When a Person Commits a Sin, that Leads Him to Commit Bundles of Sins / Each Bundle of Sins Demands that a Person Feed it and Maintain it / When a Person Enacts the Thirteen Traits of Compassion, Heaven Treats Him with Those Same Traits / The Sins of Jews Come from Edom / Poor People and Those Lacking Merit Must Petition God to Arouse the Thirteen Traits of Compassion “One sin draws along another” (Avot 4:2). When a person commits a sin, that pulls along other sins related to it. When he commits a different sort of sin, that pulls along sins related to it. These turn into bundles of sins. Each bundle creates a group of destructive spiritual enemies that cry out to the sinner, “Give us life! Give us food!” (Tikkuney Zohar 22a). The sinner — who is the owner of these sins — must feed them and keep them alive. He is responsible for the first sin since he committed it without compulsion. As for the subsequent sins, although he was, as it were, compelled to commit them, they can argue that he should have performed a mitzvah immediately after the first sin, and doing so would have guarded him spiritually. His rectification is to learn and observe the thirteen traits of compassion. As a result of being compassionate and kind, he will arouse Heaven’s thirteen supernal traits of compassion, and they will overcome the destructive forces. Then God will remove the first sin in each bundle, and the remaining sins will return to Him. God gives these sins life — but from where does He give them life? In the realm of the Side of Evil, Edom is the first of the first sins. All subsequent sins come about through it. The Jewish people are so holy that it is not fitting for them to commit any sort of sin. But they sin because of the pressure of the exile imposed upon them by the nations with taxes and levies. Because we are in Edom’s exile, our sins derive from Edom. And so God places the responsibility for these sins upon Edom, who must give them life. When a person has compassion, he arouses the thirteen traits of compassion. However, the poor — who are associated with the trait of judgment — lack the trait of compassion. Indeed, as we can see, poor people are cruel. They need to petition God to arouse His compassion and remove the first sin first. And we ourselves are like these poor, since we lack merit. Therefore, the verse states, “Do not recall our first sins against us. May Your compassion come to us quickly, for we are very poor” (Psalms 79:8). We spread our hands out to God, begging that He Himself awaken the thirteen traits of compassion. For the Day of the Selichah of the Thirteen Traits of Compassion14 This refers to the selichah recited on the eighth day of the Ten Days of Repentance, which mentions the thirteen traits of compassion. Drawing God’s Kindness onto Ourselves “Do not recall our first sins against us. May Your compassion come to us quickly, for we are very poor.”
You are the Master of the world, the Master of compassion and forgiveness. “God, King Who sits on the throne of compassion, You act kindly, forgiving Your people’s sins and setting them aside one by one. You are great in forgiving transgressors and excusing the sinful.”
You Who are profoundly kind, You Who vastly aid us, Your compassion and kindness never end. Teach us and direct us to truly draw Your thirteen traits of compassion onto ourselves fully.
May each one of us — even the lowest of the low and the least of the least, even someone such as myself — drawn onto himself Your pure compassion and kindness that contain no admixture of judgment whatsoever.
Please redress, forgive and grant atonement for all of our transgressions, sins and offenses that we have committed before You from our beginning until this day.
Master of the world, You Who sit in the heights, what shall I say to You? You Who dwell in the heavens, what shall I tell You? You know how many transgressions, sins and offenses I have committed from my beginning until this day, creating major, terrible blemishes, until these sins have become numerous bundles of wrongdoing.
You alone know how my every sin is drawn and pulled along from a previous sin connected to it, one after the other, until a bundle of wrongdoings is created.
In my sinfulness, I did wrong, committing a sin that became the first sin of a second bundle. That sin drew in its wake a number of other wrongdoings in an ongoing chain, may the Compassionate One save us, until a second bundle of wrongdoings was created.
Woe to me! Who has the strength to recall a thousandth or even a ten-thousandth of my evil deeds and maintain the ability to continue living without the aid of Your awesome miracles and wonders?
How will I draw the wonders of Your simple compassion and kindness onto me so that — from now on, at any rate — I will be rescued and protected from everything that I need to be rescued and protected from?
Remove Our Sins Master of the world, Master of the world! Who is like You, Master of the entire world, Who does boundless good? Who is like You, Master of compassion, Who saves and forgives so greatly?
He is the first cause of all of our sins, whether ancient or recent, due to the force of the bitter exile that overpowers us every day, an exile in which “the strength of the porter has collapsed.” Almost every day, the gentiles extract money from Your nation, the Jewish people, with a multitude of tariffs, real-estate taxes, and various levies, thievery and bribes.
Master of the world, Master of the world, have compassion on me and on the entire Jewish people at this time of trouble, for “the children have come as far as the birth stool, and there is no strength to give birth.”
Have compassion on me for the sake of Your Name, so that — from now on, at any rate — I will succeed in imploring You to help me follow Your laws, keep Your commandments, and no longer return to foolishness.
