What is Man?

(44) What shall we say before You, Who dwells on high; and what shall we relate to You Who dwells in the heavens? For everything, both hidden and revealed, You know.

(45) You reach out Your hand to transgressors, and Your right hand is extended to receive those who [truly] repent. You have taught us, Adonoy, our God, to confess before You all our iniquities so that we may refrain from the injustice of our hands; so that You will accept us in perfect repentance before You, [as You would accept] fire-offerings and sweet savours, for the sake of Your word which You spoke.1This refers to Hashem’s promise, made through the prophets, that He will accept Yisrael’s whole-hearted repentance. There is no end to the fire-offerings required [to atone] for our faults, and there is no number for the sacrifices, required [to atone] for our guilt. But You know that our ultimate end is the worm, and therefore You have increased the means of our pardon. What are we? What is our life? What are our acts of kindness? What is our righteousness? What is our deliverance? What is our strength? What is our might? What can we say before You, Adonoy, our God and God of our fathers? Are not all the mighty men as nothing before You? Famous men as though they had never been? The wise as if they were without knowledge? And men of understanding as if they were devoid of intelligence? For most of their actions are a waste and the days of their life are trivial in Your presence. The superiority of man over the beast is nil for all is futile.

(1) A person should always be in fear of God, privately as well as openly,1Some people conduct themselves in a God-fearing manner in the presence of others (in public), but in the privacy of their homes, do whatever they please. There are others who do just the opposite. In private they are governed by fear of God, but in the presence of others they are too embarrassed or intimidated to be God-fearing. A Jew must always fear God, in private as well as in public.—Siach Yitzchok [he should] admit the truth,2Acknowledging the truth is fundamental to serving God, and to all human behavior. One who is concerned merely with “winning the argument” will go to any extreme to come out on top. This attitude caused the downfall of the 250 leaders who joined Korach, rather than acknowledge the truth of Moses’ declaration (Numbers 16:2-35).—Siach Yitzchok and speak truth in his heart,3It is not sufficient to merely acknowledge the truth verbally but one must speak truth in his heart as well. Rashi on the Talmud (Maseches Makos 24a) cites the following incident as an example of how one should speak truth in his heart: A buyer once offered to purchase an article from Rav Safra while he was reciting the Shema. Because he could not indicate his acceptance, the anxious purchaser increased his offer. Rav Safra refused the increment because in his heart he had already accepted the original offer. and rise early and proclaim:

(2) Lord of all the worlds! Not on account of our righteousness do we offer our supplications before You, but on account of Your abundant mercy. What are we? What is our life? What are our acts of kindness? What is our righteousness? What is our deliverance?4Of ourselves or others. What is our strength? What is our might? What can we say before You, Adonoy, our God and God of our fathers? Are not all the mighty men as nothing before You? Famous men as though they had never been? The wise as if they were without knowledge? And men of understanding, as if they were devoid of intelligence? For most of their actions are a waste,5In terms of achievement.—Dover Sholom and the days of their life are trivial6In terms of time.—Dover Sholom in Your presence. The superiority of man over the beast is nil, for all is futile.

(46) [Nevertheless], You have set man apart from the beginning, and recognized him [as worthy] to stand before You. For who could tell You what You should do, and even if he be righteous, what [benefit] does he give You? And You, Adonoy, our God, gave us with love, this Day of Atonement to be the end [of sin] forgiveness, and pardon for all our iniquities, so that we may refrain from the injustice of our hands; and return to You, to fulfill the statutes of Your will with a perfect heart. And You in Your abundant mercy, have compassion on us, for You do not desire the destruction of the world; as it is stated: “Seek Adonoy while He may be found, call to Him while He is near.”2Yeshaya 55:6 And it is said: “Let the wicked abandon his way, and the man of iniquity his thoughts, and let him return to Adonoy and He will have compassion on him, and to our God, for He pardons abundantly.”3Yeshaya 55:7 And You, God of pardon, are gracious and compassionate, slow to anger, abundant in kindness and truth, and abounding in goodness. You want the repentance of the wicked, and do not desire their death. As it is stated: “Say to them, as truly as I live, declares the Master, Adonoy, I have no desire for the death of the wicked, but only that the wicked return from his [evil] path and live; And it is said, “Return, return, from your evil ways, why should you die House of Yisrael?”4Yechezkel 33:11 And it is said, “Do I desire the death of the wicked? declares the Master, Adonoy; [I desire rather]that he return from his [evil] way and live.”5Yechezkel 18:23 And it is said: “For I do not desire the death of him who deserves death, declares the Master, Adonoy; [therefore] return and live.”6Yechezkel 18:32 For You are the Pardoner of Yisrael, and the Forgiver of the tribes of Yeshurun in every generation; and besides You we have no King Who forgives and pardons only You.

