HaShir for High Holydays
Reb Zalman sends these singable texts in English for liturgy of this time of year. Use them when you davenn during this season. Click here to download a word document with all the texts for yourself.
KI HINEH KAHOMER
DIRGE ON AUSCHWITZ
AVINU MALKENU
T’SHUVAH
A SONG FOR RAISING CONSCIOUSNESS PSALM 130
AVOT
MALKHUYOT
SHOFAR
ZIKHRONOT
SHOFROT
ABBA, ABBA HAVE PITY!
VIDDUI
Kavvanah for KOL NIDRE
YOU HOLD OUT A HAND
We are as clay in potter's hand
He does contract, He does expand
So we are Yours to shape at will
We yield to You —
Our passions still.
Like mason shaping rough-hewn stone
We are Your stuff in flesh and bone
You deal with us in death, in life
We yield to You —
please heal our strife.
The smith can shape a blade of steel
Shape the edge and bend the heel
So through life's furnace you temper us
We yield to You —
surrender us.
A boat is steered by helmsman's might
He turns to left, he turns to right
As long as You keep straight our keel
We yield to You —
please make us feel.
As glass is shaped by blower's pipe
And vessels made of every type
So You shape us so we may contain
We yield to You —
in us remain.
As tapestry is formed thread by thread
And color is to texture wed
Our life is woven on Your loom
We yield to You —
save us from doom.
As jewelry is wrought from gold
And silver too is poured in mold
So You our souls have crafted, built
We yield to You —
erase our guilt.
א Alas, how poor are words to state our pain
In remembering the millions slain,
While yet upon our souls the stain
Of standing by while brothers called in vain.
ו Unshriven here we are depressed
As long as somewhere someone is oppressed
As long as the murderers the meek suppressed,
And grieving mothers wail distressed.
ש Shalt Thou, O G-d, not bear Thy guilt this day
For standing by while multitudes in blood did lay,
And silent Thou unmoved didst stay,
Thy covenant to help us didst betray.
ב While millions' lives to ash were turned,
To their last breath Thine intervention yearned,
Still hoping day and night, while all the ovens burned.
Why were our prayers of desperation spurned?
י If Thine own we are, O Lord, then Thou art King
If only by Thy leave occurs each thing,
Then butcher Thou, and we the offering.
Yet who, but Thou, can heal our suffering?
ט The help Thou sendest must renew
All of mankind, not just the Jew
The Arabs and the Russians too
Must be freed, ere peace is true.
צ Send Thine annointed Savior Lord,
To turn to plowshare atom's sword.
May each in Him see One adored
And prophesied by prophet's word.
The days of Judgment are here We tremble with fright and with fear At the sound of the ram's horn The worlds are new born Glad tidings of new hope we hear. Please King our Parent sweet. Approach us and we'll meet. Please lift our face to You in grace Be kind from Your mercy seat. The days. . . Remember us to life Make cease all war and strife May good increase In a world of Peace May death surrender to Life. The days. . . O Lord all this New Year To Your will we shall adhere We pledge in deed Your Law to heed. Your Torah we shall hold dear. The days... Avinu malkenu haneynu va'aneynu ki eyn banu ma'assim.
A year has gone by I say with a sigh O Lord I did not progress. Your Torah not learned, Your Mitzvot not earned, This I am forced to confess. I undertake This to remake My life anew to fashion So help me please From sin to cease And only to You Give my passion. I seek Your light I need your aid. Without Your joy I am afraid. Heal me G-d In body and in soul. Please, good G-d Pour out your blessing That in your sight We'd be progressing. O Lord above Let us feel Your love And perceive You Our souls caressing. May we not be Disappointed In waiting for ben David Annointed. With Your open hand Bless our Holy land And our leaders Whom we have appointed.
A SONG FOR RAISING CONSCIOUSNESS
PSALM 130
From the deepest place in me I call You forth Adonay hear what is in my voice Let Your ear hear the pleading tone If You, Yah, were to watch for sins Oy Adonay — who could stand it? Though You are so generous with pardon We are too scared to seek it. Still I hope Adonay My very soul hopes for it Please send me Your loving word. Among the watchers for the dawn Adonay, am I yearning for Your Grace to end my darkness. Israel looks to You Adonay You are so gracious, Adonay So much do you free us all. Yes, He will definitely free Israel from all its sins.
