tagged: confession • the Open Siddur Project ✍ פְּרוֺיֶקְט הַסִּדּוּר הַפָּתוּחַ

רִבּוֹן הָעוֹלָמִים לֹא עַל־צִדְקוֹתֵֽינוּ | Ribon ha-Olamim, not in the merit of our righteousness — a variation from the Seder Tefilot of Maimonides, MS Constantinople 1509

Moshe ben Maimon — Fri, 11 Aug 2017 03:19:49 +0000

Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)
לְעוֹלָם יְהֵא אָדָם יְרֵא שָׁמַֽיִם בַּסֵּתֶר וּמוֹדֶה עַל הָאֱמֶת, וְדוֹבֵר אֱמֶת בִּלְבָבוֹ, וְיַשְׁכֵּם וְיאֹמַר:	Always may a person revere Heaven in solitude,^[1] lit. seclusion to contemplate Truth and articulate truth in their mind, to arise and say:^[2] Cf. Eliyahu Rabbah, parshah 19. Others translate this instruction as follows: “Man should always fear Heaven in seclusion, and confess the truth, and speak truth in his heart, and arise and say:”
רִבּוֹן הָעוֹלָמִים: לֹא עַל־צִדְקוֹתֵֽינוּ אֲנַֽחְנוּ מַפִּילִים תַּחֲנוּנֵֽינוּ לְפָנֶֽיךָ כִּי עַל רַחֲמֶֽיךָ הָרַבִּים.	Master of all worlds!^[3] Cf. Bavli Yoma 87b Not in the merit of our righteousness do we dare cast our pleas before you, rather, upon your abounding compassion we rely.^[4] Daniel 9:18 partial.
מָה אָֽנוּ, מֶה חַיֵּֽינוּ, מֶה חַסְדֵּֽנוּ, מַה צִּדְקֹתֵֽינוּ, מַה כֹּחֵֽנוּ, מַה גְּבוּרָתֵֽנוּ. מַה נּאֹמַר לְפָנֶֽיךָ, יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ הֲלֹא כָּל הַגִּבּוֹרִים כְּאַֽיִן לְפָנֶֽיךָ, וְאַנְשֵׁי הַשֵּׁם כְּלֹא הָיוּ, וַחֲכָמִים כִּבְלִי מַדָּע, וּנְבוֹנִים כִּבְלִי הַשְׂכֵּל. כִּי כָּל מַעֲשֵׂינוּ תֹּהוּ וָבֹהוּ, וִימֵי חַיֵּינוּ הֶֽבֶל לְפָנֶֽיךָ. כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בְּדִבְרֵי קָדְשְׁךָ וּמוֹתַר הָאָדָם מִן־הַבְּהֵמָה אָֽיִן כִּי הַכֹּל הָֽבֶל.	What are we? What are our lives?^[5] Cf. Yoma 87b What is our loving-kindness? What is our righteousness? What is our strength? What is our power? What can we say before you, YHVH our elo’ah? Before you, are not the Giants insubstantial?^[6] Cf. Genesis 6:4 the Heroes-of-yore inconsequential?^[7] ibid. One might also translate anshei ha-shem as “celebrities.” the Wise ones without understanding?^[8] Cf. Ecclesiastes 2:12-16. One might also translate ḥakhamim here as “know-it-alls.” the Oracles without perspective?^[9] One might also translate nevonim as “savants.” since all our striving is empty and void^[10] Genesis 1:2 and our lives are ephemeral before you. as it is written in your sacred scripture: the pre-eminence of human over non-human animals does not exist since all [our lives] are fleeting.^[11] Ecclesiastes 3:19
אֲבָל אֲנַֽחְנוּ עַמְּךָ בְּנֵי בְרִיתֶךָ. בְּנֵי אַבְרָהָם אֹהַבְךָ שֶׁנִּשְׁבַּֽעְתָּ לּוֹ בְּהַר הַמּוֹרִיָּה. זֶרַע יִצְחָק יְחִידְךָ שֶׁנֶּעֱקַד עַל גַּבֵּי מִזְבַּחֶךָ. עֲדַת יַעֲקֹב בִּנְךָ בְּכוֹרֶֽךָ, שֶׁמֵּאַהֲבָתְךָ שֶׁאָהַֽבְתָּ אוֹתוֹ, וּמִשִּׂמְחָתְךָ שֶׁשָּׂמַֽחְתָּ בּוֹ, קָרָֽאתָ אוֹתוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל וִישׁוּרוּן.	Nevertheless, we are your people, the children of your covenant: the children of Avraham your beloved, to whom you made a promise on Har Moriah. the seed of Yitsḥak his only one, who was bound upon your mizbeaḥ. the witness of Yaakov, your first-born, who from the love that you lavished on him and the joy that you took nachas in, you named Yisra’el and Yeshurun,
לְפִיכָךְ אָנוּ חַיְיָבִין לְהוֹדוֹת לְךָ וּלְשַׁבֵּחֲךָ וּלְפָאֶרְֽךָ וְלִיתֵּן שֶֽׁבַח וְהוֹדָאָה לִשְׁמֶֽךָ. וְחַיְיָבִין אָנוּ לוֹמַר לְפָנֶיךָ בְּכָל יוֹם עֶרֶב וָבֹקֶר: שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ יְיָ אֶחָד	Therefore, we are obligated to give thanks to you, to praise and extol you, to bring praise and thanksgiving to your Name.^[12] Cf. “Nishmat Kol Ḥai”: לְהוֹדוֹת לְהַלֵּל לְשַׁבֵּחַ לְפָאֵר לְרוֹמֵם לְהַדֵּר לְבָרֵךְ we are obligated to declare before you, every day at dusk and dawn, Listen, Yisrael, YHVH is your elo’ah, YHVH is one.^[13] Deuteronomy 6:4
אַשְׁרֵֽינוּ, מַה־טּוֹב חֶלְקֵֽנוּ, מַה־נָּעִים גּוֹרָלֵֽנוּ, מַה יָּפָה יְרוּשָּׁתֵֽנוּ. אַשְׁרֵֽינוּ שֶׁאָנוּ מַשְׁכִּימִים וּמַעֲרִיבִים, בְּכָל יוֹם תָּמִיד, עֶרֶב וָבֹקֶר: שְׁמַע יִשְׂרָאֵל יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ יְיָ אֶחָד	Happy are we! How goodly is our portion, how pleasant our lot, how beautiful our heritage! Happy are we when we rise and when we rest, every day always, dusk and dawn [declaring]: Listen, Yisrael, YHVH is your elo’ah, YHVH is one.^[14] Deuteronomy 6:4
