“This prayer helps remind us that ultimately we don't really know what we're doing.” —Joey Weisenberg
There was an old tradition for Hineini that the cantor would make a grand entrance from the back of the room and march toward the bimah while intoning this prayer before the repetition of the Musaf service on Rosh HaShanah. However, this approach is at odds with the prayer itself, which conveys a deep sense of humility.
Prayer leaders are sometimes called ba'alei tefilah (master of prayer), but the one who expresses this Hineini prayer is better described as a shaliach tzibbur (communal prayer-deliverer). All throughout the silent Amidah before the repetition, as the prayer leader is waiting to get to this moment, they should try to find a way to access this sense of humility and true supplication. To embody this, Joey Weisenberg recommends literally bending the body forward and beginning quietly...
הִנְנִי הֶעָנִי מִמַּעַשׂ,
נִרְעַשׁ וְנִפְחַד מִפַּחַד
יוֹשֵׁב תְּהִלּוֹת יִשְׂרָאֵל
בָּאתִי לַעֲמֹד וּלְהִתְחַנֵּן לְפָנֶֽיךָ
עַל עַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר שְׁלָחֽוּנִי
אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵינִי כְּדַאי וְהָגוּן לְכָךְ
לָכֵן אֲבַקֵּשׁ מִמְּךָ
אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם אֱלֹהֵי יִצְחָק וֵאלֹהֵי יַעֲקֹב
(אֱלֹהֵי שָׂרָה אֱלֹהֵי רִבְקָה אֱלֹהֵי רָחֵל וֵאלֹהֵי לֵאָה)
יְהֹוָה יְהֹוָה אֵל רַחוּם וְחַנּוּן אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל
שַׁדַּי אָיוֹם וְנוֹרָא, הֱיֵה נָא מַצְלִיחַ דַּרְכִּי
אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי הוֹלֵךְ לַעֲמֹד וּלְבַקֵּשׁ רַחֲמִים
עָלַי וְעַל שׁוֹלְחָי
נָא אַל תַּפְשִׁיעֵם בְּחַטֹּאתַי
וְאַל תְּחַיְּבֵם בַּעֲוֹנוֹתַי
כִּי חוֹטֵא וּפוֹשֵׁעַ אָנִי
וְאַל יִכָּלְמוּ בִּפְשָׁעַי
וְאַל יֵבוֹשׁוּ הֵם בִּי וְאַל אֵבוֹשׁ אֲנִי בָּהֶם
וְקַבֵּל תְּפִלָּתִי כִּתְפִלַּת זָקֵן וְרָגִיל
וּפִרְקוֹ נָאֶה וּזְקָנוֹ מְגֻדָּל
וְקוֹלוֹ נָעִים וּמְעֻרָב בְּדַֽעַת עִם הַבְּרִיּוֹת
וְתִגְעַר בַּשָּׂטָן לְבַל יַשְׂטִינֵנִי
וִיהִי נָא דִלּוּגֵנוּ עָלֶיךָ אַהֲבָה.
וְעַל כָּל פְּשָׁעִים תְּכַסֶּה בְּאַהֲבָה
וְכָל צָרוֹת וְרָעוֹת הֲפָךְ נָא לָנוּ וּלְכָל יִשְׂרָאֵל
לְשָׂשׂוֹן וּלְשִׂמְחָה לְחַיִּים וּלְשָׁלוֹם
הָאֱמֶת וְהַשָּׁלוֹם אֱהָבוּ
וְלֹא יְהִי שׁוּם מִכְשׁוֹל בִּתְפִלָּתִי
וִיהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב
הָאֵל הַגָּדוֹל הַגִּבּוֹר וְהַנּוֹרָא.
אֵל עֶלְיוֹן אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה.
שֶׁכָּל הַמַּלְאָכִים שֶׁהֵם מַעֲלֵי תְפִלּוֹת
יָבִיאוּ תְפִלָּתִי לִפְנֵי כִסֵּא כְבוֹדֶךָ
וְיַצִּיגוּ אוֹתָהּ לְפָנֶיךָ.
בַּעֲבוּר כָּל הַצַּדִּיקִים וְהַחֲסִידִים וְהַיְּשָׁרִים
וּבַעֲבוּר כְּבוֹד שִׁמְךָ הַגָּדוֹל וְהַנּוֹרָא
כִּי אַתָּה שׁוֹמֵֽעַ תְּפִלַּת עַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל בְּרַחֲמִים.
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה שׁוֹמֵעַ תְּפִלָּה
Behold, I stand here,
impoverished in good deeds, perturbed and frightened in fear [of the One]
Who is enthroned upon the praises of Yisrael.
I have come to stand and to plead before You on behalf of
Your people, Yisrael, who have appointed me their messenger;
even though I am not worthy or qualified for the task.
I therefore beseech You,
God of Avraham, God of Yitzchak and God of Yaakov
[God of Sarah, Rebekka, Rachel and Leah];
Adonoy, Adonoy, Almighty, Compassionate and Gracious, God of Yisrael,
Shaddai, Eminent and Awesome, please, help me succeed in the mission
which I have undertaken to stand [before You] and to seek mercy
for myself and for those who have appointed me.
Do not hold them responsible for my sins,
nor condemn them for my iniquities,
as I am a sinner and a transgressor.
Let them not be disgraced through my transgressions;
may they not be ashamed of me, nor may I be ashamed of them.
Accept my prayer as the prayer of one who is mature and experienced,
and as one who is respected, whose beard is full-grown / whose being is fully matured,
whose voice is pleasant, and who is pleasing to his fellow human.
Rebuke Satan that he not accuse me,
and may our assembling [be acceptable] to You with love;
and may all [our] transgressions be covered over with [Your] love.
All our troubles and afflictions; please turn them for us and all Yisrael
into happiness and joy, life and peace.
May they love truth and peace,
and may there be no impediment in my prayer.
And may it be Your will, Adonoy, God of Avraham, Yitzchak and Yaakov,
the Almighty, the Great, the Powerful, the Awesome, most high, Almighty,
[Who is known by the Name]: “I am that I am”
that all the angels who convey prayers,
may they bring my prayers to the presence of Your glorious throne,
and present them to You
for the sake of all those who are righteous, pious and upright,
and for the sake of Your glorious Name, [which is] great and awesome;
for You hear the prayers of Your people, Yisrael, with compassion.
Blessed are You Who hears prayers.
Listen to Rabbi Aviva Richman chant this prayer below, and find another recording of "Hineini" for Rosh HaShanah Musaf in Hadar's "Learn a Service" Library.
You can learn how to lead this and countless other prayers in Joey Weisenberg's master classes in Jewish song video library. Rising Song's annual High Holiday Leadership Training series, based on these videos, is underway now with live (and archived) Zoom sessions hosted by Joey, Rabbi Deborah Sacks Mintz and guest faculty from Hadar to help you approach the bimah with both confidence and humility.