We worship You Our G-d,
Our parents' G-d, Abraham's G-d,
Isaac's G-d, Jacob's G-d,
Sarah's G-d, Rebecca's G-d,
Leah's G-d, Rachel's G-d
Great, Mighty, Awesome, G-d
Most High G-d.
You nurture us gently.
You possess everything.
You remember how our fathers loved You.
Yes we trust that You will bring redemption
to their children's children
Who chant Your name and love You.
Remember us so we may live
King who wants us to live
Write us into the record of those who live
For Your own sake, You who live!
King, Helper, Savior, Shield.
Barukh Attah Adonay
Protector of Abraham. Amen.
You are powerful with worlds Adonay
What is dead you can make live
You are really capable of helping
You give dew to parched earth and souls.
You feed all life with gentleness
You invigorate bodies with mercy's flow
You support us in falling
You heal us in sickness
You free us from bonds
You keep faith with those now dead.
In Your might no one can compare with You.
You deal out life and death
Yet in all this You make salvation grow.
Who like You is mercy's father
Remembering all sentient life
And in mercy invigorating it.
You are Holy, Your name is Holy
And those who aspire to be holy
Sing your Halleluyah all day.
Each generation surrendered to Your rule.
You alone are Holy and High.
So we pray;
Let Your reputation as Holy One
Surround
Israel Your people
Jerusalem Your city
Zion Your dwelling place
David's royal house
And Your dwelling in our hearts.
Make us sense Your awe
In all that happens.
Your splendor
In all Your creation,
So we all will feel this awe
And with other beings together
Worship You, banding together
As one whole earth
To do your will
With our whole heart in it.
We know You can help us in this.
The power is in Your hand.
The might in Your right arm.
Your Name gives life to all that exists.
Please give dignity to Your people.
To those afraid of You, a song,
To those who seek You, hope
To those who entreat You, the right words
To Your land give joy
To Your city give gladness
To Your Messiah an opportunity to save
And we need these right now.
Tzaddikim will then be overawed and rejoice
The forthright will exult
Hassidim will sing with glee
Evil will be silent
Wickedness will evaporate
For You will remove the reign
Of violence from this planet.
And You alone, You Adonay
Will rule soon over the creation
On Zion's hill in Your Glory's House
In Jerusalem the city of Your holiness
As it is written:
"Adonay will rule this earth
Your Gd will be in charge in Zion
And bridge all generations, Halleluyah!"
How Holy and Awesome You are
Beside You G-d, nothing else exists.
So You rise high in Judgment
But You become exalted in gentleness
Barukh Attah Adonay, Holy King.
We are here by Your choice and ours By Your love and ours To serve You and to renew ourselves And to celebrate this Holy day This remembrance day / Yom Kippur Day This Shofar day / Atonemont Day And to remember to go out of slavery. It was our fault that got us exiled. We did not love enough. We did not share enough. So we cannot celebrate As You would have us celebrate In Your holy plan. But we can give You our love Though even this we need from You. Rebuild in us Your sanctuary So we can again offer ourselves to You In the form of sacrifice, Song and celebration. Therefore we hope Soon to see Your glory revealed Your rule established All flesh serving You All evil turned to good Every tongue singing Your song Every spine bending in worship Every will surrendered to You. So You be the ruler of life Now and always. He saw no ill in Jacob No trouble in Israel The L-rd Adonay with His folk The shofar call of dominion sounding clearly. When all the people gathered Together were the head of Israel The King ruled Yeshurun Adonay is in charge He rules the nations Adonay reigned. Dressed in splendor In strength and power He established earth So it could not be ruined Open the gates of your mind Open the cosmic gates Let the King of Glory enter Adonay well loved and strong Adonay prevailing in the struggle. And your prophets had this to say "So says Adonay Israel's King and Redeemer, 'I am the first I am the last There are no other gods.'" And, "When the helpers Rise to the high point of Zion And judge the hills of Edom Then all dominion Belongs to Adonay." And, "Adonay will be global ruler. That day Adonay will be one and His name ONE." So it is written in Your Torah, "Hear Yisrael Adonay our G-d That Adonay is ONE." G-d Rule over us Over the whole Earth With Your splendor revealed With Your precious glory apparent With Your might all manifest So all sentient beings Can sense You All conscious beings Be conscious of You All souls intuit You As You rule As you pervade As You energize Make us holy Make Your will ours. Make us wise Fill our mind with Your Torah Make us good Fill us with Your goodness Make us glad When we experience You as helper Make us pure Reside in our heart You true G-d Who utters the truth Whose being is Always Barukh Attah Adonay Melekh al kol haaretz meqaddesh Yisrael V'yom hazikaron.
Blast, Break, Shatter, Blast Blast, Break, Blast Blast, Shatter, Blast The world is conceived Afresh this day All beings can place themselves And relate to G-d As children, as slaves If we can become children Your pity, Father, will womb us If we can surrender And offer our will Like slaves We are dependent on you And wait for grace For light in the judgment For holiness in awe. Our lips bouquet Of prayers gleaned May please You G-d uplifted You scan and hear You mind and care The shofar's sound has reached You We hope you like Our prayer, our rite, Our celebration of Your Kingdom. Our celebration of Your Remembering. Our celebration of Your Shofar.
You remember
How You made the worlds
How you conceived
the beings before
they were shaped
Everything hidden
is manifest to You
Even the masses of mysteries
which were secrets
when You began.
Where You sit
there is no forgetting
Where You look
No thing can hide
You even remember all that
went into making action
and that which was formed
is not with-held from you.
The all is open
The all is known to You
as you scan and check
to the ends of time.
So You bring memories back
engraved in awareness
conceiving each spirit
each breath, each soul.
So the endless actions
are shown in the mind
the countless creatures
arise in thought.
Right from the start
You made it known
from within You revealed this.
Today
is the very first day
of your
Actualization
Just as it was
You can recall
the first day.
This is the ground rule
for Israel
for him who struggles with G-d
Jacob and his G-d
judge one another.
Of governments it is said
today;
This one
will have violence
this one peace
this one will have famine
this one will have surplus
all beings are conceived
either as alive
or dead.
Is there anyone
who is not remembered
today?
Every shape appears before you
each person's karma
and its results —
the plots of each man's drama
and the steps he takes
to play his role.
Man's thoughts and his schemes
and the drives
which move him.
Happy is the person
who does not forget You
and a human being that is strong
in You.
Those who seek You
do not stumble
Never are those who trust You
disappointed.
Each memory floats before You
as You follow each man's destiny.
Even Noah
You remember with love
So that when You brought
the flood waters
he would be protected,
pitied and saved
even though,
due to their misdeeds
the others were destroyed.
Remember him please
and us who are his children
You did promise him
to increase his seed
like the dust of the earth,
like the sands of the sea.
So the Torah states
"G-d kept remembering Noah
and all the beasts,
all the cattle
that were with him
in the ark."
"G-d calmed the storm
and the water was stilled'
And in Egypt You remembered,
And G-d heard their whimpering
And G-d remembered his pact
with Abraham
with Isaac
with Jacob."
And even after a holocaust
You promised
"I will remember my pact
with Jacob,
my pact with Isaac
and my pact with Abraham
I will remember
and the land I will remember too"
You promise to remember
You repeated again and again,
And You sent us word through
Your prophets,
"Go out!
Call out!
so that Jerusalem's ear
will hear it.
Say to them
G-d said
I remember
How you loved me
when we both were young.
Our love was a honeymoon.
You followed me into the desert,
a wasteland,
a land where the nothing grows.'
and
Ephrayim
my lovechild,
my precious son,
I talk to you
as I always do when I think of you
and my guts hum,
I womb you
in compassion,
My word
as I am G-d!"
Our G-d, our parents' G-d
remember us
among your good memories
and conceive for us
a compassionate redemption
sent down from the eastern sky.
Remember for us
the pact
the oath
the promise
You made to Abraham
on Moriah's heights.
