Yom Kippur - Ne’ilah (2nd Night)
Introduction -
The last service of the Day of Atonement is known as the Ne’ilah, short for Ne’ilat She’arim, “Closing of the Gates.” The theme that the gates are closing and the day is fading into dusk gives the exhausted people renewed strength to offer their prayers with upmost reverence and fervor. Although the gates of repentance are always open, this allegory challenges us at this season to turn to self-scrutiny, to make amends for all wrongs, and to become imbued with the earnest resolve to seek the righteousness of Messiah Yeshua throughout the year.
Opening Prayer -
Blessed are You, O LORD our God, King of the universe, who with Your word brings on the evening twilight, and with Your wisdom opens the gates of the heavens. With understanding You order the cycles of time and vary the seasons, setting the stars in their courses in the sky, according to Your will.
You create day and night, rolling away the light from before the darkness, and the darkness from before the light. By Your will the day passes into night; the LORD of creation is Your name. O ever living God, may you rule over us to all eternity. Blessed are You, O LORD, who brings on the evening twilight.
Shema -
All:
שְׂמַ֖ע יִשְׂרָאֵל, יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵינוּ, יְהוָ֥ה אֶחָֽד
ברוּךְ שֵׁם כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד
Shema Yisrael, Adonai Eloheynu, Adonai Echad
Baruch Shem kavod, malchuto l’olam va’ed
Hear O Israel, The LORD God, the LORD is One
Blessed be His glorious Name, His Kingdom is forever and ever. Amen
יהוה הוא האלֹהיםּ
Adonai Hu ha-Elohim
The LORD, He is God.
Reading of the book of Jonah
Leader:
1.
The word of ADONAI came to Yonah the son of Amitai:“ Set out for the great city of Ninveh, and proclaim to it that their wickedness has come to my attention.” But Yonah, in order to get away from ADONAI, prepared to escape to Tarshish. He went down to Yafo, found a ship headed for Tarshish, paid the fare and went aboard, intending to travel with them to Tarshish and get away from ADONAI.
However, ADONAI let loose over the sea a violent wind, which created such stormy conditions that the ship threatened to break to pieces. The sailors were frightened, and each cried out to his god. They threw the cargo overboard to make the ship easier for them to control.
Meanwhile, Yonah had gone down below into the hold, where he lay, fast asleep. The ship’s captain found him and said to him, “What do you mean by sleeping? Get up! Call on your god! Maybe the god will remember us, and we won’t die.”
Then they said to each other, “Come, let’s draw lots to find out who is to blame for this calamity.” They drew lots, and Yonah was singled out. They said to him, “Tell us now, why has this calamity come upon us? What work do you do? Where are you from? What is your country? Which is your people?”
He answered them, “I am a Hebrew; and I fear ADONAI, the God of heaven, who made both the sea and the dry land.”At this the men grew very afraid and said to him, “What is this that you have done?” For the men knew he was trying to get away from ADONAI, since he had told them.
They asked him, “What should we do to you, so that the sea will be calm for us?” — for the sea was getting rougher all the time.
“Pick me up,” he told them, “and throw me into the sea. Then the sea will be calm for you; because I know it’s my fault that this terrible storm has come over you.”Nevertheless, the men rowed hard, trying to reach the shore. But they couldn’t, because the sea kept growing wilder against them.
Finally they cried to ADONAI, “Please, ADONAI, please! Don’t let us perish for causing the death of this man, and don’t hold us to account for shedding innocent blood; because you, ADONAI, have done what you saw fit.”
Then they picked up Yonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea stopped raging. Seized with great fear of ADONAI, they offered a sacrifice to ADONAI and made vows.
2.
ADONAI prepared a huge fish to swallow Yonah, and Yonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights. From the belly of the fish Yonah prayed to ADONAI his God;
he said, “Out of my distress I called to ADONAI, and he answered me; from the belly of Sh’ol I cried, and you heard my voice.
For you threw me into the deep, into the heart of the seas; and the flood enveloped me; all your surging waves passed over me.
I thought, ‘I have been banished from your sight.’ But I will again look at your holy temple.
The water surrounded me, threatened my life; the deep closed over me, seaweed twined around my head.
I was going down to the bottoms of the mountains, to a land whose bars would close me in forever; but you brought me up alive from the pit, ADONAI, my God!
As my life was ebbing away, I remembered ADONAI; and my prayer came into you, into your holy temple.
“Those who worship vain idols give up their source of mercy; but I, speaking my thanks aloud, will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed, I will pay. Salvation comes from ADONAI!”
Then ADONAI spoke to the fish, and it vomited Yonah out onto dry land.
3.
The word of ADONAI came to Yonah a second time: “Set out for the great city of Ninveh, and proclaim to it the message I will give you.”
So Yonah set out and went to Nineveh, as ADONAI had said. Now Ninveh was such a large city that it took three days just to cross it.
Yonah began his entry into the city and had finished only his first day of proclaiming, ‘In forty days Ninveh will be overthrown,’ when the people of Ninveh believed God.
They proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least.
When the news reached the king of Ninveh, he got up from his throne, took off his robe, put on sackcloth and sat in ashes.
He then had this proclamation made throughout Ninveh: “By decree of the king and his nobles, no person or animal, herd or flock, is to put anything in his mouth; they are neither to eat nor drink water. They must be covered with sackcloth, both people and animals; and they are to cry out to God with all their might — let each of them turn from his evil way and from the violence they practice. Who knows? Maybe God will change his mind, relent and turn from his fierce anger; and then we won’t perish.”
