Ashamnu, Bagadnu—We Have Been Guilty,
We Have Betrayed
The Shemoneh Esrei is followed by a series of supplications and prayers for forgiveness that form a unit known as Tachanun. The following is a brief overview of Tachanun.
“Ashamnu, Bagadnu—We Have Been Guilty, We Have Betrayed”
The Tachanun begins with a “confession” of sin, including a paragraph made up of twenty-two different expressions of sin whose initial letters follow the order of the Hebrew alphabet. This paragraph is in the first person plural, rather than in singular form, to emphasize the fact that the entire Jewish people share responsibility for each other. We must each feel responsible even when another Jew sins.
One should feel sincere regret for the sins mentioned in this paragraph, and its recitation should be accompanied by an inner resolve never to repeat these transgressions again.
The alphabetical confession is followed by another brief paragraph in which we declare that, “We have departed from Your commandments and from Your good laws . . . for You have acted truthfully, but we have been wicked.”
- While reciting Ashamnu, one should use the right fist to strike one’s heart at each word. In the following paragraph, as well, one should strike the heart with one’s right fist at the words “We have departed” and “we have been wicked.”
The thirteen attributes of Mercy
The confession is followed by a special prayer that originates in the Book of Exodus, at the historic occasion when G-d “revealed” Himself to Moses. This took place when G-d threatened to wipe out the Jewish people in His wrath over the Sin of the Golden Calf, but Moses, out of his great love and sense of responsibility for the people, bravely argued with G-d and succeeded in nullifying the decree. Moses then asked G-d for a guarantee that the Jewish people would always remain G-d’s Chosen People, and G-d gave Moses an understanding of His endless kindness and compassion by teaching him the thirteen different Divine attributes of mercy. G-d used that occasion to teach us this powerful form of prayer and repentance, which has been incorporated into our daily prayer services.
We recite these verses after a brief prayer in which we beseech G-d to act with us in accordance with these thirteen attributes.
The following is a brief outline of the thirteen attributes:
- “Adon-y, Adon-y”
- “Adon-y, Adon-y” – The first two attributes are alluded to by the Name of G-d and describe His kindness both before and after a person sins.
- “G-d” – This refers to G-d’s strength in compassion. Even when He punishes a person who has sinned, He does so compassionately, in accordance with the sinner’s ability to handle suffering.
- “Mericful” – G-d is the Source of mercy and demonstrates mercy to those who are deserving of it.”
- “Compassionate” – G-d also displays compassion even toward people who are not deserving.
- “Slow to Anger” – G-d gives a sinner time to repent by delaying his punishment.
- “Great in Kindness” – When a person’s good deeds are even with his sins, G-d “tips the scales” in the person’s favor.
- “Truthful” – G-d fulfills His promises.
- “He Preserves Kindness for Millennia” – This attribute refers to G-d’s attribute of compassionate remembrance. He remembers the merits of our forefathers and bestows good on us in their merit.
- “He Bears Transgression” – This is G-d’s attribute of overlooking transgressions that were committed knowingly, primarily as a result of the evil inclination’s seduction.
- “And Rebellion” – G-d forgives even those who sin intentionally, with the express intention of rebelling against Him.
- “And Sin” – G-d ignores sins that people commit unknowingly or inadvertently.
- “And Cleanses” – G-d wipes away the sins of people who repent completely.
- The Thirteen Attributes of Mercy are recited aloud by the entire congregation in unison. One should ponder the meaning of every word.
Prostration on the face
The Thirteen Attributes of Mercy are followed by the recitation of Psalm 25, which begins with the words, “To David, I lift my soul toward You, G-d.”
This unique chapter, like other parts of our prayers, consists of phrases whose initial letters form an alphabetical acrostic. The content of this chapter is similar to the ideas of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy; King David prays to G-d to demonstrate His infinite mercy and kindness.
We preface our recitation of this chapter with an abridged version of the Confession: “Merciful and Compassionate One, we have sinned before You; have mercy on us and save us”.
- One should strike one’s chest with a fist at the words “we have sinned.”
- The entire chapter is recited while sitting, with one’s head leaning forward and resting on the right arm, which should be elevated slightly from the table. This position is called nefilat apayim—prostration on the face.
- We perform this prostration only when praying in the presence of a Torah scroll, in a position from which one can see the Ark. A person who is praying in a place where a Torah scroll is not found should still sit during the recitation of this chapter, but he should not place his head on his arm.
Va’anachnu Lo Neida—We Do Not Know What
We Will Do
Nefilat apayim is followed by a brief introduction drawn from the Avinu Malkeinu prayer, and that, in turn, is followed by the concluding paragraph of Tachanun, which begins with the words, “We do not know what we will do.” This prayer is composed of various Biblical verses whose theme is that we request from G-d to remember His great love for our forefathers—which we have inherited from them—even at a time of Divine wrath.
