We have forgotten Your goodness, and been mindless of Your great kindnesses; we have rebelled against Your word, and have turned away from Your laws. We have indulged in the vanities of this world, and to men of arrogance and deceit we have turned. We have been very foolish, we have loved evil more than good, and falsehood rather than speaking righteousness, we have sought impurity rather than purity, and the loathsome rather than the clean; we have exchanged the permanent [world] for the transitory. Day by day we rise early to sin, until our iniquities have mounted above our heads, and are more numerous than our hairs, and more powerful than the words of our mouth, and exceeded the steps of our feet, and surpassed the breathing of our nostrils. We have sunk into muddy depths, and there is no foothold; we have come into deep waters, and a whirlpool has swept us away.1Psalms 69:3. Not You Adonoy, our God, have we harmed, but [only] ourselves, not You have we irritated but [only] ourselves; for when man sins, what effect has it on You? If his transgressions are numerous, what does it do to You? But woe to the sons of man who sin against You, and woe to their souls, for they bring evil upon themselves. Our God, we are too ashamed and disgraced, to lift our faces to You, our God;2Ezra 9:6. for we are like a repulsive vessel, thus are we disgraced in our own eyes. As a man immersed in a [muddy] ditch and soils his clothing;3Job 9:31. and as we were conceived in iniquity, so the shame of our faces have covered us.4Psalms 44:16.
We have trespassed more than any other people, we are more ashamed than any other generation; happiness has departed from us, our hearts are miserable with our sins; [the place of] our desire has been devastated,10These are all references to the Holy Temple. [the place of] our glory has been humiliated,10These are all references to the Holy Temple. the abode of our Holy Temple has been destroyed because of our iniquities; our Palace has become a desolation,10These are all references to the Holy Temple. our beautiful land belongs to strangers, our strength [wealth] to foreigners. Still, we have not repented our errors, so how can we be so insolent and obstinate as to say before 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.
And now Adonoy, our God, after we have repented, we regret [our sins], and after realizing [our guilt], we struck ourselves on the thigh. We are ashamed, even disgraced, for we also bear the shame of our youth.1Jeremiah 31:18. Because of this we take our flesh in our teeth,2We bite ourselves. and put our life in our hands.3Job 13:14. How shall we approach You, Adonoy, our God, and how shall we bow unto You, exalted God?4Micah 6:6. How will You be reconciled to us and atone all our sins, which have passed by and gone like water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again?5II Samuel 14:14. If through repentance and confession You will be reconciled to us, behold we repent and confess before You Adonoy, our God: “We have sinned and transgressed, and that which is straight, we distorted, and it has not profited us.” And if through prayer and supplication You will forgive us, behold we offer our supplication before You; “As the eyes of servants [look] toward the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maiden [look] toward the hand of her mistress; so our eyes are lifted to You.”6Psalms 123:2. And if through weeping and wailing You will pardon us, behold, our soul weeps in secret because of our sins, and our spirit groans within us over the multitude of our transgressions. And if through a broken spirit, You will atone us, behold our heart is broken within us, and our spirit is crushed by the troubles and travails which have passed over us, until there is nothing left whole in our flesh. Were it not for Your mercy and kindness, we would have perished because of our iniquities.