When God saw by their deeds that they had turned from their evil way, he relented and did not bring on them the punishment he had threatened.
4.
But this was very displeasing to Yonah, and he became angry. He prayed to ADONAI, “Now, ADONAI, didn’t I say this would happen, when I was still in my own country? That’s why I tried to get away to Tarshish ahead of time! I knew you were a God who is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in grace, and that you relent from inflicting punishment. Therefore, ADONAI, please, just take my life away from me; it’s better for me to be dead than alive!”
ADONAI asked, “Is it right for you to be so angry?”Yonah left the city and found a place east of the city, where he made himself a shelter and sat down under it, in its shade, to see what would happen to the city.
ADONAI, God, prepared a castor-bean plant and made it grow up over Yonah to shade his head and relieve his discomfort. So Yonah was delighted with the castor-bean plant. But at dawn the next day God prepared a worm, which attacked the castor-bean plant, so that it dried up.
Then, when the sun rose, God prepared a scorching east wind; and the sun beat down on Yonah’s head so hard that he grew faint and begged that he could die, saying, “I would be better off dead than alive.”
God asked Yonah, “Is it right for you to be so angry about the castor-bean plant?”
He answered, “Yes, it’s right for me to be so angry that I could die!”
ADONAI said, “You’re concerned over the castor-bean plant, which cost you no effort; you didn’t make it grow; it came up in a night and perished in a night.So shouldn’t I be concerned about the great city of Ninveh, in which there are more than 120,000 people who don’t know their right hand from their left — not to mention all the animals?”
Leader:
Open the gate for us, even at the closing of the gate, for the day is nearly over.
The day is passing, the sun goes down and is vanishing.
All:
O let us come and enter into Your gates.
Leader:
We pray to You, O God, forgive and pardon us; have pity and mercy,
Grant us atonement in the name of Yeshua to overcome sin and iniquity.
All:
The LORD is a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger,
Abundant in goodness and truth; kind to thousands; and forgiving our sins.
Leader:
O pardon our wrongdoings, accept us as Your children, worthy of Your Torah.
As a father has mercy upon his children, so, God our Father, have mercy upon us.
Forgive, we pray To You, the sins of Your people.
For You have forgiven this people from the day of Egypt until now.
And it is written “And the LORD said to Moses, ‘I have forgiven according to your plea.’”
All:
Have mercy, we pray, on the congregation of Israel and on the nations.
Forgive and pardon them and save us, O God, our Protector.
Leader:
Open the gates of heaven, and open Your goodly inheritance for us; do not delay in forgiving us: help us, O God, our Deliverer. O God and God of our fathers, forgive us, pardon us, and grant us atonement.
All:
We beseech You, O God, forgive, pardon, condone; have pity and compassion; grant us atonement, and subdue our sin and iniquity.
Leader:
As the sun sets in the western skies and the day dissolves into twilight, we pray,
O Father, uplift our depressed hearts and strengthen us with the comforting solace of Your presence.
All:
Our Father, our King,
Leader:
Grant our supplication for Your sake, if not for ours.
All:
Our Father, our King,
Leader:
Accept our prayer for Your sake and save us.
All: Our Father, our King,
Leader:
Do this for the sake of Your abundant mercies.
All: Our Father, our King,
Leader:
Do it for the sake of Your great, mighty and revered name.
All: Our Father, our King,
Leader:
Be gracious unto us and answer us; for lo, we are unworthy; deal with us in charity and loving-kindness and save us.
AMIDAH - All Stand - Moment of Silent Prayer
All:
אֲדֺני שְפָתַי תּפְתָּח וּפי יַגּיד תְּהלָּתֶךָ
Adonai sefatai tiftach ufi yagid tehilatecha
Adonai, open up my lips that my mouth may declare Your praise (Psalm 51:15).
בּרוּךְ אַתָּה יהוה אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ
Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu v’elohei avoteinu
Leader:
Blessed are You, O LORD our God and God of our fathers,
God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, the great, mighty and awesome God, the most high God,
Who bestows grace and creates all, and remembers the kindness of the Fathers, and brings [the] Redeemer [Yeshua] to their children’s children,
for His name’s sake with love.
O King, Helper, Savior and Shield,
All:
ׇ בּרוּךְ אַתָּה יהוה מָגֵן אַבְרָהָם
Baruch atah Adonai, magen Avraham
Blessed are You, O LORD, Shield of Abraham.
Leader:
Remember us unto life, O King who delights in life, and inscribe us in the Book of Life so that we may live worthily for your sake,
O God of life. O King, Helper, Redeemer and Shield, blessed are you, O LORD, Shield of Abraham.
Gibbor (Might) גִּבֹּ֖ר
You are eternally mighty, my Lord, the Resurrecter of the dead are You; great in salvation.
Who sustains the living with kindness, resurrects the dead with great mercy, supports the fallen, heals the sick, releases the confined, and keeps His faith to those asleep in the dust.
Who is like You, O Master of mighty deeds, and who is comparable to You, O King who causes death and restores life and makes salvation sprout?
You [Who resurrected Yeshua] are faithful to resurrect the dead.
All:
ׇ בּרוּךְ אַתָּה יהוה מְחַיֵּה הַמֵתִים
Baruch atah Adonai, mechaiyeh hametim
Blessed are You, O LORD, Who resurrects the dead.
