Yom Kippur

(9) Who is like You merciful Father, Who remembers His creatures for life, in His mercy.34Even if we are not worthy of life by virtue of our deeds, inscribe us for life because You are a merciful Father (Siddur Chasidei Ashkenaz).

(4) Remember us for life23Because these are days of judgment and our lives hang in the balance, we pray to Hashem to remember us for life (Rashi, Levush). King, Who desires life;24This 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.’ and inscribe us in the Book of Life,25This refers to the Book in which the righteous are inscribed for life everlasting. for Your sake,26We ask Hashem to grant us life for His sake, i.e., so that we can fulfill His commandments. Living God.

(41) In the book of life, blessing, peace and abundant maintenance, may we be remembered and inscribed before You; we and all Your people, the House of Yisrael for a good life and peace.

(1) This unique and moving prayer is recorded as having been recited by Rabbi Akiva. The Talmud (Taanis 25b) relates that Rabbi Eliezer once stepped down before the Ark and recited the 24 benedictions for fast days and his prayers were not answered. Rabbi Akiva stepped down after him and exclaimed, “Our Father, our King, we have no king except You. Our Father, our King, for Your sake have mercy on us,” and rain fell. This prayer is not recited on Shabbos.

(2) The Ark is opened:

(3) Our Father, our King!148The Jewish People are referred to in Scripture as Hashem’s slaves (Vayikra 25:42), and as His children (Devorim 14:1). Thus we say to Him, “If we are Your children, we beseech You as our Father; if we are Your slaves, we implore You as our Master and King. Contrary to the view that Hashem the Father is so full of love for His children that He permits the wanton breaking of His commandments to go unpunished, Judaism knows that Hashem the King must be feared and His laws must be obeyed. There are times when a father is unable to do what he would like for his children because of physical or financial limitations. On the other hand, a king has the power to do anything for his subjects if he should so desire. We cry out to Hashem—You are our Father and You desire to help us—You are our King and You have the power to help us! we have sinned before You.

(4) Our Father our King! we have no King except You.149Despite our physical banishment and spiritual estrangement—the result of our sins—we still have none other than Hashem to guide our lives and to shape our destiny.

(5) Our Father, our King! deal with us [kindly] for the sake of Your Name.150See Yechezkel 36.

(6) Our Father, our King! renew for us a good year.

(7) Our Father, our King! annul all harsh decrees concerning us.

(8) Our Father, our King! annul the designs of those who hate us.

(9) Our Father, our King! thwart the plans of our enemies.

(10) Our Father, our King! rid us of every oppressor and adversary.

(11) Our Father, our King! close the mouths of our adversaries and our accusers.

(12) Our Father, our King! remove pestilence, sword, famine, captivity, destruction and [the burden of] iniquity from the members of Your covenant.

(13) Our Father, our King! withhold the plague from Your inheritance.

(14) Our Father, our King! forgive and pardon all our iniquities.

(15) Our Father, our King! blot out and remove our transgressions and sins from before Your eyes.

(16) Our Father, our King! erase in Your abundant mercy all records of our liabilities.151Having just asked that our sins be forgiven and that our transgressions be removed from before His eyes, what are we asking for now? Our earlier pleas were for forgiveness of those sins we committed ourselves. But there are sins for which we are held accountable even though we do not commit them ourselves. One possibility is that of watching while others sin when we may have been able to prevent it. (Chazal say כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל עֲרֵבִין זֶה לָזֶה. A guarantor is one who countersigns a debt note, undertaking to pay if the borrower defaults. Thus we ask Hashem to erase all our notes of obligation whether as borrower or guarantor. In all instances He is the Extender of credit.) Thus we beseech Hashem to erase the records of our guilt in those instances.—Siach Yitzchok

(17) Our Father, our King! bring us back in wholehearted152Many repent out of their fear of Hashem. Others repent out of their love for Him. We beseech Hashem to bring us back in “wholehearted” repentance motivated by love, the most perfect form of penitence.—Etz Yosef repentance before You.