Have compassion on me, You Who are filled with compassion, with the compassion familiar to You that has the power to extricate me from all of the places into which I fell. May I truly return to You from now on and forever.
In Your kindness, have mercy on me and direct me in Your ways. Help me grasp Your holy traits, Your good ways, and Your compassion composed of the thirteen traits of compassion with which You relate to Your creatures.
Being Kind to Others May I, too, walk in Your ways and perform true compassion on people’s behalf — all sorts of compassion composed of the thirteen traits of compassion.
May I be good to everyone. May I bestow charity, goodness, kindness and compassion upon everyone who needs kindness, so that I will arouse and draw down Your thirteen traits of compassion onto myself. Please have compassion on me and on the entire Jewish people with all of Your thirteen traits.
Forgive, excuse and grant atonement for all of our transgressions, sins and offenses, whether long ago or recent. May no memory or impression of them remain at all.
From now on, guard us and rescue us from every type of transgression, wrongdoing and sin, whether accidental or purposeful, compelled or willful. Bring us back to You in complete repentance.
Help me and save me so that I will bestow merit upon others as well. May I teach sinners Your ways, so that they will all walk on Your holy paths, clinging to the ways of Your goodness and compassion. May I grant people every type of compassion and kindness composed of the thirteen traits of compassion.
Seeking an Arousal from Above You Who are filled with compassion, You know how far I am from granting people proper compassion, because I am poor, needy and wanting, impoverished and corrupt.
I lack the ability to grant compassion to people and requite them with kindness and increased charity — not even with a thousandth or a ten-thousandth of what would be fitting for me, considering the large number of my wrongdoings.
At times I am able to give very little charity and perform very few acts of kindness. Regarding even that, innumerable obstacles have multiplied against me because my empathy has been damaged a great deal as a result of my lack of awareness and my poverty — both material and spiritual.
Therefore, I come to You, Master of compassion. For the sake of Your Name, please arouse Your feelings of compassion on our behalf. Draw Your thirteen traits of compassion onto us for the sake of Your honor, without any initiative from below at all.
For in our impoverishment, we lack the power to arouse these traits of compassion from here below with our own compassion, because we are so very poor and far from compassion. Act for Your sake and not for ours. Look upon our impoverished and fruitless circumstances.
You Who perform kind deeds for every creature that possesses flesh and spirit, do not recompense us in accordance with our baseness. “May Your compassion come to us quickly,” of Your own initiative, to those of us “who are deeply impoverished” — those of us who lack the strength to arouse Your compassion by means of our own compassion.
You Who are filled with compassion, compassionately remember the covenant of the thirteen traits of compassion. Remove our sins, transgressions and wrongdoings from before Your eyes. Forgive, excuse and grant atonement for all of them.
May no impression of them remain whatsoever. Instead, transform all of them to good, so that all of our sins will be transformed into merits as though we had repented fully and properly, turning sins into merits.
We do not cast our plea before You based on our righteousness, but on Your vast compassion, and on the power and merit of the true Tzaddikim who have drawn the ways of Your goodness and compassion into the world.
They have revealed that we should always seek You, cry out to You and beseech You, however things may be. We have trusted solely in their great power to come and plead before You regarding all of these matters.
Treat us in a way that is good in Your eyes. “We are the clay and You are our Maker. All of us are the work of Your hand.” “Recall Your compassion, HaShem, and Your lovingkindness, because they are forever.” “Do not recall our first sins against us. May Your compassion come to us quickly, for we are very poor.”
[עַל־פִּי שִׂיחוֹת הָרָ"ן פ"ט - מֵעִנְיַן לְדַבֵּק עַצְמוֹ בי"ג מִדּוֹת שֶׁל רַחֲמִים]
לְיוֹם הַסְּלִיחָה שֶׁל שְׁלֹשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה מִדּוֹת
אַל תִּזְכָּר לָנוּ עֲוֹנוֹת רִאשׁוֹנִים, מַהֵר יְקַדְּמוּנוּ רַחֲמֶיךָ כִּי דַלּוֹנוּ מְאֹד.
When a Person Commits a Sin, that Leads Him to Commit Bundles of Sins / Each Bundle of Sins Demands that a Person Feed it and Maintain it / When a Person Enacts the Thirteen Traits of Compassion, Heaven Treats Him with Those Same Traits / The Sins of Jews Come from Edom / Poor People and Those Lacking Merit Must Petition God to Arouse the Thirteen Traits of Compassion
“One sin draws along another” (Avot 4:2). When a person commits a sin, that pulls along other sins related to it. When he commits a different sort of sin, that pulls along sins related to it. These turn into bundles of sins.
Each bundle creates a group of destructive spiritual enemies that cry out to the sinner, “Give us life! Give us food!” (Tikkuney Zohar 22a). The sinner — who is the owner of these sins — must feed them and keep them alive. He is responsible for the first sin since he committed it without compulsion. As for the subsequent sins, although he was, as it were, compelled to commit them, they can argue that he should have performed a mitzvah immediately after the first sin, and doing so would have guarded him spiritually.
