Like Clay in the Hand of the Potter

My favorite prayer that we recite on the evening of Yom Kippur is called Ki Hinei Kachomer — “Behold [we are] as clay in the hand of the Potter.” It is one of the most famous prayers of the day, recited across the Jewish world, and for me it never loses its grip. I look forward to singing it with my community every year – in fact, as I write this – the melody is playing in my head. The words are earthy, visual, and unforgettable.

Like clay in the hands of the potter, if he wills, he can expand it, if he wills, he can contract it; so too are we in Your hand, Preserver of kindness. Heed the covenant and not the accuser.

I imagine the potter at his wheel, pressing clay into shape. A mason setting a stone into place or breaking it apart. A smith drawing iron from the fire. Each image reminds me that God is the craftsman and I am the material. A mug, a bowl, a wall, a tool — every vessel has a different function, but all are formed with intention.

The prayer grows out of biblical verses that carry the same imagery. Isaiah says:

In a different verse, Jeremiah is commanded to watch a potter at his wheel, and God tells him:

These words echo in the prayer: we live as vessels held in God’s hand, shaped and reshaped by His will.

But the line that always lingers is the refrain that closes every stanza: l’b’rit habet v’al tefen la-yetser — “Look at the covenant, not at the creation.” That phrase holds two meanings. Yetser can mean “formation,” as in our flawed deeds, or it can mean “inclination,” especially the yetser hara, the evil inclination. When I say these words, I am asking God to see His covenant with me, rather than my failings. At the same time, I hear the challenge directed back at me: keep my eyes on the covenant, not on the pull of my inclinations.

This is what makes the prayer so powerful. It holds both truths together: I am clay in God’s hand, yet I am also responsible for how I live. Yom Kippur is not about passivity. It is about admitting dependence while taking responsibility.

That is why I return to this prayer every year with such love. On Yom Kippur, the question before me is not only what I have done, but who will I become. What kind of vessel will I be in God’s hand this year? A vessel of holiness? Creativity? Love for my family, the Torah, the Land of Israel? The prayer puts the choice in front of me as clearly as the image of the potter’s wheel.

Ki Hinei Kachomer is my favorite prayer because it is real. It admits fragility without erasing purpose. It reminds me that I am dependent on God, yet responsible for how I live. Clay, stone, and iron may not seem impressive on their own, but in the hands of the Potter they can become something lasting.

So when I say the refrain – l’b’rit habet v’al tefen la-yetser – I mean it with all my heart! Look at the covenant, not at the accuser. Shape me, refine me, and let me be a vessel that fulfills its purpose in Your hand.