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pp. 1000-1001

Selihot

The Fast of Esther

Selichot leta'anit Esther

סליחות לתענית אסתר

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Ps. 86

Hebrew

סְלַח לָנוּ אָבִינוּ כִּי חָטָאנוּ, מְחַל לָנוּ מַלְכֵּנוּ כִּי פָשָׁעְנוּ. כִּי־אַתָּה אֲדֹנָי טוֹב
וְסַלָּח, וְרַב־חֶסֶד לְכָל־קֹרְאֶיךָ:

Sephardi

Selach lanu Avinu ki chatanu, mechal lanu Malkeinu ki fashanu. Ki-Atah Adonai tov
vesalach, verav-chesed lechol-kore'echa:

English

Forgive us, our Father, for we have sinned. Pardon us, our King, for we have transgressed. For You, LORD, are good and forgiving, abounding in loving-kindness to all who call on You.

The following is said responsively:

Hebrew

בִּמְתֵי מִסְפָּר חִלִּינוּ פָנֶיךָ. לְשַׁוְעַת נִכְאִים אַל תַּעְלֵם אָזְנֶךָ.
הַקְשֵׁב תְּחִנָּתָם מִשְּׁמֵי מְעוֹנֶךָ. כְּבִימֵי מֹר וַהֲדַס הוֹשַׁעְתָּ בָנֶיךָ.

Sephardi

Bimtei mispar chillinu fanekha. Leshavat nikh'im al ta'lem oznekha.
Hakshev techinnatam mishmei me'onekha. Kevimei mor vahadas hosha'ta vanekha.

English

Small of number we stand pleading before You: do not block Your ears to the cry of people crushed. Listen to their entreaty from the Heaven where You dwell, as You saved Your children in the days of Myrrh and Myrtle [Mordekhai and Esther].

Hebrew

תְּהִלּוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל אַתָּה יוֹשֵׁב. שַׁוְעָתָם מַאֲזִין וְרִנָּתָם קוֹשֵׁב.
רְפוּאוֹת לַמַּחַץ מַקְדִּים וּמַחְשֵׁב. קוֹנֶיךָ לְהֵיטִיב וּנְוֵיהֶם לְיַשֵּׁב.

Sephardi

Tehilot Yisrael atah yoshev. Shavatam ma'azin verinnatam koshev.
Refu'ot lamachatz makdim umachshev. Konekha leheitiv uneveihem leyashev.

English

On Israel’s praises You sit enthroned, hearing their cry, listening to their prayer. Bringing healing even before the blow, counting it out to help the ones You have acquired; to settle their homes again.

Hebrew

צַר וְאוֹיֵב הִלְטִישׁ עֵינָיו. פִּיהוּ פָעַר לִשְׁאֹף עָנָו.
עָשַׁת בְּשֶׁלּוֹ לְהַשְׁמִיד קְהַל הֲמוֹנָיו. סֶגֶל לְאַבֵּד חָרַת בְּנִשְׁתְּוָנָיו.

Sephardi

Tzar ve'oyev hiltish einav. Pihu fa'ar lish'of anav.
Asat beshello lehashmid kehal hamonav. Segel le'abed charat benishtevanav.

English

A foe and enemy fixed his eyes like knives on Israel; he opened wide his mouth to swallow up the humble man. He deliberated within him to destroy Mordekhai’s great community; in the letter, he etched his intent to destroy the treasured people.

Hebrew

נוֹקֵם לְצָרִים וְנוֹטֵר לְאוֹיְבִים. מִדַּת מִדָּתָם כְּנֶגֶד לְאֹהֲבִים.
לוֹחֵם וְנִינָיו הֻתְלוּ מְצֻלָּבִים. כִּבְחָרוּז דָּגִים חֲרוּזֵי תְּחוּבִים.

Sephardi

Nokem letzarim venoter le'oyevim. Middat middatam keneged le'ohavim.
Lochem veninav hutlu metzulavim. Kibekharuz dagim charuzei techuvim.

English

You who take revenge upon foes and persist in Your claim against enemies; You measured them out with the very measure they used against Your loved ones. The fighter and his descendants were hanged, suspended; they were strung up together, like fish on a thread.

Hebrew

יוֹם אֲשֶׁר שִׂבְּרוּ צוֹרְרִים. טִבְחָה לָשִׁית בָּעָם נְצוּרִים.
חָלְפָה הָדָת וְנָפְלוּ פְגָרִים. וְלָעֲפוּ זַעְמוֹ מוּבָסִים מְגוֹרִים.

Sephardi

Yom asher sibru tzorerim. Tivchah lashit ba'am netzurim.
Chalfah hadat venaflu fegarim. Vela'afu za'mo muvasim megorim.

English

On the day on which the enemies hoped to lay carnage among the people You harbor, the rule was overturned and bodies fell; they bore the brunt and fury of Your rage – they were trodden underfoot and washed away.

Hebrew

וּבְכֵן יִתְעַלֶּה שִׁמְךָ וְיִתְנַשָּׂא. הוֹדְךָ שְׁמֵי שָׁמַיִם כִּסָּה.
דַּכִּים בְּרוֹמְמְךָ נְתוּנִים לִמְשִׁסָּה. גֵּיא וַאֲפָסֶיהָ תְּהִלָּתְךָ מְכַסָּה.

Sephardi

Uvechen yit'aleh shimcha veyitnassa. Hodkha shemei shamayim kissah.
Dakkim beromemekha netunim limshissah. Gei va'afasehah tehillatekha mekhassah.

English

And so may Your name be raised up, exalted. Your glory covers all the highest heavens. As You lift the downtrodden, those yielded up as plunder, Your praise fills up the valleys to their very ends.

Hebrew

בִּינָה הֲגִיגֵנוּ עַתָּה, וּרְאֵה בְצָר. בְּאַפְּךָ קוּמָה עַל צוֹרֵר הַצַּר.
אָדוֹן, קְרָאנוּךָ מִן הַמֵּצַר. אָנָּא הוֹצִיאָנוּ לַמֶּרְחָב וְחַלְּצֵנוּ מִצַּר.

Sephardi

Binah hagigeinu atah, ure'eh vetzar. Be'apekha kumah al tzorer hatzar.
Adon, kera'nukha min hametzar. Ana hotzi'anu lamerchav vechaltzeinu mitzar.

English

Consider our thoughts, now, and witness our suffering. Rise up, in Your rage, against the bitter enemy. Master, we have called You from a narrow place. Please, take us out into the open, and release us from anguish.

Hebrew

מְאֹד תַּרְבֶּה לָנוּ מְחִילָה. שְׁמַע תְּפִלָּה, וְהַעֲבֵר תִּפְלָה.
לוֹחֲצֵינוּ הַמְעֵךְ וּמַלְאָם חַלְחָלָה. מִמֶּנּוּ רַחֲמֶיךָ לָעַד לֹא תִכְלָא.

Sephardi

Me'od tarbeh lanu mechilah. Shema tefilah, veha'aver tiflah.
Lochatzeinu hame'ekh umaleim chalchalah. Mimenu rachamecha la'ad lo tikhla.

English

Bring us much, abundant pardon. Hear our prayer, and what is crude in us – pass over. Bring down those who press us and fill them with horror. And as for us – do not forever withhold Your compassion.

Continue with “God, King who sits” on page 1012.