His rectification is to learn and observe the thirteen traits of compassion. As a result of being compassionate and kind, he will arouse Heaven’s thirteen supernal traits of compassion, and they will overcome the destructive forces. Then God will remove the first sin in each bundle, and the remaining sins will return to Him.
God gives these sins life — but from where does He give them life?
In the realm of the Side of Evil, Edom is the first of the first sins. All subsequent sins come about through it.
The Jewish people are so holy that it is not fitting for them to commit any sort of sin. But they sin because of the pressure of the exile imposed upon them by the nations with taxes and levies. Because we are in Edom’s exile, our sins derive from Edom. And so God places the responsibility for these sins upon Edom, who must give them life.
When a person has compassion, he arouses the thirteen traits of compassion. However, the poor — who are associated with the trait of judgment — lack the trait of compassion. Indeed, as we can see, poor people are cruel. They need to petition God to arouse His compassion and remove the first sin first.
And we ourselves are like these poor, since we lack merit. Therefore, the verse states, “Do not recall our first sins against us. May Your compassion come to us quickly, for we are very poor” (Psalms 79:8). We spread our hands out to God, begging that He Himself awaken the thirteen traits of compassion.
For the Day of the Selichah of the Thirteen Traits of Compassion14 This refers to the selichah recited on the eighth day of the Ten Days of Repentance, which mentions the thirteen traits of compassion.
Drawing God’s Kindness onto Ourselves
“Do not recall our first sins against us. May Your compassion come to us quickly, for we are very poor.”
רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם בַּעַל הָרַחֲמִים וּבַעַל הַסְּלִיחוֹת, אֵל מֶלֶךְ יוֹשֵׁב עַל כִּסֵּא רַחֲמִים וּמִתְנַהֵג בַּחֲסִידוּת, מוֹחֵל עֲוֹנוֹת עַמּוֹ מַעֲבִיר רִאשׁוֹן רִאשׁוֹן, מַרְבֶּה מְחִילָה לַחַטָּאִים וּסְלִיחָה לַפּוֹשְׁעִים.
You are the Master of the world, the Master of compassion and forgiveness. “God, King Who sits on the throne of compassion, You act kindly, forgiving Your people’s sins and setting them aside one by one. You are great in forgiving transgressors and excusing the sinful.”
רַב חֶסֶד וּמַרְבֶּה לְהֵטִיב, אֲשֶׁר רַחֲמֶיךָ וַחֲסָדֶיךָ אֵינָם כָּלִים לְעוֹלָם. לַמְּדֵנוּ וְהוֹרֵנוּ אֵיךְ לְהַמְשִׁיךְ עָלֵינוּ בֶּאֱמֶת בִּשְׁלֵמוּת שְׁלֹשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה מִדּוֹתֶיךָ שֶׁל רַחֲמִים,
You Who are profoundly kind, You Who vastly aid us, Your compassion and kindness never end. Teach us and direct us to truly draw Your thirteen traits of compassion onto ourselves fully.
בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד אֲפִלּוּ הַגָּרוּעַ שֶׁבַּגְּרוּעִים וְהַפָּחוּת שֶׁבַּפְּחוּתִים אֲפִלּוּ כָּמוֹנִי הַיּוֹם, לְהַמְשִׁיךְ עָלֵינוּ רַחֲמֶיךָ וַחֲסָדֶיךָ הַפְּשׁוּטִים שֶׁאֵין בָּהֶם שׁוּם תַּעֲרֹבֶת דִּין כְּלָל,
May each one of us — even the lowest of the low and the least of the least, even someone such as myself — drawn onto himself Your pure compassion and kindness that contain no admixture of judgment whatsoever.
בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁתִּמְחֹל וְתִסְלַח וּתְכַפֵּר לָנוּ עַל כָּל חַטֹּאתֵינוּ וַעֲווֹנוֹתֵינוּ וּפְשָׁעֵינוּ שֶׁחָטָאנוּ וְשֶׁעָוִינוּ וְשֶׁפָּשַׁעְנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ מֵעוֹדֵינוּ עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה,
Please redress, forgive and grant atonement for all of our transgressions, sins and offenses that we have committed before You from our beginning until this day.
וְתַעֲבִיר רִאשׁוֹן רִאשׁוֹן, עַד אֲשֶׁר יִתְבַּטְּלוּ וְיִתְכַּפְּרוּ כָּל הָעֲווֹנוֹת מִמֵּילָא לְגַמְרֵי:
Remove them one by one until all of them will be entirely nullified, and we will thus gain atonement.
רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, מָה אוֹמַר לְפָנֶיךָ יוֹשֵׁב מָרוֹם וּמָה אֲסַפֵּר לְפָנֶיךָ שׁוֹכֵן שְׁחָקִים, אַתָּה יוֹדֵעַ כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה חֲטָאִים וַעֲווֹנוֹת וּפְשָׁעִים וּפְגָמִים גְּדוֹלִים וְנוֹרָאִים שֶׁעָשִׂיתִי מֵעוֹדִי עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה, עַד אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשׂוּ מֵהֶם כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה חֲבִילוֹת חֲבִילוֹת שֶׁל עֲבֵרוֹת,
Master of the world, You Who sit in the heights, what shall I say to You? You Who dwell in the heavens, what shall I tell You? You know how many transgressions, sins and offenses I have committed from my beginning until this day, creating major, terrible blemishes, until these sins have become numerous bundles of wrongdoing.
וְאַתָּה לְבַד יוֹדֵעַ כָּל עֲבֵרָה וַעֲבֵרָה אֵיךְ נִגְרְרָה וְנִמְשְׁכָה מֵהָעֲבֵרָה הָרִאשׁוֹנָה הַשַּׁיָּכָה אֵלֶיהָ, וְכֵן מֵעֲבֵרָה לַעֲבֵרָה הַסְּמוּכָה לָהּ, עַד אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשֵׂית חֲבִילָה שֶׁל עֲבֵרוֹת.
You alone know how my every sin is drawn and pulled along from a previous sin connected to it, one after the other, until a bundle of wrongdoings is created.
וּבַעֲווֹנוֹתַי הָרַבִּים חָזַרְתִּי וְעָשִׂיתִי מֵחָדָשׁ עֲבֵרָה שֶׁהִיא רִאשׁוֹנָה לַחֲבִילָה שְׁנִיָּה , כִּי עַל יָדָהּ חָזְרוּ וְנִמְשְׁכוּ וְנִגְרְרוּ כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה עֲבֵרוֹת, וַעֲבֵרוֹת מֵעֲבֵרוֹת רַחֲמָנָא לִצְלָן, עַד שֶׁחָזְרָה וְנַעֲשֵׂית חֲבִילָה שְׁנִיָּה שֶׁל עֲבֵרוֹת.
In my sinfulness, I did wrong, committing a sin that became the first sin of a second bundle. That sin drew in its wake a number of other wrongdoings in an ongoing chain, may the Compassionate One save us, until a second bundle of wrongdoings was created.
וְכֵן עָשִׂיתִי כַּמָּה פְּעָמִים, עַד אֲשֶׁר הִשְׂתָּרְגוּ עָלוּ עַל צַוָּארִי חֲבִילוֹת חֲבִילוֹת שֶׁל עֲבֵרוֹת.
And I acted in this way a number of times, until my sins “have become interwoven, they have risen up to my neck” in numerous bundles of sins.
אוֹי לִי וַי לִי, אוֹי מִי יַעֲצָר כֹּחַ לִזְכֹּר חֵלֶק אֶלֶף וּרְבָבָה מִמַּעֲשַׂי הָרָעִים וְיוּכַל לִחְיוֹת, אִם לֹא בְּדֶרֶךְ נִסֶּיךָ וְנִפְלְאוֹתֶיךָ הַנּוֹרָאוֹת.
Woe to me! Who has the strength to recall a thousandth or even a ten-thousandth of my evil deeds and maintain the ability to continue living without the aid of Your awesome miracles and wonders?
וְעַתָּה אָבִי שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם, אָבִי שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם מָה אֶעֱשֶׂה, אָבִי אָב הָרַחֲמָן מָה אֶפְעַל, לְהֵיכָן אֶפְנֶה, לְהֵיכָן אֲשׁוֹטֵט, לְהֵיכָן אֶבְרַח,
And now, my Father in Heaven, my compassionate Father, what shall I do? What shall I undertake? Where will I turn? Where will I go? Where will I flee?
בַּמֶה אֶזְכֶּה לְהַמְשִׁיךְ פִּלְאֵי רַחֲמֶיךָ וַחֲסָדֶיךָ הַפְּשׁוּטִים עָלַי, בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁאֶזְכֶּה עַל כָּל פָּנִים מֵעַתָּה לְהִנָּצֵל וּלְהִשָּׁמֵר מִכָּל מַה שֶּׁאֲנִי צָרִיךְ לְהִנָּצֵל וּלְהִשָּׁמֵר:
How will I draw the wonders of Your simple compassion and kindness onto me so that — from now on, at any rate — I will be rescued and protected from everything that I need to be rescued and protected from?
רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, רִבּוֹנוֹ דְעַלְמָא כֹּלָּא, מִי כָמוֹךָ אַב הָרַחֲמִים, מִי כָמוֹךָ מַרְבֶּה לְהֵטִיב, מִי כָמוֹךָ רַב לְהוֹשִׁיעַ, רַב סְלִיחוֹת וּבַעַל הָרַחֲמִים.
Remove Our Sins
Master of the world, Master of the world! Who is like You, Master of the entire world, Who does boundless good? Who is like You, Master of compassion, Who saves and forgives so greatly?
עֲשֵׂה לְמַעַנְךָ וּסְלַח לָנוּ וּמְחַל לָנוּ וְכַפֶּר לָנוּ כָּל הָעֲווֹנוֹת הָרִאשׁוֹנִים שֶׁבְּכָל חֲבִילָה וַחֲבִילָה, וְתַעֲבִיר רִאשׁוֹן רִאשׁוֹן,
Act for Your sake. Forgive us, excuse us and grant us atonement for the first sin in each bundle, and remove it.
בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁכָּל הָעֲווֹנוֹת הַנִּשְׁאָרִים שֶׁבְּכָל חֲבִילָה וַחֲבִילָה יָשׁוּבוּ אֵלֶיךָ, וְלֹא יְקַטְרְגוּ עוֹד עָלֵינוּ כְּלָל.
Then may all of the remaining sins in each bundle return to You and no longer cast any accusations against us.
וְאַתָּה תְרַחֵם עָלֵינוּ וְתַחֲזֹר וְתִתֵּן אוֹתָם עַל הָרִאשׁוֹן לַעֲווֹנוֹת רִאשׁוֹנִים, שֶׁהוּא עֵשָׂו הוּא אֱדוֹם, אֲשֶׁר אֲנַחְנוּ בְּגָלוּת אֶצְלוֹ.
Have compassion on us. Load these sins upon the firstborn, Esau, who is responsible for the first sins. He is Edom, in whose exile we are now living.
אֲשֶׁר הוּא הַגּוֹרֵם הָרִאשׁוֹן לְכָל הָעֲווֹנוֹת הָרִאשׁוֹנִים וְהָאַחֲרוֹנִים, עַל יְדֵי עֹצֶם הַגָּלוּת הַמַּר שֶׁמִּתְגַּבֵּר עָלֵינוּ בְּכָל יוֹם, אֲשֶׁר כָּשַׁל כֹּחַ הַסַּבָּל, אֲשֶׁר כִּמְעַט בְּכָל יוֹם מוֹצִיאִין הַדָּמִים מִקֶּרֶב עַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל עַל יְדֵי רִבּוּי הַמִּסִּים וְאַרְנוֹנִיּוֹת וְהַנְּתִינוֹת שׁוֹנוֹת וְהַגְּזֵלוֹת וְהַשְּׁחָדִים שֶׁמּוֹצִיאִין מֵעַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל,
He is the first cause of all of our sins, whether ancient or recent, due to the force of the bitter exile that overpowers us every day, an exile in which “the strength of the porter has collapsed.” Almost every day, the gentiles extract money from Your nation, the Jewish people, with a multitude of tariffs, real-estate taxes, and various levies, thievery and bribes.
אֲשֶׁר זֹאת הָיְתָה בְּעוֹכְרֵינוּ, כִּי עַל יְדֵי זֶה בָּאנוּ לְכַמָּה וְכַמָּה עֲווֹנוֹת, כַּאֲשֶׁר הוֹדַעְתָּ לָנוּ עַל יְדֵי חֲכָמֶיךָ הַקְּדוֹשִׁים.
This has disoriented us. As a result, we have engaged in a number of wrongdoings, as You informed us would be the case via Your holy sages.
רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, רַחֵם עָלַי וְעַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּעֵת צָרָה הַזֹּאת, כִּי בָאוּ בָנִים עַד מַשְׁבֵּר, וְכֹחַ אַיִן לְלֵדָה.
Master of the world, Master of the world, have compassion on me and on the entire Jewish people at this time of trouble, for “the children have come as far as the birth stool, and there is no strength to give birth.”
רַחֵם עָלַי לְמַעַן שְׁמֶךָ, בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁאֶזְכֶּה עַל כָּל פָּנִים מֵעַתָּה לִפְעֹל בַּקָּשָׁתִי בְּרַחֲמִים אֶצְלְךָ שֶׁתַּעֲשֶׂה אֶת אֲשֶׁר בְּחֻקֶּיךָ אֵלֵךְ וְאֶת מִצְוֹתֶיךָ אֶשְׁמוֹר, וְלֹא אָשׁוּב עוֹד לְכִסְלָה.
Have compassion on me for the sake of Your Name, so that — from now on, at any rate — I will succeed in imploring You to help me follow Your laws, keep Your commandments, and no longer return to foolishness.
רַחֵם עָלַי מָלֵא רַחֲמִים, בְּרַחֲמִים הַיְדוּעִים לְךָ, שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהֶם כֹּחַ לְהוֹצִיאֵנִי מִכָּל הַמְּקוֹמוֹת שֶׁיָּרַדְתִּי בָּהֶם וְלָשׁוּב אֵלֶיךָ בֶּאֱמֶת מֵעַתָּה וְעַד עוֹלָם.
Have compassion on me, You Who are filled with compassion, with the compassion familiar to You that has the power to extricate me from all of the places into which I fell. May I truly return to You from now on and forever.
חֲמֹל עָלַי בַּחֲסָדֶיךָ וְהוֹרֵנִי דְּרָכֶיךָ, וְזַכֵּנִי לֶאֱחֹז בְּמִדּוֹתֶיךָ הַקְּדוֹשׁוֹת וּבְדַרְכֵי טוּבְךָ וְרַחֲמֶיךָ הַכְּלוּלִים בִּשְׁלֹשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה מִדּוֹת שֶׁל רַחֲמִים שֶׁאַתָּה מִתְנַהֵג בָּהֶם עִם בְּרִיּוֹתֶיךָ,
In Your kindness, have mercy on me and direct me in Your ways. Help me grasp Your holy traits, Your good ways, and Your compassion composed of the thirteen traits of compassion with which You relate to Your creatures.
שֶׁאֶזְכֶּה גַּם אָנֹכִי לֵילֵךְ בִּדְרָכֶיךָ, לְרַחֵם עַל הַבְּרִיּוֹת בְּרַחֲמָנוּת אֲמִתִּי, בְּכָל מִינֵי רַחֲמָנוּת הַכְּלוּלִים בִּשְׁלֹשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה מִדּוֹת שֶׁל רַחֲמִים.
Being Kind to Others
May I, too, walk in Your ways and perform true compassion on people’s behalf — all sorts of compassion composed of the thirteen traits of compassion.
וְאֶזְכֶּה לִהְיוֹת טוֹב לַכֹּל, וּלְהַשְׁפִּיעַ צְדָקָה וְטוֹב וָחֶסֶד וְרַחֲמִים לְכָל הַצְּרִיכִים חֶסֶד, בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁאֶזְכֶּה לְעוֹרֵר וּלְהַמְשִׁיךְ עָלַי שְׁלֹשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה מִדּוֹתֶיךָ שֶׁל רַחֲמִים, שֶׁתְּרַחֵם עָלַי וְעַל כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּכֻלָּם,
May I be good to everyone. May I bestow charity, goodness, kindness and compassion upon everyone who needs kindness, so that I will arouse and draw down Your thirteen traits of compassion onto myself. Please have compassion on me and on the entire Jewish people with all of Your thirteen traits.
וְתִמְחֹל וְתִסְלַח וּתְכַפֶּר לָנוּ עַל (כָּל) חַטֹּאתֵינוּ וַעֲווֹנוֹתֵינוּ וּפְשָׁעֵינוּ הָרִאשׁוֹנִים וְהָאַחֲרוֹנִים, וְלֹא יִהְיֶה נִשְׁאָר מֵהֶם שׁוּם זֵכֶר וְרֹשֶׁם כְּלָל.
Forgive, excuse and grant atonement for all of our transgressions, sins and offenses, whether long ago or recent. May no memory or impression of them remain at all.
וּתְמַהֵר וְתָחִישׁ לְגָאֳלֵנוּ וּלְהוֹצִיאֵנוּ מֵהַגָּלוּת הַמַּר וְהָאָרֹךְ הַזֶּה.
Hurry! Quickly redeem us and extricate us from this bitter and long exile.
וְתִשְׁמְרֵנוּ וְתַצִּילֵנוּ מֵעַתָּה מִכָּל מִינֵי חֲטָאִים וַעֲווֹנוֹת וּפְשָׁעִים בְּשׁוֹגֵג וּבְמֵזִיד בְּאֹנֶס וּבְרָצוֹן, וּתְשִׁיבֵנוּ אֵלֶיךָ בִּתְשׁוּבָה שְׁלֵמָה,
From now on, guard us and rescue us from every type of transgression, wrongdoing and sin, whether accidental or purposeful, compelled or willful. Bring us back to You in complete repentance.
עַד אֲשֶׁר נִזְכֶּה לִהְיוֹת כִּרְצוֹנְךָ הַטּוֹב בֶּאֱמֶת תָּמִיד, אֲנַחְנוּ וְזַרְעֵנוּ וְזֶרַע זַרְעֵנוּ מֵעַתָּה וְעַד עוֹלָם.
May we, our children and our grandchildren always be truly in accordance with Your good will, from now and forever.
וְתִהְיֶה בְּעֶזְרִי וְתוֹשִׁיעֵנִי שֶׁאֶזְכֶּה לְזַכּוֹת גַּם אֲחֵרִים, שֶׁאֶזְכֶּה לְלַמֵּד פֹּשְׁעִים דְּרָכֶיךָ, שֶׁיֵּלְכוּ כֻּלָּם בִּדְרָכֶיךָ הַקְּדוֹשִׁים, לֶאֱחוֹז בְּדַרְכֵי טוּבְךָ וְרַחֲמֶיךָ לְרַחֵם עַל הַבְּרִיּוֹת בְּכָל מִינֵי רַחֲמָנוּת וָחֶסֶד הַכְּלוּלִים בִּשְׁלֹשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה מִדּוֹת שֶׁל רַחֲמִים,
Help me and save me so that I will bestow merit upon others as well. May I teach sinners Your ways, so that they will all walk on Your holy paths, clinging to the ways of Your goodness and compassion. May I grant people every type of compassion and kindness composed of the thirteen traits of compassion.