(3) However, we are Your people, children of Your covenant, children of Avraham, Your beloved,8Others translate, “Children of Avraham who loved You.” See commentaries on Yeshaya 41:8. to whom You swore on Mount Moriah; the seed of Yitzchak, his only son, who was bound on top of the altar; the community of Yaakov, Your firstborn, [whom]—because of Your love for him and Your joyous delight in him— You named him Yisrael9The name Yisrael symbolizes Yaakov’s wandering through history proclaiming the sovereignty of Hashem, while the name Yeshurun indicates his task to fulfill Hashem’s will as revealed to him, and to devote his life to the execution of that which is right in the eyes of Hashem.—S.R. Hirsch and Yeshurun.10Devarim 33:5.

(4) Therefore, we are obligated to thank You, to praise You, and to glorify You; to bless, to sanctify, and to offer praise and thanks to Your Name. We are fortunate! How good is our portion! How pleasant is our destiny! How beautiful is our heritage! We are fortunate that we rise early and stay late - morning and evening - and twice daily say:

(5) “Hear Israel, Adonoy is our God, Adonoy is One.”

(6) The following line is to be said silently

(7) Blessed [is His] Name, Whose glorious kingdom is forever and ever.

(9) You existed before the world was created. You exist [in the same way] now that the world has been created. You exist in this world, and You will exist in the World-to-Come. Sanctify Your Name upon those who hallow Your Name, and sanctify Your Name in Your world. And through Your deliverance You will be exalted12According to other versions, the text is translated, “You will be exalted,” since the Hebrew reads תָּרוּם. and You will uplift our power. Blessed are you Adonoy who sanctifies His Name among the multitudes.

(1) One should strengthen himself like a lion to get up in the morning to serve his Creator, so that it is he who awakens the dawn. Rem"a: At least, one should not delay beyond the time when the congregation prays (Tur). Rem"a: "I have set the Lord before me constantly" (Psalms 16:8); this is a major principle in the Torah and amongst the virtues of the righteous who walk before God. For a person's way of sitting, his movements and his dealings while he is alone in his house are not like his way of sitting, his movements and his dealings when he is before a great king; nor are his speech and free expression as much as he wants when he is with his household members and his relatives like his speech when in a royal audience. All the more so when one takes to heart that the Great King, the Holy One, Blessed Is He, Whose glory fills the earth, is standing over him and watching his actions, as it is stated: "'Will a man hide in concealment and I will not see him?' - the word of God" (Jeremiah 23:24), he immediately acquires fear and submission in dread of God, May He Be Blessed, and is ashamed of Him constantly (Guide for the Perplexed III 52). And one should not be ashamed because of people who mock him in his service of God, and should also go modestly. And when he lies on his bed he should know before Whom he lies, and as soon as he wakes up from sleep he should rise eagerly to the service of his Creator, May He Be Blessed and Exalted (Tur).

(1) WE do not sit, move, and occupy ourselves when we are alone and at home, in the same manner as we do in the presence of a great king; we speak and open our mouth as we please when we are with the people of our own household and with our relatives, but not so when we are in a royal assembly. If we therefore desire to attain human perfection, and to be truly men of God, we must awake from our sleep, and bear in mind that the great king that is over us, and is always joined to us, is greater than any earthly king, greater than David and Solomon. The king that cleaves to us and embraces us is the Intellect that influences us, and forms the link between us and God. We perceive God by means of that light that He sends down unto us, wherefore the Psalmist says, “In Thy light shall we see light” (Ps. 36:9): so God looks down upon us through that same light, and is always with us beholding and watching us on account of this light. “Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him?” (Jer. 23:24). Note this particularly.