כג

Our G‑d and G‑d of our fathers — Living G‑d and King of the universe; Living G‑d, our portion, our Rock — command to save the beloved of our flesh from the pit, for the sake of Your covenant which You placed in our flesh. Master of the Universe — how great is Your goodness which You have done with us: that You had compassion upon our souls and planned from afar to benefit our end; and You made Your covenant between Yourself and Avraham Your beloved, and You established Your covenant with Yitzchak and with his offspring Israel and with the offspring of his offspring for their generations. And You had concern for the repair of our souls and the souls of our offspring — and You commanded us to enter into the covenant of Avraham our father: to circumcise the flesh of our foreskin on the eighth day. Who can tell of the mighty acts of Hashem — who can make heard all His praise? [Psalms 106:2] — who can glorify, who can adorn, who can praise, who can extol? Who can give thanks to You and bless You and praise You and glorify You for all this lovingkindness and this great and awesome goodness that You did with us — that You sanctified the beloved one from the womb, and his offspring You sealed with the sign of the holy covenant [cf. Shabbos Mussaf Kedushah]?

Therefore I have come to cast my supplication before You, Hashem my G‑d and G‑d of my fathers — Father of lovingkindness, Father of compassion; Who redeems from death and ransoms from the pit: act for the sake of Your covenant which You sealed in our flesh; and have compassion upon our souls and arise to help us and save us for the sake of Your lovingkindness. That we merit to sanctify and purify ourselves with the holiness of the covenant [kedushas habris] in the ultimate completeness in truth as You truly desire. And may You shield us and help us that we be guarded from every evil thing — that we not entertain any sinful thought by day whatsoever, and not come to impurity at night. And may You save us through Your abundant mercies from all kinds of blemishes of the covenant in the world; and act for Your sake and not for our sake. Act for the sake of all the truly holy and pure righteous and pious ones [tzadikim v'chasidim amitiyim, kedoshim v'tehorim] who overpowered their inclinations for the sake of Your honor; and who stood firm in great and awesome trials; and who subdued their inclinations and sanctified Your Name — until they merited to the holiness of the covenant in the ultimate completeness as You desire. And for their sake and for the sake of our forefathers Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov — act; and have pity upon us and help us and save us and sanctify us and purify us with Your supernal holiness; in such a way that we merit also to the guarding of the covenant in truth as You truly desire. Master of the Universe — what shall I say, what shall I speak, how shall I justify myself? By what path and by what counsel and by what stratagem can I begin to set forth my heart before You? And by what path and by what merit can I please and appease You for all the sins and iniquities and transgressions that I sinned and transgressed and rebelled before You — from my youth until this very day: in thought, in speech, and in deed; in what the eye has seen and what the ear has heard and through the other senses. Who can count them — who can enumerate them even in general? And which of them shall I request [forgiveness for] first — the new ones or the old ones; the revealed or the hidden; the general or the particular; the great or the small? For even the smallest of the small blemishes in my own estimation — they are enormous and awesome blemishes measured against the very essence of Your greatness and Your exaltedness.

