לערב ראש השנה 22

מב. ע"פ א"ב כפול. חתום גרשום בר יהודה (מאור הגולה)

This prayer was composed by Rabbi Gershom ben Yehudah (the Light of the Exile).

פותחין הארון:

(The Ark is opened.)

זְכֹר בְּרִית־אַבְרָהָם,

Remember the covenant of Abraham

וַעֲקֵדַת־יִצְחָק.

and the binding of Isaac,

וְהָשֵׁב שְׁבוּת

and return the captives

אָהֳלֵי־יַעֲקֹב,

of the tents of Jacob

וְהוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ לְמַעַן שְׁמֶךָ:

and deliver us for the sake of Your Name.

אָבַדְנוּ מֵאֶרֶץ־טוֹבָה בְּחִפָּזוֹן.

We lost the good land all too soon,

אָרְכוּ הַיָּמִים וּדְבַר כָּל־חָזוֹן.

and the prophesied exile has lasted very long;

בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל חָדְלוּ פְרָזוֹן.

in Israel, they no longer live in open villages,¹They must live in fortified cities for fear of enemy attack.

בְּמַשְׁמַנֵּנוּ שֻׁלַּח רָזוֹן.

our plenty has been turned into famine.

וְשׁוּב בְרַחֲמִים

Turn with compassion

עַל־שְׁאֵרִית־יִשְׂרָאֵל,

to the remnant of Israel,

וְהוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ לְמַעַן שְׁמֶךָ:

and deliver us for the sake of Your Name.

גּוֹלָה אַחַר גּוֹלָה.

Exile after exile,

גָּלְתָה יְהוּדָה כֻּלָּהּ.

has all of Judah been exiled,

דָּוָה כָּל־הַיּוֹם וְכָלָה.

grief and destruction is her lot each day,

דּוֹרֵשׁ וּמְבַקֵּשׁ אֵין־לָהּ:

and there is none to inquire or plead for her.

וְהָשֵׁב שְׁבוּת

Return the captives

אָהֳלֵי־יַעֲקֹב,

of the tents of Jacob

וְהוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ לְמַעַן שְׁמֶךָ:

and deliver us for the sake of Your Name.

הָעִיר הַקֹּדֶשׁ וְהַמְּחֹזוֹת.

The city of holiness and its environs

הָיוּ לְחֶרְפָּה וּלְבִזּוֹת.

had become disgraced and plundered;

וְכָל־מַחֲמַדֶּיהָ טְבוּעוֹת וּגְנוּזוֹת.

all its treasures are buried and hidden,

וְאֵין שִׁיּוּר רַק הַתּוֹרָה הַזֹּאת.

and nothing remains except this Torah.

וְשׁוּב בְרַחֲמִים

Turn with compassion

עַל־שְׁאֵרִית־יִשְׂרָאֵל,

to the remnant of Israel,

וְהוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ לְמַעַן שְׁמֶךָ:

and deliver us for the sake of Your Name.

גּוֹאֵל חָזָק לְמַעַנְךָ פְּדֵנוּ.

Mighty Redeemer, for Your sake redeem us,

רְאֵה כִּי־אָזְלַת יָדֵנוּ.

see how helpless we are,

שׁוּר כִּי־אָבְדוּ חֲסִידֵינוּ.

look, our pious men are gone,

וּמַפְגִּיעַ אֵין בַּעֲדֵנוּ.

and we have none to intercede for us.

וְהָשֵׁב שְׁבוּת

Return the captives

אָהֳלֵי־יַעֲקֹב,

of the tents of Jacob

וְהוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ לְמַעַן שְׁמֶךָ:

and deliver us for the sake of Your Name.

בְּרִית אָבוֹת

The covenant with the Patriarchs

וְאִמָּהוֹת

the Matriarchs

וְהַשְּׁבָטִים.

and the [twelve] tribes,

רַחֲמֶיךָ וַחֲסָדֶיךָ בִּרְבוֹת־עִתִּים.

Your oft-repeated mercy and kindness—

יָהּ זְכֹר

remember [now] O God

לְמֻכִּים וְנִמְרָטִים.

to those who are stricken and tortured,

וְעָלֶיךָ

and for Your sake [they are ready]

כָּל־הַיּוֹם נִשְׁחָטִים.

to be killed all the day.

וְשׁוּב בְרַחֲמִים

Turn with compassion

עַל־שְׁאֵרִית־יִשְׂרָאֵל,

to the remnant of Israel,

וְהוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ לְמַעַן שְׁמֶךָ:

and deliver us for the sake of Your Name.

דּוֹרֵשׁ דָּמִים

You Who avenges [innocent] blood,

דּוֹן דִּינֵנוּ.

judge our cause,

הָשֵׁב שִׁבְעָתַיִם

repay [punish] sevenfold

אֶל־חֵיק־מְעַנֵּינוּ.

into the bosom of those who torment us;

חִנָּם נִמְכַּרְנוּ,

we have been sold for naught,

וְלֹא בְכֶסֶף פְּדֵנוּ.

[therefore] redeem us without [ransom] money,

זְקֹף בֵּית־מִקְדָּשְׁךָ הַשָּׁמֵם

raise up Your ruined, Holy Temple,

לְעֵינֵינוּ.

before our [very] eyes,

וְהָשֵׁב שְׁבוּת

and return the captives

אָהֳלֵי־יַעֲקֹב,

of the tents of Jacob

וְהוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ לְמַעַן שְׁמֶךָ:

and deliver us for the sake of Your Name.

סוגרין הארון:

(The Ark is closed.)

זְכוֹר לָֽנוּ בְּרִית רִאשׁוֹנִים

Remember to us the covenant of the ancestors,

כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַֽרְתָּ.

as You promised,

וְזָכַרְתִּי לָהֶם

“And I will remember for their sake

בְּרִית רִאשׁוֹנִים

the covenant with [their] ancestors

אֲשֶׁר הוֹצֵֽאתִי אוֹתָם

whom I brought out

מֵאֶֽרֶץ מִצְרַֽיִם

of the land of Egypt

לְעֵינֵי הַגּוֹיִם

in the sight of the nations;

לִהְיוֹת לָהֶם לֵאלֹהִים

to be their God,

אֲנִי יְהֹוָה:

I am Adonoy.”

תֻּשְׂגַּב לְבַדְּךָ

Rule alone

וְתִמְלֹךְ עַל כֹּל בְּיִחוּד:

and reign over all in Your Oneness,

כַּכָּתוּב עַל יַד נְבִיאֶֽךָ

as it is written by Your prophets:

וְהָיָה יְהֹוָה לְמֶֽלֶךְ

“And Adonoy will be King

עַל כָּל הָאָֽרֶץ

over the whole earth;

בַּיּוֹם הַהוּא יִהְיֶה יְהֹוָה אֶחָד

on that day Adonoy will be One

וּשְׁמוֹ אֶחָד:

and His Name One.”