וִיקֻיַּם בִּי מִקְרָא שֶׁכָּתוּב: אֲלַמְּדָה פֹשְׁעִים דְּרָכֶיךָ וְחַטָּאִים אֵלֶיךָ יָשׁוּבוּ:
May I fulfill the verse, “I will teach transgressors Your ways, so that the sinners will return to You.”
מָלֵא רַחֲמִים, אַתָּה יוֹדֵעַ כַּמָּה אֲנִי רָחוֹק מֵרַחֲמָנוּת מִלְּרַחֵם עַל הַבְּרִיוֹת כָּרָאוּי, כִּי עָנִי וְאֶבְיוֹן אָנֹכִי דַּל וְנִשְׁחָת,
Seeking an Arousal from Above
You Who are filled with compassion, You know how far I am from granting people proper compassion, because I am poor, needy and wanting, impoverished and corrupt.
וְאֵין בְּיָדִי לְרַחֵם עַל הַבְּרִיּוֹת וְלִגְמוֹל עִמָּהֶם חֶסֶד וּלְהַרְבּוֹת בִּצְדָקָה, אֲפִלּוּ חֵלֶק אֶחָד מֵאֶלֶף וּרְבָבָה מֵהָרָאוּי לְפִי רִבּוּי עֲווֹנוֹתַי.
I lack the ability to grant compassion to people and requite them with kindness and increased charity — not even with a thousandth or a ten-thousandth of what would be fitting for me, considering the large number of my wrongdoings.
וְגַם מְעַט דִּמְעַט שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּיָדִי לִפְעָמִים לִתֵּן צְדָקָה וְלִגְמוֹל חֶסֶד, רַבּוּ הַמְּנִיעוֹת כְּנֶגְדִּי בְּלִי שִׁעוּר, כִּי נִתְקַלְקֵל הַרְבֵּה הָרַחֲמָנוּת אֶצְלִי עַל יְדֵי חֶסְרוֹן דַּעְתִּי וַעֲנִיּוּתִי בְּגַשְׁמִיּוּת וְרוּחָנִיּוּת,
At times I am able to give very little charity and perform very few acts of kindness. Regarding even that, innumerable obstacles have multiplied against me because my empathy has been damaged a great deal as a result of my lack of awareness and my poverty — both material and spiritual.
וְעַתָּה מֵאַיִן יָבוֹא עֶזְרִי, מֵאַיִן תָּבוֹא תְּשׁוּעָתִי, בַּמֶּה אֶזְכֶּה לְהַמְשִׁיךְ עָלַי שְׁלֹשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה מִדּוֹתֶיךָ שֶׁל רַחֲמִים.
And now, “from where will my help come?” From where will my salvation come? How will I draw Your thirteen traits of compassion onto myself?
עַל כֵּן בָּאתִי לְפָנֶיךָ בַּעַל הָרַחֲמִים, יֶהֱמוּ נָא מֵעֶיךָ וְרַחֲמֶיךָ עָלֵינוּ לְמַעַן שְׁמֶךָ, וְתַמְשִׁיךְ עָלֵינוּ שְׁלֹשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה מִדּוֹתֶיךָ שֶׁל רַחֲמִים בְּעַצְמְךָ וּבִכְבוֹדְךָ בְּלִי אִתְעֲרוּתָא דִלְתַתָּא כְּלָל,
Therefore, I come to You, Master of compassion. For the sake of Your Name, please arouse Your feelings of compassion on our behalf. Draw Your thirteen traits of compassion onto us for the sake of Your honor, without any initiative from below at all.
כִּי בְּדַלּוּתֵנוּ אֵין בָּנוּ כֹּחַ לְעוֹרְרָם מִלְּמַטָּה עַל יְדֵי רַחֲמָנוּתֵנוּ כִּי דַלּוֹנוּ מְאֹד, וְאָנוּ רְחוֹקִים מֵרַחֲמָנוּת. לְמַעַנְךָ לְמַעַנְךָ עֲשֵׂה וְלֹא לָנוּ, רְאֵה עֲמִידָתֵנוּ דַלִּים וְרֵקִים.
For in our impoverishment, we lack the power to arouse these traits of compassion from here below with our own compassion, because we are so very poor and far from compassion. Act for Your sake and not for ours. Look upon our impoverished and fruitless circumstances.