Master of the Universe — open [the mouth of] a mute such as I; one who is far [from You] as I am; one who is pursued as I am. Help me to set forth my bitter heart before You — for my soul is very, very bitter to me; until I do not know how I can live and exist even a single hour from the very bitterness of my heart; for I have blemished the holy covenant [bris kodesh] — the source of life. Master of the Universe — You know that all our days and years would not suffice to confess and to beseech and to perform repairs — to repair even a single blemish of thought or a single sinful musing [hirur echad]. For You alone know — how far, how far does the blemish of a sinful musing reach, G‑d forbid. How much more so — the blemish of a single drop emitted in vain, G‑d forbid — who can repair this? Who can perform repairs for this? Who can please and appease You for this — through which we have prolonged the exile and have still not returned to our land? And now — what shall I say and what shall I speak? In what language and in what words and in what manner shall I begin to confess before You, Hashem my G‑d and G‑d of my fathers? And how shall I receive holy and pure words to set forth my speech before You? I was struck dumb in silence, I held myself still from good — and my pain was stirred [Psalms 39:3]. I was mute and did not open my mouth — for You had done it [Psalms 39:10]. For our faces have become dark because of our sins and our eyes have grown dim because of our iniquities — until through my many iniquities sadness and melancholy [atzvus v'marah shechorah] overpowers me at every time; and I have no true joy at all — even at the time when I merit to do some matter of holiness in Your service and in Your fear and in Your Torah; and I am far from true joy with the utmost distance. For I have blemished the light of the face of the Living King [or pnei melech chayim]; I have blemished all kinds of holy joy; I have blemished the radiant face [anpin nehirin]. Until through my many iniquities the darkened face [anpin chashuchin] — which is sadness and melancholy — is stirred against us at every time, G‑d forbid: which have been our ruin, and which are the main root of the obstacles and the neglect of Your service in truth. And through them have come upon us all the blemishes and all the stumbling-blocks and all the sins that we sinned and transgressed and rebelled before You — as You know, Hashem our G‑d; and as You have revealed to us through Your true sages: that the very root of all iniquities — and in particular the blemish of the covenant — comes only through sadness and melancholy, G‑d forbid. And now, my Father in Heaven — Living and Eternal G‑d: from where shall I seek help and healing for my very grievous wounds? I lift my eyes to the mountains — from where shall my help come? [Psalms 121:1]. From where shall I seek rescue and refuge — since each depends upon the other: joy and guarding of the covenant [simchah u'shmirat habris]. And since I have not yet merited to the guarding of the covenant in completeness in truth as is fitting — from where shall I receive joy? And since I am far from holy joy — if so, from where shall I receive power and might to merit to the guarding of the covenant? Therefore I cry out and call — with a bitter voice I cry out to You; with a voice of outcry, with a voice of sighing, with a voice of tears I beseech before You. With all kinds of supplications I cast my supplication before You, Hashem my G‑d and G‑d of my fathers; with all kinds of requests I request before Your Throne of Glory; with all kinds of voices I call to You: have pity and compassion upon me; have pity and have mercy upon me; have pity and be gracious to me; be gracious to me and redeem me. O Redeemer and Savior — save me; Strong Redeemer — redeem me for Your sake. O Hearer of the groaning of the destitute — hear my cry and my groaning. Master of the entire universe — do not give my soul to the pit; for what profit is there in my blood, in my going down to the pit? Will the dust praise You? Will it declare Your truth? [Psalms 30:10]. Save me from the mud that I not sink — let me be rescued from my enemies and from the depths of the waters [Psalms 69:15]. For there is no language in the world through which I can set forth