. We have no leader nor anyone to strengthen our hands, [for] it is as You said [Jeremiah 15:5]: “For who will have pity on you, Jerusalem? And who will moan over you? And who will turn to inquire about your well-being?” Who will erect a [spiritual] fence, and who will stand in the breach? There is no longer a prophet or seer, and there is no one that calls upon Your Name in truth, that is inspired to grasp You; for we are all like sheep gone astray, each one has turned to his evil way, every man after his gain and everyone after the desire of his evil heart; and, as if we were not content with our previous iniquities, we have added new ones to them, we were heedless of all the warnings with which You warned us, and we were not chastised by all the admonishment with which You rebuked us; and what other righteousness have we that we can cry out to the King?
Our God and God of our fathers, let our prayer come before you and do not ignore our supplication. For we are not so brazen-faced and stiff-necked to say to you, Adonoy, our God, and God of our fathers, “We are righteous and have not sinned.” But, indeed, we and our fathers have sinned.
We have trespassed [against God and man, and we are devastated by our guilt]; We have betrayed [God and man, we have been ungrateful for the good done to us]; We have stolen; We have slandered; We have caused others to sin; We have caused others to commit sins for which they are called רֽשָׁעִים, wicked; We have sinned with malicious intent; We have forcibly taken other’s possessions We have added falsehood upon falsehood; We have joined with evil individuals or groups. We have given harmful advice; We have deceived; We have mocked; We have rebelled against God and His Torah; We have caused God to be angry with us; We have turned away from God’s Torah; We have sinned deliberately; We have been negligent in our performance of the commandments; We have caused our friends grief; We have been stiff-necked, refusing to admit that the cause of our suffering is our own sins. We have committed sins for which we are called רָשָׁע, [raising a hand to hit someone]. We have committed sins which are the result of moral corruption; We have committed sins which the Torah refers to as abominations; We have gone astray; We have led others astray.
We have turned away from Your commandments and from Your good laws, and we have gained nothing from it. And You are the Righteous One in all [punishment] that has come upon us; for You have acted truthfully and we have acted wickedly.
חיבר רב סעדיה גאון
The following prayer was composed by Rabbi Saadyah Gaon.
וּבְכֵן יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְפָנֶיךָ, יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהַי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, שֶׁתְּהֵא הַשָּׁנָה הַזֹּאת הַבָּאָה עֲלֵינוּ וְעַל־עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל, קֵץ וְתַכְלִית לִשְׁבִי עַמְּךָ בֵית יִשְׂרָאֵל, וְעֵת־סוֹף לְגָלוּתֵנוּ וּלְאֶבְלֵנוּ, וְאַחֲרִית־טוֹב לִימֵי־עָנְיֵנוּ וּמְרוּדֵנוּ. כִּי־מָשַׁךְ עָלֵנוּ הַשִּׁעְבּוּד, וְאָרַךְ עָלֵינוּ עֹל־גָּלֻיּוֹת. וְהִנְּנוּ בְּכָל־יוֹם הוֹלְכִים וְדַלִּים, בִּרְבוֹת הַשָּׁנִים אָנוּ נִמְעָטִים, וּבִסְגוֹת הַזְּמַנִּים אָנוּ נִצְעָרִים. וְאֵין־לָנוּ לֹא־מְנַהֵל וְלֹא־מַחֲזִיק בְּיָדֵנוּ, כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַרְתָּ. כִּי מִי יַחֲמֹל עָלַיִךְ יְרוּשָׁלַיִם, וּמִי־יָנוּד־לָךְ, וּמִי־יָסוּר לִשְׁאֹל לְשָׁלוֹם לָךְ, אוֹ מִי־יִגְדֹּר־גֶּדֶר, אוֹ מִי יַעֲמֹד בַּפֶּרֶץ: וְאֵין עוֹד נָבִיא וְחוֹזֶה, וְאֵין קוֹרֵא בְשִׁמְךָ בֶּאֱמֶת, מִתְעוֹרֵר לְהַחֲזִיק־בָּךְ. כִּי כֻלָּנוּ כַצֹּאן תָּעִינוּ, אִישׁ אִישׁ לְדַרְכּוֹ הָרָעָה פָּנִינוּ, כָּל־גֶּבֶר אַחֲרֵי בִּצְעוֹ, וְכָל־אִישׁ אַחֲרֵי שְׁרִירוּת לִבּוֹ הָרָע. וְלֹא דַּי לָנוּ בַּעֲוֹנוֹת הָרִאשׁוֹנִים, כִּי־אִם הוֹסַפְנוּ עֲלֵיהֶם חֲדָשִׁים. וְלֹא הֻזְהַרְנוּ בְּכָל־הָאַזְהָרוֹת אֲשֶׁר הִזְהַרְתָּנוּ, וְלֹא הוּכַחְנוּ מִכָּל הַתּוֹכָחוֹת אֲשֶׁר הוֹכַחְתָנוּ, וּמַה־יֶּשׁ־לָנוּ עוֹד צְדָקָה, וְלִזְעֹק־עוֹד אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ:
