Aus Israel (… und auch aus Palästina) kommen für viele zur Zeit oft keine guten Nachrichten, manche Entwicklung ist auch in der Tat besorgniserregend.
Im Folgenden die Gedanken, die einer der bekanntesten Menschenrechtsaktivisten des Landes zum heutigen Versöhnungstag formuliert hat. Sie sind eine beeindruckende Stimme… und auch ein Zeichen der Hoffnung!
Wie viele dieser Bekenntnisse müßten wir auch bei uns sprechen, seien wir Glaubende Menschen oder nicht?
For rabbis, cantors, prayer leaders and facilitators who wish to use this vidui in the synagogue or other settings, you can click here to download a word version that can be handed out, abridged, etc. If you are on our regular mailing list, you should also have received a version abridged to two sides. Like the traditional vidui , the RHR vidui can also be read/chanted responsively.
Introduction
Here are versions of the „small“ and „large“ Yom Kippur viduis (Confessions of our sins) combining the traditional texts and our modern Israeli sins. Reciting these words may not feel like prayer because, like the traditional vidui, it is concrete and asks us to take individual responsibility for the collective sins of our society. The confessions were never meant to be just a collection of words that we thoughtlessly recite on Yom Kippur. They are burning words, intended to make us feel uncomfortable because they speak painful truths about lives and our society that we must confront if we are to truly engage in the kheshbon nefesh (soul searching) that is a primary task during this season. That also means that one misses the point if one reads these modern versions as being directed against those we don’t agree with. If you don’t feel that these aren’t sins you have committed,than you should be replacing these lines with your sins, or at least adding them.
Just as the High Priest in ancient times had to recite his own vidui before saying a vidui for others, we need to look at our own sins before we recount the sins of others. For some the sin they must confess is always assuming the worst about Israel, while others must confess defending Israel, no matter what. Either way, the vidui is intended for those who in some way identify with Israel. The point of the vidui is not to point your finger at somebody else, but to take a critical look at yourself and the society/societies you identify with. If you don’t identify with Israeli society, you might want to construct a similar vidui looking at the societies and communities of which you are a part, and share responsibility for. The confessions are written in the plural, reflecting the idea that even when we don’t believe we have personally committed any given sin, it is a sin that our society has committed, meaning that we have collective responsibility for what happens in our society. It may not feel like prayer because, like the traditional vidui, it is concrete and asks us to take individual responsibility for the collective sins of our society.
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If some of the lines do not feel to you like they apply to Israeli society, please think twice. If you still don’t think something applies, we hope that our vidui will challenge you to create your own. It would never be possible to be comprehensive, so please feel free to download the word version of our viduit, then cut and paste and add and subtract to create your own personal/societal viduit. The point is to challenge you to engage in khesbon nefesh (soul searching), not to silence or intimidate. It is also possible to only recite a limited number of these texts, and concentrate on them. In many cases the first line is from the traditional viduis, and there are notes after the vidui explaining which traditional sources many of the concepts are taken from.
Most of us simply can’t be so self critical for most of the year. But, sometimes the power of the High Holy days allows us to do what we don’t manage to do at other times. These viduis attempt to channel our hearts as the traditional vidui was meant to do by helping us to engage in khesbon nefesh. . They are not intended to be delegitimization of ourselves, of our people or our country. They are actually an expression of our deep faith in ourselves, our ability to return to the the good that is our true selves, and our ability to improve our society.
When we engage in kheshbon nefesh about ourselves and Israel on Yom Kippur, we can then celebrate Israel’s assif rukhani (spiritual harvest) on Sukkot. The vidui and the asif go together..
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„Short“ Vidui 5770
Ashamnu We sinned against You by ignoring Your Image in every human being
Bagadnu We betrayed the Torah
Gazalnu We stole lands and hope
Dibarnu Dofi We have slandered those who think differently than us
He’Evinu We have distorted the truth
V’Hirshanu We have acted wickedly towards Khan Al Akhmar
Zadnu We have acted evilly towards those living in poverty
Khamasnu We have used the power of the State violently
Tifalnu Sheker We have told lies about the Bedouin „taking over.“
Ya’atznu Ra We have counseled evil to sell arms to rogue governments
Kizavnu We have falsely claimed that the Nation State Law doesn’t discriminate
Latznu We have scoffed at those who believe in Tikun Olam
Maradnu We have rebelled against the good within us.
