“Shema Koli” – The Prayer of Hai Gaon After Lighting Candles on Yom Kippur

“Shema Koli” – The Prayer of Rabbi Hai Gaon

Gaon Hai ben Sherira – האי בר שרירא, better known as Hai Gaon – האיי גאון, was the last authoritative Gaon of Babylonia and the successor to the Amoraim (the Sages of the Talmud). He was a descendant of King David and the fourth consecutive Gaon of the Pumbedita Talmudic academy in his family, beginning in the ninth century. The son of Sherira Gaon, he worked on his father’s famous letter. Gaon Hai ben Sherira had a great influence on Samuel ha-Nagid. Although he was a Gaon during the decline of the Abbasid dynasty, Gaon Hai ben Sherira was still regarded as a great halachic authority. Abraham ibn Daud wrote that “he spread Torah throughout Israel more than all the Geonim ... in both the East and the West ... None of his predecessors can be compared with him; he was the last of the Geonim.” He authored the famous work “Shimush Tehillim.” [A series of classes with Rav Yisrael Yakov on this book, which reveals the secrets of reciting Tehillim, is available on our YouTube channel]. His well-known prayer, “Shema Koli,” is recited during the days of Selichot, during the Ten Days of Repentance, and at times of personal teshuvah. But the most powerful time to recite this prayer is after lighting candles on Yom Kippur.   “Shema Koli” שְׁמַע קוֹלִי אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁמַע בְּקוֹלוֹת וְהָאֵל הַמְּקַבֵּל הַתְּפִלּוֹת וְהָעוֹשֶׂה בְּלִי חֵקֶר גְּדוֹלוֹת וְנִפְלָאוֹת וְהַנּוֹרָא עֲלִילוֹת וְהֶחָכָם וְהַקַּיָּם לְעוֹלָם וְהַגִּבּוֹר עֲלֵי כָּל הַיְּכוֹלוֹת וְהָרַחוּם וְהַחַנּוּן וְהַטּוֹב וְהֶחָסִיד וְהַמַּרְבֶּה מְחִילוֹת אֲשֶׁר עָנָה לְאַבְרָהָם וְיִצְחָק וְיִשְׂרָאֵל לְמַלְּאוֹת כָּל שְׁאֵלוֹת וְהָעוֹנֶה בְּבֵית כֶּלֶא לְיוֹסֵף וּמִבּוֹר הֶעֱלָהוּ לַגְּדֻלּוֹת וְהָעוֹנֶה בְּמִצְרַיִם לְעַמּוֹ וְהוֹצִיאָם לְחֵרוּת מִסְּבָלוֹת וְהָעוֹנֶה בַּיָּם וְיַּעֲבִירֵם וְטִבַּע אוֹיְבֵיהֶם בַּמְּצוּלוֹת וְהָעוֹנֶה בְּהַר סִינַי לְמֹשֶׁה וֹבִשַּׂרְתּוֹ בְּטוּבְךָ בַּגְּאוּלּוֹת וְהָעוֹנֶה לְאַהֲרֹן בַּקְּטֹרֶת וְגַם פִּנְחָס עֲנִיתוֹ בַּפְּלִילוֹת וְהָעוֹנֶה יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וְעֵלִי וְגַם חַנָּה בְּהִתְחַנְּנָהּ בְּמִלּוֹת וְהָעוֹנֶה שְׁמוּאֵל בַּתְּשׁוּעוֹת וְהָעוֹנֶה עֲלֵי מַשְׁבֵּר לְחַלּוֹת וְהָעוֹנֶה שְׁלֹמֹה רַב שְלוֹמוֹת וְגַם דָּוִד אֲשֶׁר שָׁר לָךְ בְּמַעֲלוֹת וְהָעוֹנֶה לְאֵלִיָּה בַּכַּרְמֶל וְאֵשׁ יָרְדָה וְאָכְלָה מַאֲכָלוֹת וְהָעוֹנֶה בְיֶשַׁע לֶאֱלִישָׁע וְחִזְקִיָּה עֲנִיתוֹ בַּתְּעָלוֹת וְהָעוֹנֶה בְלֵב הַיָּם לְיוֹנָה וְהוֹצֵאתוֹ לְאוֹרוֹת מֵאֲפֵלוֹת וְהָעוֹנֶה חֲנַנְיָה וַעֲזַרְיָה וּמִישָׁאֵל בְּהִצָּלוֹת לְהַפְלוֹת וְהָעוֹנֶה לְדָנִיאֵל בְּרַחֲמָיו וּמַלְאַךְ חִלְּצָהוּ מִשְּׁחָלוֹת וְהָעוֹנֶה לְמָרְדְּכַי וְאֶסְתֵּר וְהָפַכְתָּ יְגוֹנוֹתָם לְגִילוֹת וְהָעוֹנֶה בְמוֹ עֵזֶר לְעֶזְרָא וְחַשְׁמוֹנִים עֲנִיתָם בַּחֲיָלוֹת וְהָעוֹנֶה בְּתוֹךְ מַעְגָּל לְחוֹנִי בְּעֵת נִשְׁבַּע בְּשִׁמְךָ רַב פְּעֻלּוֹת וְהָעוֹנֶה לְכָל צַדִּיק וְחָסִיד אֲשֶׁר הָיוּ בְּכָל דּוֹר בַּקְּהִלּוֹת וְהָעוֹנֶה אֳנִיּוֹת יָם בְּסַעֲרוֹת וְהָעוֹנֶה לְמִתְעַנֶּה בְּמַחְלוֹת וְהָעוֹנֶה לְהוֹלְכִים בַּיְּשִׁימוֹן וְהָעוֹנֶה אֲסִירִים בַּכְּבָלוֹת וְהָעוֹנֶה לְכָל צוֹעֵק וְקוֹרֵא וְכָל בָּאִים לְפָנֶיךָ לְחַלּוֹת עֲנֵה עָנִי שְׁפַל כָּל הַשְּׁפָלִים וְשָׂא חֶטְאוֹ מְקַבֵּל הַתְּפִלּוֹת