Prayer for Repentance and Starting our Lives Anew

Parashat Nitzavim

Prayer for Repentance and Starting our Lives Anew

 

We are all standing together before You this day!

Working at keeping the negative impulse at bay!

 

Hashem, please help us return, show us the way!

Let our righteousness shine through our lives’ replay!

 

As Your cloud showed the Israelites where to go and stay,

send us a sign to follow, even the tiniest ray!

 

Teach us to keep Your Torah, let us learn to pray,

while still accepting Your decrees, come what may!

 

Hashem, here we are ready, standing before You in our place.

We’ve worked hard on ourselves, so will You please receive our face?

 

We’ve scrubbed the sinful mask, removing every trace.

Please help us Hashem each swarthy sin to erase!

 

On Rosh Hashana, please grant us grace!

Allow us to float in Your holy embrace!

 

Let Michael, Your angel of love, defend our case,

writing us in the Book of Life without disgrace!

 

Our human frailty we readily admit,

Yet, a spark of goodness is within us lit.

 

Please allow us to emerge from the darkest pit!

To Your holiness alone we all yearn to submit,

 

As we accept and renew Your holy brit,

to Your divine mitzvot let us all commit!

 

Hashem when we have done our part,

Please help us circumcise our heart!

 

Allow us to come closer bit by bit!

Let us eternally in Your presence sit!

 

Let us never from Your Presence depart!

Grant us this opportunity to restart!

Based on Devarim Chapter 29:9-12 and 30:1-10

 

ספר דברים פרק כט פסוק ט אַתֶּם נִצָּבִים הַיּוֹם כֻּלְּכֶם לִפְנֵי הָשֵׁם אֱלֹהֵיכֶם רָאשֵׁיכֶם שִׁבְטֵיכֶם זִקְנֵיכֶם וְשֹׁטְרֵיכֶם כֹּל אִישׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל: (י) טַפְּכֶם נְשֵׁיכֶם וְגֵרְךָ אֲשֶׁר בְּקֶרֶב מַחֲנֶיךָ מֵחֹטֵב עֵצֶיךָ עַד שֹׁאֵב מֵימֶיךָ:  

(יא) לְעָבְרְךָ בִּבְרִית הָשֵׁם אֱלֹהֶיךָ וּבְאָלָתוֹ אֲשֶׁר הָשֵׁם אֱלֹהֶיךָ כֹּרֵת עִמְּךָ הַיּוֹם: (יב) לְמַעַן הָקִים אֹתְךָ הַיּוֹם לוֹ לְעָם וְהוּא יִהְיֶה לְּךָ לֵאלֹהִים כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר לָךְ וְכַאֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע לַאֲבֹתֶיךָ לְאַבְרָהָם לְיִצְחָק וּלְיַעֲקֹב:

You are all standing this day before Hashem your G-d the leaders of your tribes, your elders and your officers, every man of Israel,

10your young children, your women, and your convert who is within your camp both your woodcutters and your water drawers,

11that you may enter the covenant of Hashem your G-d, and His oath, which Hashem your G-d, is making with you this day,

12in order to establish you this day as His people, and that He will be your G-d, as He spoke to you, and as He swore to your forefathers to Avraham, to Yitzchak, and to Ya’acov.

 

ספר דברים פרק ל פסוק א וְהָיָה כִי יָבֹאוּ עָלֶיךָ כָּל הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה הַבְּרָכָה וְהַקְּלָלָה אֲשֶׁר נָתַתִּי לְפָנֶיךָ וַהֲשֵׁבֹתָ אֶל לְבָבֶךָ בְּכָל הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר הִדִּיחֲךָ הָשֵׁם אֱלֹהֶיךָ שָׁמָּה:(ב) וְשַׁבְתָּ עַד הָשֵׁם אֱלֹהֶיךָ וְשָׁמַעְתָּ בְקֹלוֹ כְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם אַתָּה וּבָנֶיךָ בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל נַפְשֶׁךָ: (ג) וְשָׁב הָשֵׁם אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת שְׁבוּתְךָ וְרִחֲמֶךָ וְשָׁב וְקִבֶּצְךָ מִכָּל הָעַמִּים אֲשֶׁר הֱפִיצְךָ הָשֵׁם אֱלֹהֶיךָ שָׁמָּה: (ד) אִם יִהְיֶה נִדַּחֲךָ בִּקְצֵה הַשָּׁמָיִם מִשָּׁם יְקַבֶּצְךָ הָשֵׁם אֱלֹהֶיךָ וּמִשָּׁם יִקָּחֶךָ: (ה) וֶהֱבִיאֲךָ הָשֵׁם אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר יָרְשׁוּ אֲבֹתֶיךָ וִירִשְׁתָּהּ וְהֵיטִבְךָ וְהִרְבְּךָ מֵאֲבֹתֶיךָ: (ו) וּמָל הָשֵׁם אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת לְבָבְךָ וְאֶת לְבַב זַרְעֶךָ לְאַהֲבָה אֶת הָשֵׁם אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל נַפְשְׁךָ לְמַעַן חַיֶּיךָ: (ז) וְנָתַן הָשֵׁם אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֵת כָּל הָאָלוֹת הָאֵלֶּה עַל אֹיְבֶיךָ וְעַל שׂנְאֶיךָ אֲשֶׁר רְדָפוּךָ: (ח) וְאַתָּה תָשׁוּב וְשָׁמַעְתָּ בְּקוֹל הָשֵׁם וְעָשִׂיתָ אֶת כָּל מִצְוֹתָיו אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם: (ט) וְהוֹתִירְךָ הָשֵׁם אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכֹל מַעֲשֵׂה יָדֶךָ בִּפְרִי בִטְנְךָ וּבִפְרִי בְהֶמְתְּךָ וּבִפְרִי אַדְמָתְךָ לְטֹבָה כִּי יָשׁוּב הָשֵׁם לָשׂוּשׂ עָלֶיךָ לְטוֹב כַּאֲשֶׁר שָׂשׂ עַל אֲבֹתֶיךָ: (י) כִּי תִשְׁמַע בְּקוֹל הָשֵׁם אֱלֹהֶיךָ לִשְׁמֹר מִצְוֹתָיו וְחֻקֹּתָיו הַכְּתוּבָה בְּסֵפֶר הַתּוֹרָה הַזֶּה כִּי תָשׁוּב אֶל הָשֵׁם אֱלֹהֶיךָ בְּכָל לְבָבְךָ וּבְכָל נַפְשֶׁךָ:

“It will be, when all these things come upon you the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, that you will contemplate in your heart, among all the nations where Hashem your G-d has banished you, and you will return to Hashem, your G-d, with all your heart and with all your soul, and you will listen to His voice according to all that I am commanding you this day you and your children. Then, Hashem, your G-d, will bring back your exiles, and He will have mercy upon you. He will once again gather you from all the nations, where Hashem, your G-d, had dispersed you. Even if your exiles are at the end of the heavens, Hashem, your G-d, will gather you from there, and He will take you from there. And Hashem, your G-d, will bring you to the land, which your forefathers possessed, and you [too] will take possession of it, and He will do well with you, and He will make you more numerous than your forefathers. Then Hashem, your G-d, will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, [so that you may] love Hashem your G-d with all your heart and with all your soul, for the sake of your life. And Hashem, your G-d, will place all these curses upon your enemies and upon your adversaries, who pursued you. You will then return and listen to the voice of Hashem, and fulfill all His commandments, which I command you this day. And Hashem, your G-d, will make you abundant for good in all the work of your hands, in the fruit of your womb, in the fruit of your livestock, and in the fruit of your soil. For Hashem will once again rejoice over you for good, as He rejoiced over your forefathers, when you obey Hashem, your G-d, to observe His commandments and His statutes written in this Torah scroll, [and] when you return to Hashem, your G-d, with all your heart and with all your soul” (Devarim 30:1-10).