Leader:
Our God and God of our fathers, remember us and accept us as you remember our fathers, Jerusalem your holy city,
all that you have called to be your chosen people, through whom you bring redemption from sin,
deliverance, well-being, grace, faithful love, mercy, life and peace on this Day of Atonement.
All:
Remember us, O LORD our God, for good and a life of blessing.
According to your promise of salvation and mercy, spare us and be gracious to us;
have compassion on us and deliver us.
Leader:
Our God and God of our fathers, in times of old you pardoned our iniquities on this Day of Atonement.
Now in the present day, you remove our transgression as written in Scripture;
I, even I Am He, that blots out your transgressions for My own sake.
I have blotted out as a cloud your transgressions, and as a mist, your sins; return to Me for I have redeemed you.
For on this day shall atonement be made for you, to cleanse you; from all your sins shall you be clean before the LORD.
Daniel 9:3-19
Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.
And I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession, and said:
All:
“O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him,
and with those who keep His commandments,
we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled,
even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments.
Leader:
Neither have we heeded Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings and our princes, to our fathers and all the people of the land.
O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face, as it is this day–to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those near and those far off in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of the unfaithfulness which they have committed against You.
All:
O Lord, to us belong shame of face, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You.
Leader:
To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him.
We have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets.
All:
Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law, and has departed so as not to obey Your voice;
therefore the curse and the oath written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against Him.
Leader:
And He has confirmed His words, which He spoke against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us a great disaster;
for under the whole heaven such has never been done as what has been done to Jerusalem.
As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us;
yet we have not made our prayer before the LORD our God,
that we might turn from our iniquities and understand Your truth.
Therefore the LORD has kept the disaster in mind, and brought it upon us;
for the LORD our God is righteous in all the works which He does, though we have not obeyed His voice.
And now, O Lord our God, who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and made Yourself a name, as it is this day
All:
we have sinned, we have done wickedly!
Leader:
O Lord, according to all Your righteousness, I pray,
let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain;
because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are a reproach to all those around us.
Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications,
and for the Lord’s sake cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate.
O my God, incline Your ear and hear;
open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name;
All:
for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies.
O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act!
Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”
Leader:
Our God and God of our fathers, may Israel be remembered for loving-kindness and mercy, life and peace;
may Zion be remembered for deliverance and well-being on this Day of Atonement.
Remember us, O LORD our God for our good, and be mindful of us for a life of blessing.
All:
In accordance with Your promise of salvation and mercy, spare us and be gracious unto us, have compassion upon us and save us.
Unto You have we lifted our eyes for You are a gracious and merciful God and King.
Leader:
Our God and God of our fathers, sanctify us by the sacrifice of Yeshua,
and grant us our portion in your Torah;
Satisfy us with your goodness, and gladden us with your salvation.
All:
Our God and God of our fathers, forgive us, pardon us, and grant us atonement.
Leader: For we are Your people,
All: and You're our God;
We are Your children,
All: and You're our Father.
We are Your servants,
All: and You're our Master;
We are Your congregation,
All: and You're our Portion.
We are Your inheritance,
All: and You're our Lot;
We are Your flock,
All: and You're our Shepherd.
We are Your vineyard,
All: and You're our Keeper;
We are Your work,
All: and You're our Creator.
We are Your faithful,
All: and You're our Beloved;
We are Your loyal ones,
All: and You're our LORD.
We are Your subjects,
All: and You're our King,
We are Your devoted people,
All: and You're our exalted God.
Leader:
We are insolent, but You are merciful and compassionate. We are obstinate, but You are long-suffering.
We are burdened by our sins, but You are abounding in mercy.
As for us, our days are like a passing shadow; but You are immutable, and Your years never-ending.
All:
Our God and God of our fathers, may our prayers come before You.
Hide not Yourself from our supplication for we are neither so arrogant nor so hardened as to say before You,
O LORD our God and God of our fathers, “we are righteous and have not sinned”; verily we have sinned.
Leader:
Your name is Merciful God! Your name is Gracious God!
We are called by Your name.
O LORD, forgive us and be with us for the sake of Your name, Your truth, Your covenant, Your greatness and Your majesty.
All:
Our God and God of our fathers, forgive us for the sake of Your splendor, Your mystery,
Your strength, Your excellence, Your righteousness, Your holiness,
Your abundant mercy, Your divine presence and Your praise.
Leader:
Our God and God of our fathers, deal kindly with us for the sake of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Moses and Aaron, David and Solomon, Your loving disciples;
and for Jerusalem’s sake, Your holy city; for Zion’s sake, the tabernacle of Your glory; for the sake of the desolation of Your Temple and of the ruins of Your altars.
All:
Forgive us for the sake of the blood of Your servants which has been poured forth;
for the sake of those who have been slain for Your holy name, who have been slaughtered for Your unity;
who went through fire and through water for the sanctification of Your name.
Leader & Congregation Alternate:
On this day do You strengthen us.
All: Amen
On this day do You bless us.
All: Amen
On this day do You inspire us.
All: Amen
On this day do You remember us for good.
All: Amen
On this day do You hear our cry.
All: Amen
On this day do You inscribe us for a good life.
All: Amen
On this day do You accept our prayer in mercy.
All: Amen
On this day do You support us with Your righteous hand.