my speech — for the afflictions of my soul have grown and become more exalted than the mold of the deep mire where there is no foothold [cf. Psalms 69:3]; more than one who descends into the depths of the waters. And if all such expressions as these were spoken by King Dovid and the other true tzadikim concerning themselves — over a single light blemish, the lightest of light, more refined than refined: a blemish so fine it cannot even be grasped by our minds at all — then I, what shall I answer after them; what shall I say and what shall I speak? Would that I merited at least to speak the holy words with a truly broken heart — as their words went forth from their mouths truly and in truth; even though in truth they did not blemish at all, while I have truly blemished very greatly beyond all measure and reckoning. Therefore I have no hope or trust or support — except upon the merit of the true tzadikim, the foundations of the world [tzadikei yesod olam], upon whom all the House of Israel leans; whose very holiness and merit is sufficient to lift and to raise and to draw near even me to You. And upon their great power alone have I leaned; and upon their strength and fortitude do I support myself even in this great and bitter exile. And upon them have I set the stakes of my tent — to call to You and to cry out to You from the place where I am. And I have come before You to spread out my palms to You and to lift my eyes to Your holy dwelling-place — and to gaze and to hope for the multitude of Your lovingkindnesses: that You have pity and mercy upon me and raise me up from the miry clay [cf. Psalms 40:3], from the depths of the sea; from all the places and matters into which I have descended through my evil deeds and my shameful thoughts. From tohu and bohu and darkness and the deep [cf. Genesis 1:2] may You raise my soul — and from all kinds of impurities may You purify me; and from all kinds of kelipas and other-sided forces may You redeem and save me through Your abundant mercies. And with all kinds of holiness may You sanctify me; and with all kinds of salvations and rescues may You save me and deliver me. And may You be with me always — and help me that I bind myself in a strong and firm bond to You in truth; and may I bind together all two hundred and forty-eight of my limbs and three hundred and sixty-five of my sinews — and my soul and spirit and neshamah — in a strong and firm bond; that they all be bound together and held and cleaved in one holy thought for Your service and Your fear in truth; in such a way that I merit to truly turn from evil: to be saved from all kinds of sins and iniquities and transgressions, and from all kinds of sinful musings and evil thoughts, and from all kinds of confusions, and from all kinds of blemishes of the covenant, G‑d forbid, and from all kinds of blemishes in the world. And may You forgive and pardon me for all my sins and iniquities and transgressions that I sinned and transgressed and rebelled before You from my youth until this very day — and may You repair all the blemishes I have blemished until now. And from now may You help me and grant me merit to be holy and pure in truth as You truly desire — and may You grant me merit to sanctify myself in what is permitted to me. And may I merit to holy separation [perishus] with great holiness in truth as You truly desire — until I merit speedily and quickly to the holiness of the covenant in truth. And may You pour upon me from Your holy dwelling joy and exultation always — and may I merit to always be in joy: I will rejoice greatly in Hashem — my soul shall exult in my G‑d [Isaiah 61:10]. And may I merit to rejoice and to be glad in Your salvation always — and may You illuminate me with the light of Your face; and may You grant me merit to a radiant face, to anpin nehirin, to a face of holy joy [anpin dikdushah], to the light of the face of the Living King [or pnei melech chayim]. O Gladdener of mournful souls — send upon me joy from Your dwelling and gladden my wretched and deeply shamed soul. Gladden the soul of Your servant — for to You, O Hashem, I lift my soul [Psalms 86:4]. You will make known to me the path of life — the fullness of joys before Your face, the pleasantness at Your right hand forever [Psalms 16:11].