Before our eyes, our toil has been exploited, torn and stripped from us. They have their yoke upon us, we bear it on our shoulders. Slaves rule over us, there is none to free us from their hands. Many troubles have encompassed us, we called out to You Adonoy, our God, but You remained distant from us because of our iniquities. We turned away from You, we have gone astray and are lost. Still, we have not repented our errors, so how can we be so insolent and obstinate as to say before 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
This prayer was composed by Rav Sadyah Gaon 892–942
שָׁכַחְנוּ־אֶת־טוֹבוֹתֶיךָ. וְנָשִׁינוּ אֶת־רֹב חֲסָדֶיךָ. וּמָרִינוּ אֶת־פִּיךָ. וּמִמִּשְׁפָּטֶיךָ סַרְנוּ. וּבְהַבְלֵי הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה נֶהְבַּלְנוּ. אֶל־רְהָבִים וְשָׂטֵי כָזָב פָּנִינוּ. וְהִסְכַּלְנוּ הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד. וְאָהַבְנוּ רָע מִטּוֹב וְשֶׁקֶר מִדַּבֵּר צֶדֶק סֶלָה. וְטֻמְאָה תַּחַת טַהֲרָה. וְשִׁקּוּץ תַּחַת זְכוּת. וְהֶחֱלַפְנוּ עוֹלָם עוֹמֵד בְּעוֹלָם עוֹבֵר. מִדֵּי יוֹם בְּיוֹמוֹ הַשְׁכֵּם וַחֲטוֹא עַד אֲשֶׁר עֲווֹנוֹתֵינוּ עָבְרוּ רֹאשֵׁנוּ. וְרַבּוּ מִשַּׂעֲרוֹתֵינוּ. וְעָצְמוּ מִדִּבְרֵי פִינוּ. וְגָדְלוּ מִצַּעֲדֵי רַגְלֵינוּ. וְגָבְהוּ מִנִּשְׁמַת רוּחַ אַפֵּנוּ. טָבַעְנוּ בִּיוֵן מְצוּלָה וְאֵין מָעֳמֳד. בָּאנוּ בְמַעֲמַקֵּי מַיִם וְשִׁבֹּלֶת שְׁטָפָתְנוּ. וְלֹא לְךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ הֲרֵעֹנוּ כִּי אִם לְנַפְשֵׁנוּ. וְלֹא אוֹתְךָ הִכְעַסְנוּ כִּי אִם אוֹתָנוּ. כִּי אֱנוֹשׁ אִם חָטָא מַה־יִּפְעַל־לָךְ. וְאִם רַבּוּ פְשָׁעָיו מַה יַעֲשֶׂה־לָךְ. אֲבָל אוֹי לִבְנֵי אָדָם אֲשֶׁר חָטְאוּ לָךְ. וְאוֹי לְנַפְשָׁם כִּי גָּמְלוּ לָהֶם רָעָה. אֱלֹהֵינוּ בּוֹשְׁנוּ וְנִכְלַמְנוּ לְהָרִים אֱלֹהֵינוּ פָּנֵינוּ אֵלֶיךָ כִּי אָנוּ כִּכְלִי נִמְאָס. כֵּן נִבְזִינוּ בְּעֵינֵי נַפְשֵׁנוּ. כְּגֶבֶר אֲשֶׁר הוּטְבַּל בְּשַׁחַת וְתִעֲבוּהוּ שַׂלְמוֹתָיו. וּכְמוֹ בְּעָווֹן חוֹלָלְנוּ. כֵּן בֹּשֶׁת פָּנֵינוּ כִּסָּתְנוּ:
We have forgotten Your goodness, and been mindless of Your great kindnesses; we have rebelled against Your word, and have turned away from Your laws. We have indulged in the vanities of this world, and to men of arrogance and deceit we have turned. We have been very foolish, we have loved evil more than good, and falsehood rather than speaking righteousness, we have sought impurity rather than purity, and the loathsome rather than the clean; we have exchanged the permanent [world] for the transitory. Day by day we rise early to sin, until our iniquities have mounted above our heads, and are more numerous than our hairs, and more powerful than the words of our mouth, and exceeded the steps of our feet, and surpassed the breathing of our nostrils. We have sunk into muddy depths, and there is no foothold; we have come into deep waters, and a whirlpool has swept us away.1Psalms 69:3. Not You Adonoy, our God, have we harmed, but [only] ourselves, not You have we irritated but [only] ourselves; for when man sins, what effect has it on You? If his transgressions are numerous, what does it do to You? But woe to the sons of man who sin against You, and woe to their souls, for they bring evil upon themselves. Our God, we are too ashamed and disgraced, to lift our faces to You, our God;2Ezra 9:6. for we are like a repulsive vessel, thus are we disgraced in our own eyes. As a man immersed in a [muddy] ditch and soils his clothing;3Job 9:31. and as we were conceived in iniquity, so the shame of our faces have covered us.4Psalms 44:16.