All: Amen
On this day do You forgive our wrong doing.
All: Amen
Leader:
Our God and God of our fathers, bless us with the three-fold blessing written in the Torah of Moses, Your servant, and spoken by Aaron and his descendants, Your consecrated priests:
Leader:
May the LORD bless you and keep you
All:
So may it be His will
Leader:
May the LORD make His countenance
To shine upon you and be gracious unto you.
All:
So may it be His will
Leader:
May the LORD turn His countenance unto you and give you peace
All:
So may it be His will
Leader:
Blessed are you O LORD our God, King of the Universe who pardons and forgives our iniquities,
who casts our transgressions into the depths of the sea and separates them from us as far as the east is from the west.
Blessed are You, O LORD our God, who forgives our wickedness and remembers our sin no more.
May our prayer come before You. Hide not Yourself from our supplication, for we are neither so arrogant nor so hardened,
as to say before You, O LORD our God and God of our fathers:
All:
“we are righteous and have not sinned”;
verily we have sinned.
Leader:
Our Father, grant peace and well-being, blessing and grace, loving-kindness and mercy unto us and unto all Israel, Your people.
All:
Bless us, O our Father, all of us together, with the light of Your presence; for by that light You have given us,
Leader:
O LORD our God, the Torah of life, Your son Yeshua the promised Messiah,
with loving-kindness and righteousness, blessing and mercy, life and peace.
All:
O may it be good in Your sight at all times to bless us, and all Your children with Your peace.
Leader:
בְסֵפֶר חַיִּים, בְּרָכָה וְשָׁלוֹם
וּפַרְנָסָה טוֹבָה וִישׁוּעָה וְנֶחָמָה,
וּגְזֵרוֹת טוֹבוֹת, נִזָּכֵר וְנִכָּתֵב לְפָנֶיךָ,
אֲנַחְנוּ וְכָל-עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל,
לְחַיִּים טוֹבִים וּלְשָׁלוֹם.
B'sefer chayim, bracha veshalom
upharnasa tova vishuah venechamah
u'gzerot tovot, nizacher v'nikatev lefaneycha
Anachnu v'chol amcha beit Israel
lechayim tovim uleshalom.
In the book of life, blessing and peace,
And a good livelihood and salvation and comfort,
And good deeds,
remember and be written before you,
We and all your people, O house of Israel,
For a good life and peace.
All:
O seal all the children of Your covenant for a good life.
Leader:
From Your house, O God of love, we shall soon return to our homes and our daily tasks.
Protect our beloved and bless them with the spirit of Your loving-kindness.
May no word or act of ours dishonor them nor shatter the faith that they repose in us.
All:
Give us strength to overcome our weakness and fill us with compassion that we may bring cheer into darkened lives.
Be with us wherever we go and do bless the work of our hands.
Leader:
May we retain during the coming year the importance of these holy days,
else our prayers will have been in vain and we shall have offered nothing more than the mere service of our lips.
May the inspiration of this sacred season now drawing to a close provoke us to greater loyalty and devotion
to our community, to Biblical learning, to our People, to Zion, to Your Torah,
and to Yeshua the promised Messiah who is our hope, our strength and our salvation.
All:
May it stimulate in us an increased zeal for the commonwealth of Israel,
for the welfare of our community, and for The Land of our forefathers.
Leader: As the peace and silence of night envelop Your earth, may Your blessings of peace spread over us all.
Affirmation of Faith
Leader:
At the time of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet approached the altar and said,
LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel,
Today let it be known that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that at Your word I have done all these things.
Answer me, LORD! Answer me so that this people will know that You, O LORD, are God and that You have turned their hearts back.
Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.
When the people saw it, they fell facedown and said:
All:
יהוה הוא האלֹהיםּ
Adonai Hu ha-Elohim
The LORD, He is God!
The LORD, He is God!
The LORD, He is God!
Benediction
Leader:
God of our fathers, Almighty God!
As we go forth from Your sacred House,
Back to our homes and the ones we love,
Back to our tasks that tomorrow brings,
All:
Grant us forgiveness, O God of love.
Humbly we pray in the gathering dusk,
Bless us, O LORD, with a year of life,
Leader:
Health and achievement and heart’s content,
Hope and abundance and wise pursuits.
Peace and tranquility send to our land,
All:
Peace for all Israel and all mankind.
Sounding of the Shofar
Tekiah G’dolah
Leader:
לשָׁנָה הַבָאָה בִּירוּשָלַיִם הַבְּנוּיָה
L’shanah ha-ba-ah bi-ru-sha-layim
Next Year in Jerusalem!
Go, eat your bread with pleasure, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart, for God has already accepted your works. Ecc 9:7
The last service of the Day of Atonement is known as the Ne’ilah, short for Ne’ilat She’arim, “Closing of the Gates.” The theme that the gates are closing and the day is fading into dusk gives the exhausted people renewed strength to offer their prayers with upmost reverence and fervor. Although the gates of repentance are always open, this allegory challenges us at this season to turn to self-scrutiny, to make amends for all wrongs, and to become imbued with the earnest resolve to seek the righteousness of Messiah Yeshua throughout the year.
Opening Prayer -
Blessed are You, O LORD our God, King of the universe, who with Your word brings on the evening twilight, and with Your wisdom opens the gates of the heavens. With understanding You order the cycles of time and vary the seasons, setting the stars in their courses in the sky, according to Your will.
