כַּוָּנָה לִפְנֵי וִדּוּי | A meditation prior to the confessional, by Reena Kling (Havurat Shalom 2014/2022)

Contributor(s):

Aliza Arzt, Emily Aviva Kapor-Mater, Reena Kling and the Ḥavurat Shalom Siddur Project

Shared on:

7 September 2023 under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) 4.0 International copyleft license

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Tags:

21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., Hebrew translation, כוונות kavvanot, supplemental vidui, וידוי vidui

Translation (Hebrew)	Source (English)
מִי אָֽנוּ? אָֽנוּ נִבְרָֽאנוּ נֶהֶדָרוֹת וּמֻרְכָּבִים בְּצֶֽלֶם אֱלֹהִים, שׁוּתָפֶֽיךָ בְּעוֹלָם מִתְפַּתֵֽחַ, עוֹלָם שֶׁל סוֹד, הִתְגַלּוּת, וּקְדוּשָׁה, שֶׁקַיָּם בְּעֶזְרַת טוּבֵֽנוּ וְרַחֲמֵֽנוּ.	Who are we? We are complex beautiful beings created in the Divine Image. We are one of God’s partners in this evolving world of mystery, revelation and holiness. We are people whose goodness and compassion help sustain the world.
אָֽנוּ לְעִתִים עַזֵי פָנִים, וּבְכֹחֵֽנוּ לְרַחֵם וּלְחַנֵּן. תִּתֵּן יְיָ עָלֵֽינוּ כֹּֽחַ לְרַחֵם וּלְחַנֵּן.	We are arrogant at times, and we also have the capacity to be gracious and compassionate. God, help us be more gracious and compassionate!
אָֽנוּ לְעִתִים קְשׁוֹת עֹֽרֶף, וּבְכֹחֵֽנוּ לְהַאֲרִיךְ אַפֵּֽנוּ. יִתֵּן יְיָ עָלֵֽינוּ כֹּֽחַ לְהַאֲרִיךְ אַפֵּֽנוּ.	We are obstinate at times, and we also have the capacity to be patient. God, help us cultivate patience!
אָֽנוּ הִרְבָּֽנוּ עָוֹן, וּבְכֹחֵֽנוּ לְהִרְבָּה רַחֲמִים. תִּתֵּן יְיָ עָלֵֽינוּ כֹּֽחַ לִשְׁאֹב מֵעֵין הָרַחֲמִים בִּלְבָבֵֽנוּ.	We have done great wrong, and we also have the capacity to be full of compassion. God, help us access our deep wells of compassion!
אָֽנוּ יָמֵֽינוּ כְּצֵל עוֹבֵר, חֵֽלֶק מִנִצְחִיוּתֶֽךָ, וְאַתָּה הוּא אֲשֶׁר שְׁנוֹתֶֽיךָ לֹא יִתָּֽמוּ. יִתֵּן יְיָ עָלֵֽינוּ כֹּֽחַ לִפְתֽוֹחַ עַצְמֵֽנוּ לְכַוַָּנת חַיֵֽינוּ׃	Our days are a passing shadow, a mere part of Your eternity, You whose years are without end. Help us be open to the meaning and beauty in our finite lives.

This kavvanah preceding the great vidui, appears in מַחְזוֹר בִּרְכַּת שָׁלוֹם Maḥzor Birkat Shalom, an egalitarian Rosh haShanah & Yom Kippur maḥzor (Havurat Shalom 2014/2022). The kavvanah was composed by Reena Kling ז״ל, and translated into Hebrew by Emily Aviva Kapor, with editing by Aliza Arzt.

Source(s)

Aliza Arzt

Aliza Arzt is a Jewish educator and a member of Havurat Shalom in Somerville MA. She was liturgist in residence at the National Havurah Committee (NHC) in 2016. She is particularly interested in Hebrew and what we can learn from Hebrew words in the Tanakh and in tefilot (prayers). In her other incarnations, she is a home care speech therapist, potter, parent of young adults, and gecko keeper.

Emily Aviva Kapor-Mater

Shalom! My name is Emily Aviva Kapor-Mater. I am a radical transfeminist rabbi and activist. I am an autistic, transgender woman. My rabbinic work focuses on creating innovative yet traditional Jewish law, liturgy, and ritual, in order to celebrate and affirm trans identities and experiences. I also work for acceptance and accessibility for people with visible and invisible disabilities. I am the author of Ein Self: Early Meditations and Haggadah Shir Ge'ulah. My other projects include playing chamber music, advocating for alternative education, computer programming, and smashing systems of institutional oppression.

Reena Kling

Reena Kling was a beloved member of Havurat Shalom and contributing liturgist in its Siddur Project.

the Ḥavurat Shalom Siddur Project

Ḥavurat Shalom is a small egalitarian ḥavurah in Somerville, Massachusetts. Founded in 1968, it is not affiliated with the major Jewish denominations. Ḥavurat Shalom was the first countercultural Jewish community and set the precedent for the national ḥavurah movement. Founded in 1968, it was also significant in the development of the Jewish renewal movement and Jewish feminism. Originally intended to be an "alternative seminary", instead it evolved into a "model ḥavurah." Founders and members of Ḥavurat Shalom have included Edward Feld, Merle Feld, Michael Fishbane, Everett Gendler, Arthur Green, Barry Holtz, Gershon Hundert, James Kugel, Alfred A. Marcus, Zalman Schachter-Shalomi, Jim Sleeper, Michael Strassfeld, and Arthur Waskow. Historian Jonathan Sarna has noted that among these members were "the people who would be leading figures in Jewish life in the second half of the 20th century.”

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ויהי נעם אדני אלהינו עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננה עלינו ומעשה ידינו כוננהו׃ (תהלים צ:יז) · "May the pleasantness of אדֹני our elo’ah be upon us; may our handiwork be established for us — our handiwork, may it be established." (Psalms 90:17)