Melody / Sweetening Heavenly Judgments / Singing the Words of Prayer / Faith in the Sages / A Beautiful Garment / Shofar-Blowing on Rosh HaShanah With melody, Heavenly judgments against a person are mitigated. The sound of the melody corresponds to the rainbow, which is God’s “eternal covenant” with man. When God sees a rainbow, as it were, “the anger of the King dies down.” This is particularly so when a person sings the words of prayer, which corresponds to that rainbow. The Tzaddik too corresponds to the rainbow. Thus when we have faith in the sages, when we believe that all their words and deeds are not shallow but contain mysteries, then Heavenly judgments are mitigated as well. Such rectifications are brought about particularly when a person makes a beautiful garment for a Tzaddik. Shofar-blowing on Rosh HaShanah also corresponds to the rainbow, and that mitigates Heavenly judgments as well. “God, hear my song, listen to my prayer!”
Have compassion on me. Lead me to pray to You in a voice of joy and song, to sing the words of prayer in a melody so beautiful, pure and clear that it will clothe Your mighty presence in shining garments, so that You will be filled with compassion for Your nation, the Jewish people, and so that, as You look at our suffering, our poverty, our burdens and our oppression — in body, soul and livelihood — You will repeal Your anger at us.
Remember Your covenant with our forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! Have compassion on us for their sake. Listen to our prayers and our outcries. When our song comes before You, may the verse be realized, “He saw their suffering when He heard their song.”
Sweeten and remove all judgments from me and from Your entire nation, the Jewish people. Draw onto us a wealth of goodness, blessing, compassion, life, peace and everything good. Shower us with Your goodness and kindness forever.
Help me to be aware that all the words and deeds of the sages and true Tzaddikim are not ordinary, but contain secrets. Then I will attain the light of Your presence, and I will be able to remove the garments of darkness — a superficial understanding of the Torah — and replace them with shining garments, which are the secrets of the Torah. In that way, I will sweeten and eliminate all judgments against myself and against Your entire nation, the Jewish people, forever and ever.
Compassionate God, may I hear a worthy, God-fearing person blow the shofar on Rosh HaShanah. May the sounds of the shofar blast — the tekiah, shevarim and teruah — rise up to You and arouse the merits of our forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Gaze down in their merit and sweeten and eliminate Your anger at us. Return to us. Shine Your countenance down upon us.
Father and King, be gracious to me and allow me to attain everything that I have sought of You. Help me, please! Have pity on me! I have relied on You alone. “Please, HaShem, save us! Please, HaShem, cause us to succeed!”
Help me, Your servant, to succeed from this day forward. Help me to leap across all the vain things and desires of this world quickly and easily. Guide me so that I will connect myself to You genuinely and intensely, so that I will cling to You and serve You constantly, day and night.
Do so for the sake of Your Name. Do so for the sake of Your right hand. My needs are so many and my mind is too limited to express them all — all those things, great and small, that I need to serve You. There would not be enough days to describe all the obstacles in my path. My entire lifetime would not suffice to pray and plead with You to break down all my obstacles and bring all my potential into actuality.
I know that my sins have kept me far from holiness. I rely on You alone. My eyes turn to You and Your compassion at every moment, at every second. “My eyes are raised to the heights, HaShem. I have been oppressed, be my guarantor.” “Be a guarantor to Your servant for the good; do not let the wicked oppress me!”
Help me in the merit of the patriarchs and all the true Tzaddikim. I rely only on their merit. I take refuge in them. Although I am far from holiness, in Your compassion, be gracious to me. Sanctify me with Your supernal holiness. Help me soon to attain everything holy, so that I will turn aside completely from evil and perform many mitzvot — learning Torah, praying and performing good deeds every day of my life.
In Your great compassion, teach me which particular mitzvah is connected to the root of my soul. Draw my spirit after that mitzvah connected to my supernal root, so that I will perform it a great deal, constantly, so that in the course of my life I will rectify everything that I have defiled.
Always be filled with compassion for me. Do not be angry at me. Do not respond to me in accordance with my sins or judge me in accordance with my deeds.
“Restore us, our saving God, and eliminate Your anger with us. HaShem, show us Your lovingkindness and give us Your salvation. Arise, help us, and redeem us for the sake of Your lovingkindness. Do not hide Your face from me on a day of trouble for me. Turn Your ear to me on the day that I call; respond to me quickly. I will sing of Your might and sing of Your lovingkindness in the morning, for You have been my tower and a refuge on my day of trouble. God, I will sing a new song to You, I will make music to You with the ten-stringed instrument. I will sing to HaShem with my life, I will make melody to my God with my being. My Mighty One, I will make melody to You, for God is my tower, God Who is kind to me.”