You create day and night, rolling away the light from before the darkness, and the darkness from before the light. By Your will the day passes into night; the LORD of creation is Your name. O ever living God, may you rule over us to all eternity. Blessed are You, O LORD, who brings on the evening twilight.
Shema -
All:
שְׂמַ֖ע יִשְׂרָאֵל, יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵינוּ, יְהוָ֥ה אֶחָֽד
ברוּךְ שֵׁם כְּבוֹד מַלְכוּתוֹ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד
Shema Yisrael, Adonai Eloheynu, Adonai Echad
Baruch Shem kavod, malchuto l’olam va’ed
Hear O Israel, The LORD God, the LORD is One
Blessed be His glorious Name, His Kingdom is forever and ever. Amen
יהוה הוא האלֹהיםּ
Adonai Hu ha-Elohim
The LORD, He is God.
Reading of the book of Jonah
Leader:
1.
The word of ADONAI came to Yonah the son of Amitai:“ Set out for the great city of Ninveh, and proclaim to it that their wickedness has come to my attention.” But Yonah, in order to get away from ADONAI, prepared to escape to Tarshish. He went down to Yafo, found a ship headed for Tarshish, paid the fare and went aboard, intending to travel with them to Tarshish and get away from ADONAI.
However, ADONAI let loose over the sea a violent wind, which created such stormy conditions that the ship threatened to break to pieces. The sailors were frightened, and each cried out to his god. They threw the cargo overboard to make the ship easier for them to control.
Meanwhile, Yonah had gone down below into the hold, where he lay, fast asleep. The ship’s captain found him and said to him, “What do you mean by sleeping? Get up! Call on your god! Maybe the god will remember us, and we won’t die.”
Then they said to each other, “Come, let’s draw lots to find out who is to blame for this calamity.” They drew lots, and Yonah was singled out. They said to him, “Tell us now, why has this calamity come upon us? What work do you do? Where are you from? What is your country? Which is your people?”
He answered them, “I am a Hebrew; and I fear ADONAI, the God of heaven, who made both the sea and the dry land.”At this the men grew very afraid and said to him, “What is this that you have done?” For the men knew he was trying to get away from ADONAI, since he had told them.
They asked him, “What should we do to you, so that the sea will be calm for us?” — for the sea was getting rougher all the time.
“Pick me up,” he told them, “and throw me into the sea. Then the sea will be calm for you; because I know it’s my fault that this terrible storm has come over you.”Nevertheless, the men rowed hard, trying to reach the shore. But they couldn’t, because the sea kept growing wilder against them.
Finally they cried to ADONAI, “Please, ADONAI, please! Don’t let us perish for causing the death of this man, and don’t hold us to account for shedding innocent blood; because you, ADONAI, have done what you saw fit.”
Then they picked up Yonah and threw him into the sea, and the sea stopped raging. Seized with great fear of ADONAI, they offered a sacrifice to ADONAI and made vows.
2.
ADONAI prepared a huge fish to swallow Yonah, and Yonah was in the belly of the fish for three days and three nights. From the belly of the fish Yonah prayed to ADONAI his God;
he said, “Out of my distress I called to ADONAI, and he answered me; from the belly of Sh’ol I cried, and you heard my voice.
For you threw me into the deep, into the heart of the seas; and the flood enveloped me; all your surging waves passed over me.
I thought, ‘I have been banished from your sight.’ But I will again look at your holy temple.
The water surrounded me, threatened my life; the deep closed over me, seaweed twined around my head.
I was going down to the bottoms of the mountains, to a land whose bars would close me in forever; but you brought me up alive from the pit, ADONAI, my God!
As my life was ebbing away, I remembered ADONAI; and my prayer came into you, into your holy temple.
“Those who worship vain idols give up their source of mercy; but I, speaking my thanks aloud, will sacrifice to you; what I have vowed, I will pay. Salvation comes from ADONAI!”
Then ADONAI spoke to the fish, and it vomited Yonah out onto dry land.
3.
The word of ADONAI came to Yonah a second time: “Set out for the great city of Ninveh, and proclaim to it the message I will give you.”
So Yonah set out and went to Nineveh, as ADONAI had said. Now Ninveh was such a large city that it took three days just to cross it.
Yonah began his entry into the city and had finished only his first day of proclaiming, ‘In forty days Ninveh will be overthrown,’ when the people of Ninveh believed God.
They proclaimed a fast and put on sackcloth, from the greatest of them to the least.
When the news reached the king of Ninveh, he got up from his throne, took off his robe, put on sackcloth and sat in ashes.
He then had this proclamation made throughout Ninveh: “By decree of the king and his nobles, no person or animal, herd or flock, is to put anything in his mouth; they are neither to eat nor drink water. They must be covered with sackcloth, both people and animals; and they are to cry out to God with all their might — let each of them turn from his evil way and from the violence they practice. Who knows? Maybe God will change his mind, relent and turn from his fierce anger; and then we won’t perish.”
When God saw by their deeds that they had turned from their evil way, he relented and did not bring on them the punishment he had threatened.
4.
But this was very displeasing to Yonah, and he became angry. He prayed to ADONAI, “Now, ADONAI, didn’t I say this would happen, when I was still in my own country? That’s why I tried to get away to Tarshish ahead of time! I knew you were a God who is merciful and compassionate, slow to anger and rich in grace, and that you relent from inflicting punishment. Therefore, ADONAI, please, just take my life away from me; it’s better for me to be dead than alive!”
ADONAI asked, “Is it right for you to be so angry?”Yonah left the city and found a place east of the city, where he made himself a shelter and sat down under it, in its shade, to see what would happen to the city.
ADONAI, God, prepared a castor-bean plant and made it grow up over Yonah to shade his head and relieve his discomfort. So Yonah was delighted with the castor-bean plant. But at dawn the next day God prepared a worm, which attacked the castor-bean plant, so that it dried up.
Then, when the sun rose, God prepared a scorching east wind; and the sun beat down on Yonah’s head so hard that he grew faint and begged that he could die, saying, “I would be better off dead than alive.”
God asked Yonah, “Is it right for you to be so angry about the castor-bean plant?”
He answered, “Yes, it’s right for me to be so angry that I could die!”
ADONAI said, “You’re concerned over the castor-bean plant, which cost you no effort; you didn’t make it grow; it came up in a night and perished in a night.So shouldn’t I be concerned about the great city of Ninveh, in which there are more than 120,000 people who don’t know their right hand from their left — not to mention all the animals?”
Leader:
Open the gate for us, even at the closing of the gate, for the day is nearly over.
The day is passing, the sun goes down and is vanishing.
All:
O let us come and enter into Your gates.
Leader:
We pray to You, O God, forgive and pardon us; have pity and mercy,
Grant us atonement in the name of Yeshua to overcome sin and iniquity.
All:
The LORD is a merciful and gracious God, slow to anger,
Abundant in goodness and truth; kind to thousands; and forgiving our sins.
Leader:
O pardon our wrongdoings, accept us as Your children, worthy of Your Torah.
As a father has mercy upon his children, so, God our Father, have mercy upon us.
Forgive, we pray To You, the sins of Your people.
For You have forgiven this people from the day of Egypt until now.
And it is written “And the LORD said to Moses, ‘I have forgiven according to your plea.’”
All:
Have mercy, we pray, on the congregation of Israel and on the nations.
Forgive and pardon them and save us, O God, our Protector.
Leader:
Open the gates of heaven, and open Your goodly inheritance for us; do not delay in forgiving us: help us, O God, our Deliverer. O God and God of our fathers, forgive us, pardon us, and grant us atonement.
All:
We beseech You, O God, forgive, pardon, condone; have pity and compassion; grant us atonement, and subdue our sin and iniquity.
Leader:
As the sun sets in the western skies and the day dissolves into twilight, we pray,
O Father, uplift our depressed hearts and strengthen us with the comforting solace of Your presence.
All:
Our Father, our King,
Leader:
Grant our supplication for Your sake, if not for ours.
All:
Our Father, our King,
Leader:
Accept our prayer for Your sake and save us.
All: Our Father, our King,
Leader:
Do this for the sake of Your abundant mercies.
All: Our Father, our King,
Leader:
Do it for the sake of Your great, mighty and revered name.
All: Our Father, our King,
Leader:
Be gracious unto us and answer us; for lo, we are unworthy; deal with us in charity and loving-kindness and save us.
AMIDAH - All Stand - Moment of Silent Prayer
All:
אֲדֺני שְפָתַי תּפְתָּח וּפי יַגּיד תְּהלָּתֶךָ
Adonai sefatai tiftach ufi yagid tehilatecha
Adonai, open up my lips that my mouth may declare Your praise (Psalm 51:15).
בּרוּךְ אַתָּה יהוה אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ
Baruch atah Adonai Eloheinu v’elohei avoteinu
Leader:
Blessed are You, O LORD our God and God of our fathers,
God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, the great, mighty and awesome God, the most high God,
Who bestows grace and creates all, and remembers the kindness of the Fathers, and brings [the] Redeemer [Yeshua] to their children’s children,
for His name’s sake with love.
O King, Helper, Savior and Shield,
All:
ׇ בּרוּךְ אַתָּה יהוה מָגֵן אַבְרָהָם
Baruch atah Adonai, magen Avraham
Blessed are You, O LORD, Shield of Abraham.
Leader:
Remember us unto life, O King who delights in life, and inscribe us in the Book of Life so that we may live worthily for your sake,
O God of life. O King, Helper, Redeemer and Shield, blessed are you, O LORD, Shield of Abraham.
Gibbor (Might) גִּבֹּ֖ר
You are eternally mighty, my Lord, the Resurrecter of the dead are You; great in salvation.
Who sustains the living with kindness, resurrects the dead with great mercy, supports the fallen, heals the sick, releases the confined, and keeps His faith to those asleep in the dust.
Who is like You, O Master of mighty deeds, and who is comparable to You, O King who causes death and restores life and makes salvation sprout?
You [Who resurrected Yeshua] are faithful to resurrect the dead.
All:
ׇ בּרוּךְ אַתָּה יהוה מְחַיֵּה הַמֵתִים
Baruch atah Adonai, mechaiyeh hametim
Blessed are You, O LORD, Who resurrects the dead.
Leader:
Our God and God of our fathers, remember us and accept us as you remember our fathers, Jerusalem your holy city,
all that you have called to be your chosen people, through whom you bring redemption from sin,
deliverance, well-being, grace, faithful love, mercy, life and peace on this Day of Atonement.
All:
Remember us, O LORD our God, for good and a life of blessing.
According to your promise of salvation and mercy, spare us and be gracious to us;
have compassion on us and deliver us.
