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Selihot

The Fast of Esther

סליחות לתענית אסתר

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Is. 26
Hebrew
קַוֹּה קִוִּינוּ יְהוָה, וַיֵּט אֵלֵינוּ וַיִּשְׁמַע שַׁוְעָתֵנוּ. אַף אֹרַח מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ יְהוָה
קִוִּינוּךָ, לְשִׁמְךָ וּלְזִכְרְךָ תַּאֲוַת־נָפֶשׁ:
Sephardi
Kavah kivinu Adonai, vayet eileinu vayishma shavateinu. Af orach mishpatekha Adonai
Kivinukha, leshimkha ulezikhrekha ta'avat-nafesh:
English
We have waited patiently for the LORD, and He has turned toward us and heard our cry. And on the path of Your laws, LORD, we have waited for You, for it is Your name and Your memory that are our souls’ desire.
Hebrew
כְּרַחֵם אָב עַל בָּנִים, כֵּן תְּרַחֵם יְהוָה עָלֵינוּ.
Sephardi
Kerachem av al banim, kein teracheim Adonai aleinu.
English
As a father has compassion for his children, so, LORD, have compassion for us.
Ps. 3
Hebrew
לַיהוָה הַיְשׁוּעָה, עַל־עַמְּךָ בִרְכָתֶךָ סֶלָה:
Sephardi
LaAdonai hayeshu'ah, al-amekha virchatecha selah:
English
Salvation is the LORD’s; on Your people is Your blessing, Selah!
Ps. 46
Hebrew
יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת עִמָּנוּ, מִשְׂגָּב־לָנוּ אֱלֹהֵי יַעֲקֹב סֶלָה:
Sephardi
Adonai Tzeva'ot imanu, misgav-lanu Elohei Yaakov selah:
English
The LORD of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob is our stronghold, Selah!
Ps. 84
Hebrew
יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת, אַשְׁרֵי אָדָם בֹּטֵחַ בָּךְ:
Sephardi
Adonai Tzeva'ot, ashrei adam bote'ach bakh:
English
LORD of hosts, happy is the one who trusts in You.
Ps. 20
Hebrew
יְהוָה הוֹשִׁיעָה, הַמֶּלֶךְ יַעֲנֵנוּ בְיוֹם־קָרְאֵנוּ:
Sephardi
Adonai hoshi'ah, hamelech ya'aneinu beyom-kar'einu:
English
LORD, save! May the King answer us on the day we call.
Num. 14
Hebrew
סְלַח־נָא לַעֲוֹן הָעָם הַזֶּה כְּגֹדֶל חַסְדֶּךָ
וְכַאֲשֶׁר נָשָׂאתָה לָעָם הַזֶּה מִמִּצְרַיִם וְעַד־הֵנָּה:
וְשָׁם נֶאֱמַר
Sephardi
Selach-na la'avon ha'am hazeh kegodel chasdekha
Vekha'asher nasatah la'am hazeh miMitzrayim ve'ad-henah:
Vesham ne'emar
English
Forgive, please, this people’s iniquity, in the abundance of Your kindness, and as You have forgiven this people from the time of Egypt until now, and there it is written:
Congregation then Leader:
Hebrew
וַיֹּאמֶר יְהוָה, סָלַחְתִּי כִּדְבָרֶךָ:
Sephardi
Vayomer Adonai, salachti kidvarekha:
English
And the LORD said, I have forgiven as you asked.
Continue:
Dan. 9
Hebrew
הַטֵּה אֱלֹהַי אָזְנְךָ וּשְׁמָע, פְּקַח עֵינֶיךָ וּרְאֵה שֹׁמְמֹתֵינוּ וְהָעִיר אֲשֶׁר־נִקְרָא
שִׁמְךָ עָלֶיהָ, כִּי לֹא עַל־צִדְקֹתֵינוּ אֲנַחְנוּ מַפִּילִים תַּחֲנוּנֵינוּ לְפָנֶיךָ, כִּי עַל־
רַחֲמֶיךָ הָרַבִּים: אֲדֹנָי שְׁמָעָה, אֲדֹנָי סְלָחָה, אֲדֹנָי הַקְשִׁיבָה וַעֲשֵׂה אַל־
תְּאַחַר, לְמַעַנְךָ אֱלֹהַי, כִּי־שִׁמְךָ נִקְרָא עַל־עִירְךָ וְעַל־עַמֶּךָ:
Sephardi
Hateh Elohai oznecha ushema, pekach einecha ure'eh shomemotenu veha'ir asher-nikra
Shimcha alehah, ki lo al-tzidkotenu anachnu mapilim tachanunenu lefanecha, ki al-
Rachamecha harabim: Adonai shema'ah, Adonai selachah, Adonai hakshivah va'aseh al-
Te'achar, lema'ancha Elohai, ki-shimkha nikra al-irekha ve'al-amekha:
English
Give ear, my God and hear; open Your eyes and see our desolation, and the city that bears Your name, for it is not on the strength of our righteousness that we throw down our pleadings before You, but on the strength of Your great compassion. LORD, hear me; LORD, forgive, LORD, listen and act and do not delay – for Your sake, my God; for Your city and Your people bear Your name.
אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ

Our God and God of our fathers:

Ps. 83Ps. 94Lev. 26
Hebrew
אָדָם בְּקוּם עָלֵינוּ, חִיל אֲחָזַתְנוּ לָרַעַד. בְּהִסְתַּפְּחוֹ לְמַלְכוּת חָנֵף, כִּמְעַט
כָּשַׁלְנוּ לִמְעוֹד. גָּמְרוּ לְמָכְרֵנוּ בְּתֵל וְחָרִיץ בְּלִי מִסְעוֹד. אָמְרוּ לְכוּ וְנַכְחִידֵם
מִגּוֹי, וְלֹא־יִזָּכֵר שֵׁם־יִשְׂרָאֵל עוֹד: דַּלּוּ עֵינַי לַמָּרוֹם, קְרָאתִיךָ אוֹיְבַי לָקֹב.
הַכְרֵת שֵׁם וּשְׁאָר, וּמְחֵה שָׁם לָרָקָב. וְצָר צוֹרְרַי בְּנִכְלֵיהֶם אֲשֶׁר נִכְלוּ לְיַעֲקֹב.
וַיֹּאמְרוּ, לֹא יִרְאֶה־יָּהּ, וְלֹא־יָבִין אֱלֹהֵי יַעֲקֹב: זְרוּיִים עִנָּה וְיִגָּה, וְלֹא מִלֵּב
לְכַלּוֹתָם. חָבוּ לְפָנִים, וְרָדָם בַּהֲסָרַת טַבַּעַת לְהַחֲלוֹתָם. טוֹב דְּבָרוֹ הֵקִים
לְעֵינֵי הַגּוֹיִם לְהַעֲלוֹתָם. בְּאֶרֶץ אֹיְבֵיהֶם לֹא־מְאַסְתִּים וְלֹא־גְעַלְתִּים
Sephardi
Adam bekum aleinu, chil achazatnu lara'ad. Behistapcho lemalchut chanef, kim'at
Kashalnu lim'od. Gamru lemachrenu betel vecharitz beli mis'od. Amru lechu venachchidem
Migoi, velo-yizakher shem-Yisrael od: Dalu einai lamarom, keraticha oyvai lakov.
Hachret shem ush'ar, umeche sham larakav. Vetzar tzorerai benichleihem asher nichlu leYa'akov.
Vayomru, lo yir'eh-Yah, velo-yavin Elohei Ya'akov: Zeruyim inah veyigah, velo milev
Lechalotam. Chavu lefanim, veradam bahasarat taba'at lehachalotam. Tov devaro hekim
Le'einei hagoyim leha'alotam. Be'eretz oyveihem lo-me'astim velo-ge'altim
English
When a man rose up against us, convulsions of trembling seized us. When he attached himself to a government of flattery, we almost stumbled and fell. They cheerfully closed an agreement to sell us, as a person with an unwanted mound gives it away quite freely to one with an unwanted pit. There was no defense. They said, “Come, let us annihilate them from among nations: the name of Israel shall be recalled no more.” My eyes turned heavenward and I called on You to curse my enemies: “Cut off name and remnant; expunge their name, let it rot. And be Enemy to my enemies; bring them down in the very deceptions with which they deceived the people of Jacob.” And they said, “The LORD will not see; the God of Jacob will not comprehend.” Yet God tormented the scattered ones and made them mournful – but did not mean to destroy them utterly. They were guilty on the face of things, and so He terrorized them. By the taking off of a ring, He made them tremble. But God fulfilled the good of His word, raising them up in the view of nations. “In their enemies’ land He did not reject them, and did not detest them to the point of destruction.” He revealed the premonition of events for a nation begrimed and scratched over. He wrote “I shall surely hide (astir) Myself” to hint at Esther, and fragrant “pure myrrh,” translated “mar-dokh,” to hint at Mordekhai; all to put an end to Haman on the