לערב ראש השנה 25

חיבר רב סעדיה גאון

The following prayer was composed by Rabbi Saadyah Gaon.

וּבְכֵן יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְפָנֶיךָ,

And so may it be Your will

יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהַי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ,

Adonoy, our God, and God of our fathers,

שֶׁתְּהֵא הַשָּׁנָה הַזֹּאת

that this coming year

הַבָּאָה עֲלֵינוּ

be for us,

וְעַל־עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל,

and for all Your people, the House of Israel,

קֵץ וְתַכְלִית לִשְׁבִי

the end and limit of the captivity

עַמְּךָ בֵית יִשְׂרָאֵל,

of Your people, the House of Israel;

וְעֵת־סוֹף לְגָלוּתֵנוּ וּלְאֶבְלֵנוּ,

and the last of our exile and mourning,

וְאַחֲרִית־טוֹב

and a happy end

לִימֵי־עָנְיֵנוּ וּמְרוּדֵנוּ.

to our days of affliction and misery;

כִּי־מָשַׁךְ עָלֵנוּ הַשִּׁעְבּוּד,

for our servitude has been protracted,

וְאָרַךְ עָלֵינוּ עֹל־גָּלֻיּוֹת.

and the yoke of captivity is long upon us;

וְהִנְּנוּ בְּכָל־יוֹם

and behold each day

הוֹלְכִים וְדַלִּים,

we become more and more diminished,

בִּרְבוֹת הַשָּׁנִים

and with the increase in years,

אָנוּ נִמְעָטִים,

we are less in number,

וּבִסְגוֹת הַזְּמַנִּים

and in the length of time,

אָנוּ נִצְעָרִים.

we are dwindling away.

וְאֵין־לָנוּ לֹא־מְנַהֵל

We have no leader

וְלֹא־מַחֲזִיק בְּיָדֵנוּ,

nor anyone to strengthen our hands,

כַּאֲשֶׁר אָמַרְתָּ.

[for] it is as You said [Jeremiah 15:5]:

כִּי מִי יַחֲמֹל עָלַיִךְ יְרוּשָׁלַיִם,

“For who will have pity on you, Jerusalem?

וּמִי־יָנוּד־לָךְ,

And who will moan over you?

וּמִי־יָסוּר

And who will turn

לִשְׁאֹל לְשָׁלוֹם לָךְ,

to inquire about your well-being?”

אוֹ מִי־יִגְדֹּר־גֶּדֶר,

Who will erect a [spiritual] fence,

אוֹ מִי יַעֲמֹד בַּפֶּרֶץ:

and who will stand in the breach?

וְאֵין עוֹד נָבִיא וְחוֹזֶה,

There is no longer a prophet or seer,

וְאֵין

and there is no one

קוֹרֵא בְשִׁמְךָ בֶּאֱמֶת,

that calls upon Your Name in truth,

מִתְעוֹרֵר לְהַחֲזִיק־בָּךְ.

that is inspired to grasp You;

כִּי כֻלָּנוּ כַצֹּאן תָּעִינוּ,

for we are all like sheep gone astray,

אִישׁ אִישׁ

each one

לְדַרְכּוֹ הָרָעָה פָּנִינוּ,

has turned to his evil way,

כָּל־גֶּבֶר אַחֲרֵי בִּצְעוֹ,

every man after his gain

וְכָל־אִישׁ

and everyone

אַחֲרֵי שְׁרִירוּת לִבּוֹ הָרָע.

after the desire of his evil heart;

וְלֹא דַּי לָנוּ

and, as if we were not content

בַּעֲוֹנוֹת הָרִאשׁוֹנִים,

with our previous iniquities,

כִּי־אִם הוֹסַפְנוּ עֲלֵיהֶם חֲדָשִׁים.

we have added new ones to them,

וְלֹא הֻזְהַרְנוּ בְּכָל־הָאַזְהָרוֹת

we were heedless of all the warnings

אֲשֶׁר הִזְהַרְתָּנוּ,

with which You warned us,

וְלֹא הוּכַחְנוּ

and we were not chastised

מִכָּל הַתּוֹכָחוֹת

by all the admonishment

אֲשֶׁר הוֹכַחְתָנוּ,

with which You rebuked us;

וּמַה־יֶּשׁ־לָנוּ עוֹד צְדָקָה,

and what other righteousness have we

וְלִזְעֹק־עוֹד אֶל־הַמֶּלֶךְ:

that we can cry out to the King?

אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ

Our God and God of our fathers,

תָּבֹא לְפָנֶֽיךָ תְּפִלָּתֵֽנוּ,

let our prayer come before you

וְאַל תִּתְעַלַּם מִתְּחִנָּתֵֽנוּ

and do not ignore our supplication.

שֶׁאֵין אֲנַֽחְנוּ עַזֵּי פָנִים

For we are not so brazen-faced

וּקְשֵׁי עֹֽרֶף

and stiff-necked

לוֹמַר לְפָנֶֽיךָ

to say to you,

יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ

Adonoy, our God, and God of our fathers,

צַדִּיקִים אֲנַֽחְנוּ וְלֹא חָטָֽאנוּ

“We are righteous and have not sinned.”

אֲבָל אֲנַֽחְנוּ וַאֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ חָטָֽאנוּ:

But, indeed, we and our fathers have sinned.

אָשַֽׁמְנוּ.

We have trespassed [against God and man, and we are devastated by our guilt];

בָּגַֽדְנוּ.

We have betrayed [God and man, we have been ungrateful for the good done to us];

גָּזַֽלְנוּ. דִּבַּֽרְנוּ דֹּֽפִי.

We have stolen; We have slandered;

הֶעֱוִֽינוּ.

We have caused others to sin;

וְהִרְשַֽׁעְנוּ.

We have caused others to commit sins for which they are called רֽשָׁעִים, wicked;

זַֽדְנוּ.

We have sinned with malicious intent;

חָמַֽסְנוּ.

We have forcibly taken other’s possessions

טָפַֽלְנוּ שֶֽׁקֶר.

We have added falsehood upon falsehood; We have joined with evil individuals or groups.

יָעַֽצְנוּ רָע.

We have given harmful advice;

כִּזַּֽבְנוּ. לַֽצְנוּ.

We have deceived; We have mocked;

מָרַֽדְנוּ.

We have rebelled against God and His Torah;

נִאַֽצְנוּ.

We have caused God to be angry with us;

סָרַֽרְנוּ.

We have turned away from God’s Torah;

עָוִֽינוּ.

We have sinned deliberately;

פָּשַֽׁעְנוּ.

We have been negligent in our performance of the commandments;

צָרַֽרְנוּ.

We have caused our friends grief;

קִשִּֽׁינוּ עֹֽרֶף.

We have been stiff-necked, refusing to admit that the cause of our suffering is our own sins.

רָשַֽׁעְנוּ.

We have committed sins for which we are called רָשָׁע, [raising a hand to hit someone].

שִׁחַֽתְנוּ.

We have committed sins which are the result of moral corruption;

תִּעַֽבְנוּ.

We have committed sins which the Torah refers to as abominations;

תָּעִֽינוּ.

We have gone astray;

תִּעְתָּֽעְנוּ:

We have led others astray.

סַֽרְנוּ

We have turned away

מִמִּצְוֹתֶֽיךָ

from Your commandments

וּמִמִּשְׁפָּטֶֽיךָ הַטּוֹבִים

and from Your good laws,

וְלֹא שָֽׁוָה לָֽנוּ.

and we have gained nothing from it.

וְאַתָּה צַדִּיק

And You are the Righteous One

עַל כָּל הַבָּא עָלֵֽינוּ.

in all [punishment] that has come upon us;

כִּי אֱמֶת עָשִֽׂיתָ

for You have acted truthfully

וַאֲנַֽחְנוּ הִרְשָֽׁעְנוּ:

and we have acted wickedly.