This Paltry World Once a person has clung to the words of Torah that come from the mouth of the Tzaddik, it is astonishing that afterward he can still tolerate and even desire the life of this world. For the Seventh of Adar, the Yahrtzeit of Moses HaShem, my God and God of my fathers, help me cling to Your holy Torah.
Open my heart and my mind so that I will understand all of the words of Your pure, perfect Torah, which restores the soul, grants wisdom to the foolish, gladdens the heart, enlightens the eyes, stands forever and is altogether just.
May I take so much delight in You through the words of Your holy Torah that I am repelled by the life of this world, by its lusts and vanities. May all of the life of this world be as nothing to me because of the great pleasure that I take in the words of Your Torah, all of which are alive and strong, faithful and delightful forever, more beloved than gold and fine gold, sweeter than honey and the honeycomb.
As from a distance, my mind senses the sweet profundity of the words of Your Torah, whose every phrase rises to the infinite heights and descends to the endless depths, unifying all worlds and giving wondrous counsel to those who dwell in Heaven and those who dwell on earth, teaching them how to know You and cling to You.
If we were to bend our ears and turn our hearts to one phrase of Your holy Torah, which You revealed to us through Moses and all the true Tzaddikim in every generation until this day, we would become as nothing.
But because of our many sins, we do not bring that awareness into our hearts to eliminate our desires. And so our hearts remain filled with other thoughts, longings, confusions and contortions, far from the words of Your holy Torah, the sweetness of whose pure words we do not feel.
The Pleasant Words of Torah Sole Master of the world, You Who teach Torah to Your nation, the Jewish people, open our hearts to learn Your holy Torah so that we will cling to its words and take delight in them, to the point that all of the desires and vanities of this world will be repulsive to us and we will instead cling to You, Your Torah and Your holy commandments forever, never turning aside from Your will, either to the right or the left.
May we, our children, and Your entire nation, the House of Israel, know Your Name and learn Your Torah for its own sake, until we will “gaze upon the pleasantness of HaShem and visit in His palace,” from now on and forever. Amen, selah.
[עַל־פִּי תּוֹרָה קנ"ז - כָּל הַנֶּהֱנֶה מִדִּבְרֵי תּוֹרָה נוֹטֵל חַיָּיו מִן הָעוֹלָם]
לְז' אֲדָר הִילּוּלָא דְּמֹשֶׁה רַבֵּנוּ ע"ה יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהַי וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתַי, שֶׁתְּזַכֵּנִי לְהִתְדַּבֵּק בְּתוֹרָתְךָ הַקְּדוֹשָׁה,
This Paltry World
Once a person has clung to the words of Torah that come from the mouth of the Tzaddik, it is astonishing that afterward he can still tolerate and even desire the life of this world.
For the Seventh of Adar, the Yahrtzeit of Moses
HaShem, my God and God of my fathers, help me cling to Your holy Torah.
וְתִפְתַּח אֶת לִבִּי וְדַעְתִּי עַד שֶׁאֶזְכֶּה לִשְׁמֹעַ וּלְהָבִין הֵיטֵב בִּלְבָבִי אֶת כָּל דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָתְךָ הַקְּדוֹשָׁה וְהַטְּהוֹרָה וְהַתְּמִימָה, הַמְּשִׁיבַת נֶפֶשׁ ומַחְכִּימַת פֶּתִי וּמְשַׂמַּחַת לֵב וּמְאִירַת עֵינַיִם וְעוֹמֶדֶת לָעַד וְצָדְקוּ יַחְדָּו.
Open my heart and my mind so that I will understand all of the words of Your pure, perfect Torah, which restores the soul, grants wisdom to the foolish, gladdens the heart, enlightens the eyes, stands forever and is altogether just.
וְאֶזְכֶּה לְהַרְגִּישׁ הֵיטֵב נִפְלְאוֹת נְעִימַת עֲרֵבַת מְתִיקַת חִדּוּשֵׁי הַתּוֹרָה הַקְּדוֹשִׁים וְהַנּוֹרָאִים מְאֹד שֶׁגִּלּוּ כָּל הַצַּדִּיקִים הָאֲמִתִּיִּים, הַמְּחַיִּין כָּל הָעוֹלָמוֹת.