Look again
at the binding,
when Abraham bound his son
on the altar,
how he conquered his pity
to do what you wanted him to do
and he did this wholeheartedly.
So too You
get hold of Your pity
and let it conquer Your anger
so that with the great goodness
in You
Your anger will be turned off
from Your people
Your heritage
Your dwelling place.
Keep for us the promise
You sent us through Moses
In Your glorious name,
"And I will remember
the pact with those who came first
whom I took out of Egypt
in sight of all the nations
so that I can G-d them
I am Adonay."
You do remember
what others forget
always You do.
Where You sit there is
no forgetting.
So do be mindful today
of the binding of Isaac
to benefit his children
this very day
Barukh Attah Adonay
Zokher habrith.
You were uncovered by the cloud of Your splendor hovering on your people just to talk with them. From the very heaven You made them hear Your voice and in the midst of the misty clarity there You were manifest. The whole cosmos became hollow to contain You, As the creatures of the beginning Shivered into life at Your breath. That moment You made Your majesty appear on the height of Sinai. You taught Your people Torah and Mitzvot All the while You made them hear The beauty of Your call which they contain. Your holiness spoke clearly in their consuming fervor. Thunder and lightening made You manifest and the sound of the Shofar heralded Your coming So the Torah "It was the third day Just as dawn broke Thunder and lightening and the cloud heavy on the mount The Shofar's sound keeps blasting away The people in the encampment all felt the throbbing." And further "As the Shofar blasted away Moses would speak and the G-d in the voice would answer." And further, "All the people see what is heard, the auras in flame, the Shofar's blasting, the mountain's smoking. The people respected this they were moved. They stood from afar The psalmist sang of this, was raised high in the shattering sound Adonay Himself in the Shofar's sound. So we respond, "With trumpets and the Shofars let us shout to be closer to the King Adonay." And further, Blow the Shofar on the new moon when the feasting is still hidden. This is the way is must be For Israel The G-d of Jacob judges in Libra." And yet more. Halleluyah Praise Him in his holiness Halleluyah Praise Him in His firm strength Halleluyah Praise Him in His might Halleluyah Praise Him according to His many graces Halleluyah Praise Him with the blast of the Shofar Halleluyah Praise Him with strings and harps Halleluyah Praise Him with drum and dance Halleluyah Praise Him with every instrument with every organ Halleluyah Praise Him with the ringing sound Halleluyah Praise Him with the blasting sound Halleluyah Praise Him with every breath Halleluyah Kol Han'shamah t'hallel Yah Halleluyah. The message of Your prophets reached us saying, "All beings in space and those who live on Earth, listen. When the mystery is raised to awareness when what is high becomes visible You will hear it clearly like the Shofar's blasts. And then, It will really happen on that special day. The great shofar will vibrate the Sound and they will all come those lost in Ashur those outcast in Egypt and they will bow in worship To Adonay on the holy mountain in Jerusalem." And then, "Adonay will be visible coming out like an arrow of lightning. Adonay Elokim will blast the Shofar. in the storms of Yemen. Adonay Tz'va'ot will protect them." Please protect Your people G-d with Your peace. Our G-d Parents' G-d free us as You sound the great Shofar. Raise us to amazement so we become recollected from our estrangement. Gather together our scattered ones from amidst the nations, our strayed ones from the ends of the earth. Bring us to Zion Your city in song, to Jerusalem Your sanctuary with a joy that lasts, a joy in which all can join. There we will offer ourselves as we come closer to You and give You our love. Moses in Your name commanded us "On days you are happy when you meet one another blast on trumpets get high offer the peace and it will all make you remember the face of Your G-d. I am Adonay Your G-d. You sure hear the Shofar's sound You give ear to hear where we are broken. There is no one like You at all. Barukh Attah Adonay Shome'a kol tru'at Amo Yisrael b'rahamim. Amen. (Conclude here with your own private prayer.)
