פ

Rescue me, Hashem, from the evil man; from the violent man guard me. Who devise evils in the heart — every day they stir up wars. All day long they twist my words; all their thoughts are for evil [Psalms 140:2–4]. Master of the Universe — Master of all the world: You know the immense multitude of the dispute that has strengthened in the world now; and on account of this many very numerous evil thoughts fall upon us without measure or reckoning. And through our many iniquities — through the great immensity of the dispute there come thoughts of heresy against the upright ones of the generation; as You have revealed to us through Your holy sages. And in our great poverty and weakness we know no counsel or stratagem to stand against the many evil thoughts and confusions that flow over us at every time; and we have no one to lean upon save our Father in Heaven. And we cast ourselves upon You alone; into Your hand we deposit our spirit; and we surrender the entire battle to You alone; and You shall battle for us — for You are a man of war; as it is written: Hashem is a man of war; Hashem is His Name [Exodus 15:3]. And who can stand against You? Full of mercy; O You Who takes pity upon the poor; Who is close to those who call upon Him in truth — have compassion and pity upon us; and see please our affliction; and contend our contention. Contend, Hashem, with those who contend against me; fight against those who fight against me. Grasp the shield and the buckler; and rise to my help [Psalms 35:1–2]. And battle on our behalf against those who oppress us. And may the verse be fulfilled in us: Hashem shall battle for you; and you shall be silent [Exodus 14:14]. Help us for we lean upon You. Our eyes have grown dim looking to the heights; Hashem — we have been oppressed; be our guarantor [Lamentations 5:17]. See that our hand has become powerless; and there is no longer one who is shut in or free [Deuteronomy 32:36]. Be gracious to us, O G‑d; for man has trampled us; all day long the enemy oppresses us [Psalms 56:2]. And we do not know what to do — for upon You our eyes are set; act for Your sake and not for ours.

And grant us merit through Your abundant mercies to give much charity to many worthy poor people for Your Name alone — without any falsehoods and without any ulterior motives. And help us always to fulfill the commandment of charity as is proper as Your good will desires — in great holiness and purity in joy and goodness of heart. And may You save our souls that we never stumble in unworthy poor people; and guard us from bad charities that are not according to Your will. And have compassion upon us with Your compassion; and protect us and save us that the bad charities that are not truly according to Your will not harm us at all — those that cause what they cause. Please, O Merciful One — through Your abundant mercies save us and guard us from them; and give power to the true tzadikim, the men of truth — who shall draw to themselves all the charities in the world; who stand afar from the misleading herd of truth [adurei emes]. And help us through Your abundant mercies that we merit to be included in the attribute of our father Yaakov may he rest in peace — whose attribute was truth; and may we merit to the attribute of truth in completeness. And grant us merit to do all the commandments before Hashem our G‑d as You commanded us — with all their details and fine points; for Your Name alone in truth; without any ulterior motive; and without any alien thought on account of people, G‑d forbid. And may we merit to truly walk humbly [hatznea lechet] — to be precise about all the commandments between ourselves and our Creator; to do them in ultimate completeness for Your Name alone in true and complete truth. And help us to cleave and be included with true tzadikim and upright people — men of truth. And may the verse be fulfilled in us: And it shall be righteousness for us when we keep all this commandment before Hashem our G‑d as He commanded us [Deuteronomy 6:25]. And it is written: And for you who fear My Name shall a sun of righteousness arise with healing in its wings [Malachi 3:20]. And it is written: Give truth to Yaakov; lovingkindness to Avraham; as You swore to our fathers from days of old [Micah 7:20]. Help us, help us; be gracious to us, be gracious to us; save us from quarrelsome tongues; save us and guard us that the great dispute that now exists in the world not harm us at all in our service; and in particular the controversy that now exists between the Torah scholars and the upright ones of the generation. Have compassion and pity upon us that no dispute harm us at all — neither materially nor spiritually. And may You drive away and nullify all the evil thoughts from upon us and from our territory; for we have no counsel or stratagem against them — save upon You alone we cast all our burden; and You shall battle for us; as it is written: On the day that I fear — I shall trust in You [Psalms 56:4]. For my enemies without cause are more than the hairs of my head [Psalms 69:5]. Hashem — how numerous are my tormentors; many rise up against me. From my youth they have greatly oppressed me — yet they have not prevailed against me. Upon my back the plowers plowed; they lengthened their furrows. Hashem the righteous one has cut the cords of the wicked [Psalms 3:2, 129:2–4]. Let those who seek my soul be ashamed and disgraced; let those who devise my evil fall back and be confounded [Psalms 35:4]. And my soul shall rejoice in Hashem; it shall exult in His salvation. All my bones shall say: Hashem — who is like You, Who rescues the poor from one who is stronger than him; and the poor and destitute from his robber? [Psalms 35:9–10]. See my tears and my sigh and my groan and the bitterness of my heart and the longing of my eyes for Your true salvation. Do not forsake me, Hashem my G‑d; do not be distant from me. Hasten to my help, my Lord, my salvation [Psalms 38:22–23]. May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable before You — Hashem, my Rock and my Redeemer [Psalms 19:15].

In Your righteousness revive us; and bring out our soul from distress — for You alone know who and who stands against us at every time and every day and every hour; against all those who desire to return to You and to draw close to You; who strengthen against each and every one with very great strengthening; and pursue after us as one who calls on the mountains. Great in counsel and mighty in deed [Jeremiah 32:19] — have compassion upon the remnant that remains and save us from death and redeem us from the grave. Save my soul from the sword; my only one from the hand of the dog [Psalms 22:21]. And may You pour upon us holy true counsel at every time; in such a manner that we merit to be truly saved from all manner of evil imaginations in the world; and may they not rise nor come upon our heart at all; and may we merit to holiness of thought in truth. O You Who revives the dead with great mercy — raise us up and may we live in the light of Your face; and may we live and not die the death of the world, G‑d forbid. Grant us merit through Your abundant mercies to multiply in charity for Your Name alone in truth; and through the merit of the holy charity may You save us from death — which are the evil imaginations called the impurity of a corpse [tumas meis]; as it is written: And charity saves from death [Proverbs 10:2]. And may You guard me always that I not be mixed among women; and not increase conversation with them; and even with my wife may I minimize conversation as much as possible. And that which I am compelled to speak with them sometimes — protect me and guard me through Your mercies that I not be ensnared by this, G‑d forbid, through any evil imagination, G‑d forbid. And save me from evil glances and from evil imaginations; and may I not stray after my heart and after my eyes [Numbers 15:39]. Help us for we lean upon You; for we have no one to lean upon save our Father in Heaven. Save me from the mire and let me not sink; let me be saved from my enemies and from the deep waters. Let not the flood of water sweep over me; and let not the deep swallow me; and let not the pit close its mouth over me [Psalms 69:15–16]. Turn to me and be gracious to me; give Your strength to Your servant; and save the son of Your handmaid [Psalms 86:16]. Make with me a sign for good; and let my enemies see it and be ashamed — for You, Hashem, have helped me and comforted me [Psalms 86:17]. I in righteousness shall behold Your face; I shall be satisfied upon awaking with Your likeness [Psalms 17:15].