May I feel the wondrous sweetness of the awesome Torah insights revealed by the true Tzaddikim, who give life to all the worlds.
וְאֶזְכֶּה לֵהָנוֹת וּלְהִתְעַנֵּג עַל יְהֹוָה בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָתְךָ הַקְּדוֹשָׁה, עַד אֲשֶׁר אָקוּץ וְאֶמְאַס בְּחַיֵּי עוֹלָם הַזֶּה וּבְתַאֲווֹתָיו וַהֲבָלָיו, וְיִתְבַּטְּלוּ כָּל חַיֵּי עוֹלָם הַזֶּה אֶצְלִי לְגַמְרֵי עַל־יְדֵי עֹצֶם הַהֲנָאָה וְהַתַּעֲנוּג וְהַשַּׁעֲשׁוּעַ שֶׁאֶזְכֶּה לֵהָנוֹת וּלְהִתְעַנֵּג מִדִּבְרֵי תוֹרָתְךָ הַקְּדוֹשָׁה וְהַנּוֹרָאָה, אֲשֶׁר כָּל דְּבָרֶיהָ חָיִּים וְקַיָּמִים נֶאֱמָנִים וְנֶחֱמָדִים לָעַד, וְנֶחֱמָדִים מִזָּהָב וּמִפָּז רָב וּמְתוּקִים מִדְּבַשׁ וְנֹפֶת צוּפִים,
May I take so much delight in You through the words of Your holy Torah that I am repelled by the life of this world, by its lusts and vanities. May all of the life of this world be as nothing to me because of the great pleasure that I take in the words of Your Torah, all of which are alive and strong, faithful and delightful forever, more beloved than gold and fine gold, sweeter than honey and the honeycomb.
כִּי בֶּאֱמֶת מֵרָחוֹק נִרְאָה לִי בְּדַעְתִּי נְעִימַת עַמְקוּת דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָתְךָ, אֲשֶׁר כָּל דִּבּוּר וְדִבּוּר עוֹלֶה עַד אֵין סוֹף וְיוֹרֵד עַד אֵין תַּכְלִית, וּמְקַשֵּׁר וּמְחַבֵּר וְכוֹלֵל כָּל הָעוֹלָמוֹת יַחַד, וְנוֹתֵן עֵצוֹת נִפְלָאוֹת לְכָל דָּרֵי מַעְלָה וְדָרֵי מַטָּה אֵיךְ לִזְכּוֹת לְהַכִּיר אוֹתְךָ תִּתְבָּרַךְ, וּלְהִתְדַּבֵּק בְּךָ בֶּאֱמֶת.
As from a distance, my mind senses the sweet profundity of the words of Your Torah, whose every phrase rises to the infinite heights and descends to the endless depths, unifying all worlds and giving wondrous counsel to those who dwell in Heaven and those who dwell on earth, teaching them how to know You and cling to You.
מַה גָּדְלוּ מַעֲשֶׂיךָ יְהֹוָה מְאֹד עָמְקוּ מַחְשְׁבוֹתֶיךָ.
“How great are Your deeds, HaShem; how very deep are Your thoughts.”
וְאִם הָיִינוּ זוֹכִים לִשְׁמֹעַ וּלְהַטּוֹת אָזְנֵינוּ וְלִבֵּנוּ הֵיטֵב לְדִבּוּר אֶחָד מִתּוֹרָתְךָ הַקְּדוֹשָׁה, אֲשֶׁר גִּלִּיתָ לָנוּ עַל־יְדֵי מֹשֶׁה עַבְדֶּךָ, וְעַל־יְדֵי כָּל הַצַּדִּיקִים הָאֲמִתִּיִּים שֶׁהָיוּ בְּכָל דּוֹר וָדוֹר עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה, הָיִינוּ מִתְבַּטְּלִים לְגַמְרֵי.
