The following psalm (27) is recited at the conclusion of services, morning and evenings, from the first day of Elul, through Shemini Atzeres. Others say only until Hoasha'na Rabbah.
The psalm voices our prayer that God will be our light on Rosh Hashana enabling us to repel the darkness of sin through true repentance, and that He will be our salvation on Yom Kippur, through His compassionate atonement of our sins.
לְדָוִד By David:
יְהֹוָה אוֹרִי וְיִשְׁעִי Adonoy is my light and my salvation,
מִמִּי אִירָא whom shall I fear?
יְהֹוָה מָעוֹז חַיַּי Adonoy is the strength1Rav S.R. Hirsch translates, “Adonoy is the source of my life's strength,” thus David declares that God is the fount from which his life derives its power to resist all foes. of my life,
מִמִּי אֶפְחָד: of whom shall I be afraid?
בִּקְ֒רֹב עָלַי מְרֵעִים When evildoers approach me
לֶאֱכֹל אֶת בְּשָׂרִי to devour my flesh—
צָרַי וְאֹיְ֒בַי לִי my tormentors and my foes
הֵֽמָּה כָשְׁ֒לוּ וְנָפָֽלוּ: they stumble and fall.
אִם תַּחֲנֶה עָלַי מַחֲנֶה If an army should encamp against me,
לֺא יִירָא לִבִּי my heart would not fear;
אִם תָּקוּם עָלַי מִלְחָמָה if war were to rise against me,
בְּזֹאת אֲנִי בוֹטֵֽחַ: in this2David says that he trusts in the declaration stated in the opening verse, “Adonoy is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?—Rashi, Radak I trust.
אַחַת שָׁאַֽלְתִּי מֵאֵת יְהֹוָה One thing I request of Adonoy,
אוֹתָהּ אֲבַקֵּשׁ [only] that shall I seek,
שִׁבְתִּי בְּבֵית יְהֹוָה that I may dwell3The literal translation of שבתי is “my sitting.” The Talmud states that “no man may ‘sit’ in the courtyard of the Temple except for the kings of the House of David.”—Maseches Sotah 40b in the House of Adonoy
כָּל יְמֵי חַיַּי all the days of my life,
לַחֲזוֹת בְּנֹֽעַם יְהֹוָה to behold the pleasantness of Adonoy,
וּלְ֒בַקֵּר בְּהֵיכָלוֹ: and to meditate in His Sanctuary.
כִּי יִצְפְּ֒נֵֽנִי בְּסֻכֹּה For He will hide me in His Tabernacle4The Vilna Gaon comments that all the commandments pertaining to Succos are implied in this verse and the next.
בְּיוֹם רָעָה on the day of distress,
יַסְתִּרֵֽנִי בְּסֵֽתֶר אָהֳלוֹ He will conceal me in the shelter of His Tent,
בְּצוּר יְרוֹמְ֒מֵֽנִי: upon a rock He will lift me.
וְעַתָּה יָרוּם רֹאשִׁי And now my head is raised high
עַל אֹיְ֒בַי סְבִיבוֹתָי above my enemies around me;5David declares, “Because I look up to God in every aspect of my existence, I am so exalted that no enemy can harm me.—S.R. Hirsch
וְאֶזְבְּחָה בְאָהֳלוֹ and I will offer in His Tent,
זִבְחֵי תְרוּעָה sacrifices accompanied by trumpets of joy;
אָשִֽׁירָה וַאֲזַמְּ֒רָה לַיהוָֹה: I will sing and chant to Adonoy.
שְׁמַע יְהֹוָה קוֹלִי אֶקְרָא Adonoy, hear my voice6This verse alludes to Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur. “Hear my voice,” refers to Rosh Hashana when we sound the shofar. The word “my voice (sound)” refers to the “voice” of the shofar. “When I call” refers to Yom Kippur, about which Isaiah (55:6) said, “call to Him when He is near.”—Siddur HaGra when I call;
וְחָנֵּֽנִי וַעֲנֵֽנִי: be gracious to me and answer me.
לְךָ אָמַר לִבִּי Of You, my heart has said,
בַּקְּ֒שׁוּ פָנָי Seek My Presence;
אֶת פָּנֶֽיךָ יְהֹוָה אֲבַקֵּשׁ: Your Presence, Adonoy I will seek.
אַל תַּסְתֵּר פָּנֶֽיךָ מִמֶּֽנִּי Conceal not Your Presence from me,
אַל תַּט בְּאַף עַבְדֶּֽךָ do not turn away Your servant in anger.
עֶזְרָתִי הָיִֽיתָ You have been my help;
אַל תִּטְּ֒שֵֽׁנִי וְאַל תַּעַזְ֒בֵֽנִי neither cast me off nor abandon me,
אֱלֺהֵי יִשְׁעִי: God of my deliverance.
כִּי אָבִי וְאִמִּי עֲזָבֽוּנִי When my father and mother abandon7Even if I were so depraved that my own mother and father would abandon me to my own devices, God would still gather me up and believe in my ability to mend my ways.—S.R. Hirsch me,
וַיהוָֹה יַאַסְ֒פֵֽנִי: Adonoy will gather me up.
הוֹרֵֽנִי יְהֹוָה דַּרְכֶּֽךָ Adonoy, teach me Your way,
וּנְ֒חֵֽנִי בְּאֹֽרַח מִישׁוֹר and lead me in the path of uprightness,
לְמַֽעַן שׁוֹרְ֒רָי: because of my watchers.8I.e., his enemies. David asks for Divine help that he be saved even from the mere semblance of wrongdoing so that his foes should not be able to rejoice over his faults.—S.R. Hirsch
אַל תִּתְּ֒נֵֽנִי Do not deliver me
בְּנֶֽפֶשׁ צָרָי to the will of my tormentors,
כִּי קָֽמוּ בִי עֵֽדֵי שֶֽׁקֶר for false witnesses have risen against me,
וִיפֵֽחַ חָמָס: who breathe violence.
לוּלֵא הֶאֱמַֽנְתִּי לִרְאוֹת Had I not believed9“These false witnesses would have destroyed me had I not believed that I would see the goodness of God in the land of the living.”—Rashi, Radak that I would see
בְּטוּב יְהֹוָה the goodness of Adonoy
בְּאֶֽרֶץ חַיִּים: in the land of living.10There are various interpretations of the “Land of the living.” Some hold that it refers to the present world in which we live—Metsudas Tzion; Ramban holds that it refers to the World-to-Come; and Malbim says that it refers to Eretz Yisroel.
קַוּה אֶל יְהֹוָה Hope to Adonoy,
חֲזַק וְיַאֲמֵץ לִבֶּךָ be strong and He will give you courage;
וְקַוּה אֶל יְהֹוָה: and hope to Adonoy.
(Mourner's Kaddish.)