אַתָּה הוּא קוֹדֶם שֶׁנִּבְרָא הָעוֹלָם, אַתָּה הוּא אַחַר שֶּׁנִּבְרָא הָעוֹלָם, אַתָּה הוּא בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה, וְאַתָּה הוּא לָעוֹלָם הַבָּא. אַתָּה הוּא רִאשׁוֹן וְאַתָּה הוּא אַחֲרוֹן. קַדֵּשׁ שִׁמְךָ הַגָּדוֹל וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ בְּעוֹלָמֶֽךָ, וּבִישׁוּעָתְךָ תָּרוּם וְתַגְבִּֽיהַּ קַרְנֵֽנוּ. בָּרוּךְ הַמְקַדֵּשׁ שְׁמוֹ בָּרַבִּים.	You are from before the creation of the Cosmos, and you remain after its formation You are in Olam HaZeh (this world), and you will be in Olam HaBah (the world that is coming). You are the First and you are the Last. Sanctify your great and hallowed name in your Cosmos, and through your divine intervention, may you raise and uphold our horn. Blessed is the one who hallows their Name before the multitudes!^[15] See ראבי״ה ח״א – מסכת ברכות סימן קמו
אַתָּה הוּא יְיָ אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ בַּשָּׁמַיִם מִמַּעַל וְעַל־הָאָרֶץ מִתָּחַת וּבִשְׁמֵי הַשָּׁמַֽיִם הָעֶלְיוֹנִים, אַתָּה הוּא רִאשׁוֹן, וְאַתָּה הוּא אַחֲרוֹן וּמִבַּלְעָדֶֽיךָ אֵין אֱלֹהִים. קַבֵּץ קֹוֶֽיךָ מֵאַרְבַּע כַּנְפוֹת הָאָֽרֶץ יַכִּֽירוּ וְיֵדְעוּ כָּל־בָּאֵי עוֹלָם כִּי אַתָּה־הוּא הָאֱלֹהִים לְבַדְּךָ לְכֹל מַמְלְכוֹת הָאָֽרֶץ. אַתָּה עָשִׂיתָ אֶת־הַשָּׁמַֽיִם וְאֶת־הָאָֽרֶץ וּמִי בְּכָל־מַעֲשֵׂי יָדֶֽיךָ בָּעֶלְיוֹנִים אוֹ בַתַּחְתּוֹנִים שֶׁיּֽאֹמַר לְךָ: מַה־תַּעֲשֶׂה? אָבִינוּ שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַֽיִם עֲשֵׂה עִמָּֽנוּ כְּמוֹ שֶׁהִבְטַחְתָּנוּ עַל יְדֵי חוֹזֶךָ: בָּעֵת הַהִיא אָבִיא אֶתְכֶם וּבָעֵת קַבְּצִי אֶתְכֶם כִּי־אֶתֵּן אֶתְכֶם לְשֵׁם וְלִתְהִלָּה בְּכֹל עַמֵּי הָאָרֶץ בְּשׁוּבִי אֶת־שְׁבוּתֵיכֶם לְעֵינֵיכֶם אָמַר יְיָ.	You are YHVH our elo’ah in the sky above and upon the earth below^[16] Deuteronomy 4:39, Joshua 2:11, 1 Kings 8:23 and in the realms beyond the sky. You are the First and you are the Last, and besides you there are no elohim (divine powers). From the four corners of the earth, restore the homeless of our people who placed their trust in you, Let all know that you alone are Majesty over all the kingdoms of the world. You fashioned the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is within them. Who among all the works of your hands, celestial or terrestrial, would dare ask, “What are you doing?” Heavenly father, fulfill for us the promise given us by your seer:^[17] Cf. Eliyahu Rabbah, parshah 19 “At that time I will bring you in, and at that time I will gather you and single you out for renown and praise among all the peoples of the earth, when I bring back your captivity before your eyes, says YHVH.”^[18] Zephaniah 3:20
וְנֹאמַר אַתָּה הוּא יְיָ, לְבַדֶּךָ. אַתָּה עָשִׂיתָ אֶת הַשָּׁמַיִם וּשְׁמֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם וְכָל צְבָאָם הָאָרֶץ וְכָל אֲשֶׁר עָלֶיהָ הַיַּמִּים וְכָל אֲשֶׁר בָּהֶם וְאַתָּה מְחַיֶּה אֶת כּוּלָּם וּצְבָא הַשָּׁמַיִם לְךָ מִשְׁתַּחֲוִים.	As it is said, “You alone are YHVH. You made the heavens, the highest heavens, and all their host, the earth and everything upon it, the seas and everything in them. You keep them all alive, and the host of heaven prostrate themselves before you.”^[19] Nehemiah 9:6
אַתָּה־הוּא יְיָ הָאֱלֹהִים אֲשֶׁר בָּחַרְתָּ בְּאַבְרָם וְהוֹצֵאתוֹ מֵאוּר כַּשְׂדִּים, וְשַׂמְתָּ שְּׁמוֹ, אַבְרָהָם. אַתָּה־הוּא, וּשְׁנוֹתֶיךָ, לֹא יִתָּמּוּ.	You are YHVH Elohim, who chose Avram, who brought him out of Ur Kaśdim and named him Avraham.^[20] Nehemiah 9:7 But you are the same, and your years never end.^[21] Psalms 102:28
יְיָ מֶלֶךְ, יְיָ מָלָךְ; יְיָ יִמְלֹךְ, לְעֹלָם וָעֶד. יְיָ מֶלֶךְ, יְיָ מָלָךְ; יְיָ יִמְלֹךְ, לְעֹלָם וָעֶד. בָּרוּךְ יְיָ לְעוֹלָם, אָמֵן וְאָמֵן:	YHVH reigns,^[22] Psalms 10:16 YHVH has reigned,^[23] Psalms 93:1, et al YHVH shall reign in the Cosmos forever.^[24] Exodus 15:18 in Shir HaYam YHVH reigns, YHVH has reigned, YHVH shall reign in the Cosmos forever. Blessed is YHVH in the Cosmos, amen and amen.