[עַל־פִּי תּוֹרָה מ"ב - וַיַּרְא בַּצַּר לָהֶם בְּשָׁמְעוֹ אֶת רִנָּתָם]
שִׁמְעָה אֱלֹהִים רִנָּתִי הַקְשִׁיבָה תְּפִלָּתִי.
Melody / Sweetening Heavenly Judgments / Singing the Words of Prayer / Faith in the Sages / A Beautiful Garment / Shofar-Blowing on Rosh HaShanah
With melody, Heavenly judgments against a person are mitigated. The sound of the melody corresponds to the rainbow, which is God’s “eternal covenant” with man. When God sees a rainbow, as it were, “the anger of the King dies down.” This is particularly so when a person sings the words of prayer, which corresponds to that rainbow.
The Tzaddik too corresponds to the rainbow. Thus when we have faith in the sages, when we believe that all their words and deeds are not shallow but contain mysteries, then Heavenly judgments are mitigated as well. Such rectifications are brought about particularly when a person makes a beautiful garment for a Tzaddik. Shofar-blowing on Rosh HaShanah also corresponds to the rainbow, and that mitigates Heavenly judgments as well.
“God, hear my song, listen to my prayer!”
עָזְרֵנִי יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהַי, שֶׁאֶזְכֶּה לְהִתְפַּלֵּל בְּכַוָּנָה גְּדוֹלָה וּבְשִׂמְחָה רַבָּה וְהִתְעוֹרְרוּת הַלֵּב בֶּאֱמֶת.
HaShem my God, guide me to pray to You with deep feeling, great joy and genuine inspiration.
וּתְזַכֵּנִי בְּרַחֲמֶיךָ הָרַבִּים וְתַעַזְרֵנִי לְסַדֵּר תְּפִלָּתִי לְפָנֶיךָ בְּקוֹל גִּילָה וְרַנֵּן, וְאֶזְכֶּה לְנַגֵּן אוֹתִיּוֹת הַתְּפִלָּה, וְקוֹל הַנְּגִינָה יִהְיֶה יָפֶה וְזַךְ וָצַח בְּזַכּוּת וּבִבְהִירוּת גָּדוֹל, עַד שֶׁאֶזְכֶּה לְהַלְבִּישׁ אֶת שְׁכִינַת עֻזֶּךָ בִּלְבוּשִׁין דִּנְהִירִין, וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה תִמָּלֵא רַחֲמִים עַל עַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל וְתִרְאֶה בְצָרוֹתֵינוּ וְעָנְיֵינוּ וַעֲמָלֵנוּ וְדֹחֲקֵנוּ בְּגוּף וָנֶפֶשׁ וּמָמוֹן, וְתָשִׁיב חֲמָתְךָ מֵאִתָּנוּ,
Have compassion on me. Lead me to pray to You in a voice of joy and song, to sing the words of prayer in a melody so beautiful, pure and clear that it will clothe Your mighty presence in shining garments, so that You will be filled with compassion for Your nation, the Jewish people, and so that, as You look at our suffering, our poverty, our burdens and our oppression — in body, soul and livelihood — You will repeal Your anger at us.
וִיקֻיַּם מִקְרָא שֶׁכָּתוּב, וּרְאִיתִיהָ לִזְכֹּר בְּרִית עוֹלָם.
Then the verse will be realized, “When I see the rainbow, I will recall the eternal covenant.”
וְתִזְכֹּר בְּרִית אֲבוֹתֵינוּ אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק יַעֲקֹב, וּתְרַחֵם עָלֵינוּ בִּזְכוּתָם, וְתַאֲזִין תְּפִלָּתֵנוּ וְתַקְשִׁיב שַׁוְעָתֵנוּ וְיֵרָאֶה לְפָנֶיךָ רִנּוּנֵנוּ, וִיקֻיַּם מִקְרָא שֶׁכָּתוּב, וַיַּרְא בַּצַּר לָהֶם בְּשָׁמְעוֹ אֶת רִנָּתָם.
Remember Your covenant with our forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! Have compassion on us for their sake. Listen to our prayers and our outcries. When our song comes before You, may the verse be realized, “He saw their suffering when He heard their song.”
וְתַמְתִּיק וּתְבַטֵּל מֵעָלֵינוּ וּמֵעַל כָּל עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל כָּל הַדִּינִים שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם, וְתַמְשִׁיךְ עָלֵינוּ שֶׁפַע טוֹבָה וּבְרָכָה וְרַחֲמִים וְחַיִּים וְשָׁלוֹם וְכָל טוֹב, וְתִגְמְלֵנוּ חֲסָדִים טוֹבִים תָּמִיד.
