Prayer for Finding Our Personal Place of Serving Hashem Both as Individuals and as Part of the Whole

Parashat Naso

Prayer for Finding Our Personal Place of Serving Hashem

Both as Individuals and as Part of the Whole

 

Hashem how beautiful You have arranged everyone’s role,

so together we can actualize our lofty goal.

 

Without even having a clearcut written chart,

everyone in the desert knew how to play their part!

 

Your servants Gershon Merari and Kehat

did not waste time in an unconsecrated chat!

 

Yet, it is not always easy to know

which way You have intended us to go!

 

How do we access the sparks of our soul?

both as individuals and as part of the whole?

 

Isn’t it absolutely essential

To tap into our true potential?  

 

How can we learn to make the shift

to access our own personal gift?

 

Guide me to ignite our internal menorah,

and find my particular letter in the Torah!

 

With Your Torah, I yearn to be ablaze,  

without needing any credit or praise!

 

Throughout all the chores of the mundane day,

help me remain faithful without going astray!

 

Bless me with the Kohanim blessings of peace!

Let me use the blessings to make them increase!

 

Help me carry the yoke of Torah without straining!

Train me to refrain from unnecessary abstaining!

Guide my steps through the labyrinth to refine my way!

Illuminate my inner eyes to see as clear as day!

 

Help me realize who I am, and open my eyes to see,
so I can fulfill the mission, You have in store for me! 

Based on Bamidbar Chapter 4 -6:

 

ספר במדבר פרק ד פסוק ד זֹאת עֲבֹדַת בְּנֵי קְהָת בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים:

“The following is the service of the sons of Kehat in the Tent of Meeting-the Holy of Holies” (Bamidbar 4:4). 

ספר במדבר פרק ד פסוק טז וּפְקֻדַּת אֶלְעָזָר בֶּן אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן שֶׁמֶן הַמָּאוֹר וּקְטֹרֶת הַסַּמִּים וּמִנְחַת הַתָּמִיד וְשֶׁמֶן הַמִּשְׁחָה פְּקֻדַּת כָּל הַמִּשְׁכָּן וְכָל אֲשֶׁר בּוֹ בְּקֹדֶשׁ וּבְכֵלָיו:

“The charge of Eleazar the son of Aaron the kohen: oil for lighting, the incense of spices, the continual [daily] meal offering, and the anointing oil; the charge for the entire Mishkan and all that is in it, of the Holy and its furnishings” (Bamidbar 4:16). 

ספר במדבר פרק ד פסוק כד זֹאת עֲבֹדַת מִשְׁפְּחֹת הַגֵּרְשֻׁנִּי לַעֲבֹד וּלְמַשָּׂא:  (כה) וְנָשְׂאוּ אֶת יְרִיעֹת הַמִּשְׁכָּן וְאֶת אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד מִכְסֵהוּ וּמִכְסֵה הַתַּחַשׁ אֲשֶׁר עָלָיו מִלְמָעְלָה וְאֶת מָסַךְ פֶּתַח אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד:

“This is the service of the Gershonite families to serve and to carry. They shall carry the curtains of the Mishkan and the Tent of Meeting, its covering and the tachash skin covering overlaid upon it, and the screen for the entrance to the Tent of Meeting” (Bamidbar 4:24).

 

ספר במדבר פרק ד פסוק כט בְּנֵי מְרָרִי לְמִשְׁפְּחֹתָם לְבֵית אֲבֹתָם תִּפְקֹד אֹתָם:

(ל) מִבֶּן שְׁלשִׁים שָׁנָה וָמַעְלָה וְעַד בֶּן חֲמִשִּׁים שָׁנָה תִּפְקְדֵם כָּל הַבָּא לַצָּבָא לַעֲבֹד אֶת עֲבֹדַת אֹהֶל מוֹעֵד:

(לא) וְזֹאת מִשְׁמֶרֶת מַשָּׂאָם לְכָל עֲבֹדָתָם בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד קַרְשֵׁי הַמִּשְׁכָּן וּבְרִיחָיו וְעַמּוּדָיו וַאֲדָנָיו:

“[As for] the sons of Merari, you shall count them by their families, according to their fathers’ houses. From the age of thirty years and upward until the age of fifty years, you shall count them, all who come to the legion, to perform service in the Tent of Meeting. This is the charge of their burden for all their service in the Tent of Meeting: the planks of the Mishkan, its bars, its pillars, and its sockets” (Bamidbar 4:29-31).

