The Viddui, which means “confession,” is a prayer recited just before Yom Kippur, and repeated many times throughout the holiday.
During the Viddui, worshipers gently beat themselves on the chest for each transgression listed. This action serves as a symbolic punishment for our hearts, which are ultimately responsible for leading us to sins of greed, lust and anger.
The Viddui includes the Ashamnu, an alphabetical acrostic of different sins we have committed. It is said in first-person plural, because while each individual may not have committed these specific sins, as a community we surely have, and our fates are intertwined on this day. Find the full text of the Ashamnu in Hebrew and English here.
Audio of the Ashamnu (courtesy of Hadar Institute)
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