וְהַאֲרֵךְ נָא בְּרַחֲמֶיךָ שְׁנוֹתָיו וְצַוֵּה כָּל שְׁאֵלוֹתָיו לְמַלֹּאת וְתַחְשׁוֹב כָּל תְּפִלּוֹתָיו קְטֹרֶת לְפָנֶיךָ כְּקָרְבָּנוֹת וְעוֹלוֹת וְהָאֵל הַמְּקַבֵּל הַתְּפִלּוֹת שְׁמַע קוֹלִי אֲשֶׁר יִשְׁמַע בְּקוֹלוֹת Transliteration SHEMA KOLI ASHER YISHMA BEKOLOT, VEHA-EL HAMEKABEL HATEFILOT: VEHA-OSEH BELI HEKER GEDOLOT, VENIFLAOT VEHANORA ALILOT: VEHAHAKHAM VEHAKAYAM LEOLAM, VEHAGIBOR ALE KOL-HA-YEKHOLOT: VEHARAHUM VEHAHANUN VEHATOV, VEH חסיד VEHAMARBE MEHILOT: ASHER ANAH LEAVRAHAM VEYITZHAK, VEYISRAEL LEMALE KOL-SHE'ELALOT: VEHAONEH BEVEIT KELE LEYOSEF, UMIBOR HE'ELAHU LAGEDULOT: VEHAONEH BEMITZRAYIM LEAMO, VEHOTZIAM LEHERUT MISEVALOT: VEHAONEH BAYAM VAYAAVIREM, VETIBA OYVEHEM BAMEZULOT: VEHAONEH BEHAR SINAI LEMOSHEH, UVISARTO BETUVKHA BAGE'ULOT: VEHAONEH LEAHARON BAKETORET, VEGAM PINHAS ANITO BAPELILOT LEHAKALOT: VEHAONEH SHELOMO RAV SHELOMOT, VEGAM DAVID ASHER SHAR LEKHA BEMAALOT: VEHAONEH LEELIYAHU BEHARMEL, VEESH YARDA VEAKHLA MAAKHALOT: VEHAONEH BEYESHA LEELISHA, VEHIZKIYAH ANITO BATEALOT: VEHAONEH BELEV HAYAM LEYONAH, VEHOTZETO LEOROT MEAFEL Translation Hear my voice among many voices, O Most High, Who accepts prayer! You are the One who performs boundless kindness, miracles, and great deeds! You are the Wisest and the Eternal; You are Almighty. Merciful, compassionate, good, pious, and abundantly forgiving. You answered Abraham, Isaac, and Israel in all their requests! You answered Joseph in prison and raised him from the pit to greatness. You answered Your people in Egypt and brought us from suffering and slavery to freedom! You answered us at the sea, brought us across, and drowned our enemies in the depths of the sea! You answered Moses at Mount Sinai and proclaimed to him the tidings of redemption. You answered Aaron through the prayer of the Ketoret. You answered Pinchas when he saved the Jewish people! You answered King Solomon in his many requests, and David, who sang praises to You! You answered Elijah on Mount Carmel, when fire descended and consumed the offering. You answered and helped the prophet Elisha, and You answered Hezekiah! You answered Jonah in the heart of the sea and brought him from darkness into light! You answered Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah and brought them out of the fire! You answered Daniel in Your mercy and sent him an angel of deliverance! You answered Mordechai and Esther and transformed their sorrow into joy! You answered in the days of Ezra and helped us! You answered the Hasmoneans and helped them overcome the army of their enemies! You answered Honi within his circle when he swore by Your Name! You answer every chasid and tzadik in their troubles and difficulties! You answer ships at sea in the midst of storms! You answer the sick person lying in bed. You answer travelers on the road! You answer prisoners in chains. You answer everyone who cries out and calls for help, and everyone who comes before You and pleads for salvation. Answer me, the poorest of the poor! Forgive my sin, O You Who accepts all prayers! In Your mercy, please lengthen my years of life! Command that all my requests be fulfilled! May You regard all my prayers as incense before You, as offerings and burnt offerings! O G-d, Who accepts all prayers, hear my prayerful voice among all voices!