כי א-ל שומע (תפלות ותחנונים) אתה
FOR YOU ARE G-D WHO HEARS (PRAYERS AND ENTREATIES)
You, Hashem, are the ‘G-d Who hears’, unlike the lifeless gods of the nations that cannot hear any prayers at all. You not only ‘hear’, but You are also willing to hear and You desire to hear our prayers.
תפלות ותחנונים
PRAYERS AND ENTREATIES
‘Tefillah’ denotes intense thought, where one contemplates his desires and what he must do to gain Hashem’s favor, whereas ‘tachanunim’ are merely the expression of a man’s strong desire to find חן, favor, in the eyes of Hashem.
ומלפניך מלכנו ריקם אל תשיבנו
AND FROM BEFORE YOU OUR KING DO NOT TURN US BACK EMPTY-HANDED
We stand “before You”, our trust solely in You, thereby demonstrating that only You are “our King”. Because of our trust, as well as for the sake of the honor of the King, please fulfill at least part of our request.
