This prayer was composed by Rabbi Benjamin ben Zorach.

You taught the way of repentance

to the rebellious daughter [Israel];

between Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur

we are to return unto You [in repentance].

Cause us to return to You, Adonoy,

and we shall return.

Long ago, from of old,

You prepared the way for repentance,

before You spread out the mighty heavens,

and established the earth;

thus, for all who return,

repentance is a balm and a remedy.

Those who knock at Your door,

do not send them away empty-handed.

Cause us to return to You, Adonoy,

and we shall return.

Behold, the first to be created from dust,

Adam, the first to be formed,

You tried him with a light commandment,¹

footnotes: ¹ Not to eat from the tree of knowledge.

which he did not keep.

You were indignant and angry with him,

[and decreed] to shorten his years;

but when he repented,

You preserved him like the apple of Your eye.

Cause us to return to You, Adonoy,

and we shall return.

When his offspring [Cain] went astray

by shedding his brother’s blood,

You sentenced him to be a wanderer,

to go from place to place;

but when he returned to You

and left his evil ways,

You prolonged his life to seven generations,

anyone who found him

was forbidden to slay him.

Cause us to return to You, Adonoy,

and we shall return.

He [Reuben] who profaned his father’s bed,

was unstable as water,

his feet had almost slipped²

footnotes: ² He was almost condemned to Gehinom for his sin.

had he not poured out his heart as water.³

footnotes: ³ Before You in repentance.

The young lion [Judah] sinned

with Tamar at Enaim,⁴

footnotes: ⁴ See Genesis 38:15–23.

when he confessed his sin,

You inclined the scale to justify him.

Cause us to return to You, Adonoy,

and we shall return.

He broke the barriers of the world,

did [Achav] son of Omri, with his wickedness,

he desired to worship the Asherim idols,

and added transgression upon sin.⁵

footnotes: ⁵ By causing others to do likewise.

You tore up his sentence

when he repented of his transgressions;

You had mercy on him as he confessed

and forsook [his evil way],

and in You he found deliverance.

Cause us to return to You, Adonoy,

and we shall return.

Tongues as sharp as arrows

had the people of [Ninveh] the great city,

their errors and willful sins

were numerous, without count;

when You sent the vision of their destruction⁶

footnotes: ⁶ Through the prophet Jonah.

they were seized with trembling and terror;

they repented properly, and

it was accepted before Your glorious throne.

Cause us to return to You, Adonoy,

and we shall return.

You Who searches the innermost heart,

and Who is girded with might,

teach us that we may know

to walk the straight path;

if our rebelliousness is great

with transgression and crookedness,

for Your sake, please, cause us to return,

that we should repent in the proper way.

Cause us to return to You, Adonoy,

and we shall return.

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.”

Remember not the sins of our ancestors;

let Your compassion come swiftly toward us,

for we have been brought very low.

The sins of our youth and our transgressions,

remember not;

with Your kindliness remember us

for the sake of Your goodness, Adonoy.

Remember Your mercies, Adonoy,

and kindlinesses

for they are from the beginning of the world.

Remember us Adonoy

with favor for Your people

recall us with Your deliverance.

Remember Your congregation

which You have acquired of old,

You have redeemed the tribe

of Your inheritance,

this mountain of Zion where You have dwelled.

Remember, Adonoy, the affection of Jerusalem,

the love of Zion, forget not until eternity.

Remember, Adonoy,

to the sons of Edom, the day of Jerusalem,

[it was they] who said,

“Raze it, raze it to its very foundations.”

You will arise

and have compassion on Zion,

for it is time to be gracious to her,

for the appointed time has come.

Remember Abraham, Isaac, Israel,

Your servants,

to whom You swore by Your very Self,

and You said to them:

“I will multiply your seed

as the stars of the heavens;

and all this land that I have promised,

I will give to your descendants,

and they will inherit it forever.”

Remember Your servants,

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob;

do not regard the stubborness of this people,

or their wickedness, or their sin.

Do not, we beseech You

place upon us this sin,

wherein we have acted foolishly and sinned.

We have sinned, our Rock;

pardon us our Creator.