סְלַח לָֽנוּ Forgive us, our Father, for in our great foolishness we have blundered. Pardon us, our King, for our iniquities are many.

אֵל אֶֽרֶךְ You are a God slow to anger, You are called the Master of Compassion, and You have taught the way of repentance. May You remember today and every day the greatness of Your compassion and kindness, for the sake of the descendants of Your beloved ones. Turn toward us in compassion, for You are the Master of Compassion. We come before You in plea and prayer, as You in ancient times showed the humble one [Moses]. Turn from Your fierce anger, as is written in Your Torah. In the shadow of Your wings may we shelter and abide, as on the day when the LORD descended in the cloud. ▸Disregard transgression and erase guilt as on the day You stood with him [Moses] there. Hear our cry and heed our word, as on the day You proclaimed in the name of the LORD, and there it is written:

And the LORD passed by before him and proclaimed:

יהוה The LORD, the LORD, compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in loving-kindness and truth, extending loving-kindness to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, rebellion and sin, and absolving [the guilty who repent]. Forgive us our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your inheritance.

סְלַח לָֽנוּ Forgive us, our Father, for we have sinned. Pardon us, our King, for we have transgressed. For You, LORD, are good and forgiving, abounding in loving-kindness to all who call on You.

We have waited patiently for the LORD, and He has turned toward us and heard our cry. And on the path of Your laws, LORD, we have waited for You, for it is Your name and Your memory that are our souls’ desire.

כְּרַחֵם As a father has compassion for his children, so, LORD, have compassion for us. Salvation is the LORD’s; on Your people is Your blessing, Selah! The LORD of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our stronghold, Selah! LORD of hosts, happy is the one who trusts in You. LORD, save! May the King answer us on the day we call.

▸ Forgive, please, this people’s iniquity, in the abundance of Your kindness, and as You have forgiven this people from the time of Egypt until now, and there it is written:

And the LORD said, I have forgiven as you asked.

הַטֵּה Give ear, my God and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolation, and the city that bears Your name, for it is not on the strength of our righteousness that we throw down our pleadings before You, but on the strength of Your great compassion. LORD, hear me; LORD, forgive, LORD, listen and act and do not delay – for Your sake, my God; for Your city and Your people bear Your name.

Our God and God of our fathers:

אָדָם When a man rose up against us, convulsions of trembling seized us. When he attached himself to a government of flattery, we almost stumbled and fell. They cheerfully closed an agreement to sell us, as a person with an unwanted mound gives it away quite freely to one with an unwanted pit. There was no defense. They said, “Come, let us annihilate them from among nations: the name of Israel shall be recalled no more.” My eyes turned heavenward and I called on You to curse my enemies: “Cut off name and remnant; expunge their name, let it rot. And be Enemy to my enemies; bring them down in the very deceptions with which they deceived the people of Jacob.” And they said, “The LORD will not see; the God of Jacob will not comprehend.” Yet God tormented the scattered ones and made them mournful – but did not mean to destroy them utterly. They were guilty on the face of things, and so He terrorized them. By the taking off of a ring, He made them tremble. But God fulfilled the good of His word, raising them up in the view of nations. “In their enemies’ land He did not reject them, and did not detest them to the point of destruction.” He revealed the premonition of events for a nation begrimed and scratched over. He wrote “I shall surely hide (astir) Myself” to hint at Esther, and fragrant “pure myrrh,” translated “mar-dokh,” to hint at Mordekhai; all to put an end to Haman on the morrow, “From (hamin) the tree” foreshadowing his gallows. “In place of the thorn bush, shall rise up a cypress, and in place of the nettle, shall rise up myrtle.” The king who listened to lies, dictated accusation and sorrow. He wrapped himself in priestly clothes, Ahasuerus, having mistaken his reckoning of the End. He ordered “other vessels” to be used, from the Quarry from which the world was hewn; and the devil too, came and placed himself among them. When the people in Shushan ate of their destroyer’s meat, the king opened his mouth wide to accuse them, to give them over into the hands of the one who was ready to pay their price. The Rock, meanwhile, agreed to write a letter to destroy their hope; “I said that I would yield them up, would put an end to their memory among mankind.” The angels, messengers of peace, wept bitterly, crying out, “Compassionate One, look to the covenant and do not break it, pushing it away!” The Torah, too, heard of it and put on clothes of widowhood and sorrow; and she laid her hands upon her head and walked along, crying as she went. [Elijah] The Tishbite wrapped a covering of sackcloth around his waist. He hurried and told the three fathers who sleep in the Cave of Makhpelah, and then hastened to the Shepherd, [Moses] – “What do you mean by sleeping? Rouse yourself! Get up and call out to your God – perhaps He may change His mind!” He told [Mordekhai] Bilshan of the pronouncement that had been sealed in clay – but not in blood. They learnt from the example of Nineveh how to overturn anger after a decree; the son of Kish knocked at the door of the school, and covered himself in sackcloth and sat down on the earth. For three days he gathered the children before him – thirsty, hidden from by God – so that, in the voice of Jacob, they might weaken the hand of the bold-faced king. His hands raised steadily to God, Mordekhai prayed, “Save us now from insult; that he should not come and slaughter us, mothers and children together.” Those and those, from all sides, the children of my mighty ones and teachers, all cried out, and their plea rose up to the LORD. And God, when those plaintive calls reached Him, asked, “And what is this bleating of sheep that meets My ears?” The shepherd Moses answered Him, “These are the little ones of the holy offspring. LORD, save ones condemned to die, from the evil enemy.” The compassion of the Gracious One was stirred, and He was moved to weep for what had happened. And so it was that when the King of Israel read the letter, He tore it to pieces. The Jew suspended sons below and father above. Each man covered three amot; the fourth amah above was space exposed. Mordekhai saw a double revenge, was delighted, and spoke praises: “I was returned to my post and he was hanged!” Esther wrote with emphasis, that a Hallel of thanks should be read on that day; and what the beloved ones accepted down below was established above. A banner shall be raised by those who bear witness, to make the wonder known now, as it was then. And at this time – may relief and salvation rise up for the Jews.

אֵל מֶֽלֶךְ God, King who sits upon a throne of compassion, who acts with loving-kindness, who pardons the iniquities of His people, passing them before Him in order; who forgives sinners and pardons transgressors; who performs righteousness with all flesh and spirit, do not repay their bad actions in kind. God, You taught us to speak thirteen attributes: recall for us today the covenant of the thirteen attributes, as You in ancient times showed the humble one [Moses], as is written: The LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed in the name of the LORD:

And the LORD passed by before him and proclaimed:

יהוה The LORD, the LORD, compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in loving-kindness and truth, extending loving-kindness to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, rebellion and sin, and absolving [the guilty who repent]. Forgive us our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your inheritance.

סְלַח לָֽנוּ Forgive us, our Father, for we have sinned. Pardon us, our King, for we have transgressed. For You, LORD, are good and forgiving, abounding in loving-kindness to all who call on You.

כִּי־עִמְּךָ For in You there is a wellspring of life; in Your light shall we see light. As we call You, God of our righteousness, answer us. In a narrow place You have opened out our horizon; be gracious to us and hear our prayer. And now let the strength of the LORD be great, as You have said.

כְּרַחֵם As a father has compassion for his children, so, LORD, have compassion for us. Salvation is the LORD’s; on Your people is Your blessing, Selah! The LORD of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our stronghold, Selah! LORD of hosts, happy is the one who trusts in You. LORD, save! May the King answer us on the day we call.