The first verse, “We do not know what we will do, for our eyes look to You,” expresses the thought that we have already prayed while sitting, standing, and with our heads bowed forward—all the positions that Moses adopted while praying for the Jewish people—and we do not know what else to do, other than simply to rely on G-d’s kindness.
- One should rise to a standing position at the words “what we will do.”
The Tachanun of Mondays and Thursdays
Monday and Thursday are special days in Jewish tradition, known as days of Divine good will. After the Sin of the Golden Calf, Moses ascended Mount Sinai to entreat G-d to forgive the people. It was Thursday when he ascended the mountain, and he returned forty days later, on a Monday. Since G-d ultimately did grant forgiveness to the Jewish people, we view these days of the week as special days, on which we add additional supplications to our prayers.
The Tachanun of Mondays and Thursdays consists of a number of passages of supplication and begins with the words, “He is merciful.” These additional passages are recited after nefilat apayim.
These passages consist of various prayers and supplications and are mainly composed of Biblical verses that we use to confess our sins, to entreat G-d for forgiveness, to beseech Him to look upon our suffering and our woes, and to declare that only He can save us and we put our faith only in Him.
At the end of Tachanun, we recite a special passage consisting of three stanzas that refer to G-d as “the Protector of Israel,” “the Protector of the unique nation,” and “the Protector of the holy nation.” The purpose of this passage is to “arouse” G-d’s love for the Jewish people by “reminding” Him of the fact that the Jewish people are uniquely willing to stand up for their beliefs and to sacrifice their lives for the sake of G-d’s honor.
- The special Tachanun of Mondays and Thursdays is recited while standing.
When is Tachanun not recited?
On special festive occasions, Shabbat, and holidays, we do not recite Tachanun at all. On such days, the Shemoneh Esrei is followed immediately by Ashrei.
The following is a list of occasions on which Tachanun is not recited, along with their dates on the Hebrew calendar:
- Rosh Chodesh — the first day of every Hebrew month. Rosh Chodesh is often celebrated on two consecutive days—the last day of the month that is ending and the first day of the new month. (For instance, Rosh Chodesh of the month of Cheshvan takes place on the 30th of Tishrei and the first of Cheshvan.) In such a situation, Tachanun is not recited on either of the two days of Rosh Chodesh.
- The day before Rosh Hashanah — the 29th of Elul.
- The period beginning with the day before Yom Kippur, the ninth of Tishrei, through the end of the month of Tishrei.
- The holiday of Chanukah, a span of eight days beginning with the 25th of Kislev.
- Tu B’Shevat — the festival of trees, which takes place on the 15th of Shevat.
- Purim — the 14th and 15th of Adar. During a leap year, which contains two months of Adar, Tachanun is also omitted on the 14th and 15th of the first Adar.
- The entire month of Nissan
- Pesach Sheni — the 14th of Iyar
- Lag Ba’Omer — the 18th of Iyar
- From Rosh Chodesh Sivan through the 12th of Sivan
- Tisha B’Av — the ninth of Av
- The fifteenth of Av
There are other occasions, as well, that call for Tachanun to be omitted:
- In a house of mourning, throughout the week of shiva
- When a newly married man is present during the first week following his wedding (the week of “sheva brachot”)
- In a synagogue where a circumcision is going to take place, or in the presence of the mohel, the sandak, or the father of the baby prior to the circumcision, even if it is scheduled to take place elsewhere.
- On a day when a hachnassat sefer Torah is scheduled to take place in the city. (A hachnassat sefer Torah is a ceremony at which the writing of a Torah scroll is completed and it is brought into a synagogue with a festive procession accompanied by song, dance, and hakafot similar to those performed on Simchat Torah.)
Many communities also omit Tachanun on days when they experienced special miracles. For instance, the Jews of Egypt celebrate another “Purim” on the 28th of Iyar, when a miraculous salvation occurred for their community. Georgian Jews do not recite Tachanun on the eighth of Iyar, when a decree ordering the synagogues in the country to be closed was rescinded. There are many other examples of this, as well.
Certain chassidic sects also omit Tachanun on the anniversary of the death of their Rebbe or on days when they experienced miracles.
The custom of Chabad is to omit Tachanun on the following days:
- The tenth of Kislev — “the festival of redemption” of the “middle Rebbe,” Rabbi Dov Ber Shneuri.
- The nineteenth and twentieth of Kislev — the “festival of redemption” of the elder Rebbe, Rabbi Shneur Zalman, the author of Tanya.
- The twelfth and thirteenth of Tammuz — the “festival of redemption” of Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn
