לערב ראש השנה 26

חיבר רב סעדיה גאון

This prayer too was composed by R’ Saadyah Gaon.

שָׁכַחְנוּ־אֶת־טוֹבוֹתֶיךָ.

We have forgotten Your goodness,

וְנָשִׁינוּ אֶת־רֹב חֲסָדֶיךָ.

and been mindless of Your great kindnesses;

וּמָרִינוּ אֶת־פִּיךָ.

we have rebelled against Your word,

וּמִמִּשְׁפָּטֶיךָ סַרְנוּ.

and have turned away from Your laws.

וּבְהַבְלֵי הָעוֹלָם הַזֶּה נֶהְבַּלְנוּ.

We have indulged in the vanities of this world,

אֶל־רְהָבִים וְשָׂטֵי כָזָב

and to men of arrogance and deceit

פָּנִינוּ.

we have turned.

וְהִסְכַּלְנוּ הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד.

We have been very foolish,

וְאָהַבְנוּ רָע מִטּוֹב

we have loved evil more than good,

וְשֶׁקֶר

and falsehood

מִדַּבֵּר צֶדֶק סֶלָה.

rather than speaking righteousness,

וְטֻמְאָה תַּחַת טַהֲרָה.

we have sought impurity rather than purity,

וְשִׁקּוּץ תַּחַת זְכוּת.

and the loathsome rather than the clean;

וְהֶחֱלַפְנוּ

we have exchanged

עוֹלָם עוֹמֵד בְּעוֹלָם עוֹבֵר.

the permanent [world] for the transitory.

מִדֵּי יוֹם בְּיוֹמוֹ הַשְׁכֵּם וַחֲטוֹא

Day by day we rise early to sin,

עַד אֲשֶׁר

until

עֲווֹנוֹתֵינוּ עָבְרוּ רֹאשֵׁנוּ.

our iniquities have mounted above our heads,

וְרַבּוּ מִשַּׂעֲרוֹתֵינוּ.

and are more numerous than our hairs,

וְעָצְמוּ

and more powerful

מִדִּבְרֵי פִינוּ.

than the words of our mouth,

וְגָדְלוּ מִצַּעֲדֵי רַגְלֵינוּ.

and exceeded the steps of our feet,

וְגָבְהוּ מִנִּשְׁמַת רוּחַ אַפֵּנוּ.

and surpassed the breathing of our nostrils.

טָבַעְנוּ בִּיוֵן מְצוּלָה

We have sunk into muddy depths,

וְאֵין מָעֳמֳד.

and there is no foothold;

בָּאנוּ בְמַעֲמַקֵּי מַיִם

we have come into deep waters,

וְשִׁבֹּלֶת שְׁטָפָתְנוּ.

and a whirlpool has swept us away.¹Psalms 69:3.

וְלֹא לְךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ הֲרֵעֹנוּ

Not You Adonoy, our God, have we harmed,

כִּי אִם לְנַפְשֵׁנוּ.

but [only] ourselves,

וְלֹא אוֹתְךָ הִכְעַסְנוּ

not You have we irritated

כִּי אִם אוֹתָנוּ.

but [only] ourselves;

כִּי אֱנוֹשׁ אִם חָטָא

for when man sins,

מַה־יִּפְעַל־לָךְ.

what effect has it on You?

וְאִם רַבּוּ פְשָׁעָיו

If his transgressions are numerous,

מַה יַעֲשֶׂה־לָךְ.

what does it do to You?

אֲבָל אוֹי לִבְנֵי אָדָם

But woe to the sons of man

אֲשֶׁר חָטְאוּ לָךְ.

who sin against You,

וְאוֹי לְנַפְשָׁם

and woe to their souls,

כִּי גָּמְלוּ לָהֶם רָעָה.

for they bring evil upon themselves.

אֱלֹהֵינוּ בּוֹשְׁנוּ וְנִכְלַמְנוּ

Our God, we are too ashamed and disgraced,

לְהָרִים אֱלֹהֵינוּ פָּנֵינוּ אֵלֶיךָ

to lift our faces to You, our God;²Ezra 9:6.

כִּי אָנוּ כִּכְלִי נִמְאָס.

for we are like a repulsive vessel,

כֵּן נִבְזִינוּ בְּעֵינֵי נַפְשֵׁנוּ.

thus are we disgraced in our own eyes.

כְּגֶבֶר אֲשֶׁר הוּטְבַּל בְּשַׁחַת

As a man immersed in a [muddy] ditch

וְתִעֲבוּהוּ שַׂלְמוֹתָיו.

and soils his clothing;³Job 9:31.

וּכְמוֹ בְּעָווֹן חוֹלָלְנוּ.

and as we were conceived in iniquity,

כֵּן בֹּשֶׁת פָּנֵינוּ כִּסָּתְנוּ:

so the shame of our faces have covered us.⁴Psalms 44:16.