אָשַׁמְנוּ מִכָּל־עָם, בֹּשְׁנוּ מִכָּל־דּוֹר. גָּלָה מִמֶּנּוּ מָשׂוֹשׂ, דָּוֶה לִבֵּנוּ בַּחֲטָאֵינוּ. הֻחְבַּל אִוּוּיֵנוּ, וְנִפְרַע פְּאֵרֵנוּ. זְבוּל בֵּית־מִקְדָּשֵׁנוּ, חָרַב בַּעֲוֹנֵינוּ. טִירָתֵנוּ הָיְתָה לְשַׁמָּה, יֹפִי אַדְמָתֵנוּ לְזָרִים, כֹּחֵנוּ לְנָכְרִים: וַעֲדַיִן לֹא שַׁבְנוּ מִטָּעוּתֵנוּ. וְהֵאֵיךְ נָעִיז פָּנֵינוּ וְנַקְשֶׁה עָרְפֵּנוּ. לוֹמַר לְפָנֶיךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ. צַדִּיקִים אֲנַחְנוּ וְלֹא חָטָאנוּ. אֲבָל אֲנַחְנוּ וַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ חָטָאנוּ:
We have trespassed more than any other people, we are more ashamed than any other generation; happiness has departed from us, our hearts are miserable with our sins; [the place of] our desire has been devastated,10These are all references to the Holy Temple. [the place of] our glory has been humiliated,10These are all references to the Holy Temple. the abode of our Holy Temple has been destroyed because of our iniquities; our Palace has become a desolation,10These are all references to the Holy Temple. our beautiful land belongs to strangers, our strength [wealth] to foreigners. Still, we have not repented our errors, so how can we be so insolent and obstinate as to say before 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: סַֽרְנוּ מִמִּצְוֹתֶֽיךָ וּמִמִּשְׁפָּטֶֽיךָ הַטּוֹבִים וְלֹא שָֽׁוָה לָֽנוּ. וְאַתָּה צַדִּיק עַל כָּל הַבָּא עָלֵֽינוּ. כִּי אֱמֶת עָשִֽׂיתָ וַאֲנַֽחְנוּ הִרְשָֽׁעְנוּ:
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.
וְעַתָּה יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ, אַחֲרֵי שׁוּבֵנוּ נִחַמְנוּ. וְאַחֲרֵי הִוָּדְעֵנוּ, סָפַקְנוּ עַל־יָרֵךְ: בֹּשְׁנוּ וְגַם נִכְלַמְנוּ, כִּי נָשָׂאנוּ חֶרְפַּת נְעוּרֵינוּ. וְעַל־זֹאת נִשָּׂא בְשָרֵנוּ בְשִׁנֵּינוּ, וְנַפְשֵׁנוּ נָשִׂים בְּכַפֵּנוּ. וּבַמֶּה נְקַדְּמָה פָנֶיךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ. וּבַמֶּה נִכַּף לְךָ אֱלֹהֵי מָרוֹם. וּבַמֶּה תִּתְרַצֶּה, וּתְכַפֵּר לָנוּ עַל־כָּל־חַטֹּאתֵנוּ, אֲשֶׁר חָלְפוּ וְעָבְרוּ, כַּמַּיִם הַמֻּגָּרִים אַרְצָה, אֲשֶׁר לֹא יֵאָסֵפוּ: אִם בִּתְשׁוּבָה וּוִדּוּי תִּתְּרַצֶּה, הִנְּנוּ שָׁבִים וּמִתְוַדִּים לְפָנֶיךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ. חָטָאנוּ וּפָשַׁעְנוּ וְיָשָׁר הֶעֱוִינוּ, וְלֹא־שָׁוָה לָנוּ: וְאִם בִּתְפִלָּה וּבְתַחֲנוּנִים תִּמְחָל, הִנְּנוּ מַפִּילִים תַּחֲנוּנֵינוּ לְפָנֶיךָ, כְּעֵינֵי עֲבָדִים אֶל־יַד אֲדוֹנֵיהֶם, וּכְעֵינֵי שִׁפְחָה אֶל־יַד גְּבִרְתָּהּ, כֵּן עֵינֵינוּ נְשׂוּאוֹת אֵלֶיךָ: וְאִם בִּבְכִי וּזְעָקָה תִּסְלַח, הִנֵּה בַמִּסְתָּרִים תִּבְכֶּה נַפְשֵׁנוּ מִפְּנֵי חַטֹּאתֵינוּ, וּבַחֲדָרִים תֶּאֱנַח רוּחֵנוּ עַל רֹב פְּשָׁעֵינוּ: וְאִם בְּשֶׁבֶר־רוּחַ תְּכַפֵּר, הִנֵּה נִשְׁבַּר לִבֵּנוּ בְּקִרְבֵּנוּ, וְנִדְכָּאָה רוּחֵנוּ, מִן הַצָּרוֹת וּמִן הַתְּלָאוֹת, אֲשֶׁר עָבְרוּ עָלֵינוּ, עַד אֲשֶׁר לֹא־נוֹתָר מְתוֹם בִּבְשָׂרֵנוּ. לוּלֵי רַחֲמֶיךָ וַחֲסָדֶיךָ, אָז אָבַדְנוּ בַּעֲוֹנֵינוּ:
And now Adonoy, our God, after we have repented, we regret [our sins], and after realizing [our guilt], we struck ourselves on the thigh. We are ashamed, even disgraced, for we also bear the shame of our youth.1Jeremiah 31:18. Because of this we take our flesh in our teeth,2We bite ourselves. and put our life in our hands.3Job 13:14. How shall we approach You, Adonoy, our God, and how shall we bow unto You, exalted God?4Micah 6:6. How will You be reconciled to us and atone all our sins, which have passed by and gone like water spilt on the ground, which cannot be gathered up again?5II Samuel 14:14. If through repentance and confession You will be reconciled to us, behold we repent and confess before You Adonoy, our God: “We have sinned and transgressed, and that which is straight, we distorted, and it has not profited us.” And if through prayer and supplication You will forgive us, behold we offer our supplication before You; “As the eyes of servants [look] toward the hand of their master, as the eyes of a maiden [look] toward the hand of her mistress; so our eyes are lifted to You.”6Psalms 123:2. And if through weeping and wailing You will pardon us, behold, our soul weeps in secret because of our sins, and our spirit groans within us over the multitude of our transgressions. And if through a broken spirit, You will atone us, behold our heart is broken within us, and our spirit is crushed by the troubles and travails which have passed over us, until there is nothing left whole in our flesh. Were it not for Your mercy and kindness, we would have perished because of our iniquities.
לְעֵינֵינוּ עָשְׁקוּ עֲמָלֵנוּ, מְמֻשָּׁךְ וּמְמוֹרָט מִמֶּנּוּ. נָתְנוּ עֻלָּם עָלֵינוּ, סָבַלְנוּ עַל־שִׁכְמֵנוּ. עֲבָדִים מָשְׁלוּ בָנוּ, פּוֹרֵק אֵין מִיָּדָם. צָרוֹת רַבּוֹת סְבָבוּנוּ, קְרָאנוּךָ יְהוָֹה אֱלֹהֵינוּ. רָחַקְתָּ מִמֶּנּוּ בַּעֲוֹנֵינוּ, שַׁבְנוּ מֵאַחֲרֶיךָ, תָּעִינוּ וְאָבָדְנוּ. וַעֲדַיִן לֹא שַׁבְנוּ מִטָּעוּתֵנוּ. וְהֵאֵיךְ נָעִיז פָּנֵינוּ וְנַקְשֶׁה עָרְפֵּנוּ. לוֹמַר לְפָנֶיךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ. צַדִּיקִים אֲנַחְנוּ וְלֹא חָטָאנוּ. אֲבָל אֲנַחְנוּ וַאֲבוֹתֵינוּ חָטָאנוּ:
Before our eyes, our toil has been exploited, torn and stripped from us. They have their yoke upon us, we bear it on our shoulders. Slaves rule over us, there is none to free us from their hands. Many troubles have encompassed us, we called out to You Adonoy, our God, but You remained distant from us because of our iniquities. We turned away from You, we have gone astray and are lost. Still, we have not repented our errors, so how can we be so insolent and obstinate as to say before 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: סַֽרְנוּ מִמִּצְוֹתֶֽיךָ וּמִמִּשְׁפָּטֶֽיךָ הַטּוֹבִים וְלֹא שָֽׁוָה לָֽנוּ. וְאַתָּה צַדִּיק עַל כָּל הַבָּא עָלֵֽינוּ. כִּי אֱמֶת עָשִֽׂיתָ וַאֲנַֽחְנוּ הִרְשָֽׁעְנוּ:
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.