Sweeten and remove all judgments from me and from Your entire nation, the Jewish people. Draw onto us a wealth of goodness, blessing, compassion, life, peace and everything good. Shower us with Your goodness and kindness forever.
וּבְכֵן תְּזַכֵּנוּ בְּרַחֲמֶיךָ הָרַבִּים וְתַשְׁפִּיעַ עָלֵינוּ אֱמוּנָתְךָ הַקְּדוֹשָׁה, וּתְזַכֵּנוּ לֶאֱמוּנַת חֲכָמִים בְּתַכְלִית הַשְּׁלֵמוּת,
In Your great compassion, fill us with holy faith in You and with perfect faith in the sages.
וְאֶזְכֶּה לְהַאֲמִין בַּחֲכָמִים וְצַדִּיקִים אֲמִתִּיִּים שֶׁכָּל דִּבְרֵיהֶם וּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶם אֵינוֹ פָּשׁוּט אֶלָּא יֵשׁ בָּהֶם רָזִין, וְאֶזְכֶּה עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה לְאַנְהָרָא לְמַטְרוֹנִיתָא וּלְהַפְשִׁיט מִנָּהּ לְבוּשִׁין דְּקַדְרָנוּתָא דְּפַשְׁטִין, וּלְהַלְבִּישׁ אוֹתָהּ בִּלְבוּשִׁין דִּנְהִירִין דְּאִנּוּן רָזִין דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה אֶזְכֶּה לְהַמְתִּיק וּלְבַטֵּל כָּל הַדִּינִים מֵעָלֵינוּ וּמֵעַל כָּל עַמְּךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵעַתָּה וְעַד עוֹלָם:
Help me to be aware that all the words and deeds of the sages and true Tzaddikim are not ordinary, but contain secrets. Then I will attain the light of Your presence, and I will be able to remove the garments of darkness — a superficial understanding of the Torah — and replace them with shining garments, which are the secrets of the Torah. In that way, I will sweeten and eliminate all judgments against myself and against Your entire nation, the Jewish people, forever and ever.
לְרֹאשׁ־הַשָּׁנָה וְעָזְרֵנִי וְהוֹשִׁיעֵנִי שֶׁאֶזְכֶּה לְהַלְבִּישׁ עֲרֻמִּים, לְכַסּוֹת וּלְהַלְבִּישׁ עֲנִיִּים טוֹבִים וַהֲגוּנִים, וּתְזַכֵּנִי וְתַעַזְרֵנִי שֶׁאֶזְכֶּה לַעֲשׂוֹת לְבוּשִׁים נָאִים לְצַדִּיקִים אֲמִתִּיִּים.
For Rosh HaShanah
Help me to clothe worthy, poor people. Help me to make beautiful clothes for truly righteous people.
וְזַכֵּנוּ בְּרַחֲמֶיךָ לִשְׁמֹעַ קוֹל שׁוֹפָר בְּרֹאשׁ הַשָׁנָה מִתּוֹקֵעַ הָגוּן וְכָשֵׁר וִירֵא אֱלֹהִים מֵרַבִּים, וְיַעֲלֶה לְפָנֶיךָ קוֹל הַתְּקִיעָה וְהַשְּׁבָרִים וְהַתְּרוּעָה, וִיעוֹרְרוּ אֶת זְכוּת אֲבוֹתֵינוּ אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב, וְתַבִּיט בִּזְכוּתָם, וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה תְּשַׁכֵּךְ וְתַמְתִּיק וּתְבַטֵל חֲמָתְךָ מֵעָלֵינוּ וְתָשׁוּב אֵלֵינוּ וְתָאִיר פָּנֶיךָ בָּנוּ.
Compassionate God, may I hear a worthy, God-fearing person blow the shofar on Rosh HaShanah. May the sounds of the shofar blast — the tekiah, shevarim and teruah — rise up to You and arouse the merits of our forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Gaze down in their merit and sweeten and eliminate Your anger at us. Return to us. Shine Your countenance down upon us.
אָבִינוּ מַלְכֵּנוּ, חוּס וַחֲמֹל עָלֵינוּ וְעָזְרֵנוּ לָבוֹא לְכָל מַה שֶּׁבִּקַּשְׁנוּ מִלְּפָנֶיךָ, עָזְרֵנִי עָזְרֵנִי חָנֵּנִי חָנֵּנִי, כִּי עָלֶיךָ לְבַד נִשְׁעָנְתִּי, אָנָּא יְהֹוָה הוֹשִׁיעָה נָּא אָנָּא יְהֹוָה הַצְלִיחָה נָא.
