ליום רביעי 4

יב. על פי א"ב כפול. חתום גרשום בר יהודה (מאור הגולה)

This prayer was composed by Rabbi Gershom ben Yehudah (the Light of the Exile).

אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ

Our God and God of our fathers!

אַיֵּה כָל־נִפְלְאוֹתֶיךָ

Where are all Your wonders—

הַגְּדוֹלוֹת וְהַנּוֹרָאוֹת.

the great and awesome [wonders]

אֲשֶׁר סִפְּרוּ־לָנוּ אֲבוֹתֵינוּ,

of which our fathers told us,

יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת.

Adonoy of Hosts?

בְּרֶדֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל מִצְרַיְמָה

When Israel went down to Egypt

בְּשִׁעְבּוּד וּתְלָאוֹת,

to slavery and toil,

בְּחַבְלֵי אָדָם מְשַׁכְתָּם

with cords of humanity, You drew them—¹Jacob and his sons were drawn to Egypt to see Joseph.

וְלֹא בְשַׁלְשְׁלָאוֹת:

not with chains.

גַּם מַעֲבִידֵיהֶם בְּקָשָׁה עֲבוֹדָה.

Even those who enslaved them with hard labor,

גָּזְרוּ בַּיְאֹר זְכוּרֵיהֶם לְאַבְּדָה.

who decreed their males be cast in the river,

דַּנְתָּם סְאָה בִסְאָה, מִדָּה בְמִדָּה.

You judged them measure for measure;

דְּגָלִים הוֹצֵאתָ,

You brought out the bannered hosts

בִּרְכוּשׁ כָּל חֶמְדָּה:

with a wealth of all desired gifts.

הַיָּם וְגַלָּיו

The sea and its waves

בְּעָזְּךָ פּוֹרָרוּ.

were divided by Your strength,

הַיַּרְדֵּן הוֹבַשְׁתָּ,

You dried up the Jordan

וּבְרֶגֶל עָבָרוּ.

and they crossed it on foot,

וּבַמִּדְבָּר כִּלְכַּלְתָּם,

You sustained them in the wilderness,

וְדָבָר לֹא חָסָרוּ.

and they lacked nothing;

וּמַמְלָכוֹת וַעֲמָמִים

kingdoms and nations

בְּיָדָם נִמְסָרוּ:

were put into their hands.

זָנְחוּ הַטּוֹב,

They rejected the good ways

וּרְדָפוּם מַכְנִיעִים.

and they were pursued by their oppressors,

זְעָקוּךָ וְשָׁמַעְתָּ,

they cried to You and You heard them,

וְהֶעֱמַדְתָּ לָהֶם מוֹשִׁיעִים.

and You appointed deliverers for them.

חָנוּ בְאַרְצָם

When they lived in the land,

כָּל־טוּב שְׂבֵעִים.

they enjoyed all good things,

חָטְאוּ וְגָלוּ

they sinned and were exiled [to Babylon],

וּפְקַדְתָּם לְשִׁבְעִים:

You remembered to redeem after seventy years.

טָפְלוּ שֶׁקֶר

They joined themselves to falsehood

וְנִתְּנוּ לְמִרְמָס.

and were left to be trampled,

טְרָדוּם לְמַדְחֵפוֹת

they were forced into exile

אַנְשֵׁי חָמָס.

by men of violence [the Romans],

יָצְאוּ מֵאַרְצָם

they were forced out of their land,

וְקֵץ־חֲזָרָתם נִכְמָס.

and the time of their return is concealed;

יָשְׁבוּ בַגּוֹיִם וְהָיוּ לָמַס:

they live among the nations as bondsmen.

כֹּחַ אַמֵּץ פְּלֵיטָה הַנִּשְׁאֶרֶת.

Strengthen the remnant that escaped,

כָּשְׁלָה כֹּחַהּ,

she [Israel] is weakened

מִכֹּבֶד רָעָה מַמְאֶרֶת.

by the heavy and bitter catastrophe;

לְעֵת רִאשׁוֹנָה פְּקוּדָה מְשֹׁאֶרֶת.

still feeling the pain of the first calamity²The destruction of the First Temple.

לָבֹא שְׁנִיָּה אָצָה וּמְמַהֶרֶת:

she was quickly struck a second below.³The destruction of the Second Temple.

מֵעֵת לְעֵת צָרָתִי מְרֻבָּה.

From day to day my trouble increases,

מִיּוֹם שֶׁעָבַר קָשֶׁה הַבָּא.

each new day is worse than yesterday.

נִלְאֵיתִי נְשֹׂא

I am weary of bearing

עֹל־מַדְהֵבָה.

the yoke of the oppressor

נוֹאֶמֶת

who says:

מְדֹד וְהָבֵא הֲבָאָה־רַבָּה:

“Count out and bring heavy taxes.”

סְגֻלָּתְךָ,

Your treasured people

דוֹחֵק צוֹרֵר הַצָּר.

are hard pressed by the cruel enemy,

סִבְרָהּ,

she [the enemy] anticipated

לְהָמִיר

that they would exchange their faith in God

בַּאֲמָנַת נוֹצָר.

for a faith in man.

עַד־אָנָה יְהֹוָה

How long, Adonoy,

אֶקְרָא מִמֵּצָר.

shall I call [upon You] in distress?

עֲנֵנִי בַמֶּרְחַב יָהּ

Answer me with Divine enlargement,

כִּי־יָדְךָ לֹא תִקְצָר:

for Your hand is not lacking.

פְּשָׁעִים אִם־עָצְמוּ

If the gravity of our transgressions

בֵּינִי וּבֵינְךָ לְהַבְדִּילָה.

have created a barrier between You and us,

פַּרְגּוֹד אִם־נִנְעַל בִּפְנֵי הַתְּפִלָּה.

if the curtain has shut out [our] prayer;

צוּר, בְּכִסֵּא כְבוֹדְךָ

Mighty God, beneath Your throne of glory,

חֲתֹר מְחִלָּה.

hollow out a passage,

צַעֲקָתֵנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ תָבֹא,

that our cry come before You,

פְּנֵי כְבוֹדְךָ לְהִתְקַבְּלָה:

that it be accepted before Your glory.

קְרָא שְׁנַת־רָצוֹן,

Proclaim a year of favor

מֵעֹצֶב לְהַנְפִישִׁי.

to relieve me from grief,

קַבֵּץ נְפוּצוֹתַי וַעֲבֹר בְּרֹאשִׁי.

gather my scattered ones, and go before me,

רִיבָה יְהֹוָה

defend me Adonoy

רִיבֵי־נַפְשִׁי.

against those that strive against my soul;

רְצֵה לְהַחֲלִיצֵנִי, אֱלֹהַי קְדוֹשִׁי:

please save me, my holy God.

שִׁנֵּי־רְשָׁעִים בְּחָצָץ תִּגְרֹס.

Break the teeth of the wicked with gravel,

שְׁכֹל וְאַלְמוֹן

may they be childless, their wives widows,

אוֹתָם תַּהֲרֹס.

destroy them; [and]

תִּשְׁפֹּךְ דָמָם אַרְצָה

let their blood be spilled on the ground,

לָרוֹס.

let it be poured out;

תְּמוּתָה הוֹתֵר

release those who are prepared to die⁴For Your sake.

וּבֶאֱמוּנָה לֶאֱרוֹס:

and betroth them in faithfulness.

גְּדוֹר פִּרְצַת

Repair the breach

סֻכַּת דָּוִד הַנּוֹפֶלֶת.

of the tabernacle of David which is fallen,

רוֹמֵם קִרְיָה,

raise up the city

עַד עָפָר מֻשְׁפֶּלֶת.

which is lowered to the dust.

שְׁבוּיָה נַחֵם, נֶחָמָה מֻכְפֶּלֶת.

Comfort her in captivity with double measure,

מְאוֹרָהּ הָאֵר, וְתָאִיר מְאֻפֶּלֶת:

brighten her light and lighten her darkness.

בְּנֵה עִירְךָ כִּימֵי עוֹלָם.

Build Your city as in the days of old,

רַפֵּא מִזְבַּחֲךָ הֵיכָל וְאוּלָם.

restore Your Altar, Temple, and Entrance Hall,

יְהוּדָה וְיִשְׂרָאֵל, שָׁם יַעַבְדוּךָ

then will Judah and Israel worship You there,

כֻּלָּם.

—all of them,

יִגְדַּל שִׁמְךָ מֵעוֹלָם וְעַד־עוֹלָם:

and Your Name will be magnified forever.

אֵל מֶֽלֶךְ.

Almighty! King!

יוֹשֵׁב עַל כִּסֵּא רַחֲמִים.

Who sits on the throne of mercy,

מִתְנַהֵג בַּחֲסִידוּת.

governs with kindness

מוֹחֵל עֲו‍ֹנוֹת עַמּוֹ.

forgives the iniquities of His people.

מַעֲבִיר רִאשׁוֹן רִאשׁוֹן.

He removes their sins one by one,

מַרְבֶּה מְחִילָה לְחַטָּאִים

increasing forgiveness to sinners,

וּסְלִיחָה לְפוֹשְׁעִים.

and pardon to transgressors.

עוֹשֶׂה צְדָקוֹת

Acting righteously

עִם כָּל בָּשָׂר וָרֽוּחַ.

with all who are of flesh and spirit;

לֹא כְרָעָתָם

not according to their wickedness

תִּגְמוֹל:

does He repay them.

אֵל

Almighty!

הוֹרֵיתָ לָנוּ לוֹמַר

You instructed us to recite

שְׁלשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה.

the thirteen Divine attributes;

וּזְכָר לָֽנוּ הַיּוֹם

remember unto us this day

בְּרִית שְׁלשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה.

the covenant of thirteen Divine attributes,

כְּמוֹ שֶׁהוֹדַֽעְתָּ

as You made them known

לֶעָנָו מִקֶּֽדֶם.

to the humble Moses of old,

כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב

as it is written,

וַיֵּרֶד יְהֹוָה בֶּֽעָנָן

“And Adonoy descended in the cloud,

וַיִּתְיַצֵּב עִמּוֹ שָׁם

and stood with him there,

וַיִּקְרָא בְשֵׁם יְהֹוָה:

and proclaimed the Name, Adonoy.

קהל וחזן:

Congregation and Chazzan:

וַיַּֽעֲבֹר יְהֹוָה עַל פָּנָיו

And Adonoy passed before him [Moses];

וַיִּקְרָא:

and proclaimed:

יְהֹוָה יְהֹוָה

Adonoy, Adonoy,

אֵל רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן

Almighty, Merciful, Gracious,

אֶֽרֶךְ אַפַּֽיִם

Slow to Anger,

וְרַב חֶֽסֶד וֶֽאֱמֶת:

and Abundant in Kindness, and Truth.

נֹצֵר חֶֽסֶד

Keeper of kindness

לָאֲלָפִים

for thousands of generations,

נֹשֵׂא עָו‍ֹן וָפֶֽשַׁע

Endurer of iniquity, and transgression,

וְחַטָּאָה

and sin;

וְנַקֵּה:

and Acquitter of those who repent.”

וְסָלַחְתָּ לַעֲו‍ֹנֵֽנוּ וּלְחַטָּאתֵֽנוּ

“And pardon our iniquity and our sin,

וּנְחַלְתָּֽנוּ:

and take us for Your inheritance.”

סְלַח לָֽנוּ אָבִֽינוּ כִּי חָטָֽאנוּ.

Pardon us our Father, for we have sinned,

מְחַל לָֽנוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ כִּי פָשָֽׁעְנוּ:

forgive us our King, for we have transgressed.

כִּי אַתָּה אֲדֹנָי

“For You, my Master,

טוֹב וְסַלָּח

are good and forgiving,

וְרַב חֶֽסֶד

and abounding in kindness

לְכָל קֹרְאֶֽיךָ:

to all who call upon You.”