“From the Depths I Call to You” – Psalm 130

The Psalm reflects a gradual, dramatic process of hope for a two-way relationship between man, who seeks deliverance from his sins, and God, with Whom reside forgiveness, kindness and redemption. This two-way relationship does in fact exist, as described in the psalm, at different levels in the worshipper’s consciousness, but it is not yet manifest in the external reality.

The analysis of this psalm highlights its appropriateness to the Yom Kippur experience and the inner process that the worshipper undergoes, from the somber Kol Nidrei until the closing Ne’ila prayer.

At the start of this holy day, a person is bent and broken, mired in the depths of his sins. He begs God to listen to his desperate cry.

The prayer service inspires and encourages the worshipper: God is waiting for his repentance and will certainly forgive his sins.

As the time for the Ne’ila prayer arrives, and the sense that our prayers have indeed been heard on high grows firm, the synagogue is enveloped in tense anticipation: we await God’s positive response. This answer is not uttered explicitly, but the certainty of its existence accompanies the congregants to their homes.