This is a faithful transcription of Ribon HaOlamim (a/k/a “Rebbi Yoḥanan’s Prayer”) from the Seder Tefilot Kol Hashanah of the RaMBaM, according to the early printed manuscript Constantinople 1509. Vocalization, citations, and translation added by Aharon Varady (shgiyot mi yavin ministarot nakeni) following extant printed texts. This prayer appears with a number of subtle variations across manuscripts of the Mishnah Torah Seder Ahavah, and more obvious differences appear across the nusḥaot witnessed in many siddurim. We have chosen this variation as it includes TaNaKh references not found in other versions, as well as a repetition of Deuteronomy 6:4 (not found elsewhere), while it omits much of the amendation found in later versions. The Open Siddur Project welcomes transcriptions of historical variations from all nusḥaot. Please add your transcription and translation to the Open Siddur Project’s liturgy database.

Sources

Ribon HaOlamim from Maimonides Seder Tefillot Kol Hashanah (Constantinople 1509)

תלמוד בבלי יומא פז ב והיכן אומרו יחיד אחר תפלתו ושליח צבור אומרו באמצע מאי אמר אמר רב אתה יודע רזי עולם ושמואל אמר ממעמקי הלב ולוי אמר ובתורתך כתוב לאמר ר׳ יוחנן אמר רבון העולמים	Talmud Bavli Yoma 87b And where in the Yom Kippur prayers does one say the confession? An individual says it after his Amida prayer, and the prayer leader says it in the middle of the Amida prayer. The Gemara asks: What does one say; what is the liturgy of the confession? Rav said: One says the prayer that begins: “You know the mysteries of the universe,” in accordance with the standard liturgy. And Shmuel said that the prayer begins with: “From the depths of the heart.” And Levi said that it begins: “And in your Torah it is written, saying,” and one then recites the forgiveness achieved by Yom Kippur as stated in the Torah. *Rabbi Yoḥanan said that it begins: “Master of the Universe” (Ribon HaOlamim).*
[…] עולא בר רב נחית קמיה דרבא פתח באתה בחרתנו וסיים במה אנו מה חיינו ושבחיה רב הונא בריה דרב נתן אמר ויחיד אומרה אחר תפלתו	The Gemara relates: Ulla bar Rav went down to lead the ne’ila prayer before Rava, who was in the synagogue. He opened the prayer with: “You have chosen us,” and he concluded with: “What are we, what are our lives?” And Rava praised him. Rav Huna, son of Rav Natan, said: And an individual says it after his Amida prayer. The individual says the confession after his Amida prayer, not within the Amida prayer as the prayer leader does.
אליהו רבה (איש שלום) פרשה יט ד״א העטופים ברעב, אין רעב אלא דברי תורה, שנאמר הנה ימים באים נאום ה׳ והשלחתי רעב בארץ וגו׳ (עמוס ח׳, י״א), מיכן אמרו, יהא אדם למד תורה באימה וביראה ברתת ובזיע, יסתכל כל אדם בעצמו, וידע שלאחר שעת מיתה ישא עיניו לשמים ויאמר, מי ברא כוכבים ברקיע ונתן לו מקום לכל אחד ואחד, דרך ומסילה לכל אחד ואחד, כמה מגדלים בנתה מלכות רומי, מי גדען והשליכן לארץ, כמה מגדלים בנתה מלכות מדי, מי גדען והשליכן לארץ, מי בעט בו במגדל ראשון, ונתן ראשו במקום אחד וגופו במקום אחר ועשרים ואחד מיל בין זה לזה, שנאמר לבך יהגה אימה [וגו’] (ישעיה ל״ג, י״ח), מיכן אמרו, יהא אדם ירא שמים ומודה על האמת ודובר אמת בלבבו, בכל יום ויום ישכים ויאמר, רבון כל העולמים לא על צדקותינו אנחנו מפילים תחנונינו לפניך וגו׳, ואומר בעת ההיא אביא אתכם ובעת קבצי אתכם כי אתן אתכם לשם ולתהילה בכל גויי הארץ בשובי את שבותיכם לעיניכם אמר ה׳ (צפניה ג׳, כ׳). סליק פירקא	Eliyahu Rabbah, Parshah 19 In another comment on “That faint for hunger” (Lam. 2:19), “hunger is taken to allude to hunger for words of Torah, as it is said, “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord God, that I will send a famine to the land, not a famine of bread.. but of hearing the words of the Lord (Amos 8:11). [When he seeks to satisfy his hunger for words of Torah], a man, it is said, should study Torah with fear and reverence, with trepidation and awe. Let him look at himself and become aware that in a little while he will die. Let him lift his eyes to heaven and say: Who created the stars in the firmament and gave to each one its place, to each one its way and its course? How many towers did the kingdom of Rome build, but Who smote them and toppled them to the ground? Who kicked at the first tower, ^[25] the tower of Babel, significance of toppled towers in Gen. 11 – note Isa. 30:25 , so that the top of it landed in one spot and its bulk in another spot with twenty-one miles between the two? Upon such deeds as these, [O Israel], “thy heart shall muse in awe: Where is He that weighed [the stars], where is He that counted the towers” (Isa. 33:18). In musing thus, a man will feel awe of heaven at all times, will acknowledge the truth [of Torah] and will speak its truth in his heart. He will rise early each and every day and say: Sovereign of all worlds! Not because of our righteous acts do we lay our supplications before You, but because of Your abundant mercies, etc., [for as you promised], “At that time I will bring you in, and at that time will I gather you; for I will make you be a name and a praise among all the peoples of the earth, when I turn back your captivity before your eyes, saith the Lord” (Zeph. 3.20).
ראבי״ה ח״א – מסכת ברכות סימן קמו וברכה דמקדש שמך ברבים <לא [מצאו] לה סמך> כלל ואינה מן החשבון, אך בירושלמי גרסינן בשעה שהקב״ה רואה בבתי תרטיאות שהן יושבות לבטח מבקש להחריב עולמו וכיון שישראל נכנסים שחרית וערבית לבתי כנסיות ולבתי מדרשות ומייחדים שמו ואומרים שמע ישראל ה׳ וגו׳ מתקבצים כל מלאכי השרת אצל הקדוש ברוך הוא ואומרים לפניו אתה הוא עד שלא נברא העולם ואתה הוא משנברא העולם אתה הוא בעולם הזה ואתה הוא לעולם הבא קדש את שמך על מקדישי שמך בא״י מקדש את שמך ברבים מיד נוחה דעתו הדא הוא דכתיב ואתה קדוש יושב תהלות ישראל (תהלים כ״ב, ד׳), שמיישב דעתו בשביל תהלות ישראל. וגבי ברכות יש מן הברכות שאין בהם מלכות לא בתחלה ולא בסוף כגון בא״י מקדש את שמך ברבים בא״י גומל חסדים טובים. וטעם ברור לא נודע לי׃