And grant us merit, our Father, Father of compassion — Hashem G‑d of truth — and may You be with us to help us: that we merit through Your enormous mercies to truth and faith [emes v'emunah]. Have pity upon me through Your abundant mercies and save me from all kinds of heresy and all kinds of blemish of faith — that there arise in my heart no sinful musing or any difficulty or any crookedness of heart against You, blessed be He; against Your conduct; against Your true tzadikim; against the truly worthy people of the generation; against all the books of Your holy and pure Torah; and against all matters of holiness. Rather may I merit to believe in You and in Your true tzadikim and in Your holy Torah and in the entirety of Your holy people Israel — with complete faith in truth, without any confusion or deviation at all. And may no sinful thought against them arise in my mind at all. And may I merit to serve You always in truth and with complete faith — until I merit that the attainment of Your G‑dliness and the knowledge of Your exaltedness, blessed be He, be revealed to me. And may I merit to behold the face of Hashem — to behold the pleasantness of Hashem and to visit His sanctuary [Psalms 27:4]. And may the verse be fulfilled in me: And from my flesh I shall behold G‑d [Job 19:26] — that I merit to behold Your G‑dliness and to attain Your greatness, blessed be He; and to recognize You in this world and in the World to Come, in truth and with complete faith as You truly desire.

And therefore help us through Your abundant mercies and Your mighty lovingkindnesses — and grant us merit to break the desire for money [ta'avas mamon] from upon us: that I have no desire or longing or craving for money. And may we merit to be true haters of ill-gotten gain — to hate money with the utmost hatred. And help us at the time when we are compelled to engage in some business or commerce — that we merit to conduct our business with complete faith; and may we always fulfill our word and never alter or change our word ever — not even for a great sum of money. And all the wealth in the world shall not be able to incline our hearts, G‑d forbid, from truth and faith — to change or to alter any word of ours, G‑d forbid. And according to all that goes forth from our mouths at the time of our business dealings — so shall we do and fulfill always, without any change whatsoever. And may You save me through Your abundant mercies — that I not be agitated over money; and may I not trouble my mind by pursuing livelihood, G‑d forbid, with great toil and enormous effort, G‑d forbid. Rather may You pour upon me through Your mercies — and may You plant and establish in my heart complete faith and trust [emunah u'vitachon] in truth; and may I trust in Hashem alone. And may I know and believe in truth — that it is not from the east or from the west or from the wilderness that exaltation comes [cf. Psalms 75:7]; for it is not by a person's own power that he prevails [cf. I Samuel 2:9]; and there is no capability at all in my own power and the essence of my hand to gain wealth and riches. Rather everything is from You alone — both wealth and honor come from before You [I Chronicles 29:12]; and You rule over all. And may I believe in truth and with complete faith that You are able to provide my livelihood in completeness through a simple cause — without any toil or effort or agitation at all; and may I not confuse my mind at all because of the trouble of livelihood. Rather may I merit to always be strong in the attribute of faith and trust [midas ha'emunah v'habitachon] in You, blessed be He.

Master of the Universe — have pity and be gracious to me and be with me to help me; and deliver me and save me from the desire for money — which is actual idolatry; and not only a single idolatry, but the seventy idolatries of all the seventy nations [shiv'im umos]. As You have revealed to us through Your true sages: that whoever falls into the desire for money, G‑d forbid, is as if he worshipped all the idolatries of all the seventy nations [cf. Talmud Bava Basra 10a; Zohar]. And he separates himself and becomes distinct from truth and the holy faith [emes v'emunah dikdushah] — from the light of the face of the Living King; from the radiant face [anpin nehirin]. And he becomes bound in the darkened face [anpin chashuchin] — in the domain of death, G‑d forbid — in sadness and melancholy. And he is filled with worries and sorrows always; and all his days are anger and pain; and he has no life whatsoever — neither in this world nor in the World to Come.

Have pity and compassion upon me and upon my offspring and upon all Your people the House of Israel — and save and deliver us from this evil desire for money: which has spread greatly in the world now through our iniquities. And may You shield us in the merit of the true tzadikim — the eternal covenant of salt [bris melach olam]; and may You save me through their merit from this desire for money. And may You draw upon us wisdom and understanding and knowledge from Yourself — that money not waste, G‑d forbid, the days of our lives. Have pity and compassion upon us and hear the voice of our cry with mercy; and act for Your sake and for the sake of Your mighty Shechinah which wanders among the nations through our iniquities. And for the sake of the true tzadikim who merited to the guarding of the covenant in truth and to breaking the desire for money in the utmost completeness. And hear the voice of the cry of the Shechinah and of the Congregation of Israel [Knesses Yisroel] — which cries out one hundred and forty voices: Kalanee me'roshi, kalanee mezeroa'i — it is too heavy for Me from My head, it is too heavy for Me from My arm [cf. Chagigah 15b — depicting the grief of the Shechinah]; over those who fall into this idolatry of the desire for money, G‑d forbid — in which all the idolatries are embedded. O Hearer of prayer, Hearer of sighing, Hearer of crying — hear our voice with mercy; from the very depths of depths where we sigh and cry out to You: that You help us and save us through Your abundant mercies from the desire for money. My Lord, hearken to my voice — may Your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications [Psalms 130:2]. That You raise and establish me — to be strong and courageous, to stand at the station of faith and trust: to believe in You in truth and with complete faith; until I merit to completely break the desire for money; and may I not trouble my mind at all with my livelihood; and may I not rely upon any cause or any occupation at all. Rather may I place my trust upon You — and may I lean and strengthen myself in trust in Hashem, blessed be He, alone. And You shall have mercy upon me and pour upon me in Your great goodness an overflow of goodness and blessing from the source and root of all holy influences — and may You provide my livelihood before I need it, through a simple cause, without any toil or sadness at all. And may I merit to an overflow of holy wealth [osher dikdushah] — to always be glad in my portion [cf. Avos 4:1]; and may You not make me need the gifts of flesh and blood, nor their loans. And may You save me through Your mercies — that I never be a debtor at all; and may I never need to borrow from others; and may I not pursue luxuries, G‑d forbid — borrowing from others, G‑d forbid, in order to conduct great business dealings. Rather have mercy upon me and pour upon me through Your mercies — and provide my livelihood through a simple cause, without any loan from others at all; and may You send blessing and success and relief into all the work of my hands. And may You grant me merit to minimize my [business] activity — to engage only in Torah and the service of Hashem in truth all the days of my life: I and my offspring and the offspring of my offspring and all Your people the House of Israel from now and forever.

