(יז) זָכְרֵֽנוּ לְחַיִּים
(יח) מֶֽלֶךְ חָפֵץ בַּחַיִּים
(יט) וְכָתְבֵֽנוּ בְּסֵֽפֶר הַחַיִּים
(כ) לְמַעַנְךָ אֱלֹקִים חַיִּים:
(17) Remember us for life2Because these are days of judgment and our lives hang in the balance, we pray to Hashem to remember us for life (Rashi, Levush).
(18) King, Who desires life;3This is based on Yechezkel 18:32, ‘For I do not desire the death of him that dies, but rather that he repent from his evil ways and live.’
(19) and inscribe us in the Book of Life,4This refers to the Book in which the righteous are inscribed for life everlasting.
(20) for Your sake,5We ask Hashem to grant us life for His sake, i.e., so that we can fulfill His commandments. Living God.
(רנב) וּכְתוֹב לְחַיִּים טוֹבִים
(רנג) כָּל בְּנֵי בְרִיתֶֽךָ:
(252) Inscribe for a good life
(253) all the children of Your covenant.
(רעח) בְּסֵֽפֶר חַיִּים בְּרָכָה וְשָׁלוֹם
(רעט) וּפַרְנָסָה טוֹבָה
(רפ) נִזָּכֵר וְנִכָּתֵב
(רפא) לְפָנֶֽיךָ
(רפב) אֲנַֽחְנוּ וְכָל עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל
(רפג) לְחַיִּים טוֹבִים וּלְשָׁלוֹם:
(רפה) בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה יי
(רפו) עֹשֶׂה הַשָּׁלוֹם:
(278) In the book of life, blessing, peace
(279) and abundant maintenance,
(280) may we be remembered and inscribed
(281) before You;
(282) we and all Your people, the House of Yisrael
(283) for a good life and peace.
(284) If you forgot to say this, you need not go back and repeat the Amidah.
(285) Blessed are You, Adonoy,
(286) Who makes the peace.
(מז) אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ
(מח) כָּתְבֵֽנוּ בְּסֵֽפֶר חַיִּים טוֹבִים:
(מט) אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ
(נ) כָּתְבֵֽנוּ
(נא) בְּסֵֽפֶר גְּאֻלָּה וִישׁוּעָה:
(נב) אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ
(נג) כָּתְבֵֽנוּ
(נד) בְּסֵֽפֶר פַּרְנָסָה וְכַלְכָּלָה:
(נה) אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ
(נו) כָּתְבֵֽנוּ בְּסֵֽפֶר זְכֻיּוֹת:
(נז) אָבִֽינוּ מַלְכֵּֽנוּ
(נח) כָּתְבֵֽנוּ
(נט) בְּסֵֽפֶר סְלִיחָה וּמְחִילָה:
(47) Our Father, our King!
(48) inscribe us in the Book of Good Life.
(49) Our Father, our King!
(50) inscribe us
(51) in the Book of Redemption and Deliverance.
(52) Our Father, our King!
(53) inscribe us
(54) in the Book of Maintenance and Sustenance.
(55) Our Father, our King!
(56) inscribe us in the Book of Merits.
(57) Our Father, our King!
(58) inscribe us
(59) in the Book of Pardon and Forgiveness.
*48. Mishkan HaNefesh (CCAR): "Enter our names in the Book of Lives Well Lived." (YK, p. 114; see also p. 662-64)
(ב) אֱמֶת כִּי אַתָּה הוּא דַּיָּן וּמוֹכִיחַ וְיוֹדֵעַ וָעֵד וְכוֹתֵב וְחוֹתֵם וְסוֹפֵר וּמוֹנֶה וְתִזְכֹּר כָּל הַנִּשְׁכָּחוֹת וְתִפְתַּח אֶת סֵפֶר הַזִּכְרוֹנוֹת וּמֵאֵלָיו יִקָּרֵא וְחוֹתָם יַד כָּל אָדָם בּוֹ
(2) It is true that you are the one who judges, and reproves, who knows all, and bears witness, who inscribes, and seals, who reckons and enumerates. You remember all that is forgotten. You open the book of records (others: "memories"), and from it, all shall be read. In it lies each person's insignia.
(ד) בְּרֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה יִכָּתֵבוּן, וּבְיוֹם צוֹם כִּפּוּר יֵחָתֵמוּן. כַּמָּה יַעַבְרוּן, וְכַמָּה יִבָּרֵאוּן, מִי יִחְיֶה, וּמִי יָמוּת, מִי בְקִצּוֹ, וּמִי לֹא בְּקִצּוֹ, מִי בַמַּיִם, וּמִי בָאֵשׁ, מִי בַחֶרֶב, וּמִי בַחַיָּה, מִי בָרָעָב, וּמִי בַצָּמָא, מִי בָרַעַשׁ, וּמִי בַמַּגֵּפָה, מִי בַחֲנִיקָה, וּמִי בַסְּקִילָה, מִי יָנוּחַ, וּמִי יָנוּעַ, מִי יִשָּׁקֵט, וּמִי יְטֹּרֵף, מִי יִשָּׁלֵו, וּמִי יִתְיַסָּר, מִי יַעֲנִי, וּמִי יַעֲשִׁיר, מִי יֻשְׁפַּל, וּמִי יָרוּם.
וּתְשׁוּבָה וּתְפִלָּה וּצְדָקָה מַעֲבִירִין אֶת רֹעַ הַגְּזֵרָה.
(4) On Rosh Hashanah it is inscribed, and on Yom Kippur it is sealed - how many shall pass away and how many shall be born, who shall live and who shall die, who in good time, and who by an untimely death, who by water and who by fire, who by sword and who by wild beast, who by famine and who by thirst, who by earthquake and who by plague, who by strangulation and who by lapidation, who shall have rest and who wander, who shall be at peace and who pursued, who shall be serene and who tormented, who shall become impoverished and who wealthy, who shall be debased, and who exalted.
But repentance, prayer and righteousness avert the severity of the decree.
Epilogue: Nothing Written or Sealed?
(Mishkan HaNefesh, Yom Kippur, p. 213)
