LORD, THINE HUMBLE SERVANTS HEAR
LORD, thine humble servants hear,
Suppliant now before Thee;
Our Father, from Thy children’s plea
Turn not, we implore Thee!
Lord, blot out our evil pride,
All our sins before Thee;
Our Father, for Thy Mercy’s sake,
Pardon, we implore Thee.
Lord, no sacrifice we bring,
Prayers and tears implore Thee;
Our Father, take the gift we lay,
Contrite hearts before Thee.
Lord, Thy sheep have wandered far,
Gather them before Thee;
Our Father, let Thy shepherd’s love
Guide us, we implore Thee.
Lord, forgive and comfort all
That in truth implore Thee;
Our Father, let our evening prayer
Thus find grace before Thee.
R. YEHUDAH.
(Trans. S. Solis-Cohen.)
אֵל נוֹרָא עֲלִילָה
GOD THAT DOEST WONDROUSLY
(NE’ILAH)
GOD, that doest wondrously,
God, that doest wondrously,
Pardon at Thy people’s cry,
As the closing hour draws nigh!
Few are Israel’s sons, and weak;
Thee, in penitence, they seek.
O regard their anguished cry,
As the closing hour draws nigh!
Souls in grief before Thee poured,
Agonize for deed and word;
‘We have sinned. Forgive!’ they cry,
As the closing hour draws nigh!
Heal them! Let their trust in Thee
Turn aside Wrath’s dread decree;
Doom them not, but heed their cry,
As the closing hour draws nigh!
For our Fathers’ righteousness
Save us now in our distress;
Make us glad with freedom’s cry,
As the closing hour draws nigh!
R. MOSHEH.
(Trans. S. Solis-Cohen.)
TABERNACLES
זְמַן שִׂמְחָתֵנוּ
THE divine religion does not urge us to lead an ascetic life, but guides us in the middle path, equidistant from the extremes of too much and too little; it allows free play to every God-given faculty of both body and soul, within the limits drawn by the Divine Hand itself. For certain it is that what we devote to one faculty in excessive measure we withdraw from another faculty, and thus lose the harmony which should pervade our whole life. In general, let me impress this principle upon thy mind: the essence of our whole law is contained in these three things—reverence, love, joy. They are the way to bring us near to God. Thy contrition on the day of fasting is in no wise more pleasing to Him than thy joy on the sabbath or the festival, if so be that thy delight comes from a devout and full heart. Just as prayer requires reflection and devotion, so does joy in God’s commandments and the study of His revelation. Thou must rejoice in the love of Him who gave the Law, being persuaded that the giving thereof was an act of His love towards thee.
YEHUDAH HALEVI, 1141.