This prayer was composed by Rabbi Solomon HaBavli.

[Our] Father,

You created us with compassion and pardon,¹

footnotes: ¹ When God created man, He knew that man required His mercy and forgiveness.

we are the children of Your holy covenant,

and You have never exchanged us;²

footnotes: ² For any other nation.

even in our exile, You are with us,

as You have given us hope.³

footnotes: ³ By promising not to leave us even in the worst of times.

And [now] pardon our iniquity and our sin

and take us for Your inheritance.

Wash away the blood and filth⁴

footnotes: ⁴ Of our sins.

bring our judgment into light;

let our sin be hidden

and not be found to make us repulsive

and let our iniquity be sought

and none be found,

As You clearly stated:

“I will forgive those that I will spare.”

The foulness [of our sins] is great

and the aroma of our sacrifices⁵ has ceased.⁶

footnotes: ⁵ “ניחוח ממלח“ lit. the salted pleasant odor—all sacrifices were salted before being burnt on the altar as a pleasant fragrance to God. (v. Vayikra 2, 13) ⁶ Since the destruction of the Temple.

The covering of soil [caused by]

the filth of the moist creeping thing,⁷

footnotes: ⁷ A ritually unclean person who has any foreign matter covering any part of his body cannot become ritually clean unless he first removes the impurity.

let that become cleansed by immersion

in the flow of Your waters,

for You are Adonoy, good and forgiving.

Since we sinned we were exiled

and from corpulence [we became] emaciated

for the impurity is abundant

and there is none [priest] to sprinkle us.⁸

footnotes: ⁸ With the mixture of water and ashes from the red heifer—the procedure used in purifying one who was contaminated with the ritual uncleanness of a dead body.

For Your sake, Adonoy,

as [You did] then and before this,

forgive, please, the sins of this nation.

They are too abundant to relate—

the great goodness that You have bestowed.

You led the nation

[even] when it was rebellious towards You.

Please, carry their burden

as You carried it in previous days,

and forgive Your nation that has sinned to You.

Upon us, from on high

let His holy spirit pour forth,

so that we may separate ourselves [from sin],

and sanctify [us]

and [a] new [heart] create for us.

The purification and the cleansing [from sin]—

order that they be without suffering,

for forgiveness is with You⁹

footnotes: ⁹ It is in Your hands to forgive.

so that You shall be feared.

Stand upright the fallen one.¹⁰

footnotes: ¹⁰ “Fallen one”—the Jewish nation.

[Refrain] from adding to our misfortune.

[With] a spirit of kindness

satiate our hunger.

Annihilation has come [to those who]

rebuilt us at the time we were weakened.¹¹

footnotes: ¹¹ “To those … rebuilt us” i.e. the righteous of every generation.

For the sake of Your Name, Adonoy,

forgive our sins.

We have become as leftovers¹²

footnotes: ¹² “Leftovers”—the remains at the bottom of the pot.

and who, like You, can forgive [such as these].

Not [based] upon our righteousness

will we attempt to seek a sign,¹³

footnotes: ¹³ “A sign”—that You have forgiven us.

but upon your virtue of abundant compassion

we will send¹⁴ our plea.

footnotes: ¹⁴ נפיל—lit. “throw.”

Adonoy, listen! Adonoy, forgive!

Adonoy, pay attention [to us] and do!

In Your fear and in Your righteous Torah,

establish our footsteps to tread,

for through our sins

we have become too weak to take a step.

Please fulfill Your good promise

to support [us]:

“For I shall forgive their iniquities,

and their sins I will no longer remember.”

You know the hidden

of every blood and flesh.¹⁵

footnotes: ¹⁵ Blood and flesh, i.e. human.

[We committed] iniquities

[despite] that we knew them

and they are with us everywhere.¹⁶

footnotes: ¹⁶ And—everywhere, i.e. we cannot escape our sins.

We, hereby, come before You

[that we may find redemption and consolation,

for You are the forgiving God

gracious and compassionate.

Almighty! King!

Who sits on the throne of mercy,

governs with kindness

forgives the iniquities of His people.

He removes their sins one by one,

increasing forgiveness to sinners,

and pardon to transgressors.

Acting righteously

with all who are of flesh and spirit;

not according to their wickedness

does He repay them.

Almighty!

You instructed us to recite

the thirteen Divine attributes;

remember unto us this day

the covenant of thirteen Divine attributes,

as You made them known

to the humble Moses of old,

as it is written,

“And Adonoy descended in the cloud,

and stood with him there,

and proclaimed the Name, Adonoy.

Congregation and Chazzan:

And Adonoy passed before him [Moses],

and proclaimed:

Adonoy, Adonoy,

Almighty, Merciful, Gracious,

Slow to Anger,

and Abundant in Kindness, and Truth.

Keeper of kindness

for thousands of generations,

Endurer of iniquity, and transgression,

and sin;

and Acquitter of those who repent.

“And pardon our iniquity and our sin,

and take us for Your inheritance.”

Pardon us our Father, for we have sinned,

forgive us our King, for we have transgressed.

“For You, my Master,

are good and forgiving,

and abounding in kindness

to all who call upon You.”

Why do You stand from afar, Adonoy,

hiding Yourself in times of trouble?

Return for the sake of Your servants

the tribes of Your inheritance.

You will grant truth to Jacob,

kindliness to Abraham.

As You have sworn to our fathers

from the days of old.

As a father has compassion on his children

so do You have compassion on us, Adonoy.

Deliverance is Adonoy’s;

upon Your people is Your blessing. Selah!

Adonoy of Hosts is with us,

a stronghold for us is the God of Jacob. Selah!

Adonoy of Hosts!

fortunate is the man who trusts in You.

Adonoy, deliver us;

the King will answer us on the day we call.

“Please pardon the sins of this nation

in accordance with the greatness

of Your lovingkindness;

and as You forgave this people

from when it left Egypt until now.”

And there it is said:

“And Adonoy said,

I have pardoned [them] as you have asked.”

Incline Your ear, my God, and hear,

open Your eyes and behold our desolate places,

and the city which is called by Your Name;

for it is not on account of our righteousness

that we let fall our supplication before You,

but because of Your great mercy.

My Master, hear! My Master, pardon!

My Master, listen and take action,

do not delay!

For Your sake, my God,

because Your Name is proclaimed

over Your city and over Your people.