The following prayers are added on Mondays and Thursday. On other days, continue "Guardian of Israel. . .":

This group of somber plaints, known as the "long Vehu Rachum" is recited in the morning service on Mondays and Thursdays, except on days when Tachanun is omitted. The origin of these seven prayers is shrouded in legend. It has been suggested that they were composed during the terrible persecutions at the hands of the Goths in seventh-century Spain. It has been said, "Whoever can read this ‘long Vehu Rachum' prayer without emotion has lost all feeling for what is great and noble." Despite all the repetition in these cries for forgiveness, mercy, help, and protection, the effect is not tiring; because here it is not merely an individual soul, but the soul of an entire people that utters these laments and supplications, that gives voice to this woe of nearly two thousand years. Moses ascended Mount Sinai to receive the Second Tablets on the fifth day of the week, and he returned to the people on the second day of the week, bringing them the new tablets as a security for the Divine covenant and as confirmation of God's atonement for their transgression. Ever since, the second and fifth day of each week, Monday and Thursday, have been days of summons to the Jewish people to assemble anew before God and to reaffirm their sincere "return" to the Law of God. Our regular service is therefore augmented on these days by these additional supplications.

And He, the merciful One, will atone iniquity, and will not destroy, He frequently withdraws His anger, and does not arouse all His rage.¹ You, Adonoy, do not withhold Your mercy from us; may Your kindness and truth always protect us.² Deliver us, Adonoy, our God, and gather us from among the nations to give thanks to Your holy Name to be extolled in Your praise.³ If You, God, should preserve iniquities,⁴ my Master, who could survive?⁵ But with You there is forgiveness, [in order] that You may be feared.⁶ Do not deal with us according to our sins nor repay us according to our iniquities.⁷ If our iniquities testify against us, Adonoy, act [mercifully] for Your Name's sake.⁸ Remember Your mercies Adonoy, and Your kindnesses, for they are from the beginning of the world.⁹ Adonoy will answer us on the day of distress, the Name of the God of Jacob will fortify us.¹⁰ Adonoy, deliver [us]; the King will answer us on the day we call.¹¹ Our Father, our King, favor us and answer us, for we have no [good] deeds; deal charitably with us according to Your abundant mercy and deliver us for the sake of Your Name. Our Master, our God, heed our supplications; and remember unto us the covenant of our fathers, and deliver us for Your Name's sake.

footnotes: ¹ Psalms 78:38. ² Psalms 40:12 (basis). ³ Psalms 106:47. ⁴ Were it not for the grace of God, any sin a person committed would deprive him of the right to continued existence. (Transgression is seen as a form of treason which is punishable by death). However, through the grace of Divine forgiveness, God makes it possible for us to atone for past sins through penitence and the decision to act in the future with God-fearing conduct.—S.R. Hirsch ⁵ Psalms 130:3. ⁶ Psalms 130:4. ⁷ Psalms 103:10 (basis). ⁸ Jeremiah 14:7. ⁹ Psalms 25:6. ¹⁰ Psalms 20:2 (basis). Because of the trials and tribulations that marked his life, Jacob has become the model personality for the people descended from him. We preserve our trust in God, despite all the bitter blows which befall us, even as Jacob was confident that God was mindful of him. We, too, are sustained by our trust that God will eventually lead us to salvation as He led Jacob to a pinnacle of joy and happiness.—S.R. Hirsch ¹¹ Psalms 20:10.

And now, my Master, our God, who brought out Your people, from the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and made for Yourself a name to this day;'¹² we have sinned, we have acted wickedly. My Master, with all Your righteousness turn away Your anger and Your rage from Your city, Jerusalem, Your holy mountain; for because of our sins and the iniquities of our fathers,¹³ Jerusalem and Your people are [held] in contempt by all who surround us. And now, listen our God, to the prayers of Your servant and to his supplications; and let Your radiant countenance shine upon Your desolate Sanctuary for Your sake, my Master.

footnotes: ¹² A name which has come to be recognized to an evergrowing extent among men.—S.R. Hirsch ¹³ Through sincere atonement and earnest resolve to better our conduct, we could have restored that which was lost through the iniquities of our ancestors. But instead, we, too, have left much to be desired in this respect.—Yaavetz

Incline Your ear, my God, and hear;¹⁴ 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 supplications before You, but because of Your great mercy. My Master, hear! my Master, forgive! my Master, listen and take action, do not delay! For Your sake, my God, for Your Name is proclaimed over Your¹⁵ city and Your people. Our Father, merciful Father, show us a sign for good and gather our dispersed [people] from the four corners of the earth, [so that] all nations will recognize and know that You, Adonoy, are our God.¹⁶ And now, Adonoy, You are our Father; we are the clay and You are our Former; and we are all the work of Your hand. Deliver us, for Your Name's sake our Father, our King, our Rock and our Redeemer.¹⁷ Adonoy, spare Your people, and let not Your heritage be [an object] of contempt for nations to rule over.¹⁸ Why should they say among the peoples, Where is their God? Adonoy, we know that we have sinned, and there is none to stand up in our behalf; let Your great Name, then, stand up for us at the time of distress. We know that we have no [good] deeds, [therefore] deal charitably with us for Your Name's sake. As a father has compassion on his children, so do You have compassion on us, Adonoy,¹⁹ and [therefore] deliver us for Your Name's sake. Have pity on Your people, have compassion on Your heritage, spare us with Your great mercy; favor us. our King, and answer us, for righteousness is Yours, Adonoy, Who performs wonders at all times.