Notes

Notes
1	lit. seclusion
2	Cf. Eliyahu Rabbah, parshah 19. Others translate this instruction as follows: “Man should always fear Heaven in seclusion, and confess the truth, and speak truth in his heart, and arise and say:”
3	Cf. Bavli Yoma 87b
4	Daniel 9:18 partial.
5	Cf. Yoma 87b
6	Cf. Genesis 6:4
7	ibid. One might also translate anshei ha-shem as “celebrities.”
8	Cf. Ecclesiastes 2:12-16. One might also translate ḥakhamim here as “know-it-alls.”
9	One might also translate nevonim as “savants.”
10	Genesis 1:2
11	Ecclesiastes 3:19
12	Cf. “Nishmat Kol Ḥai”: לְהוֹדוֹת לְהַלֵּל לְשַׁבֵּחַ לְפָאֵר לְרוֹמֵם לְהַדֵּר לְבָרֵךְ
13	Deuteronomy 6:4
14	Deuteronomy 6:4
15	See ראבי״ה ח״א – מסכת ברכות סימן קמו
16	Deuteronomy 4:39, Joshua 2:11, 1 Kings 8:23
17	Cf. Eliyahu Rabbah, parshah 19
18	Zephaniah 3:20
19	Nehemiah 9:6
20	Nehemiah 9:7
21	Psalms 102:28
22	Psalms 10:16
23	Psalms 93:1, et al
24	Exodus 15:18 in Shir HaYam
25	the tower of Babel, significance of toppled towers in Gen. 11 – note Isa. 30:25

על חטא | For the Sin of Torture: A Communal Confession by Rabbi Ed Feld

T'ruah: The Rabbinic Call for Human Rights — Wed, 19 Sep 2012 09:19:43 +0000

Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)
עַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ בְּעַלִימַת עַיִן.‏	For the sin which we have committed before You for averting our eyes.
עַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ בְּסְטִימַת אוֹזֶן.‏	For the sin which have committed before You for closing our ears.
עַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ בְּפַּחְדָנוּת יְתֵירָה.‏	For the sin which we have committed before you through excessive fear.
עַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָֽאנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ בְּהַקְטָנַת צֶלֶם אֱלֹהִים.‏	For the sin which we have committed before You through diminishing the image of God.
עַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ בְּיִסוּרים וְעִנוּיִים שֶׁגָמַלְנוּ לַזוּלַת.‏	For the sin which we have committed before You for the suffering and torture committed on others.
עַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ בְּאַלִימוּת שֶׁנַעַשָׂה בִּשְׁמֵנוּ.‏	For the sin which we have committed before You with the violence done in our name.
וְעַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ בְּיוֹדְעִים וּבְלֹא יוֹדְעִים.‏	For the sin which we have committed before You with our full knowledge or without our knowledge.
וְעַל כֻּלָּם, אֱלוֹהַּ סְלִיחוֹת, סְלַח לָנוּ, מְחַל לָנוּ, כַּפֶּר־לָנוּ.‏	V’al kulam eloah s’liḥot, s’laḥ lanu, m’ḥal lanu, kaper lanu. For all these sins, forgiving God, forgive us, pardon us, grant us atonement.