Said the Baal Shem Tov Tekiah — a simple scream Abba, Abba have pity! Abba, Abba, save! And this simple scream needs no words, no further modulation, only to scream so as to unite with the sound of Creation and the thunder of Revelation and the calling of Redemption The great AMEN. Tekiah is the name and the grace of Abraham. He is kind and warm and gentle. Shevarim is the name Elohim, and the terror of Isaac, his sighs at the binding on the altar. He is afraid yet wants to take our place in the rigors of the judgment. And Teruah is Jacob, all broken into tribes, his weeping for Rachel, for Joseph, for Dinah, for Shimon; His blessing for which he had to risk so much yet also the Compassion of Yhwh. Grace-Rigors — Mercy-Grace Grace-Rigors Grace Grace-Mercy — Boundless Grace All begins and ends in grace Thus in the deepest, least verbal way the ear can hear the heart can be at one the innards are stirred and together they scream. Abba, Abba take pity! Abba, Abba save! So we scream as loud as we can and echo the shofar in a way no one but G-d can hear Abba, Abba pity, save!
Ribono shel olam, I hereby forgive Whoever has hurt me, And whoever has done me any wrong: Whether he did it deliberately Or by accident, Whether he did it by word or by deed In this incarnation or in previous ones: May no one be punished on my account. May it be Your will, O Lord my G-d G-d of my parents, That I sin no more, That I do not revert to my old ways. That I do not anger You any more with my actions, And that I do not do that which is evil in Your sight. Wipe away the sins that I have committed With Your great compassion But not through sickness or suffering. May these words of my mouth And the prayers that are in my heart Be acceptable before You. O Lord. My Rock and my Redeemer.
Before we begin to atone for last year, we make clear that we know how we vow. Our word to keep we mean indeed which we give when we want to bribe G-d with good deeds. So we state that next year we will with less fear live our weakness and strength as it flows. No more vows, no more bribes. No more oaths will we pledge. And if in weakness we vow we do void them right now so that freely we see G-d and Man. By consent of this group gathered here in this space and consent of the powers on high; we will share in this prayer and admit we were wrong all together and apart you and I. A light which transcends all limits and bounds is sown in our hearts at this time. Thus the Tzaddik in us can rejoice and be glad and burst forth from our eyes now and shine!
To those who rebel, You hold out a conciliatory hand. Your Grace helps those who wish to turn. In this way You taught us Adonay Our G-d, to admit and confess to You our failings, our sins, our shortcomings. You want us to refrain from taking what is not ours, what others have worked for. You wait for us and will accept us when we offer our egos, like fervent offerings, like pleasing sacrifices. In this way Your word is upheld, Your hope is fulfilled. In this way we can again turn to you afresh and with a united heart do Your will and live Your law. And You in Your great mercy take pity on us You don't want this world destroyed as it is written: "Seek Adonay In the place where He can be found, call Him because He is so near." And further, "Wicked one leave your ways Man give up your sinful schemes Turn to Adonay He will have pity to Elohim for He will pardon again and again." Were we to have to offer real sacrifices they would be beyond number, so heavy is our guilt, so great is our debt. You know well, and we do too, that our end is disappointment worm and gall, our failures so vast and our achievements so small. So you grant us pardon time and again, let us start anew and give us chance after chance. Even then our kindness is puny our righteousness a pose, our strength a gesture our heroics an act. Yet you chose man and in separating him from other creatures because of his consciousness You gave him to see what it means to stand upright before You. Who can tell You what to do? What do we give You when we are right? Still You gave us this Yom Kippur This forgiving day, this time of holy evocation. You call an end to our sins, when you forgive them, when you pardon us and in this way free us from our Karma. So now we come G-d of Pardon Kind One Merciful One Patient One Gracious One Honest One Beneficient One You want the wicked to turn and not to die You said: "Tell them, As I live," said Adonay Elohim, "I don't want the wicked to die I want him to come to Me and leave his former way I so want him to live a full life. House of Israel Turn, Turn, Turn! Leave your bad ways Please don't seek death." Yes indeed You are Israel's pardoner You do this for every generation No other will do this for us. Elohay before I was created I was not much And now that I am created I am not much more If I am a clod while in this life how much more so am I dust when I will be dead. I stand before You like a vessel filled with shame and remorse. Please help me G-d I don't want to sin ever again and that which I incurred with my past sins blot out with Your mercy and not with the bad consequences I deserved. I don't want to be sick, I don't want more suffering, I want your kindness.