A Medieval Version of Samuel’s Confession (Vidui)

The rabbinic tradition requires that all individuals confess their sins as part of the regular Yom Kippur liturgy. The Babylonian Talmud (b. Yoma 87b) offers some details about when and how the confession is recited and includes the wording of the prayer as attributed to several rabbis. The Talmud includes only the initial phrases of the rabbis’ prayers, but more complete versions of the prayers of Rav and Samuel are known from medieval sources. This passage, from a fragment found in the Cairo Geniza, gives the wording of Samuel’s prayer. See also A Medieval Version of Rav’s Confession.