רבנים למען זכויות האדם־צפון אמריקה, ימים נוראים תשס”ח (5768/2008)‏

This liturgy is based on the traditional public confession of sins on Yom Kippur and is meant to complement the existing al ḥet found in the maḥzor. This prayer written by Rabbi Ed Feld in 2007 for Yom Kippur 5768 was first published at the website of RHR-NA (now T’ruah).

הַוִּדּוּי הַמַּשְׁלִים | HaVidui haMashlim (Complementary Confession), by Rabbi Binyamin Holtzman

Joseph B. Meszler (translation) — Fri, 03 Oct 2014 21:57:12 +0000

Source (Hebrew)	Transliteration (Romanization)	Translation (English)
…עַל כֵּן, כְּשֵׁם שֶׁיֵּשׁ תּוֹעֶלֶת גְּדוֹלָה לְתִקּוּן הַנֶּפֶשׁ בְּוִדּוּי הָעֲווֹנוֹת… גַּם כֵּן בְּוִדּוּי הַמִּצְווֹת, לְמַעַן יִשְׂמַח בָּהֶם בִּלְבָבוֹ, וִיחַזֵּק אָרְחוֹת חַיָּיו בְּדֶרֶךְ ה׳. (הרב קוק, עין אי״ה, מסכת מעשר שני ז:י‏)	Al ken, k’shem she’yesh to’elet g’dolah l’tiqun hanefesh b’vidui ha’avonot gam ken b’vidui hamitsvot l’ma’an yismaḥ bahem bilvavo viḥazeq arḥot ḥayyav b’derekh hashem.	…Therefore, just as there is great value to the confession of sins… there is also great value to the confession of mitsvot, which gladdens the heart and strengthens the holy paths of life! (Rav Avraham Yitsḥaq haKohen Ḳooq Ayn Aya, Maaser sheni 7.10).^[1] This passage of Rav Ḳooq translated by Rabbi Sue Mauer Morningstar
הַוִּדּוּי הַמַּשְׁלִים	HaVidui haMashlim	the Complementary Confession
אָהַבְנוּ, בָּכִינוּ, גָּמַלְנוּ, דִּבַּרְנוּ יֹפִי.	Ahavnu Bakhinu Gamalnu Dibarnu yofi	We have loved, we have cried, we have given back, we have spoken great things!
הֶאֱמַנּוּ, וְהִשְׁתַּדַּלְנוּ, זָכַרְנוּ, חִבַּקְנוּ, טָעַמְנוּ סֵפֶר.	He’emanu v’Hish’tadalnu Zakharnu Ḥibaqnu Ta’amnu Sefer	We have believed, and we tried to give our best effort, we have remembered, we have embraced, we have chanted Your book!
יָצַרְנוּ, כָּמַהֲנוּ, לָחַמְנוּ עֲבוּר הַצֶּדֶק, מִצִּינוּ אֶת הַטּוֺב.	Yatsarnu Kamahanu Laḥamnu avur haTsedeq Mitsinu et haTov	We have created, we have yearned, we have fought for justice! We have exhausted all the good we could do.
נִסִּינוּ, סַרְנוּ לִרְאוֹת, עָשִׂינוּ אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתָנוּ.	Nisinu Sarnu lir’ōt Asinu asher tsivitanu	We have tried, we have turned aside to see, we have done as You have commanded us!
פֵּרַשְׁנוּ, צָדַקְנוּ לִפְעָמִים, קָרָאנוּ בְּשִׁמְךָ.	Perashnu Tsadaqnu lifamim Ḳaranu b’shimkha	We have expounded Torah, we have been righteous, sometimes, we have called out in Your Name!
רָצִינוּ, שָׂמַחְנוּ, תָּמַכְנוּ.	Ratsinu Samaḥnu Tamakhnu	We have been steadfast in our will, we have rejoiced, we have supported one another.

Translated by Rabbi Joseph B. Meszler. The prayer is inspired by Rav Kook, but unfortunately many are misattributing it. Many thanks to Dr. Joyce Gottlieb for her edits and for connecting us with the original author, Rabbi Binyamin Holtzman, of Kibbutz Ma’ale Gilboa, Israel. Rabbi Holtzman composed this prayer after shabbat on September 22, 2012. Also see the PDF and JPG prepared by Rabbi Riqi Kosovske. — Aharon Varady

Source

https://opensiddur.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Ahavnu-ViduiHaMashlimYK-Binyamin-Holtzman.pdf

Notes

Notes
1	This passage of Rav Ḳooq translated by Rabbi Sue Mauer Morningstar

ודוי חיובית | Positive Vidui, by Rabbi Avi Weiss

Avi Weiss — Thu, 29 Sep 2016 15:52:23 +0000

Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)
אָהַבְנוּ, בֵּרַכְנוּ, גָּדַלְנוּ, דִּבַּרְנוּ יֹפִי	We have loved, We have blessed, We have grown, We have spoken positively.
הֶעֱלִינוּ, וְחַסְנוּ, זֵרַזְנוּ, חָמַלְנוּ, טִפַּחְנוּ אֱמֶת	We have raised up, We have shown compassion, We have acted enthusiastically, We have been empathetic, We have cultivated truth.
יָעַצְנוּ טוֹב, כִּבַּדְנוּ, לָמַדְנוּ, מָחַלְנוּ, נִחַמְנוּ, סָלַלְנוּ, עוֹרַרְנוּ, פָּעַלְנוּ, צָדַקְנוּ, קִוִּינוּ לָאָרֶץ	We have given good advice, We have respected, We have learned, We have forgiven, We have comforted, We have been creative, We have stirred, We have been spiritual activists, We have been just, We have longed for the Land [of Israel].
רִחַמְנוּ, שָׁקַדְנוּ, תָּמַכְנוּ, תָּרַמְנוּ, תִּקַּנּוּ	We have been merciful, We have given full effort, We have supported, We have contributed, We have repaired.