footnotes: ¹⁴ “Hear” that which others say and think about us; or “hear” our cry for help.—S.R. Hirsch ¹⁵ If the city which You have founded should fall, and the people You have chosen should perish, the cause of the universal acknowledgement of Your Oneness, would suffer.—S.R. Hirsch ¹⁶ Daniel 9:15-19. ¹⁷ Isaiah 64:7. ¹⁸ Joel 2:17. ¹⁹ Others translate this as a prayer rather than a fact: “So, Adonoy, have compassion on us.”

Look, we beseech You, speedily have compassion and deliver the sheep of Your pasture; let wrath not prevail over us, for, Adonoy, deliverance is Yours. Our hope rests with You, God of forgiveness; please forgive [us], for You Almighty, are good, and forgiving.

We beseech You, gracious and compassionate King, remember and look to the Covenant between the divided pieces,²⁰ and let appear before You the binding [upon the Altar] of the only son, and for the sake of Israel,²¹ our father. Do not abandon²² us our father, do not cast us off our King, do not forget us our Creator, and do not bring destruction upon us in our exile for You are the Almighty who is King, gracious and merciful.

footnotes: ²⁰ See Genesis 15:9-21 for a complete account of this covenant with Abraham. ²¹ Some interpret the name “Israel” as a reference to the patriarch Jacob, who was called Israel. This prayer calls to mind the merit of all three patriarchs: Abraham, who bound his only son; Isaac, who willfully let himself be bound on the altar; and Jacob, whose entire life was one of suffering for God.—Iyun Tefilloh ²² To abandon means to leave a person to his own devices. “You know, our Father, that our own strength and intelligence are not adequate for us, so give us Your Fatherly care.”—S.R. Hirsch

There is none like You, gracious and merciful Adonoy, our God; there is none like You, Almighty, slow to anger, abundant in kindliness and truth. Deliver us, and have mercy on us with Your great mercy, save us from storm and rage. Remember Your servants, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob; do not consider the stubbornness of this people, their wickedness, and their sinfulness.²³ Turn from Your fierce anger and let Your mind be changed concerning the evil [intended] for Your people.²⁴ Remove from us the scourge of death, for You are merciful; for such is Your way— to bestow undeserved kindness in every generation. Spare Your people, Adonoy, and save us from Your wrath; remove from us the scourge of plague, and harsh decree, for You are the Guardian of Israel. Righteousness is Yours, my Master, while shame is ours.²⁵ How can we complain? What can we say? What can we speak? and how can we justify ourselves? Let us search into our ways and examine them, and return to You; for Your right hand is extended to receive those who repent. We beseech You Adonoy!—deliver us. We beseech You Adonoy!—grant us success²⁶; We beseech You Adonoy! — answer us on the day we call. For You, Adonoy, we have waited, For You, Adonoy, we have hoped, For You, Adonoy, we yearn. Do not be silent, and do not allow us to be tormented; for the nations have said, "Their hope is lost." Let every knee bend to You and all who stand erect prostrate themselves before You

footnotes: ²³ Deuteronomy 9:27 (basis). ²⁴ Exodus 32:12. ²⁵ Daniel 9:7. ²⁶ Psalms 118:25.

You Who opens Your hand to [accept] repentance, to receive transgressors and sinners: our soul is terrified from our great sorrow— forget us not forever; arise and deliver us. Do not pour out Your wrath upon us, for we are Your people, the children of Your covenant. Almighty, look! Our glory has sunk low among the nations, and they abominate us like the impurity of the *nidah.*²⁷ is menstrual uncleanliness. See Leviticus 12:2. How long will Your strength be in captivity, and Your glory, in the hand of the foe?²⁸ Arouse Your might and deliver us for the sake of Your Name, let our sufferings not seem trivial to You. May Your mercy come swiftly toward us in time of our distress; not for our sake, but do it for Your sake, and do not obliterate the remembrance of our remnant, for our eyes look hopefully to You, for You are the Almighty Who is King, Gracious, and Merciful. Remember our testimony every day we proclaim twice a day with love: Hear Israel, Adonoy is our God, Adonoy is One.

footnotes: ²⁷ Nidah ²⁸ This prayer is a paraphrase of Psalms 78:61. We read concerning the Ark of the Covenant, which had fallen into the hands of the Philistines, “And delivered His strength into captivity and His glory into the hand of the foe.”

Adonoy, God of Israel, turn from Your fierce anger, and let Your mind be changed concerning the evil intended for Your people.²⁹

footnotes: ²⁹ Exodus 32:12.