Leader:
Our God and God of our fathers, in times of old you pardoned our iniquities on this Day of Atonement.
Now in the present day, you remove our transgression as written in Scripture;
I, even I Am He, that blots out your transgressions for My own sake.
I have blotted out as a cloud your transgressions, and as a mist, your sins; return to Me for I have redeemed you.
For on this day shall atonement be made for you, to cleanse you; from all your sins shall you be clean before the LORD.
Daniel 9:3-19
Then I set my face toward the Lord God to make request by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth, and ashes.
And I prayed to the LORD my God, and made confession, and said:
All:
“O Lord, great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant and mercy with those who love Him,
and with those who keep His commandments,
we have sinned and committed iniquity, we have done wickedly and rebelled,
even by departing from Your precepts and Your judgments.
Leader:
Neither have we heeded Your servants the prophets, who spoke in Your name to our kings and our princes, to our fathers and all the people of the land.
O Lord, righteousness belongs to You, but to us shame of face, as it is this day–to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Israel, those near and those far off in all the countries to which You have driven them, because of the unfaithfulness which they have committed against You.
All:
O Lord, to us belong shame of face, to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, because we have sinned against You.
Leader:
To the Lord our God belong mercy and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against Him.
We have not obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in His laws, which He set before us by His servants the prophets.
All:
Yes, all Israel has transgressed Your law, and has departed so as not to obey Your voice;
therefore the curse and the oath written in the Law of Moses the servant of God have been poured out on us, because we have sinned against Him.
Leader:
And He has confirmed His words, which He spoke against us and against our judges who judged us, by bringing upon us a great disaster;
for under the whole heaven such has never been done as what has been done to Jerusalem.
As it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come upon us;
yet we have not made our prayer before the LORD our God,
that we might turn from our iniquities and understand Your truth.
Therefore the LORD has kept the disaster in mind, and brought it upon us;
for the LORD our God is righteous in all the works which He does, though we have not obeyed His voice.
And now, O Lord our God, who brought Your people out of the land of Egypt with a mighty hand, and made Yourself a name, as it is this day
All:
we have sinned, we have done wickedly!
Leader:
O Lord, according to all Your righteousness, I pray,
let Your anger and Your fury be turned away from Your city Jerusalem, Your holy mountain;
because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and Your people are a reproach to all those around us.
Now therefore, our God, hear the prayer of Your servant, and his supplications,
and for the Lord’s sake cause Your face to shine on Your sanctuary, which is desolate.
O my God, incline Your ear and hear;
open Your eyes and see our desolations, and the city which is called by Your name;
All:
for we do not present our supplications before You because of our righteous deeds, but because of Your great mercies.
O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and act!
Do not delay for Your own sake, my God, for Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”
Leader:
Our God and God of our fathers, may Israel be remembered for loving-kindness and mercy, life and peace;
may Zion be remembered for deliverance and well-being on this Day of Atonement.
Remember us, O LORD our God for our good, and be mindful of us for a life of blessing.
All:
In accordance with Your promise of salvation and mercy, spare us and be gracious unto us, have compassion upon us and save us.
Unto You have we lifted our eyes for You are a gracious and merciful God and King.
Leader:
Our God and God of our fathers, sanctify us by the sacrifice of Yeshua,
and grant us our portion in your Torah;
Satisfy us with your goodness, and gladden us with your salvation.
All:
Our God and God of our fathers, forgive us, pardon us, and grant us atonement.
Leader: For we are Your people,
All: and You're our God;
We are Your children,
All: and You're our Father.
We are Your servants,
All: and You're our Master;
We are Your congregation,
All: and You're our Portion.
We are Your inheritance,
All: and You're our Lot;
We are Your flock,
All: and You're our Shepherd.
We are Your vineyard,
All: and You're our Keeper;
We are Your work,
All: and You're our Creator.
We are Your faithful,
All: and You're our Beloved;
We are Your loyal ones,
All: and You're our LORD.
We are Your subjects,
All: and You're our King,
We are Your devoted people,
All: and You're our exalted God.
Leader:
We are insolent, but You are merciful and compassionate. We are obstinate, but You are long-suffering.
We are burdened by our sins, but You are abounding in mercy.
As for us, our days are like a passing shadow; but You are immutable, and Your years never-ending.
All:
Our God and God of our fathers, may our prayers come before You.
Hide not Yourself from our supplication for we are neither so arrogant nor so hardened as to say before You,
O LORD our God and God of our fathers, “we are righteous and have not sinned”; verily we have sinned.
Leader:
Your name is Merciful God! Your name is Gracious God!
We are called by Your name.
O LORD, forgive us and be with us for the sake of Your name, Your truth, Your covenant, Your greatness and Your majesty.
All:
Our God and God of our fathers, forgive us for the sake of Your splendor, Your mystery,
Your strength, Your excellence, Your righteousness, Your holiness,
Your abundant mercy, Your divine presence and Your praise.
Leader:
Our God and God of our fathers, deal kindly with us for the sake of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Moses and Aaron, David and Solomon, Your loving disciples;
and for Jerusalem’s sake, Your holy city; for Zion’s sake, the tabernacle of Your glory; for the sake of the desolation of Your Temple and of the ruins of Your altars.
All:
Forgive us for the sake of the blood of Your servants which has been poured forth;
for the sake of those who have been slain for Your holy name, who have been slaughtered for Your unity;
who went through fire and through water for the sanctification of Your name.
