Who can hear this strange Kol Nidra

Without dropping in the spell?

Lift the visage of the present,
Like the momentary fleeting

Of the evening with the past.

*

RABBI JOSEPH LEISER

105

YOM KIPPUR

They of great faith have ceased,
Men girt with spirit-power,
Who, standing in the breach,
Became our shelt'ring tower.

They wrestled through the night,
Whilst we from God had turned;

Lay prostrate in the dust,

As His fierce anger burned.

They changed to mercy-wrath,
And stay'd the chastening rod;
For their sakes we found grace
With an offended God.

Woe, woe! that through our sins
Our helpers we have lost!
They now are at their rest,

Whilst we by tempests tossed.

For those of mighty hearts

We search the earth in vain;

And yet will not despair

God's gracious ear to gain.

Alone we come to Thee

In sorrow and in shame;
With daring hope and trust,
Now Thy forgiveness claim.

O, blest the gracious word,
Th'evangel of this day,
That none who turn to Thee

Are ever cast away.

FROM THE HEBREW OF THE TENTH CENTURY

Translation by Rabbi Gustav Gottheil

106

YOM KIPPUR

To Thee we give ourselves to-day,
Forgetful of the world outside;
We tarry in Thy house, O Lord,
From eventide to eventide.

From Thy all-searching, righteous eye
Our deepest heart can nothing hide;

It crieth up to Thee for peace

From eventide to eventide.

Who could endure, should'st Thou, O God,
As we deserve, forever chide!

We therefore seek Thy pardoning grace
From eventide to eventide.

O may we lay to heart how swift
The years of life do onward glide;
So learn to live that we may see
Thy light at our life's eventide.

RABBI GUSTAV GOTTHEIL

107

HYMN FOR TABERNACLES

Thy praise, O Lord, will I proclaim
In hymns unto Thy glorious name.
O Thou Redeemer, Lord and King,
Redemption to Thy faithful bring!
Before Thine altar they rejoice

With branch of palm and myrtle stem;
To Thee they raise the prayerful voice-
Have mercy, save and prosper them.

Mayst Thou, in mercy manifold,
Dear unto Thee Thy people hold;
When at Thy gate they bend the knee,
And worship and acknowledge Thee,
Do Thou their heart's desire fulfil;

Rejoice with them in love this day;
Forgive their sins and thoughts of ill,

And their transgressions cast away.

They overflow with prayer and praise
To Him who knows the future days.
Have mercy, Thou, and hear the prayer
Of those who palms and myrtles bear;
Thee day and night they sanctify,

And in perpetual song adore; Like to the heavenly hosts they cry: "Blessed art Thou forevermore."

ELEAZAR BEN JACOB KALIR

Translation from the Hebrew by Mrs. Henry Lucas

108

HARVEST HYMN

Lord of the harvest! Thee we hail;
Thine ancient promise doth not fail;

The varying seasons haste their round;
With goodness all our years are crowned;
Our thanks we pay,

This holy day;

Oh, let our hearts in tune be found.

If Spring doth wake the song of mirth;
If Summer warms the fruitful earth;
When Winter sweeps the naked plain,
Or Autumn yields its ripened grain,
Still do we sing

To Thee, our King;

Through all the changes Thou dost reign.

But chiefly when Thy liberal hand
Scatters new plenty o'er the land;
When sounds of music fill the air,
And homeward all their treasures bear;
We too will raise

Our hymn of praise,

For we Thy common bounties share.

Lord of the harvest, all is Thine!
The rains that fall, the suns that shine,
The seed once hidden in the ground,
The skill that makes our fruits abound!
New, every year,

Thy gifts appear;

New praises from our lips shall sound!

JOHN HAMPDEN GURNEY

109

THE FEAST OF LIGHTS

Kindle the taper like the steadfast star

Ablaze on evening's forehead o'er the earth, And add each night a lustre, till afar

An eightfold splendor shine above the hearth. Clash, Israel, the cymbals, touch the lyre,

Blow the brass trumpet and the harsh-tongued

horn;

Chant psalms of vict'ry till the heart takes fire,
The Maccabean spirit leap new-born.