Melissa Scholten-Gutierrez writes, “Rav Avi spoke to us a few times as he was working through [composing] this [vidui] and I am truly moved by it. Let us not only remember and confess our wrong doings, but also what we did right this year.”

For another life affirming vidui, read Rabbi Binyamin Holtzman’s Complementary Vidui” inspired by the teaching of Rav Kook that “just as there is great value to the confession of sins… there is also great value to the confession of mitzvot (our positive deeds), which gladdens the heart and strengthens the holy paths of life!” (Ayn Aya, tractate Maaser sheni, chapter 7, mishna 10).

Source(s)

Derived Work(s)

Art by Jesse Horowitz with vidui by Rabbi Avi Weiss

עַל חֵטְא | Interpretive Al Ḥeyt for Yom Kippur, by Rabbi Emily Aviva Kapor-Mater

Emily Aviva Kapor-Mater — Tue, 18 Sep 2018 06:20:32 +0000

The Al Ḥeyt (literally meaning “For the sin…”) is a confessional litany recited on Yom Kippur. It is an alphabetical acrostic; each one of its verses starting with a successive letter of the aleph-beit, to represent not only the moral failings that are specifically enumerated there, but the fullness of every way in which we missed the mark in the previous year.

Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)
עַל חֵטְא	Al Ḥeyt — For the Sin
א עַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ בְּאֹנֶס וּבְרָצוֹן:	Aleph Be-ones u-ve-ratzon: We have sinned against You unwillingly and willingly. We keep ourselves ignorant of things we find unpleasant, and ignore them when they come before us.
בּ וְעַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ בִּבְלִי דָעַת:	Beit Bi-v’li da’at: We have sinned against You by misusing our minds. We harbor hateful thoughts, hold grudges, and let wounds fester. We use our intellects as a weapon.
ג עַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ בְּגִלּוּי עֲרָיוֹת:	Gimel Be-gilui arayot: We have sinned against You by sexual immorality. We fail to stand against child trafficking and to stand up for the rights of sex workers, and we fail to acknowledge a moral difference.
ד וְעַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ בְּדַעַת וּבְמִרְמָה:	Dalet Be-da’at u-ve-mir’mah: We have sinned against You knowingly and deceitfully. We foresee the consequences of our actions and go ahead with them anyway, choosing the easy route to personal fulfillment.
ה עַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ בְּהוֹנָאַת רֵעַ:	Heh Be-hona’at re’a: We have sinned against You by wronging others. We tell half-truths and lie by omission. We say “I’m fine” when what we mean is “I need help”.
ו וְעַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ בִּוְעִידַת זְנוּת:	Vav Be-vi’dat z’nut: We have sinned against You by supporting immorality. We allow evil to flourish and remain silent while atrocities are committed. We stand on our neighbors’ blood.
ז עַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ בְּזִלְזוּל הוֹרִים וּמוֹרִים:	Zayin Be-zilzul horim u-morim: We have sinned against You by deriding parents and teachers. We ignore our elders, and think of them as a burden. We assume that not everyone has something to teach us, so we fail to learn from all people.
ח וְעַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ בְּחֹזֶק יָד:	Ḥet Be-ḥozek yad: We have sinned against You by strengthening our grasp. We become violent and we lash out. We strike at others and use our fists instead of our consciences. We support violence in the world when the “good guys” are doing it.
ט עַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ בְּטֻמְאַת שְׂפָתָיִם:	Tet Be-tum’at s’fatayim: We have sinned against You by impurity of our lips. We spread gossip and slander. We lie to ourselves and say “I know it’s loshon hora, but…” We do not practice right speech.
י וְעַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ בְּיֵצֶר הָרָע:	Yud Be-yetzer ha-ra: We have sinned against You by not resisting the impulse to evil. We succumb to our desires and our base emotions, and we do not fight back. We know we might not win the fight, so we just don’t engage.
וְעַל כֻּלָּם אֱלוֹהַּ סְלִיחוֹת. סְלַח לָנוּ. מְחַל לָנוּ. כַּפֶּר לָנוּ:	Ve-al kulam, Eloah seliḥot, selaḥ lanu, meḥal lanu, kaper lanu. And for all of them, God of forgiveness, forgive us, pardon us, let us atone.