Father and King, be gracious to me and allow me to attain everything that I have sought of You. Help me, please! Have pity on me! I have relied on You alone. “Please, HaShem, save us! Please, HaShem, cause us to succeed!”
הַצְלִיחָה נָא לְעַבְדְּךָ מֵהַיּוֹם, וְעָזְרֵנִי וְזַכֵּנִי לְדַלֵּג וְלִקְפֹּץ עַל כָּל הַבְלֵי עוֹלָם הַזֶּה וְתַאֲווֹתָיו חִישׁ קַל מְהֵרָה. וְאֶזְכֶּה לְהִתְקַשֵּׁר אֵלֶיךָ בֶּאֱמֶת בְּקֶשֶׁר אַמִּיץ וְחָזָק, וּלְהִתְדַּבֵּק בַּעֲבוֹדָתְךָ תָמִיד יוֹמָם וָלָיְלָה.
Help me, Your servant, to succeed from this day forward. Help me to leap across all the vain things and desires of this world quickly and easily. Guide me so that I will connect myself to You genuinely and intensely, so that I will cling to You and serve You constantly, day and night.
עֲשֵׂה לְמַעַן שְׁמֶךָ עֲשֵׂה לְמַעַן יְמִינֶךָ, כִּי צְרָכֵינוּ הֵמָּה מְרֻבִּים וְדַעְתֵּנוּ קְצָרָה לְבָאֵר וּלְפָרֵשׁ, וְכָל דָּבָר גָּדוֹל וְקָטָן שֶׁאֲנַחְנוּ צְרִיכִים בַּעֲבוֹדַת יְהֹוָה, לֹא יַסְפִּיקוּ יָמֵינוּ לְבָאֵר וּלְפָרֵשׁ אֶת עֹצֶם רִבּוּי הַמְּנִיעוֹת וְהָעִכּוּבִים שֶׁיֵּשׁ עַל זֶה, וְלֹא יַסְפִּיקוּ כָל יָמֵינוּ לְבַקֵּשׁ וּלְחַנֵּן וּלְהַעְתִּיר וּלְהַפְצִיר אוֹתְךָ עַל זֶה שֶׁתְּזַכֵּנוּ לְשַׁבֵּר כָּל הַמְּנִיעוֹת וְלִזְכּוֹת לְהוֹצִיאוֹ מִכֹּחַ אֶל הַפֹּעַל.
Do so for the sake of Your Name. Do so for the sake of Your right hand. My needs are so many and my mind is too limited to express them all — all those things, great and small, that I need to serve You. There would not be enough days to describe all the obstacles in my path. My entire lifetime would not suffice to pray and plead with You to break down all my obstacles and bring all my potential into actuality.
כִּי אֲנִי יוֹדֵעַ בֶּאֱמֶת שֶׁאֲנִי רָחוֹק מִכָּל הַדְּבָרִים שֶׁבִּקְדֻשָּׁה בַּעֲוֹנוֹתַי הָרַבִּים, אַךְ עָלֶיךָ לְבַד נִשְׁעָנְתִּי, וְעֵינַי תְּלוּיוֹת לְרַחֲמֶיךָ בְּכָל עֵת וּבְכָל רֶגַע וָרֶגַע, דַּלּוּ עֵינַי לַמָּרוֹם יְהֹוָה עָשְׁקָה לִּי עָרְבֵנִי. עֲרֹב עַבְדְּךָ לְטוֹב אַל יַעַשְׁקוּנִי זֵדִים.
I know that my sins have kept me far from holiness. I rely on You alone. My eyes turn to You and Your compassion at every moment, at every second. “My eyes are raised to the heights, HaShem. I have been oppressed, be my guarantor.” “Be a guarantor to Your servant for the good; do not let the wicked oppress me!”
עָזְרֵנִי בִּזְכוּת אֲבוֹתֵינוּ וּבִזְכוּת כָּל הַצַּדִּיקִים אֲמִתִּיִּים, בִּזְכוּתָם לְבַד נִשְׁעָנְתִּי וּבָהֶם חָסִיתִי, שֶׁכְּמוֹ שֶׁאֲנִי רָחוֹק מִכָּל הַדְּבָרִים שֶׁבִּקְדֻשָּׁה, כֵּן תְּחָנֵּנִי בְּרַחֲמֶיךָ וּתְקַדְּשֵׁנִי בִּקְדֻשָּׁתְךָ הָעֶלְיוֹנָה, וְתַעַזְרֵנִי וּתְזַכֵּנִי לְהַגִּיעַ מְהֵרָה לְכָל הַדְּבָרִים שֶׁבִּקְדֻשָּׁה, שֶׁאֶזְכֶּה לָסוּר מֵרָע לְגַמְרֵי בֶּאֱמֶת, וְאֶזְכֶּה תָמִיד לַעֲשׂוֹת מִצְוֹת הַרְבֵּה בְּכָל יוֹם וָיוֹם לַעֲסֹק בְּתוֹרָה וּבִתְפִלָּה וּבִגְמִילוּת חֲסָדִים תָּמִיד כָּל יְמֵי חַיַּי.