(18) Our Father, our King! send complete153We beseech Hashem to heal both the spiritually ill as well as the physically ill. We ask, therefore, for a “complete” healing for the sick among us.—Etz Yosef healing to the sick among Your people.

(19) Our Father, our King! tear up the evil [parts] of our sentence.

(20) Our Father, our King! remember us favorably before You.

(21) Our Father, our King! inscribe us in the Book of Good Life.

(22) Our Father, our King! inscribe us in the Book of Redemption and Deliverance.

(23) Our Father, our King! inscribe us in the Book of Maintenance and Sustenance.

(24) Our Father, our King! inscribe us in the Book of Merits.

(25) Our Father, our King! inscribe us in the Book of Pardon and Forgiveness.

(26) Our Father, our King! cause deliverance to spring forth for us soon.

(27) Our Father, our King! raise up the might of Yisrael Your people.

(28) Our Father, our King! raise up the might of Your anointed.

(29) Our Father, our King! fill our hands with Your blessings.

(30) Our Father, our King! fill our storehouses with abundance.

(31) Our Father, our King! hear our voice, spare us and have compassion upon us.

(32) Our Father, our King! accept our prayer with compassion and favor.

(33) Our Father, our King! open the gates of heaven to our prayer.

(34) Our Father, our King! remember, that we are dust.

(35) Our Father, our King! please do not turn us away empty-handed from You.

(36) Our Father, our King! let this hour be an hour of compassion and a time of favor before You.

(37) Our Father, our King! have compassion upon us, and upon our children and infants.

(38) Our Father, our King! do it for the sake of those who were slain for Your Holy Name.

(39) Our Father, our King! do it for the sake of those who were slaughtered for [proclaiming] Your Unity.

(40) Our Father, our King! do it for the sake of those who went through fire and water for the sanctification of Your Name.

(41) Our Father, our King! avenge the spilled blood of Your servants.

(42) Our Father, our King! do it for Your sake if not for ours.

(43) Our Father, our King! do it for Your sake and deliver us.

(44) Our Father, our King! do it for the sake of Your great mercy.

(45) Our Father, our King! do it for the sake of Your great, mighty, and awesome Name which is proclaimed upon us.

(46) Our Father, our King! favor us and answer us for we have no accomplishments; deal with us charitably and kindly and deliver us.

(47) The Ark is closed:

(48) The following is said responsively:

(49) A Psalm of Dovid: the earth is Adonoy's and the fullness thereof, the inhabited world and those who dwell in it. For He founded it upon the seas, and established it upon rivers. Who may ascend the mountain of Adonoy, and who may stand in the place of His holiness? The clean of hands and the pure of heart, who has not borne My soul in vain, and has not sworn deceitfully. He will bear Adonoy's blessing and righteousness from the God of his deliverance. This is the generation of those who seek Him, the seekers of Your Presence, [God of] Yaakov, selah. Lift up your heads, gates, and be uplifted [you] entranceways to eternity, so that the King of Glory may enter. Who is this King of Glory? Adonoy, strong and mighty; Adonoy, the Mighty One in battle. Lift up your heads, gates, and lift up, entranceways to eternity, so that the King of Glory may enter. Who is He, this King of Glory? Adonoy Tzevaos, He is the King of Glory, selah.

(50) The Chazzan recites the following Kaddish:

(51) Exalted and sanctified be His great Name in the world which He created according to His will; and may He rule His Kingdom in your lifetime and in your days, and in the lifetime of the entire House of Yisrael, speedily and in the near future— and say Amein. May His great Name be blessed forever and for all eternity. Blessed and praised, glorified, and exalted and uplifted, honored and elevated and extolled be the Name of the Holy One, blessed is He; far above all the blessings and hymns, praises and consolations which we utter in the world—and say Amein. May there be acceptance of the prayers and supplications of the entire House of Yisrael before their Father in heaven. And say, Amein. May there be abundant peace from heaven and life for us and for all Yisrael, —and say Amein. He Who makes the peace in His high heavens may He, make peace for us and or all Yisrael, and say, Amein.

