Prayer for Shedding Our Undesirable Traits and Opening Ourselves to Hashem’s Calling

Parashat Vayikra

Prayer for Shedding Our Undesirable Traits

and Opening Ourselves to Hashem’s Calling
 
Hashem, help me my selfish husk to expel,
all the meanness which is part of my shell!
 
Each and every lustful urge,
I desire once and for all to purge.
 
Like the serpent exchanging its skin,
help me strip away every single sin!
 
Every outgrown character trait I gladly shed,
dressing up in compassion and kindness instead.
 
Like a bloody sacrifice of meat,
I cast my shell beneath Your feet!
 
Let Your sacrifices be my broken heart,
desiring to remove my unworthy part!
 
Guide me to give only what is truly my own,
so for all my unworthiness I may atone!
 
Grant me the renewed spirit I yearn to receive,
so, that I may to Your holy Presence cleave!
 
Like you called Moshe from your meeting Tent,
Call me, so my soul too will receive an ascent!
 
Let me remain in holiness without falling,
so, I can open myself to hear Your calling!
 
May I keep dancing to the beat of Your drum,
following You wherever You want me to come!
 
When all life’s superfluous tarnished static fall away,
then the inner light will illuminate both night and day!
 
Show me to reach for the light even during stress,
Then through thick and thin Your Name I will bless!
 
Open my ears and heart to perpetually stay in tune,
sensing Mashiach’s fragrant presence coming soon!

Based on the Book of Vayikra Chapter 1 and 2.

ספר ויקרא פרק א פסוק א וַיִּקְרָא אֶל משֶׁה וַיְדַבֵּר הַשֵּׁם אֵלָיו מֵאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד לֵאמֹר: (ב) דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם אָדָם כִּי יַקְרִיב מִכֶּם קָרְבָּן לַהַשֵּׁם מִן הַבְּהֵמָה מִן הַבָּקָר וּמִן הַצֹּאן תַּקְרִיבוּ אֶת קָרְבַּנְכֶם:

“He called to Moshe, and Hashem spoke to him from the Tent of Meeting, saying, ‘Speak to the children of Israel and say to them: When a man from [among] you brings a sacrifice to Hashem; from animals, from cattle or from the flock you shall bring your sacrifice” (Vayikra 1:1-2).

בב

רש"י על ויקרא פרק א פסוק ב 

אדם - למה נאמר מה אדם הראשון לא הקריב מן הגזל שהכל היה שלו אף אתם לא תקריבו מן הגזל:

Heb.אָדָם /Adam - Why is this term used here [as opposed to אִיש/Ish? [It alludes to Adam, the first man on earth, and teaches us:] Just as Adam, the first man, never offered sacrifices from stolen property, since everything was his, so too, you must not offer sacrifices from stolen property [Midrash Vayikra Rabbah 2:7]; (Rashi, Vayikra 1:2). 

ספר ויקרא פרק ב פסוק א

וְנֶפֶשׁ כִּי תַקְרִיב קָרְבַּן מִנְחָה לַהַשֵּׁם סֹלֶת יִהְיֶה קָרְבָּנוֹ וְיָצַק עָלֶיהָ שֶׁמֶן וְנָתַן עָלֶיהָ לְבֹנָה:

“And if a person brings a meal offering to Hashem, his offering shall be of fine flour. He shall pour oil over it and place frankincense upon it” (Vayikra 2:2)..          

ספורנו עה"ת ספר ויקרא פרק א פסוק ב                                                                                                                     אדם כי יקריב מכם. כי יקריב מעצמכם בוידוי דברים והכנעה, על דרך ונשלמה פרים שפתינו וכאמרו זבחי אלהים רוח נשברה כי אין חפץ בכסילים המקריבים בלתי הכנעה קודמת,  אמרו ז"ל מכם ולא כולכם, להוציא את המשומד:

When you bring yourselves close to G-d by means of sacrificing your essence through confession by humbling yourselves as it states וּנְשַׁלְּמָה פָרִים שְׂפָתֵינוּ - “…we will pay with bulls after having done so first with our lips” (Hoshea 14:3) King David says זִבְחֵי אֱלֹהִים רוּחַ נִשְׁבָּרָה - “The sacrifices of G-d are a broken spirit” (Tehillim 51:19). For G-d is not interested in the fools who offer sacrificial animals if they have not first humbled themselves. Our sages paraphrase this when pointing out that the Torah does not write here כּוּלְכֶם/kulchem – ‘your entire selves,’ but מִכֶּם/mikem – ‘something emanating from you,’ i.e., “by excreting the spiritually unworthy parts of you” (Sforno, Vayikra 1:2).

 

ספר תהילים פרק נא פסוק יט זִבְחֵי אֱלֹהִים רוּחַ נִשְׁבָּרָה לֵב נִשְׁבָּר וְנִדְכֶּה אֱלֹהִים לֹא תִבְזֶה:

“The sacrifices of G-d are a broken spirit; O G-d, You will not despise a broken and crushed heart” (Tehillim 51:19)