Viduy And Tachanun

Chabad: ' is a reduced vowel — every vocal shva, always pronounced. - separates syllables that would otherwise run together.

How to read the transliterations

May God have mercy on us

Hebrew

אֵל אֶרֶךְ אַפַּיִם אַתָּה וּבַעַל
הָרַחֲמִים נִקְרֵאתָ, וְדֶרֶךְ
תְּשׁוּבָה הוֹרֵיתָ. גָּדְלַת רַחֲמֶיךָ
וַחֲסָדֶיךָ, תִּזְכּוֹר הַיּוֹם וּבְכָל
יוֹם לְזֶרַע יְדִידֶיךָ. תֵּפֶן אֵלֵינוּ
בְּרַחֲמִים, כִּי אַתָּה הוּא בַּעַל
הָרַחֲמִים. בְּתַחֲנוּן וּבִתְפִלָּה
פָּנֶיךָ נְקַדֵּם, כְּהוֹדַעְתָּ לְעָנָיו
מִקֶּדֶם. מֵחֲרוֹן אַפְּךָ שׁוּב, כְּמוֹ
בְּתוֹרָתְךָ כָּתוּב. וּבְצֵל כְּנָפֶיךָ
נֶחֱסֶה וְנִתְלוֹנֵן, כְּיוֹם וַיֵּרֶד יְהֹוָה
בֶּעָנָן. תַּעֲבוֹר עַל פֶּשַׁע
וְתִמְחֶה אָשָׁם, כְּיוֹם וַיִּתְיַצֵּב
עִמּוֹ שָׁם. תַּאֲזִין שַׁוְעָתֵנוּ
וְתַקְשִׁיב מִנּוּ מַאֲמָר, כְּיוֹם
וַיִּקְרָא בְשֵׁם יְהֹוָה: וְשָׁם נֶאֱמַר:

Chabad

Eil erech apayim atoh uva-al
horachamim nikreiso, v'derech
t'shuvoh hoyreiso. godlas rachamecho
vachasodecho, tizkoyr hayoym uv'chol
yoym l'zera y'didecho. teifen eileinu
b'rachamim, ki atoh hu ba-al
horachamim. b'sachanun uvisfiloh
ponecho n'kadeim, k'hoydato l'onov
mikedem. meicharoyn ap'cho shuv, k'moy
b'soyros'cho kosuv. uv'tzeil k'nofecho
necheseh v'nisloynein, k'yoym vayeired Adonoy
be-onon. ta-avoyr al pesha
v'simcheh oshom, k'yoym vayisyatzeiv
imoy shom. ta-azin shavoseinu
v'sakshiv minu ma-amor, k'yoym
vayikro v'sheim Adonoy: v'shom ne-emar:

The following two paragraphs are said only in the presence of a minyan:

God's thirteen Attributes of Mercy

Hebrew

וַיַּעֲבֹר יְהֹוָה עַל פָּנָיו¹ וַיִּקְרָא:

Chabad

vaya-avoyr Adonoy al ponov vayikro:

For transliteration, see page 944.

Hebrew

יְהֹוָה יְהֹוָה אֵל רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן אֶרֶךְ
אַפַּיִם וְרַב חֶסֶד וֶאֱמֶת:
נֹצֵר חֶסֶד לָאֲלָפִים נֹשֵׂא עָוֹן
וָפֶשַׁע וְחַטָּאָה וְנַקֵּה:

Chabad

Adonoy Adonoy Eil rachum v'chanun erech
apayim v'rav chesed ve-emes:
noytzeir chesed lo-alofim noysei ovoyn
vofesha v'chato-oh v'nakeih:

The following is said while sitting.² If you are in a place where there is an Ark, lean forward, cover your forehead with your sleeve (or tallit) of the hand on which the tefillin are not being worn.

Hebrew

רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן חָטָאנוּ לְפָנֶיךָ רַחֵם עָלֵינוּ
וְהוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ:

Chabad

rachum v'chanun chotonu l'fonecho racheim oleinu
v'hoyshi-einu:

May God forgive our sins and show us the path of repentance

Hebrew

לְדָוִד,² אֵלֶיךָ יְהֹוָה נַפְשִׁי אֶשָּׂא:
אֱלֹהַי בְּךָ בָטַחְתִּי אַל
אֵבוֹשָׁה, אַל יַעַלְצוּ אוֹיְבַי לִי: גַּם
כָּל קֹוֶיךָ לֹא יֵבֹשׁוּ, יֵבֹשׁוּ
הַבּוֹגְדִים רֵיקָם: דְּרָכֶיךָ יְהֹוָה
הוֹדִיעֵנִי, אֹרְחוֹתֶיךָ לַמְּדֵנִי:
הַדְרִיכֵנִי בַּאֲמִתֶּךָ וְלַמְּדֵנִי כִּי
אַתָּה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׁעִי, אוֹתְךָ קִוִּיתִי
כָּל הַיּוֹם:
זְכֹר רַחֲמֶיךָ יְהֹוָה, וַחֲסָדֶיךָ, כִּי
מֵעוֹלָם הֵמָּה: חַטֹּאות נְעוּרַי
וּפְשָׁעַי אַל תִּזְכֹּר, כְּחַסְדְּךָ זְכָר
לִי אַתָּה, לְמַעַן טוּבְךָ יְהֹוָה: טוֹב
וְיָשָׁר יְהֹוָה, עַל כֵּן יוֹרֶה חַטָּאִים

Chabad

l'Dovid, eilecho Adonoy nafshi eso:
Eloyhai b'cho votachti al
eivoyshoh, al ya-altzu oyy'vai li: gam
kol koyvecho loy yeivoyshu, yeivoyshu
haboyg'dim reikom: d'rochecho Adonoy
hoydi-eini, oyr'choysecho lam'deini:
hadricheini ba-amitecho v'lam'deini ki
atoh Eloyhei yishi, oys'cho kivisi
kol hayoym:
z'choyr rachamecho Adonoy, vachasodecho, ki
mei-oylom heimoh: chatoyvs n'urai
uf'sho-ai al tizkoyr, k'chasd'cho z'chor
li atoh, l'ma-an tuv'cho Adonoy: toyv
v'yoshor Adonoy, al kein yoyreh chato-im

Commentary

1 An alternative translation: "And God passed over His face." According to this interpretation, God passed over His own face and not the face of Moses (as is literally understood). The term "face," when applied to God, refers to the ten attributes that cover over and express God's essence in various ways. In order for God's Thirteen Attributes of Mercy to be aroused, as this verse describes, God's essence had to be "uncovered" and revealed to Moses. For this reason, God "passed over" His attributes and revealed His essence.

2 After confessing to our sins, we perform what is known as Nefillat Apayim—we sit, bend our heads down, and cover our foreheads while saying this Psalm. This shows our deep humility before God. When we lower ourselves during this prayer, we are symbolizing the descent of the soul into this lower world. The purpose of this descent is to elevate the physical domain and make the world a holier place for God. This is comparable to a miner who lowers himself into a deep pit in order to retrieve precious stones. Just as there is great danger involved in this task, so is there great spiritual danger to the soul during its descent. By following the ways of the great Jewish sages and connecting ourselves to them, we help protect the soul. This is the meaning of the Chassidic expression, "One who is connected from above does not fall down."