And so may it be Your will Adonoy, our God, and God of our fathers, that this coming year be for us, and for all Your people, the House of Israel, the end and limit of the captivity of Your people, the House of Israel; and the last of our exile and mourning, and a happy end to our days of affliction and misery; for our servitude has been protracted, and the yoke of captivity is long upon us; and behold each day we become more and more diminished, and with the increase in years, we are less in number, and in the length of time, we are dwindling away. We have no leader nor anyone to strengthen our hands, [for] it is as You said [Jeremiah 15:5]: “For who will have pity on you, Jerusalem? And who will moan over you? And who will turn to inquire about your well-being?” Who will erect a [spiritual] fence, and who will stand in the breach? There is no longer a prophet or seer, and there is no one that calls upon Your Name in truth, that is inspired to grasp You; for we are all like sheep gone astray, each one has turned to his evil way, every man after his gain and everyone after the desire of his evil heart; and, as if we were not content with our previous iniquities, we have added new ones to them, we were heedless of all the warnings with which You warned us, and we were not chastised by all the admonishment with which You rebuked us; and what other righteousness have we that we can cry out to the King?
אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ תָּבֹא לְפָנֶֽיךָ תְּפִלָּתֵֽנוּ, וְאַל תִּתְעַלַּם מִתְּחִנָּתֵֽנוּ שֶׁאֵין אֲנַֽחְנוּ עַזֵּי פָנִים וּקְשֵׁי עֹֽרֶף לוֹמַר לְפָנֶֽיךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ צַדִּיקִים אֲנַֽחְנוּ וְלֹא חָטָֽאנוּ אֲבָל אֲנַֽחְנוּ וַאֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ חָטָֽאנוּ:
Our God and God of our fathers, let our prayer come before you and do not ignore our supplication. For we are not so brazen-faced and stiff-necked to say to you, Adonoy, our God, and God of our fathers, “We are righteous and have not sinned.” But, indeed, we and our fathers have sinned.
אָשַֽׁמְנוּ. בָּגַֽדְנוּ. גָּזַֽלְנוּ. דִּבַּֽרְנוּ דֹּֽפִי. הֶעֱוִֽינוּ. וְהִרְשַֽׁעְנוּ. זַֽדְנוּ. חָמַֽסְנוּ. טָפַֽלְנוּ שֶֽׁקֶר. יָעַֽצְנוּ רָע. כִּזַּֽבְנוּ. לַֽצְנוּ. מָרַֽדְנוּ. נִאַֽצְנוּ. סָרַֽרְנוּ. עָוִֽינוּ. פָּשַֽׁעְנוּ. צָרַֽרְנוּ. קִשִּֽׁינוּ עֹֽרֶף. רָשַֽׁעְנוּ. שִׁחַֽתְנוּ. תִּעַֽבְנוּ. תָּעִֽינוּ. תִּעְתָּֽעְנוּ:
We have trespassed [against God and man, and we are devastated by our guilt]; We have betrayed [God and man, we have been ungrateful for the good done to us]; We have stolen; We have slandered; We have caused others to sin; We have caused others to commit sins for which they are called רֽשָׁעִים, wicked; We have sinned with malicious intent; We have forcibly taken other’s possessions We have added falsehood upon falsehood; We have joined with evil individuals or groups. We have given harmful advice; We have deceived; We have mocked; We have rebelled against God and His Torah; We have caused God to be angry with us; We have turned away from God’s Torah; We have sinned deliberately; We have been negligent in our performance of the commandments; We have caused our friends grief; We have been stiff-necked, refusing to admit that the cause of our suffering is our own sins. We have committed sins for which we are called רָשָׁע, [raising a hand to hit someone]. We have committed sins which are the result of moral corruption; We have committed sins which the Torah refers to as abominations; We have gone astray; We have led others astray.
סַֽרְנוּ מִמִּצְוֹתֶֽיךָ וּמִמִּשְׁפָּטֶֽיךָ הַטּוֹבִים וְלֹא שָֽׁוָה לָֽנוּ. וְאַתָּה צַדִּיק עַל כָּל הַבָּא עָלֵֽינוּ. כִּי אֱמֶת עָשִֽׂיתָ וַאֲנַֽחְנוּ הִרְשָֽׁעְנוּ:
We have turned away from Your commandments and from Your good laws, and we have gained nothing from it. And You are the Righteous One in all [punishment] that has come upon us; for You have acted truthfully and we have acted wickedly.