Our God and God of our fathers:

אַתָּה הָאֵל It is You who are the God of wonders. You have made known among nations Your terrifying strength. You redeemed Your people by might from torments, suppressed their foes with ignominious death, when the enemy rose to awaken strife, and seemed about to cut down the exquisite flowers, Israel. He plotted to measure out into the masters’ treasuries, a hundred times the silver talents of the sockets in the Tabernacle. You warned Your lambs to announce the shekel offering early; You knew what would be. You warned us to be punctual, and to find a way to douse the fire of ones who sought to burn us. And so, those once condemned to death – are marked out for resurrection. When (for appearances,) they worshiped a narrow image, they were yielded up to be clipped off: all those offshoots and grapes. Traps surrounded them on all sides; they turned their eyes to You, they were concealed in Your hiddenness. The lots were overturned, they ruled over their enemies, and the gallows was prepared to receive Haman the Agagite. God struck and swallowed the façade of covering that covered, and He entombed His people’s enemies in darkness. Peace and truth were written on all sides; power of salvation, steady rock and fortress. The plunderer was plundered, he was caught in his own trap. The one who spoke against me was swept away; destroyed; eyed disdainfully. The people made celebrations, and these were fixed for all generations. Amalek had entered the Scriptures three times – how could there be a fourth? Yet on High it was agreed and here below it was sealed, and the reason for all that had been fixed, was inscribed in the scroll. Your hand is lifted high to forgive sinners. You set Mordekhai the Jew and Hadassah Esther in their place as saviors, and now their righteousness remains forever to delight us, and the study of their honor to recall to You those who were saved. Be zealous for Your name, Awesome and Sanctified One. Witness Your vineyard, destroyed, trampled; gather our scattered ones and their song to You will be renewed. Sustain them and revive them with the building of the Temple. ▸And as You did awe-inspiring things in those days, so perform with us the wonder of salvation for all time. Find in Your presence our ransom, our appeasement – God, King who sits upon a throne of compassion.

God, King who sits upon a throne of compassion, who acts with loving-kindness, who pardons the iniquities of His people, passing them before Him in order; who forgives sinners and pardons transgressors; who performs righteousness with all flesh and spirit, do not repay their bad actions in kind. ▸God, You taught us to speak thirteen attributes: recall for us today the covenant of the thirteen attributes, as You in ancient times showed the humble one [Moses], as is written: The LORD descended in the cloud and stood with him there, and proclaimed in the name of the LORD:

And the LORD passed by before him and proclaimed:

יהוה The LORD, the LORD, compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in loving-kindness and truth, extending loving-kindness to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, rebellion and sin, and absolving [the guilty who repent]. Forgive us our iniquity and our sin, and take us as Your inheritance.

סְלַח לָֽנוּ Forgive us, our Father, for we have sinned. Pardon us, our King, for we have transgressed. For You, LORD, are good and forgiving, abounding in loving-kindness to all who call on You.

Small of number we stand pleading before You: do not block Your ears to the cry of people crushed. Listen to their entreaty from the Heaven where You dwell, as You saved Your children in the days of Myrrh and Myrtle [Mordekhai and Esther].

On Israel’s praises You sit enthroned, hearing their cry, listening to their prayer. Bringing healing even before the blow, counting it out to help the ones You have acquired; to settle their homes again.

A foe and enemy fixed his eyes like knives on Israel; he opened wide his mouth to swallow up the humble man. He deliberated within him to destroy Mordekhai’s great community; in the letter, he etched his intent to destroy the treasured people.

You who take revenge upon foes and persist in Your claim against enemies; You measured them out with the very measure they used against Your loved ones. The fighter and his descendants were hanged, suspended; they were strung up together, like fish on a thread.

On the day on which the enemies hoped to lay carnage among the people You harbor, the rule was overturned and bodies fell; they bore the brunt and fury of Your rage – they were trodden underfoot and washed away.

And so may Your name be raised up, exalted. Your glory covers all the highest heavens. As You lift the downtrodden, those yielded up as plunder, Your praise fills up the valleys to their very ends.

Consider our thoughts, now, and witness our suffering. Rise up, in Your rage, against the bitter enemy. Master, we have called You from a narrow place. Please, take us out into the open, and release us from anguish.

Bring us much, abundant pardon. Hear our prayer, and what is crude in us – pass over. Bring down those who press us and fill them with horror. And as for us – do not forever withhold Your compassion.