Cantor Shai Abramson Sings Hineni He'ani - A Rosh Hashanah Liturgical Poem

Shai Abramson, Chief Cantor of the Israel Defense Forces, performs with the most prominent cantors and musicians of our generation, and participates in prayer services and in concerts throughout Israel and the world with a variety of musical ensembles

He has presented his cantorial repertoire in Jewish communities and concerts in the U.S. England, Canada, Australia, Italy, France, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Bulgaria, Belgium, and more… with the intention of developing and strengthening ties with Jewish communities around the world, and intensifying connections with Israel and with the IDF
 
In this week before Rosh Hashanah, we're sharing a video in which Abramson sings Hineni He'ani, (I am poor in deed), a liturgical poem from the Rosh Hashanah Musaf service composed by Yossele Rosenblatt, accompanied by the Raanana Symphony Orchestra conducted by Ophir Sobol. The Hebrew text appears below the video.

A SPECIAL NOTE FOR NEW EMAIL SUBSCRIBERS:  THE VIDEO MAY NOT BE VIEWABLE DIRECTLY FROM THE EMAIL THAT YOU GET EACH DAY ON SOME COMPUTERS AND TABLETS.  YOU MUST CLICK ON THE TITLE AT THE TOP OF THE EMAIL TO REACH THE JEWISH HUMOR CENTRAL WEBSITE, FROM WHICH YOU CLICK ON THE PLAY BUTTON IN THE VIDEO IMAGE TO START THE VIDEO.


הִנְנִי הֶעָנִי מִמַּעַשׂ, נִרְעַשׁ וְנִפְחַד מִפַּחַד יוֹשֵׁב תְּהִלּוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל בָּאתִי לַעֲמֹד וּלְהִתְחַנֵּן לְפָנֶיךָ, עַל עַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר שְׁלָחוּנִי וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינִי כְדַאי וְהָגוּן לְכַךְ, לָכֵן אֲבַקֵּשׁ מִמְּךָ, אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם אֱלֹהֵי יִצְחָק וֵאלֹהֵי יַעֲקֹב ה' ה' אֵל רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל, שַׁדַּי אָיֹם וְנוֹרָא, הֱיֵה נָא מַצְלִיחַ דַּרְכִּי אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי הוֹלֵךְ וְעוֹמֵד לְבַקֵּשׁ רַחֲמִים עָלַי וְעַל שׁוֹלְחַי וְנָא אַל תַּפְשִׁיעֵם בְּחַטֹּאתַי, וְאַל תְּחַיְּבֵם בַּעֲווֹנוֹתַי, כִּי חוֹטֵא וּפוֹשֵׁעַ אָנִי וְאַל יִכָּלְמוּ בִפְשָׁעַי, וְאַל יֵבוֹשׁוּ בִי, וְאַל אֵבוֹשׁ בָּם וְקַבֵּל תְּפִלָּתִי כִּתְפִלַּת זָקֵן וְרָגִיל, וּפִרְקוֹ נָאֶה וּזְקָנוֹ מְגֻדָּל וְקוֹלוֹ נָעִים, וּמְעוּרָב בְּדַעַת עִם הַבְּרִיּוֹת וְתִגְעַר בְּשָׂטָן לְבַל יַשְׂטִינֵנִי, וִיהִי נָא דִגְלֵנוּ עָלֶיךָ אַהֲבָה, וּפְשָׁעֵינוּ תְּכַסֶּה בְּאַהֲבָה

Here I am, utterly bereft, shuddering and afraid, in fear of the One who sits in judgement of the prayers of Israel.

I have come to stand before You and plead on behalf of Your people, Israel, who have sent me, as unfit and unworthy as I am.

I beseech You, God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Jacob, Oh God, God of mercy and grace, God of Israel, Mighty One, exalted and awesome - may this path on which I tread - to stand and beseech mercy for myself, and those who send me - come to success.

Don't let them be punished for my failings, don't hold them guilty for my sins, for I am due punishment for my failings. Let them not be embarrassed by my failings. Let them not be ashamed of me and I won't be ashamed of them. Receive my prayer as a prayer of one wise and decent, of kind ways, great experience, of sweet voice and bound up in the ways of creation. Hold back The Distractor, so he shouldn't distract me. Pour out love towards us. Wipe away our sins in love. And overturn all our woe and pain, the woe and pain of all Israel, into joy and delight, life and peace. Love truth and peace.

Place no stumbling block before my prayer. May it be Your will, God, God of Abraham, God of Isaac and God of Jacob, the great mighty and awesome God, God on high, the One who Is and Will Always Be, may each of the Angels  who receive prayer bring my prayers before the seat of Your glory and spread them before You for the sake of all the just, kind, pure and decent, and for the sake of the glory of Your great and awesome name, for You are the One who hears the prayers of Your people Israel in mercy. Blessed are you the One who hears prayer.