YOM KIPPUR: A Viduy (confession prayer) For Our Times el Rab Yosef Bitton

One of the most important Mitsvot of Yom Kippur is the recitation of the Viduy. Viduy literally means “confession”, and it is the central step of Teshuba, “repentance”. The process of Teshuba, indeed, consists of three steps:

1. Admission of our faults (hakarat hahet);

2. Verbal confession (Viduy);

3. The resolve to abandon our wrong actions and habits (‘azibat hahet).

According to Maimonides the Mitsva of Teshuba is fulfilled when we recite the Viduy. The Viduy records a list of transgressions and flaws. Reading the Viduy helps us to identify the wrong acts that we might have done and forgotten, or that we might have unconsciously suppressed from our memory.    The most famous version of this confession prayer is the Viduy HaGadol (extended confession) written by Rabbenu Nissim Rosh Yeshibat Babel. The Sephardic custom is to say that Viduy during Yom Kippur (‘arbit or shaharit, lo ta’ase; musaf , ‘ase).

We should not read the Viduy mentally. Rather we must articulate every word, whispering to ourselves the transgressions mentioned in the text. Why? Because the Viduy is the culmination of the mental process of taking charge of our actions. Same as the concept of catharsis, and similar to the famous 12 Steps Rehab Programs, only when we are capable of verbally articulating our problems and admitting our vices, we have finally recognize them, and only then we are able to change. Once we confess, we are confident that HaShem would accept our apologies, forgive us and helps us to improve.

We say the Viduy in plural, mentioning transgressions that we clearly know we have not committed. This teaches us that our moral responsibilities go beyond our personal accountability. In other words, when we see a friend, a family member or anyone else over whom we have influence, acting wrongly, we should privately and politely rebuke him or her. And if we don’t, it is considered as if we share some responsibility for their wrongdoings.

The original Viduy is written in Hebrew. Now, if we read the Hebrew version of the Viduy and we don’t understand what we are saying, then how would admission, regret and contrition, all these critical steps for Teshuba, going to happen? That is why, unlike other prayers, it is imperative to understand the words of the Viduy. Therefore, it is not only permitted but necessary to read the Viduy in a language that one understands.

The Viduy I’m presenting here is based on the short Viduy used in the Sephardic Selihot. My translation is a non-literal and expanded rendition of the Viduy, adapting its language and ideas to the mindset of the contemporary reader.

I recommend to read this text on Yom Kippur, not instead but alongside the other confession prayers.  With the hope that it will help us understand the main ideas of the Viduy, and inspire us to repent and obtain HaShem’s forgiveness.

SEE HERE  A PRINTABLE PDF VERSION OF THIS VIDUY