If we were to bend our ears and turn our hearts to one phrase of Your holy Torah, which You revealed to us through Moses and all the true Tzaddikim in every generation until this day, we would become as nothing.
אַךְ בַּעֲוֹנוֹתֵינוּ הָרַבִּים, אֵין אָנוּ זוֹכִים לְהַכְנִיס הַדַּעַת בַּלֵּב וּלְבַטֵּל תַּאֲווֹת הַלֵּב עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה, כִּי לִבֵּנוּ מָלֵא מַחְשְׁבוֹת חוּץ, תַּאֲווֹת וּבִלְבּוּלִים וְהִרְהוּרִים וְעַקְמִימִיּוּת שֶׁבַּלֵּב, עַד אֲשֶׁר לִבֵּנוּ רָחוֹק מְאֹד מִדִּבְרֵי תוֹרָתְךָ הַקְּדוֹשָׁה, עַל כֵּן אֵין אָנוּ מַרְגִּישִׁין נְעִימוּת מְתִיקוּת אִמְרוֹתֶיהָ הַטְּהוֹרִים.
But because of our many sins, we do not bring that awareness into our hearts to eliminate our desires. And so our hearts remain filled with other thoughts, longings, confusions and contortions, far from the words of Your holy Torah, the sweetness of whose pure words we do not feel.
אָנָּא אָדוֹן יָחִיד, הַמְלַמֵּד תּוֹרָה לְעַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל, רַחֵם עָלֵינוּ לְמַעַן שְׁמֶךָ, וְתִפְתַּח לִבֵּנוּ בְּתַלְמוּד תּוֹרָתֶךָ. וְזַכֵּנוּ שֶׁנְּדַבֵּק לִבֵּנוּ בֶּאֱמֶת בְּדִבְרֵי תוֹרָתְךָ הַקְּדוֹשָׁה, עַד שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה לֵהָנוֹת וּלְהִתְעַנֵּג מְאֹד מִדִּבְרֵי תוֹרָתְךָ הַקְּדוֹשָׁה, עַד שֶׁיִּהְיֶה נִמְאָס אֶצְלֵנוּ עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה כָּל חַיֵּי עוֹלָם הַזֶּה וְתַאֲווֹתָיו וַהֲבָלָיו. וְנִזְכֶּה לְחַיִּים טוֹבִים וַאֲרֻכִּים בֶּאֱמֶת לְהִתְדַּבֵּק בְּךָ וּבְתוֹרָתְךָ וּבְמִצְוֹתֶיךָ הַקְּדוֹשִׁים לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד, וְלֹא נָסוּר מֵרְצוֹנְךָ יָמִין וּשְׂמֹאל.
The Pleasant Words of Torah
Sole Master of the world, You Who teach Torah to Your nation, the Jewish people, open our hearts to learn Your holy Torah so that we will cling to its words and take delight in them, to the point that all of the desires and vanities of this world will be repulsive to us and we will instead cling to You, Your Torah and Your holy commandments forever, never turning aside from Your will, either to the right or the left.
הַעֲרֶב נָא יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ אֶת דִּבְרֵי תוֹרָתְךָ בְּפִינוּ,
HaShem, make the words of Your Torah pleasant in our mouths.
וְנִהְיֶה אֲנַחְנוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵינוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵי עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל כֻּלָּנוּ יוֹדְעֵי שְׁמֶךָ וְלוֹמְדֵי תוֹרָתֶךָ לִשְׁמָהּ, עַד אֲשֶׁר נִזְכֶּה לַחֲזוֹת בְּנֹעַם יְהֹוָה וּלְבַקֵּר בְּהֵיכָלוֹ מֵעַתָּה וְעַד עוֹלָם, אָמֵן סֶּלָה:
May we, our children, and Your entire nation, the House of Israel, know Your Name and learn Your Torah for its own sake, until we will “gaze upon the pleasantness of HaShem and visit in His palace,” from now on and forever. Amen, selah.