  

ספר במדבר פרק ה פסוק יב דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם אִישׁ אִישׁ כִּי תִשְׂטֶה אִשְׁתּוֹ וּמָעֲלָה בוֹ מָעַל:

“Speak to the children of Israel and say to them: Should any man's wife go astray and deal treacherously with him… (Bamidbar 5:12). 

ספר במדבר פרק ו פסוק כ ...וְאַחַר יִשְׁתֶּה הַנָּזִיר יָיִן:

“After this, the nazirite may drink wine...” (Bamidbar 6:20).

 

ספר במדבר פרק ו פסוק כו יִשָּׂא הָשֵׁם פָּנָיו אֵלֶיךָ וְיָשֵׂם לְךָ שָׁלוֹם:

May Hashem raise His countenance toward you and grant you peace” (Bamidbar 6:26).

Prayer for Spiritual Rebirth and For Detaching from All that No Longer Serves Us

Parashat Bamidbar

Prayer for Spiritual Rebirth and For Detaching from All that No Longer Serves Us

 

Hashem, I need a complete spiritual reset.

Please help me with all the old baggage to forget!

 

Erase the stressful memories with Your magic wand!

Let me revel in the bare mountains and silky sand!

 

From stressful obligations let me get away

Do they serve anyone at the end of the day?

 

From the mundane life, I need a break

allow my suffocated soul to awake!

 

In the barren wilderness, I can hear Your voice.

With the static gone I can make my mindful choice.

 

Help me let go and receive!

open my heart to perceive!

 

When I learn to go with the flow,

allow me Your Torah to know!

 

Unburden my information overload!

Teach me Your innermost secret code!

 

On my spiritual journey let me embark!

Help me tap into my personal divine spark!

 

In the open desert space

let me find my truest place!

 

Guide me to understand my real worth!

Assist me in the process of rebirth! 

 

From the murky mud, I long to detach.

From confining shells help me to hatch!

 

Let me break free of all the constraining strings,

to take refuge under Your compassionate wings!

 

May Your light always guide my ways!

and my soul keeps singing Your praise!

Based on Bamidbar Chapter 1 verse 1, 18 and Chapter 2 verse 2:

 

ספר במדבר פרק א פסוק א

וַיְדַבֵּר הָשֵׁם אֶל משֶׁה בְּמִדְבַּר סִינַי בְּאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִי בַּשָּׁנָה הַשֵּׁנִית לְצֵאתָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם לֵאמֹר:

“Hashem spoke to Moshe in the Sinai Desert, in the Tent of Meeting on the first day of the second month, in the second year after the exodus from the land of Egypt, saying” (Bamidbar 1:1).

 

ספר במדבר פרק א פסוק יח וְאֵת כָּל הָעֵדָה הִקְהִילוּ בְּאֶחָד לַחֹדֶשׁ הַשֵּׁנִי וַיִּתְיַלְדוּ עַל מִשְׁפְּחֹתָם לְבֵית אֲבֹתָם בְּמִסְפַּר שֵׁמוֹת מִבֶּן עֶשְׂרִים שָׁנָה וָמַעְלָה לְגֻלְגְּלֹתָם

“The entire congregation assembled together on the first day of the second month,וַיִּתְיַלְדוּ /veyitvaldu, and they declared their pedigrees after their families, by their fathers’ houses, according to the number of names, from twenty years old and upward, by their polls.”

 

רש"י על במדבר פרק א פסוק יח

ויתילדו על משפחותם - הביאו ספרי יחוסיהם ועידי חזקת לידתם כל אחד ואחד להתייחס על השבט:

THEY DECLARED THEIR PEDIGREES ACCORDING TO THEIR FAMILIES - They brought the records of their pedigrees and witnesses of their birth claims so that each one should trace his genealogy to a tribe (Rashi, Bamidbar 1:18).

 

Rabbi Yisroel Sisskind notices the special meaning of the word (וַיִּתְיַלְדוּ – veyitvaldu), which appears only once in all of the Tanach (Pentateuch). Literally, this word means that the Israelites gave birth to themselves. Yet, Rashi explains that “they accounted for and gave bona fides for their genealogical descent, thereby proving their right to claim membership in a particular tribe.” Rabbi Sisskind asks, why use such a unique form of the verb “to give birth to oneself” as a way of saying “they presented their family records”? It is possible that by researching our family tree and realigning ourselves with our ancestors we can become aware of our source and who we really are. This is similar to giving birth to ourselves. May we all merit to give birth to our true selves and reconnect with our particular portion in Torah! 

