Page:Philip Birnbaum - ha-Siddur ha-Shalem (The Daily Prayer Book,1949).pdf/129

104

And David said to Gad: “I am deeply distressed; let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for his mercy is great, but let me not fall into the hand of man.

Merciful and gracious God, I have sinned before thee; O Lord, who art full of compassion, have mercy on me and accept my supplications.

O Lord, punish me not in thy anger; chastise me not in thy wrath. Have pity on me, O Lord, for I languish away; heal me, O Lord, for my health is shaken. My soul is severely troubled; and thou, O Lord, how long? O Lord, deliver my life once again; save me because of thy grace. For in death there is no thought of thee; in the grave who gives thanks to thee? I am worn out with my groaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I cause my couch to melt with my weeping. My eye is dimmed from grief; it, grows old because of all my foes. Depart from me, all you evildoers, for the Lord has heard the sound of my weeping. The Lord has heard my supplication; the Lord receives my prayer. All my foes shall be utterly ashamed and terrified; they shall turn back; they shall be suddenly ashamed.

Guardian of Israel, preserve the remnant of Israel; let not Israel perish, who say: “Hear, O Israel.”

("petition") is recited in a sitting posture known as ("falling on the face"), which is a modified form of the complete prostration with the face to the ground practised in the early days of the Talmud (Megillah 22b). This custom originates from Moses, who "fell down before the Lord" (Deuteronomy 9:18), and Joshua, who "fell on the earth upon his face before the ark of the Lord" (Joshua 7:6). Hence, is performed only where there is a Sefer Torah. It consists merely resting the head on the arm. During the morning service, when the tefillin are on the left arm, the right arm is used; at the Minḥah service, however, the left arm is used. Since the verse contains the phrase  ("let us fall") it precedes, the falling posture assumed during the Taḥanun prayer.

was the name of the prophet who offered to David a choice of punishments, coming directly from God or through the agency of man. David replied that he preferred to be punished by the gracious God rather than by man.