(46) We have trespassed [against God and man, and we are devastated by our guilt]; We have betrayed [God and man, we have been ungrateful for the good done to us]; We have stolen; We have slandered. We have caused others to sin; We have caused others to commit sins for which they are called רְשָׁעִים, wicked; We have sinned with malicious intent; We have forcibly taken others' possessions even though we paid for them; We have added falsehood upon falsehood; We have joined with evil individuals or groups; We have given harmful advice; We have deceived; we have mocked; We have rebelled against God and His Torah; We have caused God to be angry with us; We have turned away from God's Torah; We have sinned deliberately; We have been negligent in our performance of the commandments; We have caused our friends grief; We have been stiff-necked, refusing to admit that our suffering is caused by our own sins. We have committed sins for which we are called רָשָׁע, [raising a hand to hit someone]. We have committed sins which are the result of moral corruption; We have committed sins which the Torah refers to as abominations; We have gone astray; We have led others astray.

(50) For the sin we committed before You under compulsion60Even a sin committed under duress needs to be forgiven, because many times a person allows himself to be placed in a predicament in which he is compelled to sin (e.g., leaving the office at a very late hour on the eve of Shabbos or Festival).—Siddur HaGra and willingly.

(51) And for the sin we committed before You by callously hardening the heart.61This would include not giving charity with a whole heart, and not helping a needy fellow Jew.—Siddur HaGra

(52) For the sin we committed before You inadvertently.62The literal meaning of בִּבְלִי דַעַת is “without knowledge,” and it implies not using our intellectual capabilities to study the laws of Torah and therewith gain the “knowledge” needed to observe the commandments properly.—Siddur HaGra

(53) And for the sin we committed before You with an utterance of the lips.63This includes the sins of making vows and oaths (even though they are kept), verbally insulting one’s fellowmen, and directing one’s displeasure against the decrees of Hashem.— Siddur HaGra

(54) For the sin we committed before You openly and secretly.64A sin committed publicly could very well cause חִלוּל ה׳, the desecration of Hashem’s Name, and may also lead others to sin. A sin committed in secret, indicates that the sinner fears the reaction of people but is unafraid of Hashem’s displeasure.—Siddur HaGra

(55) And for the sin we committed before You in sexual immorality.65This also includes such things that arouse desire for forbidden sexual relationships, such as embracing or dancing.—Siddur HaGra

(56) For the sin we committed before You through [misuse of our power of] speech.66This includes speaking the words of Torah in unclean places, cursing, humiliating someone; speaking of business matters on Shabbos, revealing another person’s secret, telling jokes and holding idle conversations in a house of worship (and certainly during the actual prayers) and telling lies.

(57) And for the sin we committed before You with knowledge and with deceit.67This includes false advertising and dishonesty in business matters.—Siddur HaGra

(58) For the sin we committed before You by improper thoughts.68Evil thoughts, lustful thoughts, heretical thoughts, and suspicious thoughts about righteous people are included.—Siddur HaGra

(59) And for the sin we committed before You by cheating a fellow-man.

(60) For the sin we committed before You with [mere] verbal confession.69This refers to confession of sins without feeling regret for committing them and without earnest resolve to correct them in the future.—Siddur HaGra

(61) And for the sin we committed before You by joining in a lewd gathering.70Any gathering or intimate meeting for the purpose of sexual immortality is included.—Siddur HaGra

(62) For the sin we committed before You intentionally and unintentionally.

(63) And for the sin we committed before You by insufficient respect for parents and teachers.71Not obeying their commands, not rising for a talmudic scholar and disrespect for one’s teacher even if he is not considered a “Torah Great” are included.

(64) For the sin we committed before You by using coercion [to harm others].72This includes using physical, political or financial power to harm someone.

(65) And for the sin we committed before You by desecrating the Divine Name.73This involves any sin committed that becomes public knowledge, including improper conduct with one’s fellow man.

(66) For the sin we committed before You with foolish talk.74This refers to idle talk and gossip.

(67) And for the sin we committed before You with impurity of the lips.75This includes profanity and unclean language.

(68) For the sin we committed before You with the Evil Inclination.76When a person allows his Evil Inclination to rule over him, he commits a sin.

