Prayer for Attaining Holiness Through Interpersonal Perfection

Parashat Kedoshim

Prayer for Attaining Holiness Through Interpersonal Perfection

 
Help me, Hashem, to become holy like You,
in my thoughts, my heart and everything I do!
 
Strengthen me to practice self-control,
and act righteously with every single soul!
 
Let me treat everyone properly showing utmost understanding,
without favoring the poor or respecting a person of high standing!
 
Guide me to be fair to everyone with whom I deal.
to seek truth, act honestly, and never rob or steal!
 
Help me remember to pay my hired workers right away,
in keeping with the law to render their wages on the same day!
  
May I attain holiness and become refined,
never placing a stumbling block before the blind!
 
Let me avoid causing others pain or hurt!
Grant me compassion and love for the convert!
 
Teach me to never judge others without
always first giving the benefit of the doubt!
 
Let no word of gossip from my tongue slip!
Even to the deaf may no curse leave my lip!
 
May I not be overcome by stress,
so I won’t other people oppress!
 
Let me let go of hard feelings and bearing any grudge!
Why do I need to hold on to this emotional sludge?
 
Help me to genuinely forgive,
so, a pure, holy life I can live!
 
Please Hashem may I not hate anyone in my heart!
Rather let me kind, gentle words of rebuke impart!
 
The mitzvah to love others as yourself is the hardest to fulfill.
Nevertheless, I will keep it the best I can with all my goodwill.

Based on Vayikra Chapter 19:

 

ספר ויקרא פרק יט פסוק ב דַּבֵּר אֶל כָּל עֲדַת בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם קְדשִׁים תִּהְיוּ כִּי קָדוֹשׁ אֲנִי הָשֵׁם אֱלֹהֵיכֶם: (ג) אִישׁ אִמּוֹ וְאָבִיו תִּירָאוּ וְאֶת שַׁבְּתֹתַי תִּשְׁמֹרוּ אֲנִי הָשֵׁם אֱלֹהֵיכֶם:

“Speak to the entire congregation of the children of Israel, and say to them, "You shall be holy, for I, Hashem, Your G-d, am holy Every man shall fear his mother and his father, and you shall observe My Shabbats. I am Hashem, Your G-d.” (Vayikra 19:2-3).

 

ספר ויקרא פרק יט פסוק יא לֹא תִּגְנֹבוּ וְלֹא תְכַחֲשׁוּ וְלֹא תְשַׁקְּרוּ אִישׁ בַּעֲמִיתוֹ:

“You shall not steal. You shall not deny falsely. You shall not lie, one man to his fellow” (Vayikra 19:11).

 

ספר ויקרא פרק יט פסוק יג לֹא תַעֲשֹׁק אֶת רֵעֲךָ וְלֹא תִגְזֹל לֹא תָלִין פְּעֻלַּת שָׂכִיר אִתְּךָ עַד בֹּקֶר:

(יד) לֹא תְקַלֵּל חֵרֵשׁ וְלִפְנֵי עִוֵּר לֹא תִתֵּן מִכְשֹׁל וְיָרֵאתָ מֵּאֱלֹהֶיךָ אֲנִי הָשֵׁם:

(טו) לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ עָוֶל בַּמִּשְׁפָּט לֹא תִשָּׂא פְנֵי דָל וְלֹא תֶהְדַּר פְּנֵי גָדוֹל בְּצֶדֶק תִּשְׁפֹּט עֲמִיתֶךָ: ספר ויקרא פרק יט:

(טז) לֹא תֵלֵךְ רָכִיל בְּעַמֶּיךָ לֹא תַעֲמֹד עַל דַּם רֵעֶךָ אֲנִי הָשֵׁם:

(יז) לֹא תִשְׂנָא אֶת אָחִיךָ בִּלְבָבֶךָ הוֹכֵחַ תּוֹכִיחַ אֶת עֲמִיתֶךָ וְלֹא תִשָּׂא עָלָיו חֵטְא:

(יח) לֹא תִקֹּם וְלֹא תִטֹּר אֶת בְּנֵי עַמֶּךָ וְאָהַבְתָּ לְרֵעֲךָ כָּמוֹךָ אֲנִי הָשֵׁם:

“You shall not oppress your fellow. You shall not rob. The hired worker’s wage shall not remain with

 you overnight until morning. You shall not curse a deaf person. You shall not place a stumbling block before a blind person, and you shall fear your G-d. I am Hashem. You shall commit no injustice in judgment; you shall not favor a poor person or respect a great man; you shall judge your fellow with righteousness. You shall not go around as a gossipmonger amidst your people. You shall not stand by [the shedding of] your fellow’s blood. I am Hashem. You shall not hate your brother in your heart. You shall surely rebuke your fellow, but you shall not bear a sin on his account. You shall neither take revenge from nor bear a grudge against the members of your people; you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am Hashem” (Vayikra 19:13-18).

