Yom Kippur Meditation

Confession – vidui – is not a major theme of Jewish daily prayer, but it becomes central on Yom Kippur when a communal confession is traditionally recited five times. Here’s a new meditation to prepare for a thorough and honest self-assessment.

Meditation Before the Yom Kippur Vidui

G-d of Old,
Judge and Sovereign,
Healer and Guide:

Today I recount my deeds,
The sins I’ve committed,
The blessings I’ve bestowed.

Today I recall my year,
The challenges I’ve faced,
The decisions I’ve made.

Today I reach into my heart,
The moments of anger,
The moments of love.

By Your command
G-d of Mercy,
I lay bare the secrets within me,
Light and darkness,
My gentle hand and my clenched fist,
My strength and conceit,
Anger and fear.

By Your command
G-d of Wisdom,
I open myself to see truth,
Beauty and degradation,
The holy and the profane,
The victorious and the guilty.

By Your command
G-d of Salvation,
I reclaim all that I am
And all that I’ve done,
My pride and my shame,
Returning to You
So that I may redeem my days
With awe and righteousness.

—- © 2011 Alden Solovy and tobendlight.com. All rights reserved.

Alden Solovy is a liturgist, poet, author and teacher. Recently, he has been the 2019-2020 Liturgist-in-Residence at the Pardes Institute of Jewish Studies in Israel. He is active in men’s personal growth work. His books include This Grateful Heart: Psalms for a New Day, 2017 and This Joyous Soul: A New Voice for Ancient Yearnings, 2019. His website is  www.tobendlight.com.