עוֹשֶׂה צְדָקוֹת עִם כָּל בָּשָׂר וְרוּחַ, לֹא כְרָעוֹתֵינוּ תִגְמֹל. מַהֵר יְקַדְּמוּנוּ רַחֲמֶיךָ מֵעַצְמְךָ כִּי דַלּוֹנוּ מְאֹד, וְאֵין לָנוּ כֹּחַ לְעוֹרֵר רַחֲמֶיךָ עַל יְדֵי רַחֲמָנוּתֵנוּ.
You Who perform kind deeds for every creature that possesses flesh and spirit, do not recompense us in accordance with our baseness. “May Your compassion come to us quickly,” of Your own initiative, to those of us “who are deeply impoverished” — those of us who lack the strength to arouse Your compassion by means of our own compassion.
רַחֵם מָלֵא רַחֲמִים וּזְכֹר לָנוּ בְּרִית שְׁלֹשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה, וְהַעֲבֵר פְּשָׁעֵינוּ וְחַטֹּאתֵנוּ וַעֲווֹנוֹתֵינוּ מִנֶּגֶד עֵינֶיךָ, וְתִמְחֹל וְתִסְלַח וּתְכַפֶּר לָנוּ עַל כֻּלָּם,
You Who are filled with compassion, compassionately remember the covenant of the thirteen traits of compassion. Remove our sins, transgressions and wrongdoings from before Your eyes. Forgive, excuse and grant atonement for all of them.
וְלֹא יִהְיֶה נִשְׁאָר מֵהֶם שׁוּם רֹשֶׁם כְּלָל, רַק תַּהֲפֹךְ אוֹתָם לְטוֹבָה, שֶׁיִּהְיוּ כָּל עֲווֹנוֹתֵינוּ נִתְהַפְּכִין לִזְכֻיּוֹת, כְּאִלּוּ עָשִׂינוּ תְּשׁוּבָה שְׁלֵמָה הָרְאוּיָה לַהֲפוֹךְ עֲווֹנוֹת לִזְכֻיּוֹת,
May no impression of them remain whatsoever. Instead, transform all of them to good, so that all of our sins will be transformed into merits as though we had repented fully and properly, turning sins into merits.
כִּי לֹא עַל צִדְקוֹתֵינוּ אֲנַחְנוּ מַפִּילִים תַּחֲנוּנֵינוּ לְפָנֶיךָ כִּי עַל רַחֲמֶיךָ הָרַבִּים, בְּכֹחַ וּזְכוּת הַצַּדִּיקִים הָאֲמִתִּיִּים אֲשֶׁר הִמְשִׁיכוּ דַרְכֵי טוּבְךָ וְרַחֲמֶיךָ בָּעוֹלָם,
We do not cast our plea before You based on our righteousness, but on Your vast compassion, and on the power and merit of the true Tzaddikim who have drawn the ways of Your goodness and compassion into the world.
וְגִלּוּ לָנוּ לְבַקֵּשׁ אוֹתְךָ וְלִצְעֹק אֵלֶיךָ וּלְהַפְצִיר אוֹתְךָ תָּמִיד יִהְיֶה אֵיךְ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה, בְּכֹחָם הַגָּדוֹל לְבַד בָּטַחְנוּ לָבוֹא וּלְהִתְחַנֵּן לְפָנֶיךָ עַל כָּל אֵלֶּה.
They have revealed that we should always seek You, cry out to You and beseech You, however things may be. We have trusted solely in their great power to come and plead before You regarding all of these matters.
וְאַתָּה הַטּוֹב בְּעֵינֶיךָ עֲשֵׂה עִמָּנוּ, כִּי אֲנַחְנוּ הַחֹמֶר וְאַתָּה יוֹצְרֵנוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדְךָ כֻּלָּנוּ, זְכוֹר רַחֲמֶיךָ יְהֹוָה וַחֲסָדֶיךָ כִּי מֵעוֹלָם הֵמָּה. אַל תִּזְכָּר לָנוּ עֲוֹנוֹת רִאשׁוֹנִים מַהֵר יְקַדְמוּנוּ רַחֲמֶיךָ כִּי דַלּוֹנוּ מְאֹד.
Treat us in a way that is good in Your eyes. “We are the clay and You are our Maker. All of us are the work of Your hand.” “Recall Your compassion, HaShem, and Your lovingkindness, because they are forever.” “Do not recall our first sins against us. May Your compassion come to us quickly, for we are very poor.”
אַתָּה יְהֹוָה לֹא תִכְלָא רַחֲמֶיךָ מִמֶּנִּי חַסְדְּךָ וַאֲמִתְּךָ תָּמִיד יִצְּרוּנִי.
“HaShem, do not withhold Your compassion from me. May Your kindness and truth always protect me.”
יִהְיוּ לְרָצוֹן אִמְרֵי פִי וְהֶגְיוֹן לִבִּי לְפָנֶיךָ יְהֹוָה צוּרִי וְגוֹאֲלִי:
“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing before You, HaShem, my Rock and my Redeemer.”