While praying the slichot this year, I remembered a little practice I began last year at this time. This isn’t really a teshuva or anything like that, just more of a personal minhag for anyone who finds it useful.
Though I don’t think that anything in the prayer itself requires it to be changed, I certainly see in it a good opportunity to introduce prayer relating to Yeshua. This can be done simply enough by changing the plural terms addressing the intermediaries to singular (which is more extensive in Hebrew than in the English). An English version of this altered prayer is as follows [adapted from “The Complete Artscroll Selichos” (Minhag Lita), the first example can be found on pp. 46-7]:
O you who ushers in [pleas for] mercy, may you usher in our [plea for] mercy, before the Master of mercy. O you who cause prayer to be heard, may you cause our prayer to be heard, before the Hearer of prayer. O you who cause outcry to be heard, may you cause our outcry to be heard, before the Hearer of outcry. O you who usher in tears, may you usher in our tears, before the King Who finds favor through tears.
Exert yourself, and multiply supplication and petition, before the King, God, exalted and most high. Mention before Him, cause to be heard before Him, the Torah and good deeds of [the Patriarchs and Matriarchs] who dwelt in the dust.
May He remember their love and grant life to [their] offspring, that the remnant of Jacob not be lost. For the flock of the faithful shepherd [Moses] has become a disgrace;
Speedily answer us, O God of our salvation, and redeem us from all harsh decrees; and may You save, in your abundant mercy, Your righteous anointed and Your people.
Shanah Tovah and Chatimah Tovah
