Yom Kippur Vidui
Rabbis for Human Rights Yom Kippur viduis are intended to remind us of our sins (transgressions) in the hope that we will find the wisdom to do better in all that we touch in the coming year.
The vidui (recounting of our sins) during the High Holidays is intended to make us feel uncomfortable, to confront us with the wrongs we have done. This vidui relates to our society today, to the way in which we treat the unemployed and disadvantaged, immigrants, migrant workers, single mothers, the elderly, the exploited women, the Arab citizens of the State and the Palestinians, and those we disagree with politically. Each one of us is guilty of some of these sins; collectively, we are guilty of them all.
The Vidui is the characteristic prayer of Yom Kippur recited ten times in all during the day. It contains two parts: a shorter, alphabet cal version (in Hebrew) cataloguing of our sins and a longer version of the same in which each line begins with the words: “Al Chet … ” (for those sins …). For example : for those sins we committed in dishonouring our parents and teachers, for those sins we committed by foolish talk, for those sins we committed be gossiping, for those sins we committed by pointless hatred, etc.
In confessing one’s sins to G-d, one realises and regrets all the wrongs one has done. Confession is also vital to repentance since we assume the obligation not to repeat those sins again.
5768 Vidui
Al Chet 5768: English [PDF 33 KB]
Al Chet 5768: Hebrew [PDF 81 KB]
5767 Vidui
Al Chet 5767: English [PDF 50 KB]
Al Chet 5767: Hebrew [PDF 101 KB]
5764 Vidui
Al Chet 5764: English [PDF 138 KB]
Al Chet 5764: Hebrew [PDF 201 KB]
Recent Articles by Rabbis for Human Rights
- Yom Kippur Vidui - October 1st, 2008
- RHR helps families access burial plots - July 18th, 2008
- In Memoriam: Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev - July 15th, 2008
- Huqqat: Human Rights and a pure society - July 1st, 2008
- Shelah: Human Rights in a lush and bountiful land - June 15th, 2008
- Behar: Human Rights and Social Justice - May 16th, 2008
- Prayer for the State of Israel - May 7th, 2008
- Tractate Independence - May 1st, 2008
- Rabbi Ben Hollander zekher tzadik livrakha - February 10th, 2008
- Noah: Righteousness in Our Generation - October 15th, 2007
- Yom Kippur - September 20th, 2007
- Make Your Voice Heard: A Guide to Israeli Government Officials - July 22nd, 2007
- Parashat Vayechi - July 9th, 2007
- Yitro/Meira welt - July 9th, 2007
- JURY AND BEIT DIN - DEVAR TORAH FOR SHABBAT MISHPATIM - July 9th, 2007
- Dvar Torah - Parashat Va-Yakhel-Pekudei - July 9th, 2007
- Dvar Torah Parashat Vayikra - July 8th, 2007
- Dvar Torah - Parashat Shemini: When Words Fail Us. - July 8th, 2007
- Dvar Torah – Parashat Metzorah - July 8th, 2007
- Dvar Torah – Bamidbar - July 8th, 2007
- Dvar Torah - The Value of Peace As a Religious Goal - July 8th, 2007
- Dvar Torah – B’Haalotkha - July 8th, 2007
- Desecrating Their Graves- Desecrating Our Souls - July 8th, 2007
- Dvar Torah – Parashat Pinchas - July 8th, 2007
- Dvar Torah – Parashat Balak - July 8th, 2007
- Happy are they who maintain justice, and do righteousness at all times - June 27th, 2007
- Rabbis for Human Rights Annual General Meeting - February 22nd, 2007
- Stop Wisconsin - February 8th, 2007
- Tu B'shvat: Our tradition of Human Rights for all of G-d's creations - February 1st, 2007
- Tu B'shvat: Partners in Creation and protecting the Human Rights of all - February 1st, 2007
- Tu BShvat: RHR to plant trees in the Galilee - January 29th, 2007
- RHR officiates at memorial service for victims of the 2007 State Budget - January 2nd, 2007
- Rabbis for Human Rights seeks to increase Health Care Budget - December 25th, 2006
- Our Mission - November 21st, 2006
- Educational Programs and Planting Trees - November 21st, 2006
- Human Rights Education Programs - November 21st, 2006
- Indentured Servants - November 21st, 2006