And be gracious to us through Your abundant mercies — and grant us merit to fulfill the commandment of Mezuzah in its proper completeness as You truly desire; with all its particulars and fine details and intentions and the 613 commandments dependent upon it; with a good heart and with great joy. And may You help us and guard us and shield us through the holy commandment of Mezuzah — that we merit through this to completely break the desire and craving for money: that we have no craving or desire for any money or any object of this world. And all the more so — may there arise in our minds no craving, G‑d forbid, for the money and possessions of our fellow; and may we not covet and not desire our neighbor's house, his field, his manservant, his maidservant, his ox, his donkey, and all that belongs to our neighbor [cf. Exodus 20:14]. And may we merit to complete teshuvah in truth for all the thoughts and cravings that were in our hearts until now — for money and the possessions of our fellow; and may we merit to truly repair all the blemishes we blemished through this great sin of You shall not covet [Exodus 20:14]. And from now may we merit to break and nullify all these thoughts and cravings and desires for money and possessions — and may they never arise in our hearts again. And may we merit to truth and complete faith. And through Your abundant mercies may You sanctify us with the holiness of the holy and awesome commandment of Mezuzah — and through this may You guard our going out and our coming in for life and for peace from now and forever. And may You draw upon us holiness and purity — that we merit to the holiness of the covenant and to the breaking of the desire for money in truth. And may we merit to good and long life and to joy and gladness through the holy Mezuzah with which You have granted us merit through Your mercies. And may You bless all the work of our hands — and may You guard us and our souls and our holy wealth [mamoneinu dikdushah] and all our possessions which You pour upon us through Your mercies at every time; and may You guard and save them from all kinds of harm in the world. And may You save us from thefts and losses and from all kinds of financial damage in the world — for You are our Guarding and Saving G‑d. And arise to help us and save us from all kinds of enemies and strife in the physical and in the spiritual — and may You nullify through Your abundant mercies all kinds of strife from the world; and may You make peace among Your people Israel forever; and may You reveal the truth in the world. And may You save us and all our company and all Your people the House of Israel who desire to serve You in truth — that there be no power for any opponents and adversaries of the point of truth to cast us down, G‑d forbid.

Master of the entire universe — Knower of all the secrets of created beings: You know how many kinds of enemies and foes stand over us at every time. You alone know them and their thoughts — and they desire to banish and cast us down, G‑d forbid, from Your service in truth, as You alone know. And according to the great weakness of our [spiritual state] through our many iniquities — we have no power to stand against them in the physical or in the spiritual. For many rise up against us — very many; great in Torah, great in wealth, great in good deeds — far more than we. And how can those weak in strength as we are stand before them? And from where shall we seek help to be saved from them — for they have already cast us down greatly through their contentiousness, as all is revealed before You. And now what shall I do, my Father in Heaven? For in truth I know within myself that I am not worthy or fitting to draw near to You in truth — for I have blemished greatly against You; and because of this they are stirred up against me to inform on me and to prosecute me, G‑d forbid. But before You the secret of my heart is revealed — that even so I desire and yearn to return to You in truth. And even though I have blemished Your honor — You are the gracious One Who multiplies forgiveness. But what have I sinned against them and what have I blemished in their honor? I have not forgotten them nor have they forgotten me. Why then do they contend against those weak in strength, broken of heart as we are? For those whom You struck — they pursued; and to the pain of Your wounded — they added [Psalms 69:27].

