"Hineni Heh-oni Mi-ma'as" is the opening prayer of the chazzan (cantor) on the high holidays (Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur). A classic example of cantorial singing, It is recited at start of the musaf service. In the Hineni, the chazzan asks for Divine assistance in carrying out his task as the congregation's prayer leader.

The prayer is not part of the statutory prayers of either Rosh Hashanah or Yom Kippur. Those required prayers date back to Talmudic times, if not earlier in some cases.

Rather, Hineni appears to have been composed as a personal prayer by a humble chazzan during the middle ages. At some point, the Hineni was adopted into the machzor (holiday prayerbook).

For more information about the high holiday nusach (musical prayer modes), see the notes to this video: [ Ссылка ] .

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