- Interfaith Dialogue - November 21st, 2006
- Economic and Social Justice - November 21st, 2006
- Professor Aviezer Ravitzky is seriously injured - October 16th, 2006
- Rabbi Max Warschawski zt"l - September 14th, 2006
- Supporters - September 9th, 2006
- Olive Tree Campaign - September 9th, 2006
- Human Rights Educational Initiatives - September 6th, 2006
- Separation Barrier - September 6th, 2006
- Human Rights Yeshiva - September 2nd, 2006
- Defense of Palestinian Human Rights - September 1st, 2006
- Women's Rights - September 1st, 2006
- Israeli Arabs Rights - September 1st, 2006
- Principles of Faith - September 1st, 2006
- Rabbis for Human Rights - September 1st, 2006
- Wanted: People to adopt people from disaster afflicted areas - August 11th, 2006
- RHR rabbis and volunteers visit the bomb-shelters in Qiriat Bialik - August 3rd, 2006
- Jerusalem Mayor announces intention to demolish home - July 28th, 2006
- Prof. Shlomo Avineri discusses Israel Citizenship Law with Rabbis For Human Rights - July 9th, 2006
- Human Rights and Self-Defense: Open meeting of the RHR Human Rights Yeshiva. - May 26th, 2006
- Arab World Human Rights Organizations - May 23rd, 2006
- International NGO Human Rights Organizations - May 23rd, 2006
- Palestine National Authority NGO Human Rights Organizations - May 23rd, 2006
- Israeli NGO Human Rights Organizations - May 23rd, 2006
- Resource Centers - May 23rd, 2006
- RHR Dedicates New Office and Celebrates Niwano Peace Prize - May 19th, 2006
- Economic Justice - May 15th, 2006
- Guarantee Agricultural Access: Participate in planting, plowing, pruning, reaping and and harvesting efforts - May 15th, 2006
- Action Center - May 15th, 2006
- Education - May 15th, 2006
- Economic, Social and Cultural rights - May 15th, 2006
- Children - May 15th, 2006
- Business & Human Rights - May 15th, 2006
- The Universal Declaration of Human Rights - May 15th, 2006
- Rabbis for Human Rights Receives Niwano Peace Prize - May 11th, 2006
- Dialogue with the Presbyterian Church USA - April 21st, 2006
- Who Sits With Us At Our Seder?: Haggadah Supplement 5766 - April 7th, 2006
- Board of Directors - January 9th, 2006
- What you can do - January 5th, 2006
- Contact Rabbis for Human Rights - September 14th, 2003
- Protect Housing Rights: Act against discrimination in matters relating to land, development and housing construction. - April 16th, 2003
- Donate - January 14th, 2003
- Who We Are - January 21st, 2000
Rabbis for Human Rights recommends that you read these articles in Yom Kippur
- Yom Kippur Vidui - October 1st, 2008
- Yom Kippur - September 20th, 2007
- Unetaneh Tokef - September 29th, 2006
- Selichot Ceremony - September 29th, 2006
September 21, 2007 - ט' תשרי תשס"ח at 5:17 pm
[...] On this, erev Yom Kippur, Rabbis for Human Rights has posted their yearly vidui. I think maybe I ought to add to mine: For the stories I couldn’t find the energy to post because they were so depressing, and for the stories I posted, but couldn’t bring myself to comment on; For the posts that I failed to blog because someone out there knows who I am and I have to work, and for perhaps being occasionally too quick on the trigger For my own cowardice, and for the failure to look truth in the eye…. You can find these, as well as a Hebrew version which for some reason I couldn’t copy to the blog here. [...]
September 21, 2007 - ט' תשרי תשס"ח at 5:49 pm
[...] I received this updated vidui from Rabbi Arik Ascherman at Rabbis for Human Rights, an Israeli human rights organization (with its sister organization here in the USA, RHR-NA, which sponsored last year’s Human Rights Conference to kick off their campaign against torture) . They post a vidui like this one yearly, and they cover a wide spectrum of ills that currently plague Israeli society - and ours, as well. There is a Hebrew version on the RHR website, as well as versions from previous years. God willing, we won’t need another one next year. [...]