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

footnotes: ¹ Psalms 78:38.

You, Adonoy,

do not withhold Your mercy from us;

may Your kindness and truth

always protect us.²

footnotes: ² Psalms 40:12 (basis).

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

footnotes: ³ Psalms 106:47.

If You, God, should preserve iniquities,⁴

footnotes: 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

my Master, who could survive?⁵

footnotes: ⁵ Psalms 130:3.

But with You there is forgiveness,

[in order] that You may be feared.⁶

footnotes: ⁶ Psalms 130:4.

Do not deal with us according to our sins

nor repay us according to our iniquities.⁷

footnotes: ⁷ Psalms 103:10 (basis).

If our iniquities testify against us,

Adonoy,

act [mercifully] for Your Name's sake.⁸

footnotes: ⁸ Jeremiah 14:7.

Remember Your mercies Adonoy,

and Your kindnesses,

for

they are from the beginning of the world.⁹

footnotes: ⁹ Psalms 25:6.

Adonoy will answer us on the day of distress,

the Name of the God of Jacob will fortify us.¹⁰

footnotes: 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

Adonoy, deliver [us];

the King will answer us on the day we call.¹¹

footnotes: ¹¹ Psalms 20:10.

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.

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

footnotes: ¹² A name which has come to be recognized to an evergrowing extent among men.—S.R. Hirsch

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

footnotes: 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

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.

Incline Your ear, my God, and hear;¹⁴

footnotes: ¹⁴ “Hear” that which others say and think about us; or “hear” our cry for help.—S.R. Hirsch

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.

footnotes: 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

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

footnotes: ¹⁶ Daniel 9:15-19.

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

footnotes: ¹⁷ Isaiah 64:7.

Adonoy, spare Your people,

and let not Your heritage

be [an object] of contempt

for nations to rule over.¹⁸

footnotes: ¹⁸ Joel 2:17.

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

footnotes: ¹⁹ Others translate this as a prayer rather than a fact: “So, Adonoy, have compassion on us.”

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.

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

footnotes: ²⁰ See Genesis 15:9-21 for a complete account of this covenant with Abraham.

and let appear before You

the binding [upon the Altar] of the only son,

and for the sake of Israel,²¹ our father.

footnotes: 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

Do not abandon²² us our father,

footnotes: 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

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.

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

footnotes: ²³ Deuteronomy 9:27 (basis).

Turn from Your fierce anger

and let Your mind be changed

concerning the evil

[intended] for Your people.²⁴

footnotes: ²⁴ Exodus 32:12.

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

footnotes: ²⁵ Daniel 9:7.

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;

footnotes: ²⁶ Psalms 118:25.

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

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.

footnotes: ²⁷ Nidah

How long will Your strength be in captivity,

and Your glory, in the hand of the foe?²⁸

footnotes: 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.”

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.

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

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.

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

footnotes: 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.

we have not forgotten Your Name;

please, do not forget us.

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

footnotes: ³² Psalms 115:2.

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.

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

footnotes: ³³ Exodus 32:13.

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.

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

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

Remember Your mercies, Adonoy,

and kindnesses

for

they are from the beginning of the world.³⁵

footnotes: ³⁵ Psalms 25:26.

Adonoy! may Your kindness be upon us,

as we have waited for You.³⁶

footnotes: ³⁶ Psalms 33:22.

Remember not the sins of our ancestors;³⁷

footnotes: ³⁷ Others translate, “Remember not our [own] former iniquities.”

let Your mercy come swiftly toward us,³⁸

footnotes: ³⁸ Psalms 79:8.

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

footnotes: ³⁹ Psalms 123:3.

[Even] in anger

remember to have compassion.⁴⁰

footnotes: ⁴⁰ Habakuk 3:2.

[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

footnotes: ⁴¹ Psalms 103:14.

Help us, God of our deliverance,

for the sake of the glory of Your Name;

save us and atone our sins,⁴²

footnotes: ⁴² May we repent so that our sins will be atoned.

for the sake of Your Name.⁴³

footnotes: ⁴³ Psalms 79:9.

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.