Look³⁰ from heaven and behold that we have become [an object] of scorn and derision among the nations; we are considered as the sheep led to the slaughter to be slain and destroyed, tortured and humiliated. And yet despite all this,³¹ we have not forgotten Your Name; please, do not forget us.

footnotes: ³⁰ The following prayers enable us to visualize the horrors of persecution that were so often the lot of the Jews in the dark ages and even more so in our days. ³¹ This refrain gives striking expression to the steadfastness of the Jew amid all his agony and martyrdom.The one concept which, more than anything else, protected Israel from the base impulse of vengefulness, is proclaimed in these last few petitions. They teach us that we must commit to none other than God all vengeance and retribution for the suffering we sustain at the hands of others. Sacred literature is replete with assurances of God's retribution for all that we have suffered at the hands of our foes.

Adonoy, God of Israel, turn from Your fierce anger, and let Your mind be changed concerning the evil intended for Your people.

Strangers say: there is no hope or expectation [for us.] Be gracious to the people who place their hope in Your Name. Pure One, bring our deliverance near; we are weary and no relief is granted us. May Your mercy suppress Your anger from us. We beseech You, turn from Your anger, and have compassion on the treasured people whom You have chosen.

Adonoy, God of Israel, turn from Your fierce anger, and let Your mind be changed concerning the evil intended for Your people.

Adonoy, in Your mercy, spare us, do not discard us in the hands of cruel foes. Why should the nations say: Where now is their God?³² For Your sake, deal kindly with us and do not delay. We beseech You, turn from Your anger, and have compassion on the treasured people whom You have chosen.

footnotes: ³² Psalms 115:2.

Adonoy, God of Israel, turn from Your fierce anger, and let Your mind be changed concerning the evil intended for Your people.

Hear our voice and be gracious, do not cast us off into the hands of our enemies to obliterate our name. Remember what You have sworn to our fathers: Like the stars of the heavens will I multiply your descendants,³³ and now, we are left only a few out of many. And yet despite all this, we have not forgotten Your Name; please, do not forget us.

footnotes: ³³ Exodus 32:13.

Adonoy, God of Israel, turn from Your fierce anger, and let Your mind be changed concerning the evil intended for Your people.

Help us, God of our deliverance for the sake of the glory of Your Name; save us and atone our sins for the sake of Your Name.

Adonoy, God of Israel, turn from Your fierce anger, and let Your mind be changed concerning the evil intended for Your people.

Guardian of Israel, guard the remnant of Israel, and let not Israel perish, who say, "Hear Israel."

Guardian of the unique nation, guard the remnant of the unique people, and let not the unique nation perish, who proclaim the Oneness of Your Name, [saying:] Adonoy is our God, Adonoy is One.

Guardian of the holy nation, guard the remnant of the holy people and let not the holy nation perish who repeat the threefold sanctification to the Holy One.

You Who are appeased by pleas for mercy, and conciliated by supplications, be appeased and conciliated to an afflicted generation, for there is none else to help. Our Father, our King! be gracious to us and answer us for we have no [good] deeds, deal with us charitably and kindly and deliver us.

As for us, we know not what to do; but our eyes are upon You.³⁴ Remember Your mercies, Adonoy, and kindnesses for they are from the beginning of the world.³⁵ Adonoy! may Your kindness be upon us, as we have waited for You.³⁶ Remember not the sins of our ancestors;³⁷ let Your mercy come swiftly toward us,³⁸ for we have been brought very low. Help us for the Name of Adonoy Creator of Heaven and earth. Be gracious to us, Adonoy, be gracious to us for we are saturated with humiliation.³⁹ [Even] in anger remember to have compassion.⁴⁰ [Even] in anger remember the binding of Isaac. Even in anger remember the uprightness of Jacob Adonoy deliver [us] the King will answer us on the day we call. For He knows of what we are made; He is mindful that we are but dust.⁴¹ Help us, God of our deliverance, for the sake of the glory of Your Name; save us and atone our sins,⁴² for the sake of Your Name.⁴³

footnotes: ³⁴ I Chronicles 20:12. With this sentence. King Yehoshafat, concluded his prayer for Divine aid in his struggle against the hostile nations that were united against him. His prayer was answered. Each Jew in every generation must realize that he too has only one refuge for all time to come—God—to Whom we turn our eyes with trusting hope—S.R. Hirsch ³⁵ Psalms 25:26. ³⁶ Psalms 33:22. ³⁷ Others translate, “Remember not our [own] former iniquities.” ³⁸ Psalms 79:8. ³⁹ Psalms 123:3. ⁴⁰ Habakuk 3:2. ⁴¹ Psalms 103:14. ⁴² May we repent so that our sins will be atoned. ⁴³ Psalms 79:9.

The Chazzan recites the Half Kaddish

Exalted and sanctified be His great Name in the world which He created according to His will and may He rule His kingdom bring forth His redemption and hasten the coming if His Messiah in your lifetime and in your days, and in the lifetime of the entire House of Israel, speedily and in the near future— and say Amein.

May His great Name be blessed forever and for all eternity.

Blessed and praised, glorified, and exalted and uplifted, honored and elevated and extolled be the Name of the Holy One, blessed is He;

above (Ten Days of Penitence: far above) all the blessings and hymns, praises and consolations which we utter in the world—and say Amein.

On days when the Torah is not read continue with Ashrei.