Niatznu We have provoked against asylum seekers
Sararnu We have undermined our Declaration of Indepenence
Avinu We have committed iniquity against Susya
Pashanu We have transgressed against Umm Al Hiran
Tzararnu We have oppressed Al Araqib
Kashinu Oref We have turned our backs to those in need of public housing
Rashanu We have acted wickedly towards single parent mothers
Shikhatnu We have corrupted Your Image within us
Tiavnu We have committed abomination against shepherds seeking to feed their flocksand farmers trying to reach their olive groves.
Tainu We have strayed from Your Path
Tiatanu We have caused soldiers and police to go astray by leading them to believe they are above the law.
„Long“ Vidui 5779
For the sin we have sinned against You through harsh judgement,
Because we lacked faith in You, in ourselves, and in our people.
And for the sin we have sinned against You through offensive talk,
Because we scorned those whose concept of justice is different than ours.
For the sin we have sinned against You, saying, „If I am not for myself who will be for me,“
Because we cared only for fellow Jews, justifying injustice to others.
And for the sin we have sinned against You, saying, „If I am only for myself, who am I,“
Because we cared only about non-Jews, always blaming our own people.
And for the sin we have sinned against You, ignoring, „If not now, when,“
Because we silenced the suffering with „It will take time” – “You will have to wait.“
For the sin we have sinned against you through baseless hatred
Towards human rights defenders.
And for the sin we have sinned against you through baseless hatred
Towards those concerned with Israel’s security.
And for the sin we have sinned against you through evil speech
When we said that human rights defenders don’t care about security
And that those who care about security don’t care about human rights.
For the sin we have sinned against You by justifying,
Saying that the current reality is the ideal reality.
And for the sin we have sinned against You through knowingly deceiving ourselves
Saying „everything will be fine“ to justify inaction.
For the sin we have sinned against you by throwing of the yoke
Saying that it is the responsibility of others to improve the world.
And for the sin we have sinned against You through lip-service,
Studying and complainingwithout knowlege into action.
For the sin we have sinned against You willfully or unintentionally,
Because we believed tikun olam (repairing the world) is beyond us, “In the heavens.”
And for the sin we have sinned against You through faintness of heart
Ceasing to believe „It is very close to you…that you may do it.“
For the sin we have sinned against You through short sightedness,
Believing in instant fixes, we neglected long term solutions and education
And for the sin we have sinned against you through breach of trust
The majority „democratically“ trampled the rights of the disadvantaged and minorities
For the sin we have sinned against You through throwing off the yoke,
Saying, that anything we have the power to do is permissible.
And for the sin we have sinned against You through lip-service,
Studying and complainingwithout knowlege into action.
And for the sin we have sinned against you by gathering to do harloty
We created a majority to do every evil our hearts wished.
For the sin we have sinned aainst you by breaking the most basic ground rules
Creating a legal system that thinks like the Knesset
And for the sin we have sinned against you by going to far
Threatening to destroy entire communities.
For the sin we have sinned against You through justifying violence
And for the sin we have sinned against You through meaningless oaths condemning violence
Without dealing with its roots.
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For all these sins, God of forgiveness, we ask forgiveness, pardon, and atonement.
For the sin we have sinned against You through the desecration of Your Name,
Applying the interpersonal commandments only towards Jews.
And for the sin which we have sinned against You through insolence,
Claiming that only Jews have rights to the Land.
For the sin we have sinned against You through drunken vision,
Not seeing Israeli Arabs as equal partners.
And for The sin we have sinned against You through false oaths
About equal rights.
For the sin we have sinned against You through defiling our lips
With hate speech and racism.
And For the sin we have sinned against You by not using our minds,
Believing the Bedouin are „taking over the Negev.”
For the sin we have sinned against You through denial and falsehood,
Not recognizing land ownership previously acknowledged.
And for the sin we have sinned against You through selfish envy,
Covetting the 5.4% of the Negev claimed by the Bedouin.
For the sin we have sinned against You through abuse of power,
Demolishing Bedouin homes, destroying crops and forestingover villages
And for the sin we have sinned against You through hurrying to do evil,
Rushing to steal land before a court rules.
And for the sin we have sinned against You by incriminating
Sentencing Sheikh Sayakh to jail for „trespassing“ on his own land.
For the sin we have sinned against You through hardening our hearts,
Acting mercilessly to wipe out Umm Al Hiran
And for the sin we have sinned against You through negotiation
We cancelled one agreement , imposed another, and aren’t carrying it out.
For all these sins, God of forgiveness, we ask forgiveness, pardon, and atonement.
For the sin we have sinned against You through indulging in food and drink,
As the social gap increases.
And for the sin which we have sinned against You through abandoning your Torah,
Abandoning responsibility for one another.
For the sin which we have sinned against You through hardening our hearts,
Ignoring grinding poverty.
For the sin we have sinned against You through not taking action (shev v’al ta’aseh),
Claiming we aren’t responsible.
For the sin we have sinned against You through quieting our conscience,
Giving charity rather than addressing the roots of poverty.
For the sin we have sinned against You through lashon ha’ra (slander),
Treating those livning in poverty as leeches.
For the sin we have sinned against You through raising barriers,
Settingunfair requirements denying the needy homes.
And for the sin we have sinned against You through leaving buildings empty,
While many lack homes.
For the sin we have sinned against You through trapping innocents.
In endless debt
And for the sin we have sinned against You through casting aside the weak,
Underfunding healthcare and vital medicines.
For the sin we have sinned against You, saying, „What’s mine is mine, what’s yours is yours,“
To justify the unfair distribution of resources.
And for the sin we have sinned against You, saying through usury and exploitation
Putting profits before people.
For all these sins, God of forgiveness, we ask forgiveness, pardon, and atonement.
For the sin we have sinned against You through idolatry,
Dispossesing human beings to „redeem“ the Land of Israel.
For the sin we have sinned against You because we were seduced and blinded,
Driven to covet by Jerusalem’s magic.
For the sin we have sinned against You through ruling high handedly,
Excluding Palestinians from courts and institutions determining their fate.
And for the sin we have sinned against You through cynical speech
Calling the decrees of our institutions „the rule of law.“
For the sin we have sinned against You through land theft
Through laws our hands created.
And for the sin we have sinned against You through not inforcing laws,
That defend Palestinians.
For the sin we have sinned against you through double standards (eifah v’eifah),
Creating separate planning systems for Jews and Palestinians.
And for the sin we have sinned against You through disengenuous words
That were we not to demolish the homes of the occupied the same as the occupier, that would be a double standard
And for the sin we have sinned against You through closing our ears,
Ignoring children’s wails when demolishing their „illegal“ homes.
For the sin we have sinned against You through the evil speach
Claiming housing is not a Palestinian right.
And for the sin we have sinned against You through „legal“ approval
Our High Court consented.
For the sin we have sinned against You knowingly or unknowingly,
Permitting successive governments to steal, demolish, uproot, and humiliate.
And for the sin we have sinned against you through weakness,
Failing to prevent „Price Tag“ attacks.
For the sin we have sinned against You through entrapment,
Abusing children to extract confessions.
And for the sin we have sinned against You by claiming „never again“
Saying defense justifies everything.
For all these sins, God of forgiveness, we ask forgiveness, pardon, and atonement.
For the sin we have sinned against You through closing our borders,
To asylum seekers fleeing for their lives.
And for the sin we have sinned against You through causing needless hatred,
Concentrating asylum seekers in South Tel Aviv neighborhoods, not ours.
And for the sin we have sinned against You thoughtlessly,
Labelling them “infiltrators” without checking.
For the sin we have sinned against you through our words,
Inciting and sowing fear.
And for the sin we have sinned against You through abuse of power,
Jailing them inhumanely in the desert.
For the sin we have sinned against You through abandonment,
Taking no responsibility after forcing “voluntary deportation.”
And for the sin we have sinned against You through entrapment,
Denying work permits, then complainng of crime.
For the sin we have sinned against You through forgetting,
How we suffered from closed borders.
And for the sin we have sinned against You for forgetting,
That we were strangers in Egypt.
For all these sins, God of forgiveness, we ask forgiveness, pardon, and atonement.
For the sin we have sinned against You through the desecration of Your name,
Ignorning „agunot“ (women not granted a Jewish divorce) and halakhic solutions
For the sin we sinned against you saying, „We didn’t know“
But, we knew.
And, for the sin we sinned against You without knowing,
Not wanting to know
For the sin we have sinned against You through teaching,
Stereotypes, racism, orientalism and hatred of the other.
And for the sin we have sinned against you through blindness
To Your Presence in every human being
For the sin we have sinned against You through faintheartedness
Acting from fear, instead of our values.
And for the sin which we have sinned against You through thinking to ourselves and mumbling in closed rooms,
What we should have cried aloud, raising our voices like a shofar.
For all these sins and more, God of forgiveness, we ask forgiveness, pardon, and atonement.
May the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts bring us to true teshuva, and lead us forward to acts of righteousness, so that we make our world a place in which Your Shekhina can dwell.
May it be Your Will that we merit to give expression to Your Image within us in the coming year through love and generosity to others.
May it be Your Will that we in some small way help to reduce evil and injustice, glorifying You by improving the human condition in our country and in our world. For, we are all created in Your Image.
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