Master of the Universe — Your way, our G‑d, is to seek out the pursued and to have mercy upon the weak and the weary [cf. Koheles Rabbah 3:15]. Have pity and compassion upon us; have pity and have mercy upon us — may Your innards and Your graciousness churn over us. For we have remained like orphans with no father; and there is none who rises up to defend us; and we have no one to lean upon except our Father in Heaven — and upon the merit and power of the true tzadikim who merited to the completeness of the covenant with the ultimate completeness, with the ultimate level, with the ultimate holiness as You truly desire. And for Your sake and for their sake — act, and not for our sake. And may You stir the true tzadikim to intercede in our favor — and may they fight before us; and may they draw the light of the holiness of their holy faces upon us. And may You drive away from before them and from before us all kinds of enemies and adversaries of the truth — and may You subdue them and humble them to the very dust; and may You place in their hearts that they return to the truth. And may You reveal the truth to them in every place they are — in such a way that they also merit to know the greatness and the level of the holiness of the true tzadikim; and to cleave and draw near to their ways; and to roll in the dust of their feet [cf. Avos 1:4]; and to drink their words with thirst; and to engage in their holy books which all the true tzadikim left behind them as a blessing — so that we may all merit to return to You in truth and with a whole heart as You truly desire. Have pity and be gracious to us and have mercy upon us and save us and fill our requests with mercy; and remove from us enemy, plague, sword, famine, sorrow; and remove the Adversary [Satan] from before us and from behind us.

And help us — that we merit to scatter money for the performance of every single commandment; and may no money whatsoever be precious to us against any commandment. And may we merit to spend much money for every single commandment and for every single matter that is Your true good will — and may we not feel in our hearts the loss of money for any commandment or any matter of holiness in the world. And may we acquire them at a dear price and scatter much money upon them with great joy and exultation — and may we merit to fulfill Your commandments and Your will always with body and soul and money [guf, nefesh, u'mamon]. And may we merit to truth and complete faith; and to a holy face, to anpin nehirin, to a face of joy. And may the verse be fulfilled in us and in our offspring: This is the generation of those who seek Him — those who seek Your face, Yaakov, Selah [Psalms 24:6]. And may we merit to the attribute of complete trust in truth as You truly desire — as it is written: Trust in Hashem forever — for in G‑d, Hashem, is the Rock of eternity [Isaiah 26:4]. עברית ▾ Master of the Universe: Your way, our G‑d, is to be slow to anger toward the wicked and toward the good — and that is the praise of Your greatness. And You have told us that even when someone has sinned and rebelled against You greatly — You still wait for him and desire his repentance; and he should not despair of Your mercy — as it is written: Therefore wait for Me — says Hashem — until the day I rise up as a witness [Zephaniah 3:8]. Surely G‑d has heard; He has listened to the voice of my prayer [Psalms 66:19]. רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, דַּרְכְּךָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ לְהַאֲרִיךְ אַפֶּךָ לָרָעִים וְלַטּוֹבִים... Have mercy upon us through Your abundant mercies — and help us that we merit to come to everything we have requested before You: that we merit — I and my offspring and all Your people the House of Israel — to the holiness of the covenant in truth; and to completely break the desire for money; and to distance and nullify from us all kinds of sadness and melancholy [atzvus v'marah shechorah]; and may You remove from us sorrow and sighing. And may You grant us all merit to always be in joy — and may You nullify all kinds of strife from the world. And may the verse be fulfilled: Men of blood and deceit shall not live out half their days — but I shall trust in You [Psalms 55:24]. And may we all merit to be among the true tzadikim who guard the covenant in truth — as it is written: And Your people are all righteous — they shall inherit the land forever; the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, in whom I take pride [Isaiah 60:21]. And may You draw upon us and upon our offspring and upon all Your people the House of Israel — an overflow of goodness and blessing and life and peace and joy and gladness; exultation and singing and delight and exultation from now and forever. Light is sown for the righteous — and for the upright of heart, joy [Psalms 97:11]. Rejoice in Hashem and exult, O righteous ones — and cry out for joy, all the upright of heart [Psalms 32:11]. Amen, eternal, Selah, and forever.