On the Eve of the New Year
…Night draws around us now,
And the old year comes to a close.
Almighty God, may this year end
With its afflictions and bitterness,
With all of life's worries and burdens:
Let all illness and frailty cease,
Let all disputes and discord fade away.
Let all hate and despair be lifted--
Let all the sins and transgressions that stain our lives
And that fill us now with regret and remorse
Be forgiven and forgotten in your sight.
With the first rosy glow of dawn
May we enter the new year
In a renewed, happier state of mind,
One that brings contentment and well-being
To us and to our loved ones--
Health and strength to our bodies,
Purity and good cheer to our souls,
Growth and prosperity to our children--
A blessed and productive year.
Untroubled and undisturbed in our enjoyment of it--
Peace and contentment to our hearts,
Peace upon our houses and our families,
Peace and blessing to our nation. Amen.
On the Morning of the New Year
…May you guard and protect me in the new year
As you have done to this day.
Preserve all those dear to me.
Inscribe us in the Book of Life for life,
For happiness, for well-being.
Remove all evil events, all sad destiny from us.
Cause the fruits of life to ripen before us
With mellowness and sweetness.
Cause the sun of your grace to illuminate our paths.
Grant the fullness of your divine blessing
To all our works, success to all our endeavors,
Satisfaction to all our labors,
Realization to all our hopes,
And fulfillment to all our wishes.
Wrap us truly and enduringly
In the blissful sash of peace and harmony.
Consider our grief with compassion;
Send healing to all the pains and wounds of our souls
As you do to the injuries and diseases of our bodies.
Send your help and consolation
To all who may need them.
Grant that we may patiently and openly
Accept all situations in life,
That we courageously and confidently
Look toward the future and walk before you
With pure hearts until, at the end of our days,
We appear before your heavenly throne
To deliver our account of them. Amen.
At the Sounding of the Shofar
…In the midst of [the shofar's] call
The comforting thought comes to me that you, O God,
Are not only our judge, but also our parent.
You are not only all-just
But also all-merciful and all-compassionate.
You have created and established this awesome day,
This day of remembrance,
As an act of divine parental grace.
You have made it only for our healing and our blessing,
To call forth the human conscience and awaken it
From its passive slumber, from its pettiness,
From the ease of our daily lives and habits--
To shake us into an awareness of our better selves,
Our higher purpose on this earth.
With this thought, a comforting light strikes my soul
And I offer my prayerful and hopeful heart to you.
…Let the shofar's evocative call
Echo within our beings all year long,
Reminding us of your all-seeing eye
And of Judgment Day, calling us
To act with virtue and to love goodness,
To overcome every harmful craving and desire,
As you overcome your anger
And clothe yourself in grace and mercy.
Save the people who know the sound of the shofar
And bask in your light, O God,
In the brilliance of your countenance. Amen.
