לערב ראש השנה 5

כה. על פי א"ב. חתום יוסף בר יצחק מאורלייאנש:

This prayer was composed by Rabbi Joseph ben Isaac of Orleans (1150).

אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ

Our God and God of our fathers!

אָדוֹן מוֹעֵד כְּתִקַּח,

Master! when You appoint a time

מֵישָׁרִים לִשְׁפֹּט בְּתַעֲצוּמֶיךָ.

to judge us rightly with Your might,

אֶתְיַצְּבָה בְּפֶלֶץ,

I stand trembling

לְחַלּוֹת פָּנֶיךָ לְרוֹמְמֶךָ.

to see Your Presence, to exalt You,

בְּמַעֲשַֹי לֹא נִשְׁעַנְתִּי,

for I do not depend on my deeds,

כִּי־אִם בְּרַחֲמֶיךָ.

but only on Your mercy.

יְהֹוָה עֲשֵֹה לְמַעַן שְׁמֶיךָ:

Adonoy! Do it for the sake of Your Name.

גָּזּוּ אֱמוּנִים,

The faithful ones have been cut off—

גִּבּוֹרֵי כֹחַ בְּמֶרֶץ.

the mighty, with power to intercede,

גַּם גּוֹדְרֵי־גָּדֵר

[gone] also are those who made fences

וְעוֹמְדֵי בַפֶּרֶץ.

and stood in the breach⁴Defending the integrity of Yiddishkeit.

דּוֹרְשֵׁי חֶפְצָם בְּכֹחַ,

who forcefully brought their petition

מִשּׁוֹכֵן שְׁמֵי עֶרֶץ.

before Him Who dwells in the high heavens.

אָבַד חָסִיד מִן־הָאָרֶץ:

The pious man has perished from the earth.

הֵן קַלוֹתִי

Behold, I am unworthy,

וּמַה־אָשִׁיב בְּמוֹ פִי.

and what can I answer with my mouth?

הִנְנִי צָעִיר,

Behold, I am young [insignificant]

בְּאֵין־מִפְעֲלוֹת בְּכַפִּי.

without good deeds in my hand;

וְאֵיךְ אֲקַוֶּה

how, then, can I hope

וַאֲנִי רַב־דֹּפִי.

when I am so full of fault?

הֱיוֹת לְרָצוֹן אִמְרֵי־פִי:

Let the words of my mouth be acceptable.

זָחַלְתִּי וָאִירָא

I tremble and I am afraid

מֵחַוּוֹת דֵּעִי.

to express my wishes;

זְדוֹנִי יָגֹרְתִּי

I fear my wickedness

וּמֶרֶד־רִשְׁעִי.

and my rebellious disobedience;

חַנּוּן, רַחֲמֵנִי

Gracious One, have mercy on me

בְּהִתְוַדּוֹתִי וְעָזְבִי פִשְׁעִי.

as I confess my sins and forsake them.

שְׁמַע קוֹל־תַּחֲנוּנַי,

Hear the voice of my supplication,

אֵלֶיךָ בְּשַׁוְעִי:

when I cry out to You.

טָעִיתִי

I have erred

וְהִנְנִי שָׁב וּמִתְוַדֶּה,

but behold I repent and confess

עֲשֹוֹת רְצוֹנֶךָ.

[in order] to do Your will;

טְהוֹר עֵינַיִם,

You Who are pure of eyes,

חָשְׁבֵנִי כְּשָׁלֵם לְפָנֶיךָ.

consider me as perfect in Your Presence;

יָהּ, הִכָּנֵס לִי

God, deal with me

לִפְנִים מִשּׁוּרַת־דִּינֶךָ.

more leniently than to the letter of Your law.

וְאֵדָעֲךָ

And let me know You

לְמַעַן אֶמְצָא־חֵן בְּעֵינֶיךָ:

[so] that I might find favor in Your eyes.