 

ספר ויקרא פרק יט פסוק לג וְכִי יָגוּר אִתְּךָ גֵּר בְּאַרְצְכֶם לֹא תוֹנוּ אֹתוֹ:

(לד) כְּאֶזְרָח מִכֶּם יִהְיֶה לָכֶם הַגֵּר הַגָּר אִתְּכֶם וְאָהַבְתָּ לוֹ כָּמוֹךָ כִּי גֵרִים הֱיִיתֶם בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם אֲנִי הָשֵׁם אֱלֹהֵיכֶם:

“When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not taunt him. The stranger who sojourns with you shall be as a native from among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. I am Hashem, your G-d” (Vayikra 19:33-34).

Prayer for Overcoming Negative Influence and Retain our Innate Purity and Holiness

 

Parashat Acharei Mot

Prayer for Overcoming Negative Influence and Retain our Innate Purity and Holiness
 
Coming out of Pesach cleansed and pure,
I pray that this purity will endure.
 
Hashem, I long to remain chametz free?
Please help me remain the best I can be!
 
Strengthen me so I won’t downslide!
I desire by all Your laws to abide.
 
Guard my heart and eyes from temptations,
the abominations of other nations!
 
From Israel keep inappropriate enticements away,
adulterers, pedophiles, and parades of the gay.
 
Empower us to raise the standard of life,
in which every man is faithful to his wife!
 
Remove the scars and negative effect
of childhood wounds and emotional neglect!
 
Grant us all the help we need,
so healthy lives we can lead!
 
What a zchut to live in the Holy Land.
Here we must keep every single command.
 
Help Your people practice separation,
to truly mature into a holy nation!
 
Rid us of the attachments to our phone!
Teach us to defeat fear of being alone!
 
By attaching ourselves to only You,
we can transform and start our lives anew!
 
Hashem, I long to remain chametz free?
Please help me become the best I can be!
 
Let me connect with my deepest essence!
So all my actions reflect Your Presence! 

Based on the Book of Vayikra Chapter 18:

 

ספר ויקרא פרק יח פסוק ג 

כְּמַעֲשֵׂה אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם אֲשֶׁר יְשַׁבְתֶּם בָּהּ לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ וּכְמַעֲשֵׂה אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי מֵבִיא אֶתְכֶם שָׁמָּה לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ וּבְחֻקֹּתֵיהֶם לֹא תֵלֵכוּ:

(ד) אֶת מִשְׁפָּטַי תַּעֲשׂוּ וְאֶת חֻקֹּתַי תִּשְׁמְרוּ לָלֶכֶת בָּהֶם אֲנִי הָשֵׁם אֱלֹהֵיכֶם: 

(ה) וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אֶת חֻקֹּתַי וְאֶת מִשְׁפָּטַי אֲשֶׁר יַעֲשֶׂה אֹתָם הָאָדָם וָחַי בָּהֶם אֲנִי הָשֵׁם:

“Like the practice of the land of Egypt, in which you dwelled, you shall not do, and like the practice of the land of Canaan, to which I am bringing you, you shall not do, and you shall not follow their statutes. You shall fulfill My ordinances and observe My statutes, to follow them. I am Hashem, your G-d. You shall observe My statutes and My ordinances, which a man shall do and live by them. I am Hashem” (Vayikra 18:3-5).

 

ספר ויקרא פרק יח פסוק כב וְאֶת זָכָר לֹא תִשְׁכַּב מִשְׁכְּבֵי אִשָּׁה תּוֹעֵבָה הִוא…

(כד) אַל תִּטַּמְּאוּ בְּכָל אֵלֶּה כִּי בְכָל אֵלֶּה נִטְמְאוּ הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי מְשַׁלֵּחַ מִפְּנֵיכֶם:

(כה) וַתִּטְמָא הָאָרֶץ וָאֶפְקֹד עֲוֹנָהּ עָלֶיהָ וַתָּקִא הָאָרֶץ אֶת ישְׁבֶיהָ:

(כו) וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם אַתֶּם אֶת חֻקֹּתַי וְאֶת מִשְׁפָּטַי וְלֹא תַעֲשׂוּ מִכֹּל הַתּוֹעֵבֹת הָאֵלֶּה הָאֶזְרָח וְהַגֵּר הַגָּר בְּתוֹכֲכֶם:

(כז) כִּי אֶת כָּל הַתּוֹעֵבֹת הָאֵל עָשׂוּ אַנְשֵׁי הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר לִפְנֵיכֶם וַתִּטְמָא הָאָרֶץ:

(כח) וְלֹא תָקִיא הָאָרֶץ אֶתְכֶם בְּטַמַּאֲכֶם אֹתָהּ כַּאֲשֶׁר קָאָה אֶת הַגּוֹי אֲשֶׁר לִפְנֵיכֶם:

“You shall not lie down with a male, as with a woman: this is an abomination. You shall not defile yourselves by any of these things, for the nations whom I am sending away from before you, have defiled themselves with all these things. And the land became defiled, and I visited its sin upon it, and the land vomited out its inhabitants. But as for you, you shall observe My statutes and My ordinances, and you shall not do like any of these abominations neither the native nor the stranger who sojourns among you. For the people of the land who preceded you, did all these abominations, and the land became defiled. And let the land not vomit you out for having defiled it, as it vomited out the nation that preceded you” (Vayikra 18:22-28).

Prayer for Divine Assistance to Liberate Ourselves from Constrictions

For Pesach
Prayer for Divine Assistance to Liberate Ourselves from Constrictions 

Thank you, Hashem, for finally bringing the spring!
With our soul revived, Your praises we wish to sing!
 
The flowers sparkle, the birds are humming
Spring has arrived, now Pesach is coming!
 
We have worked high and low to let go of the old.
Most chametz is destroyed and almost nothing sold!
 
Together with all the little crumbs of bread,
many soul layers we have tried to shed.
 
From our heavy heart-husks Hashem please set us free!
To unlock the burdensome blocks, send us the key!
 
On the Seder night please open the door!
our souls are stirring and longing to soar.
 
Help us let all our various tensions abate
So, our physical pains and aches can dissipate!
 
Liberate us please from all our constrictions,
from material attachments to addictions!
 
May we learn to let go of clinging to our phone,
whether we are with friends or feeling alone.

On the Seder night please open the door!
our souls are stirring and longing to soar.
 
Teach us to connect with the essence of our souls,
So, we can finally reach our spiritual goals!
 
Guide us through all the steps of cleaving to You,
from the top of our head to the heel of our shoe!
 
As the Seder proceeds, let us rise up,
shaking off spiritual sludge from cup to cup!
 
On the Seder night please open the door!
our souls are stirring and longing to soar.

Prayer for Divine Assistance to Avoid Evil Speech

Parashat Metzora

Prayer for Divine Assistance to Avoid Evil Speech

 
I desire to be sincere and practice what I preach.
Please Hashem help me elevate my speech!
 
Going to a family gathering can be a difficult test.
Please help empower me negative speech to divest!
 
I plead You to heed this important request
that in everyone I will see only the best!
 
Let it be that any malicious word
that may be said would never be heard.
 
Words of judgment so easily from our tongue slip.  
Do not allow even a drop of evil speech to drip.
 
Offensive words travel like a video clip.
I pray fervently that You will help me zip by lip.
 
Let us overcome negativity and blame,
and not inflict on anyone an evil name!

Based on the Book of Vayikra Chapter 14 verse 2:

 

ספר ויקרא פרק יד פסוק ב זֹאת תִּהְיֶה תּוֹרַת הַמְּצֹרָע בְּיוֹם טָהֳרָתוֹ וְהוּבָא אֶל הַכֹּהֵן:

“This shall be the law of the person afflicted with tzara’at, on the day of his cleansing: He shall be brought to the kohen” (Vayikra 14:2).

 

תלמוד בבלי מסכת ערכין דף טו/ב ואמר ר' יוסי בן זימרא כל המספר לשון הרע נגעים באים עליו… אמר ריש לקיש מאי דכתיב זאת תהיה תורת המצורע זאת תהיה תורתו של מוציא שם רע...

Rabbi Yosei ben Zimra says: Anyone who speaks malicious speech will be afflicted by plagues (tzara’at)…  Reish Lakish says: What is the meaning of that which is written: “This shall be the law of the leper [metzora]? This means that this shall be the law of a defamer [motzi shem ra, literally the one who causes an evil name] (Babylonian Talmud, Arichin 15b).

רמב"ם יד החזקה הלכות טומאת צרעת פרק  טז …שהמספר בלשון הרע משתנות קירות ביתו… ואם עמד ברשע ומשתנין הבגדים שעליו... אם חזר בו יטהרו ואם עמד ברשעו משתנה עורו ויצטרע ויהיה מובדל ומפורסם לבדו עד שלא יתעסק בשיחת הרשעים שהוא הליצנות ולשון הרע…

When a person speaks lashon hara, the walls of his house change color... If he persists in his wickedness... the clothes he wears change color. If he [still] persists in his wickedness... his skin undergoes changes, and he develops tzara’at. This causes him to be isolated and for it to be made known that he must remain alone so that he will not be involved in the talk of the wicked, which is folly and lashon hara” (Mishnah Torah, Sefer Tahara, Hilchot Tum’at Tzara’at 16:10).