The New Jew: A Field Guide

Hebrew

מִקֶּדֶם. מֵחֲרוֹן אַפְּךָ שׁוּב,
כְּמוֹ בְּתוֹרָתְךָ כָּתוּב. וּבְצֵל
כְּנָפֶיךָ נֶחֱסֶה וְנִתְלוֹנֵן, כְּיוֹם
וַיֵּרֶד יְיָ בֶּעָנָן. תַּעֲבוֹר עַל
פֶּשַׁע וְתִמְחֶה אָשָׁם, כְּיוֹם
וַיִּתְיַצֵּב עִמּוֹ שָׁם. תַּאֲזִין
שַׁוְעָתֵנוּ וְתַקְשִׁיב מִנּוּ
מַאֲמָר, כְּיוֹם וַיִּקְרָא בְשֵׁם
יְיָ: וְשָׁם נֶאֱמַר:

Sephardi

Mikedem. Me-charon apekha shuv,
kemo betoratekha katuv. Uvetzel
kanfecha necheseh venitlonen, keyom
vayered Adonai be'anan. Ta'avor al
pesha vetimcheh asham, keyom
vayityatzev imo sham. Ta'azin
shave'atenu vetakshiv minnu
ma'amar, keyom vayikra beshem
Adonai: Vesham ne'emar:

English

humble man on earth, a long time ago. You told Moses that when the Jewish Nation prays to You and recites the thirteen Attributes of Mercy, You will answer their prayers. Turn away from Your fierce anger just as Moses asked You, as it is written in Your Torah. May we find shelter and a place to stay in the shadow of Your wings, as we did on the day when You, Lord, came down in a cloud on Mount Sinai. Overlook our sins and erase our guilt, as You did on the day You stood with Moses there on Mount Sinai, and forgave the Jewish Nation for the sin of the Golden Calf. Hear our cries and pay attention to our prayers, as You did on the day Moses called out to You with the name of the Lord and asked You to forgive the Jewish Nation, as it says there in the Torah:

The following two paragraphs are said only in the presence of a minyan:

God's thirteen Attributes of Mercy

Hebrew

וַיַּעֲבֹר יְיָ עַל פָּנָיו וַיִּקְרָא:

Sephardi

Vaya'avor Adonai al panav vayikra:

English

The Lord passed before Moses to teach him the thirteen Attributes of Mercy, and He called out:

For transliteration, see page 944.

Hebrew

יְיָ יְיָ אֵל רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן אֶרֶךְ
אַפַּיִם וְרַב חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת:
נֹצֵר חֶסֶד לָאֲלָפִים נֹשֵׂא עָוֹן
וָפֶשַׁע וְחַטָּאָה וְנַקֵּה:

Sephardi

Adonai Adonai El rachum v'chanun erech
appayim v'rav chesed ve'emet:
Notzer chesed la'alafim nosei avon
vafesha vechata'ah venakeh:

English

1. The Lord is merciful and helps prevent people from sinning. 2. The Lord is merciful and helps people who have sinned to repent. 3. He is a God Who punishes people mercifully. 4. God is merciful to all of His creations. 5. God is kind and gracious to people, even if they do not deserve it. 6. God is slow to anger, giving people a chance to repent. 7. God has much kindness and judges people leniently. 8. God's promises are true. 9. God guards and keeps His kindness for two thousand generations. He remembers the good things that our ancestors did for Him, and He is kind to us because of them. 10. God forgives intentional sins. 11. God forgives rebellious sins. 12. God forgives unintentional sins. 13. God completely cleanses us from our sins when we repent.

The following is said while sitting1. If you are in a place where there is an Ark, lean forward, cover your forehead with your sleeve, and rest your head on your left arm.

Hebrew

רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן חָטָאנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ רַחֵם עָלֵינוּ
וְהוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ:

Sephardi

Rachum v'chanun chatanu lefanecha rachem aleinu
vehoshi'einu:

English

Merciful and gracious God, even though we have sinned before You, have mercy on us and save us.

May God forgive our sins and show us the path of repentance

Hebrew

לְדָוִד, אֵלֶיךָ יְיָ נַפְשִׁי אֶשָּׂא:
אֱלֹהַי בְּךָ בָטַחְתִּי אַל
אֵבוֹשָׁה, אַל יַעַלְצוּ אוֹיְבַי לִי: גַּם
כָּל קֹוֶיךָ לֹא יֵבֹשׁוּ, יֵבֹשׁוּ הַבּוֹגְדִים
רֵיקָם: דְּרָכֶיךָ יְיָ הוֹדִיעֵנִי,
אֹרְחוֹתֶיךָ לַמְּדֵנִי: הַדְרִיכֵנִי
בַאֲמִתֶּךָ וְלַמְּדֵנִי כִּי אַתָּה אֱלֹהֵי
יִשְׁעִי, אוֹתְךָ קִוִּיתִי כָּל הַיּוֹם:
זְכֹר רַחֲמֶיךָ יְיָ, וַחֲסָדֶיךָ, כִּי
מֵעוֹלָם הֵמָּה: חַטֹּאות נְעוּרַי
וּפְשָׁעַי אַל תִּזְכֹּר, כְּחַסְדְּךָ זְכָר לִי
אַתָּה, לְמַעַן טוּבְךָ יְיָ: טוֹב וְיָשָׁר
יְיָ, עַל כֵּן יוֹרֶה חַטָּאִים בַּדָּרֶךְ:
יַדְרֵךְ עֲנָוִים בַּמִּשְׁפָּט, וִילַמֵּד
עֲנָוִים דַּרְכּוֹ: כָּל אָרְחוֹת יְיָ חֶסֶד
וֶאֱמֶת, לְנֹצְרֵי בְרִיתוֹ וְעֵדֹתָיו:
לְמַעַן שִׁמְךָ יְיָ, וְסָלַחְתָּ לַעֲו‍ֹנִי
כִּי רַב הוּא: מִי זֶה הָאִישׁ יְרֵא יְיָ,
יוֹרֶנּוּ בְּדֶרֶךְ יִבְחָר: נַפְשׁוֹ בְּטוֹב
תָּלִין וְזַרְעוֹ יִירַשׁ אָרֶץ: סוֹד יְיָ
לִירֵאָיו, וּבְרִיתוֹ לְהוֹדִיעָם:
עֵינַי תָּמִיד אֶל יְיָ, כִּי הוּא יוֹצִיא
מֵרֶשֶׁת רַגְלָי: פְּנֵה אֵלַי וְחָנֵּנִי,
כִּי יָחִיד וְעָנִי אָנִי: צָרוֹת לְבָבִי
הִרְחִיבוּ, מִמְּצוּקוֹתַי הוֹצִיאֵנִי:

Sephardi

Ledavid, eilecha Adonai nafshi essa:
Elohai bekha batachti al
evoshah, al ya'altzu oyvai li: Gam
kol kovekha lo yevoshu, yevoshu habogdim
reikam: Derakhekha Adonai hodi'eni,
orchotekha lamdeni: Hadrikheni
ba'amitekha velamdeni ki atah Elohei
yish'i, otekha kiviti kol hayom:
Zekhor rachamecha Adonai, vachasadecha, ki
me'olam hemah: Chatot ne'urai
ufeshai al tizkor, kechasdekha zekhor li
atah, lema'an tuvcha Adonai: Tov veyashar
Adonai, al ken yoreh chata'im baderekh:
Yadrekh anavim bamishpat, vilamed
anavim darko: Kol orchot Adonai chesed
ve'emet, lenotzrei verito ve'edotav:
Lema'an shimkha Adonai, vesalachta la'avoni
ki rav hu: Mi zeh ha'ish yerei Adonai,
yorenu bederekh yivchar: Nafsho betov
talin vezar'o yirash aretz: Sod Adonai
lire'av, uverito lehodi'am:
Einai tamid el Adonai, ki hu yotzi
mereshet raglai: Penei elai vechoneni,
ki yachid ve'ani ani: Tzarot l'vavi
hirchivu, mimtzukotai hotzi'eni:

English

The following Psalm was written by King David: I offer my soul to You, Lord. My God, I have put my trust in You; do not let me be embarrassed by others. Do not let my enemies rejoice over my downfall and make fun of me. Fulfill not only my requests but also the requests of all those who put their hopes in You, so that they too will not be embarrassed by others. Let those who trick other people for no reason be embarrassed. Lord, make Your ways known to me; teach me Your paths. Lead me along Your true paths and teach me, because You are the God of my salvation. I hope for You all day. Lord, remember Your acts of mercy and Your acts of kindness, because they have always been done—You've always acted with mercy and kindness. Do not remember the unintentional sins I committed when I was young, and do not remember my rebellious sins. Instead, remember my good deeds that cause Your kindness to be revealed. Remember them because of Your goodness, Lord. King David tells us: The Lord is good and upright. Therefore, He teaches sinners how to repent and go on the right path. He guides humble people along the path of justice, and He teaches them His ways. All of the Lord's paths are kindness and truth to those who keep His Covenant—His Torah—and His commandments. King David asks God: Forgive me for my sin, even though it is great. Do it for the sake of Your name, Lord, so that people will recognize You as a forgiving God. King David tells us: The Lord helps the person who fears Him and teaches him how to choose the right path. When such a person dies, his soul will rest well, and his children will inherit the earth. The secrets of the Lord are revealed to those who fear Him. He makes His Covenant—the Torah—known to them. My eyes are always looking to the Lord, because He will free my feet from the trap that my enemies have set for me. King David asks God: Turn