Help me in the merit of the patriarchs and all the true Tzaddikim. I rely only on their merit. I take refuge in them. Although I am far from holiness, in Your compassion, be gracious to me. Sanctify me with Your supernal holiness. Help me soon to attain everything holy, so that I will turn aside completely from evil and perform many mitzvot — learning Torah, praying and performing good deeds every day of my life.
וּתְזַכֵּנִי בְּרַחֲמֶיךָ הָרַבִּים שֶׁאֶזְכֶּה לָדַעַת וּלְכַוֵּן לַעֲסֹק בְּיוֹתֵר בְּהַמִּצְוָה הַשַּׁיָּכָה לְשֹׁרֶשׁ נִשְׁמָתִי, וְנַפְשִׁי תִהְיֶה נִמְשֶׁכֶת בְּיוֹתֵר אַחַר אוֹתָהּ הַמִּצְוָה הַשַּׁיָּכָה לְשָׁרְשִׁי הָעֶלְיוֹן, וְאֶזְכֶּה לְהַרְבּוֹת בְּמִצְוָה זוּ תָמִיד בְּכָל עֵת, בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁאֶזְכֶּה לְתַקֵּן בְּחַיַּי אֵת כָּל אֲשֶׁר שִׁחַתְתִּי.
In Your great compassion, teach me which particular mitzvah is connected to the root of my soul. Draw my spirit after that mitzvah connected to my supernal root, so that I will perform it a great deal, constantly, so that in the course of my life I will rectify everything that I have defiled.
וְתִמָּלֵא רַחֲמִים עָלַי תָמִיד וּתְשַׁכֵּךְ חֲמָתְךָ מֵאִתִּי, וְאַל תַּעֲשֶׂה עִמִּי כַּחֲטָאַי וְאַל תְּדִינֵנִי כְּמִפְעָלַי.
Always be filled with compassion for me. Do not be angry at me. Do not respond to me in accordance with my sins or judge me in accordance with my deeds.
שׁוּבֵנוּ אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׁעֵנוּ וְהָפֵר כַּעַסְךָ עִמָּנוּ. הַרְאֵנוּ יְהֹוָה חַסְדֶּךָ וְיֶשְׁעֲךָ תִּתֶּן לָנוּ. קוּמָה עֶזְרָתָה לָּנוּ וּפְדֵנוּ לְמַעַן חַסְדֶּךָ. אַל תַּסְתֵּר פָּנֶיךָ מִמֶּנִּי בְּיוֹם צַר לִי הַטֵּה אֵלַי אָזְנֶךָ בְּיוֹם אֶקְרָא מַהֵר עֲנֵנִי. וַאֲנִי אָשִׁיר עֻזֶּךָ וַאֲרַנֵּן לַבֹּקֶר חַסְדֶּךָ כִּי הָיִיתָ מִשְׂגָּב לִי וּמָנוֹס בְּיוֹם צַר לִי. אֱלֹהִים שִׁיר חָדָשׁ אָשִׁירָה לָךְ בְּנֵבֶל עָשׂוֹר אֲזַמְּרָה לָּךְ. אָשִׁירָה לַיהֹוָה בְּחַיָּי אֲזַמְּרָה לֵאלֹהַי בְּעוֹדִי. עֻזִּי אֵלֶיךָ אֲזַמֵּרָה כִּי אֱלֹהִים מִשְׂגַּבִּי אֱלֹהֵי חַסְדִּי:
“Restore us, our saving God, and eliminate Your anger with us. HaShem, show us Your lovingkindness and give us Your salvation. Arise, help us, and redeem us for the sake of Your lovingkindness. Do not hide Your face from me on a day of trouble for me. Turn Your ear to me on the day that I call; respond to me quickly. I will sing of Your might and sing of Your lovingkindness in the morning, for You have been my tower and a refuge on my day of trouble. God, I will sing a new song to You, I will make music to You with the ten-stringed instrument. I will sing to HaShem with my life, I will make melody to my God with my being. My Mighty One, I will make melody to You, for God is my tower, God Who is kind to me.”