(69) And for the sin we committed before You knowingly and unknowingly.77We ask Hashem to pardon us even for sins we are not aware that we committed, and also for such sins through which we caused damage but are not aware of the amount of loss incurred.—Siddur HaGra

(70) And for all of these, God of pardon, pardon us, forgive us, grant us atonement.

(71) For the sin we committed before You by forcing someone to give or take bribes.78A bribe is not limited to money or gifts; it includes flattery or personal favors.— Siddur HaGra

(72) And for the sin we committed before You by false denial and false promise.

(73) For the sin we committed before You by evil talk [slander].79This includes causing a fellow Jew physical, monetary of social harm through passing degrading information about him to another person. It makes no difference whether this is done in his presence or behind his back, or if the information is true or false.—Siddur HaGra

(74) And for the sin we committed before You by scoffing.80Ridicule of a person, a commandment, or guards of Torah are all included in the sin of scoffing.—Siddur HaGra

(75) For the sin we committed before You in business dealings.81This would include overcharging, misrepresenting, false-labeling and all other such deceitful practices.

(76) And for the sin we committed before You in eating and drinking.82Eating forbidden (non-kosher) foods, not saying the proper blessing or grace after meals, over-eating, are included in this sin.—Siddur HaGra

(77) For the sin we committed before You by [taking or giving] interest and by usury.

(78) And for the sin we committed before You by haughtily stretching forth the neck.

(79) For the sin we committed before You with gazing of the eyes.83This refers to using the eyes to gaze at forbidden things.—Siddur HaGra

(80) And for the sin we committed before You by the prattle of our lips.84This includes idle gossip, which is certainly forbidden in the synagogue at all times.

(81) For the sin we committed before You with haughty eyes.

(82) And for the sin we committed before You with impudence.85Speaking “with chutzpah” to Torah scholars, or to someone more learned than himself is included in עַזּוּת מֵצַח.

(83) And for all of these, God of pardon, pardon us, forgive us, grant us atonement.

(84) For the sin we committed before You by throwing off the yoke [of heaven].86Rejecting an obligation to fulfill even a single commandment. Also included is shirking a religious obligation which must then be assumed by someone else.—Siddur HaGra

(85) And for the sin we committed before You in passing judgment.87This includes a “Dayan,” a judge who does not render correct decisions, and it also includes not giving someone the benefit of the doubt.—Siddur HaGra

(86) For the sin we committed before You by entrapping a fellowman.88This includes even attempting to harm someone; even if no harm was actually done, he still needs forgiveness.—Siddur HaGra

(87) And for the sin we committed before You by a begrudging eye.89Not doing a favor, not giving charity properly, and feeling bad at someone else’s success are included.—Siddur HaGra

(88) For the sin we committed before You by lightmindedness.90Lightmindedness or frivolity in the synagogue or Bais Midrash or while wearing tefillin are serious sins.—Siddur HaGra

(89) And for the sin we committed before You by being stiff-necked [stubborn].91Rejecting admonition and “ignoring” punishment are included. Also included is brushing aside illness, financial loss, and humiliation as mere coincidences rather than manifestations of Divine displeasure.—Siddur HaGra

(90) For the sin we committed before You by running to do evil.

(91) And for the sin we committed before You by talebearing.92This refers to carrying tales, even true ones, about one person to another, and the one who listens to these tales is also included in this category of sin.—Siddur HaGra

(92) For the sin we committed before You by swearing in vain.93This includes swearing falsely or even swearing a useless oath.—Siddur HaGra

(93) And for the sin we committed before You by unwarranted hatred.94Hating someone because of jealousy, or because he doesn’t conform to your ideas of ettiquete.

(94) For the sin we committed before You by breach of trust.95Denying that you owe someone a monetary debt when he asks for payment.—Siddur HaGra

(95) And for the sin we committed before You by a confused heart.96This includes sins committed because of confusion, worry or pain, it also includes the sin of harboring doubts about the authenticity of the laws enacted by our Sages, and doubts about the fundamental principles of our faith, such as Divine Providence, reward and punishment, and also doubts about the authenticity of the Torah and the Prophets.—Siddur HaGra