כ עַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ בְּכַחַשׁ וּבְכָזָב:	Kaf Be-chaḥash u-ve-chazav: We have sinned against You by fraud and falsehood. We overrepresent ourselves and our talents. We take on obligations we know we will be unable to meet.
ל וְעַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ בְּלָצוֹן:	Lamed Be-latzon: We have sinned against You by scoffing. We assume we know better, and we tell people that they’re doing it wrong. We give unsolicited advice, and we are not grateful for others’ efforts.
מ עַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ בְּמַשָּׂא וּבְמַתָּן:	Mem Be-masa u-ve-matan: We have sinned against You by dishonesty in business. We return items six months past their return-by date. We lose our tempers at store workers making minimum wage. We buy from large chains to save a buck while promoting the virtues of supporting small, locally owned businesses.
נ וְעַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ בְּנֶשֶׁךְ וּבְמַרְבִּית:	Nun Be-neshech u-ve-mar’bit: We have sinned against You by charging usurious interest. We fudge numbers for our customers and on our taxes, and we excuse ourselves by saying the 1% are so much worse. We don’t give our spare change to homeless people who sleep on the street because we don’t like the look of their clothes.
ס עַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ בְּשִׂיחַ שִׂפְתוֹתֵינוּ:	Samekh Be-si’aḥ sif’toteinu: We have sinned against You by idle chatter. We fritter away our time in small talk. We stare at screens and interrupt time with our loved ones by taking text messages. We let Twitter and Facebook overwhelm our lives.
ע וְעַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ בְּעֵינַיִם רָמוֹת:	Ayin Be-einayim ramot: We have sinned against You by haughtiness. We look down our noses at people who don’t measure up to our standards. We stare at people who are different. We exile people with mental or physical disabilities from our presence. We assume everyone is just like us and nobody could possibly be—or want to be—different.
וְעַל כֻּלָּם אֱלוֹהַּ סְלִיחוֹת. סְלַח לָנוּ. מְחַל לָנוּ. כַּפֶּר לָנוּ:	Ve-al kulam, Eloah seliḥot, selaḥ lanu, meḥal lanu, kaper lanu. And for all of them, God of forgiveness, forgive us, pardon us, let us atone.
פ עַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ בִּפְרִיקַת עוֹל:	Peh Bi-f’rikat ol: We have sinned against You by shirking responsibility. We don’t want to do things because they’re hard. Even easy things we don’t do because they’re inconvenient. We let the garbage sit around the house and the laundry stay undone. We let sloth and inertia dictate the pace of our lives.
צ וְעַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ בִּצְדִיַּת רֵעַ:	Tzadi Bi-tz’diyat re’a: We have sinned against You by plotting against others. We are exclusionary and form cliques, and talk about outsiders behind their backs. We form schemes and plans to make other people do what we want them to.
ק עַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ בְּקַלּוּת רֹאשׁ:	Quf Be-kalut rosh: We have sinned against You by irreverence. We laugh inappropriately. We tell racist jokes in the presence of other white people. We say “I know this is tasteless, but…” and get defensive when we are called out.
ר וְעַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ בְּרִיצַת רַגְלַיִם לְהָרַע:	Resh Be-ritzat rag’layim le-hara: We have sinned against You by rushing to do evil. We fall into patterns and form habits. We run off to do things we know we shouldn’t be doing.
ש עַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ בִּשְׁבוּעַת שָׁוְא:	Shin Bi-sh’vu’at shav: We have sinned against You by taking vain oaths. We have selective memories, and fib about what we do remember. We “swear to God” when what we really mean is “please believe me”.
ת וְעַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ בִּתְשׂוּמֶת יָד:	Tav Bi-t’sumet yad: We have sinned against You by breaching trust. We violate the confidence of others. We say “without naming names” when everyone knows who we mean. We say “I can’t talk about this publicly” and then we do it anyway. We do not regard other people as sacred.
וְעַל כֻּלָּם אֱלוֹהַּ סְלִיחוֹת. סְלַח לָנוּ. מְחַל לָנוּ. כַּפֶּר לָנוּ:	Ve-al kulam, Eloah seliḥot, selaḥ lanu, meḥal lanu, kaper lanu. And for all of them, God of forgiveness, forgive us, pardon us, let us atone.