כֹּחֲךָ יִגְדַּל־נָא

May Your power be magnified

וּבִתְפִלָּתִי הִתְנָאֶה.

and be adorned with my prayer,

כִּתְפִלַּת זָקֵן

as with the prayer of a [wise] old man,

וְרָגִיל

who is fluent in prayer

וּפִרְקוֹ נָאֶה.

and of blameless character.

לְבָבִי הַנִּשְׁבָּר הַנִּדְכֶּה וְהַנִּכְאֶה.

My heart is crushed, humbled and grieved.

הַבֵּט מִשָּׁמַיִם וּרְאֵה:

Look from the heavens and behold.

אֵל מֶֽלֶךְ.

Almighty! King!

יוֹשֵׁב עַל כִּסֵּא רַחֲמִים.

Who sits on the throne of mercy,

מִתְנַהֵג בַּחֲסִידוּת.

governs with kindness

מוֹחֵל עֲו‍ֹנוֹת עַמּוֹ.

forgives the iniquities of His people.

מַעֲבִיר רִאשׁוֹן רִאשׁוֹן.

He removes their sins one by one,

מַרְבֶּה מְחִילָה לְחַטָּאִים

increasing forgiveness to sinners,

וּסְלִיחָה לְפוֹשְׁעִים.

and pardon to transgressors.

עוֹשֶׂה צְדָקוֹת

Acting righteously

עִם כָּל בָּשָׂר וָרֽוּחַ.

with all who are of flesh and spirit;

לֹא כְרָעָתָם

not according to their wickedness

תִּגְמוֹל:

does He repay them.

אֵל

Almighty!

הוֹרֵיתָ לָנוּ לוֹמַר

You instructed us to recite

שְׁלשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה.

the thirteen Divine attributes;

וּזְכָר לָֽנוּ הַיּוֹם

remember unto us this day

בְּרִית שְׁלשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה.

the covenant of thirteen Divine attributes,

כְּמוֹ שֶׁהוֹדַֽעְתָּ

as You made them known

לֶעָנָו מִקֶּֽדֶם.

to the humble Moses of old,

כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב

as it is written,

וַיֵּרֶד יְהֹוָה בֶּֽעָנָן

“And Adonoy descended in the cloud,

וַיִּתְיַצֵּב עִמּוֹ שָׁם

and stood with him there,

וַיִּקְרָא בְשֵׁם יְהֹוָה:

and proclaimed the Name, Adonoy.

קהל וחזן:

Congregation and Chazzan:

וַיַּֽעֲבֹר יְהֹוָה עַל פָּנָיו

And Adonoy passed before him [Moses];

וַיִּקְרָא:

and proclaimed:

יְהֹוָה יְהֹוָה

Adonoy, Adonoy,

אֵל רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן

Almighty, Merciful, Gracious,

אֶֽרֶךְ אַפַּֽיִם

Slow to Anger,

וְרַב חֶֽסֶד וֶֽאֱמֶת:

and Abundant in Kindness, and Truth.

נֹצֵר חֶֽסֶד

Keeper of kindness

לָאֲלָפִים

for thousands of generations,

נֹשֵׂא עָו‍ֹן וָפֶֽשַׁע

Endurer of iniquity, and transgression,

וְחַטָּאָה

and sin;

וְנַקֵּה:

and Acquitter of those who repent.”

וְסָלַחְתָּ לַעֲו‍ֹנֵֽנוּ וּלְחַטָּאתֵֽנוּ

“And pardon our iniquity and our sin,

וּנְחַלְתָּֽנוּ:

and take us for Your inheritance.”

סְלַח לָֽנוּ אָבִֽינוּ כִּי חָטָֽאנוּ.

Pardon us our Father, for we have sinned,

מְחַל לָֽנוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ כִּי פָשָֽׁעְנוּ:

forgive us our King, for we have transgressed.

כִּי אַתָּה אֲדֹנָי

“For You, my Master,

טוֹב וְסַלָּח

are good and forgiving,

וְרַב חֶֽסֶד

and abounding in kindness

לְכָל קֹרְאֶֽיךָ:

to all who call upon You.”