Merciful are You

Yoḥanan ha-Kohen be-Rabbi Yehoshua

Mid-7th Century

About This Entry

This piyyut, a shiv‘ata, was designated for the night of Yom Kippur. It survives in many Cairo Geniza manuscripts, indicating its popularity. (A shiv‘ata is a series of poems written for an Amidah with seven blessings, such as that recited during the evening service of a festival.) Yohanan ha-Kohen links each of the first six stanzas to biblical characters. The first stanza refers to Abraham, followed by stanzas recalling Isaac, Jacob, Aaron, and Moses. The poem closes with a request that Israel receive atonement on this Yom Kippur. The opening words of each stanza form an acrostic of the verse “Merciful and gracious is the Lord, long tolerant” (“long of face”), “and full of kindness” (Psalms 145:8), an important feature of the Yom Kippur service. A lengthy middle section, beseeching God for forgiveness in the form of an alphabetic acrostic, is omitted here.

Prayer for the Night of Yom Kippur

Merciful are You, and we look forward to Your mercy.
When we come to beseech You, we speak words of supplication.
For the sake of the one [Abraham] who approached to entice You [to mercy], and said:
Behold now, I have taken upon me to speak,1
please forgive our wrongdoing, and may we be strengthened by Your shield.
   Blessed are You O Lord, shield of Abraham.
 
And gracious One, rescue those who pour forth their heart and innards,
and cleanse them very much from iniquity.
For the sake of the one [Isaac] who hastened to be sacrificed
and gave his neck to the sword,
please forgive our sins and bring life-giving dew.
   Blessed are You O Lord, who brings life to the dead.
Lord, seek Your drowning people, to bring them up.
Pass in front of those who are created for You.
For the sake of Your throne, on which he [Jacob] is engraved–
and he prayed at the place, and slept there (Genesis 28:11)–
please forgive the people who sanctify You, to free them today in his merit.
   Blessed are You O Lord, the holy God. [ . . . ]
Long is the quality of Your goodness; rouse it up from Your lair!
Lead with righteousness the people who are fasting.
For the sake of the one [Aaron] who laid on his hands, to recite
confession for the crimes and iniquities,
please forgive the iniquities and heed prayers as if they were burnt-offerings.
   Blessed are You O Lord, who will restore His presence to Zion.
Face–shine it upon2 the ones awaiting Your mercy, O gracious One.
They are gathered to entice You, begging like a pauper.
For the sake of the one [Moses] who called You by name, in supplication,
The Lord, the Lord, merciful and gracious God! (Exodus 34:6),
please forgive our wickedness, and may we acknowledge You with song.
   Blessed are You O Lord, whose name is good, and whom it is good to acknowledge.
And full peace may You plant firmly amid the one who dances in the camp,3
who pours out prayer to you, in speech.
For the sake of the Tishbite and the suffering one,4
because he was afflicted and made to suffer,
please forgive our abominations and answer our cry.
Kindness–may it be kept for those who put their hope in You,
and may the covenant be upheld for those who beseech You.
For the sake of Your kindness, pardon the ones atoned by You.
At all times, they depend on You.
Establish sweet peace, from You.
   Blessed are You O Lord, who makes peace.
Translated by Gabriel Wasserman.

Notes

[Genesis 18:27, where Abraham pleads with God not to destroy Sodom.–Trans.]

[ To “shine Your face” upon people means to treat them with kindness, as in Numbers 6:25: The Lord make His face to shine upon thee.–Tr a n s .]

[I.e., the Jewish people; see Song of Songs 7:1.–Trans.]

[Elijah and the Messiah, respectively.–Trans.]

Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 3: Encountering Christianity and Islam.

Engage with this Source

This piyyut, a shiv‘ata, was designated for the night of Yom Kippur. It survives in many Cairo Geniza manuscripts, indicating its popularity. (A shiv‘ata is a series of poems written for an Amidah with seven blessings, such as that recited during the evening service of a festival.) Yohanan ha-Kohen links each of the first six stanzas to biblical characters. The first stanza refers to Abraham, followed by stanzas recalling Isaac, Jacob, Aaron, and Moses. The poem closes with a request that Israel receive atonement on this Yom Kippur. The opening words of each stanza form an acrostic of the verse “Merciful and gracious is the Lord, long tolerant” (“long of face”), “and full of kindness” (Psalms 145:8), an important feature of the Yom Kippur service. A lengthy middle section, beseeching God for forgiveness in the form of an alphabetic acrostic, is omitted here.

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Early Medieval Liturgical Poetry (Piyyut)

7th to 12th Century
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What is the Cairo Geniza?

10th to 13th Century

The Cairo Geniza collection is one of the most important sources for the history of the Jewish community in premodern Egypt and the entire medieval Mediterranean world.

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