Leader & Congregation Alternate:
On this day do You strengthen us.
All: Amen
On this day do You bless us.
All: Amen
On this day do You inspire us.
All: Amen
On this day do You remember us for good.
All: Amen
On this day do You hear our cry.
All: Amen
On this day do You inscribe us for a good life.
All: Amen
On this day do You accept our prayer in mercy.
All: Amen
On this day do You support us with Your righteous hand.
All: Amen
On this day do You forgive our wrong doing.
All: Amen
Leader:
Our God and God of our fathers, bless us with the three-fold blessing written in the Torah of Moses, Your servant, and spoken by Aaron and his descendants, Your consecrated priests:
Leader:
May the LORD bless you and keep you
All:
So may it be His will
Leader:
May the LORD make His countenance
To shine upon you and be gracious unto you.
All:
So may it be His will
Leader:
May the LORD turn His countenance unto you and give you peace
All:
So may it be His will
Leader:
Blessed are you O LORD our God, King of the Universe who pardons and forgives our iniquities,
who casts our transgressions into the depths of the sea and separates them from us as far as the east is from the west.
Blessed are You, O LORD our God, who forgives our wickedness and remembers our sin no more.
May our prayer come before You. Hide not Yourself from our supplication, for we are neither so arrogant nor so hardened,
as to say before You, O LORD our God and God of our fathers:
All:
“we are righteous and have not sinned”;
verily we have sinned.
Leader:
Our Father, grant peace and well-being, blessing and grace, loving-kindness and mercy unto us and unto all Israel, Your people.
All:
Bless us, O our Father, all of us together, with the light of Your presence; for by that light You have given us,
Leader:
O LORD our God, the Torah of life, Your son Yeshua the promised Messiah,
with loving-kindness and righteousness, blessing and mercy, life and peace.
All:
O may it be good in Your sight at all times to bless us, and all Your children with Your peace.
Leader:
בְסֵפֶר חַיִּים, בְּרָכָה וְשָׁלוֹם
וּפַרְנָסָה טוֹבָה וִישׁוּעָה וְנֶחָמָה,
וּגְזֵרוֹת טוֹבוֹת, נִזָּכֵר וְנִכָּתֵב לְפָנֶיךָ,
אֲנַחְנוּ וְכָל-עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל,
לְחַיִּים טוֹבִים וּלְשָׁלוֹם.
B'sefer chayim, bracha veshalom
upharnasa tova vishuah venechamah
u'gzerot tovot, nizacher v'nikatev lefaneycha
Anachnu v'chol amcha beit Israel
lechayim tovim uleshalom.
In the book of life, blessing and peace,
And a good livelihood and salvation and comfort,
And good deeds,
remember and be written before you,
We and all your people, O house of Israel,
For a good life and peace.
All:
O seal all the children of Your covenant for a good life.
Leader:
From Your house, O God of love, we shall soon return to our homes and our daily tasks.
Protect our beloved and bless them with the spirit of Your loving-kindness.
May no word or act of ours dishonor them nor shatter the faith that they repose in us.
All:
Give us strength to overcome our weakness and fill us with compassion that we may bring cheer into darkened lives.
Be with us wherever we go and do bless the work of our hands.
Leader:
May we retain during the coming year the importance of these holy days,
else our prayers will have been in vain and we shall have offered nothing more than the mere service of our lips.
May the inspiration of this sacred season now drawing to a close provoke us to greater loyalty and devotion
to our community, to Biblical learning, to our People, to Zion, to Your Torah,
and to Yeshua the promised Messiah who is our hope, our strength and our salvation.
All:
May it stimulate in us an increased zeal for the commonwealth of Israel,
for the welfare of our community, and for The Land of our forefathers.
Leader: As the peace and silence of night envelop Your earth, may Your blessings of peace spread over us all.
Affirmation of Faith
Leader:
At the time of the evening sacrifice, Elijah the prophet approached the altar and said,
LORD, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel,
Today let it be known that You are God in Israel and I am Your servant, and that at Your word I have done all these things.
Answer me, LORD! Answer me so that this people will know that You, O LORD, are God and that You have turned their hearts back.
Then the fire of the LORD fell and consumed the burnt offering, the wood, the stones, and the dust, and it licked up the water that was in the trench.
When the people saw it, they fell facedown and said:
All:
יהוה הוא האלֹהיםּ
Adonai Hu ha-Elohim
The LORD, He is God!
The LORD, He is God!
The LORD, He is God!
Benediction
Leader:
God of our fathers, Almighty God!
As we go forth from Your sacred House,
Back to our homes and the ones we love,
Back to our tasks that tomorrow brings,
All:
Grant us forgiveness, O God of love.
Humbly we pray in the gathering dusk,
Bless us, O LORD, with a year of life,
Leader:
Health and achievement and heart’s content,
Hope and abundance and wise pursuits.
Peace and tranquility send to our land,
All:
Peace for all Israel and all mankind.
Sounding of the Shofar
Tekiah G’dolah
Leader:
לשָׁנָה הַבָאָה בִּירוּשָלַיִם הַבְּנוּיָה
L’shanah ha-ba-ah bi-ru-sha-layim
Next Year in Jerusalem!
Go, eat your bread with pleasure, and drink your wine with a cheerful heart, for God has already accepted your works. Ecc 9:7