I wrote this interpreted version of the Al Ḥeyt several years ago and used it at Ḥavurat Shalom in Somerville, Massachusetts over Yom Kippur.

The “Interpretive Al Cheyt for Yom Kippur” was first published (sans Hebrew) 17 September 2018 on the website of R’ Emily Aviva Kapor-Mater (under a CC BY license).

וידוי הגדול | Vidui HaGadol: The Great Confession, an Al Ḥeyt litany by Michal Talya

Michal Talya — Thu, 22 Nov 2018 18:00:20 +0000

Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)
עַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ כְּשֶׁהִרְעַבְנוּ אֶת נִשְׁמָתֵנוּ מִמָּה שֶׁבְּכֹחוֹ לְהָזִין אוֹתָהּ;	For the sin we committed before you by starving our soul rather than nurturing it;
עַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לִפְנֵי גּוּפֵינוּ בְּהַזְנָחָה;	For the sin we committed before our body by neglect;
עַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ בְּהַדְחָקָה וְהִתְעַלְּמוּת מִכְּאֵבֵנוּ;	For the sin we committed before you by repressing and by ignoring our pain;
וְעַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ בְּבִּקוֹרְתִּיּוּת יְתֵרָה וּבְהַלְקָאָה עַצְמִית;	And for the sin we committed before you by over-criticism and by beating our breast;
עַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לִפְנֵי עָצְמָתֵנוּ הָאֲמִתִּית בְּקָרְבָּנוּת לִשְׁמָהּ;	For the sin we committed before our empowered selves by victimizing ourselves;
עַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ בְּהִתְכַּחֲשׁוּת לְאוֹר־הַיְּקָרוֹת הַמָּצוּי בְּתוֹכֵנוּ;	For the sin we committed before you by denying the precious light within;
עַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ בְּהִתְכַּחֲשׁוּת לְחוּלְשׁוֹתֵינוּ וְטָעֻיּוֹתֵינוּ, מִתּוֹךְ יֵצֶר גַּאֲוָה;	For the sin we committed before you by denying our weaknesses and our mistakes, out of misguided pride;
עַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ כְּלַפֵּי מִישֶׁהוּ בְּהַאֲשָׁמָה, בִּמְקוֹם לָקַחַת אַחְרָיוּת;	For the sin we committed before others by accusing them, rather than taking responsibility;
עַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ כְּשֶׁהֶאֱמַנּוּ לִפְחָדֵינוּ, סָגַרְנוּ אֶת לִבֵּנוּ וְסֵרַבְנוּ לָתֵת אֵמוּן;	For the sin we committed before you by believing our fears, closing our hearts and refusing to trust;
עַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ בְּהִתְרַכְּזוּת בָּנוּ וּבִבְנֵי מִשְׁפַּחְתֵּנוּ וּבִמְנִיעַת טוּבֵנוּ מֵאֲחֵרִים;	For the sin we committed before you by self-absorption, by focusing on our families, by withholding our goodness from others;
עַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ בְּדוֹבְרֵנוּ דְּבַר שֶׁקֶר כִּי פָּחַדְנוּ מִתּוֹצְאוֹת חֲשִׂיפַת הָאֱמֶת;	For the sin we committed before you by speaking falsehood out of fear of the consequences of truth;
עַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לִפְנֵי הוֹרֵינוּ בְּשִׁפּוּטִיּוֹת חַסְרַת חֶמְלָה;	For the sin we committed before our parents by being judgmental and by lacking compassion;
עַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לִפְנֵי אֲהוּבֵינוּ בְּצִמְצוּם גִּלּוּיֵי אַהֲבָה;	For the sin we committed before our loved ones by withholding expressions of our love;
עַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לִפְנֵי כָּל הָעוֹלָם בָּאֲטִימַת לִבֵּינוּ לְעֹנִי, לְדִכּוּי, לִשְׁחִיתוּת, לְמִלְחָמוֹת;	For the sin we committed before the entire world by closing our hearts to poverty, to repression, to corruption, to war;
עַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ בִּתְבִיעַת בַּעֲלוּת עַל הָאֲדָמָה, עַל מַשְׁאַבֵּי הַטֶּבַע, עַל אָהוּב, עַל אֲהוּבָהּ;	For the sin we committed by claiming ownership of the land, of nature, of a beloved;
עַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ בְּנִצּוּל כֹּחֵנוּ עַל פְּנֵי אֲחֵרִים: שְׁכֵנִים, אֲהוּבִים, שֻׁתָּפִים, בַּעֲלֵי הַחַיִּים.	For the sin we committed by taking advantage of our power over others, be they neighbors, loved ones, partners or animals;
עַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ בְּהַשְׁחָתַת תְּנָאֵי הַחַיִּים עַל כַּדּוּר הָאָרֶץ;	For the sin we committed by destroying the conditions for life on Earth;
עַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ בְּהִסְתַּפְּקֵנוּ בְּמַסָּדִים שֶׁל כֹּחַ, שְׁלִיטָה וְנוֹחִיּוּת – כִּמְקוֹרוֹת לְבִטְחוֹנֵנוּ;	For the sin we committed before you by making power structures, control and comfort the sources of our security;
עַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ בְּהַשְׁאִרֵנוּ אֶת בְּעָיוֹת הָעוֹלָם מִחוּץ לִגְּבוּלוֹת הַשָּׂגָתֵנוּ;	For the sin we committed by exiling the world’s problems beyond the scope of our understanding;
עַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ בְּהַאָמִינֵנוּ כִּי אֵין בְּאֶפְשָׁרוּתֵנוּ לְשַׁנּוֹת וְנוֹתַרְנוּ אִלְּמִים מוּל מַעֲשֵׂי עָוֶל;	For the sin we committed before you by believing that we cannot change and by standing silent in the face of injustice;
עַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ כְּשֶׁסֵּרַבְנוּ לְהִתְעוֹרֵר, לִלְמֹד מִטָּעֻיּוֹת, לְהִשְׁתַּנּוֹת;	For the sin we committed before you by refusing to awaken, by refusing to learn from our mistakes, by refusing to change;
עַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ בְּהַעֲמִידֵנוּ “תְּנָאִים” לְהַכָּרָתֵנוּ בְּתוֹקֵף יָפְיָיֽם שֶׁל חַיֵּינוּ;	For the sin we committed before you by making our awareness of the beauty of our life conditional;
עַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ כְּשֶׁהִתְבַּלְבַּלְנוּ בֵּין מְשִׂימוֹת הֶכְרֵחִיּוֹת לְקִיּוּמֵנוּ לְבֵין מַשְׁמָעוּת חַיֵּינוּ;	For the sin we committed before you by confusing between that which is necessary to maintain life and that which gives life meaning;
עַל חֵטְא שֶׁחָטָאנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ בְּשִׁכְחַת הַתַּכְלִית לְבֹאֵנוּ לְעוֹלָם;	For the sin we have committed before you by forgetting the reason and the purpose of our coming into the world;
וְעַל כֻּלָּם אֱלֹהַּ סְלִיחוֹת סְלַח לָנוּ, מָחַל לָנוּ, כַּפֵּר לָנוּ.	For all of them, O Elo’ah of Forgiveness, forgive us, pardon us, cleanse us.

This vidui (confession), based on the traditional pattern of Yom Kippur confession, was written around 2011 by Michal Talya and is used by several liberal communities in Israel. English translation by Avraham Leader. Vocalization of Hebrew text by Aharon Varady with help from Michal Talya.