ספר במדבר פרק ב פסוק ב אִישׁ עַל דִּגְלוֹ בְאֹתֹת לְבֵית אֲבֹתָם יַחֲנוּ בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל מִנֶּגֶד סָבִיב לְאֹהֶל מוֹעֵד יַחֲנוּ:

“The children of Israel shall encamp each man by his division with the flagstaffs of their fathers' house; some distance from the Tent of Meeting they shall encamp” (Bamidbar 2:2).

 

Prayer for Protection from Evil Decrees and for Being Worthy of Hashem’s Blessings

Parashat Bechukotai

Prayer for Protection from Evil Decrees and for Being Worthy of Hashem’s Blessings

Hashem help me to always follow Your ways,

so that all my actions will sing Your praise!

 Do not let my ego lead me astray,

to act for the sake of external display!

One thing I ask of You, it is my highest request.

In Your Torah and mitzvot I aspire to invest!

Let all my limbs serve You on their own accord,

not just for the sake of receiving a reward!

Help me walk in Your ways for Your sake alone,

without the desire to take credit on my own!

I yearn to perfect myself from my feet to my crown,

yet, Your promise of rain in its time I won’t turn down.

When everything goes wrong it can be quite depressing,

in order to perform the mitzvot I need Your blessing!

May all of Your children understand

the importance to keep Your Command.

Help us overcome the spiritual bug that makes us feel sad,

Let us count our blessings and become grateful and glad! 

Bless the fruit trees to be insect-free!

Safeguard us from any evil decree!

Do not inflict Israel with drought!

Safeguard us from being driven out!

Please protect the children of Your Holy Land

from ruthless terrorists hiding in the sand.

Keep away from Israel any kind of war,

including internal conflict that we all abhor!

 

Please protect us from various viruses and from disease,

So, we can all be healthy, happy, and finally find peace!

Based on Vayikra Chapter 26: verse 3-6, 14-21:

ספר ויקרא פרק כו פסוק ג אִם בְּחֻקֹּתַי תֵּלֵכוּ וְאֶת מִצְוֹתַי תִּשְׁמְרוּ וַעֲשִׂיתֶם אֹתָם:

(ד) וְנָתַתִּי גִשְׁמֵיכֶם בְּעִתָּם וְנָתְנָה הָאָרֶץ יְבוּלָהּ וְעֵץ הַשָּׂדֶה יִתֵּן פִּרְיוֹ:

(ה) וְהִשִּׂיג לָכֶם דַּיִשׁ אֶת בָּצִיר וּבָצִיר יַשִּׂיג אֶת זָרַע וַאֲכַלְתֶּם לַחְמְכֶם לָשׂבַע וִישַׁבְתֶּם לָבֶטַח בְּאַרְצְכֶם:

(ו) וְנָתַתִּי שָׁלוֹם בָּאָרֶץ וּשְׁכַבְתֶּם וְאֵין מַחֲרִיד וְהִשְׁבַּתִּי חַיָּה רָעָה מִן הָאָרֶץ וְחֶרֶב לֹא תַעֲבֹר בְּאַרְצְכֶם:

“If you follow My statutes and observe My commandments and perform them, I will give your rains in their time, the Land will yield its produce, and the tree of the field will give forth its fruit. Your threshing will last until the vintage, and the vintage will last until the sowing; you will eat your food to satiety, and you will live in security in your land. Then I will grant peace in the Land, and you will lie down with no one to frighten [you]; I will remove wild beasts from the Land, and no army will pass through your land…” (Vayikra 26:3-6). 

ספר ויקרא פרק כו פסוק יד וְאִם לֹא תִשְׁמְעוּ לִי וְלֹא תַעֲשׂוּ אֵת כָּל הַמִּצְוֹת הָאֵלֶּה:

(טו) וְאִם בְּחֻקֹּתַי תִּמְאָסוּ וְאִם אֶת מִשְׁפָּטַי תִּגְעַל נַפְשְׁכֶם לְבִלְתִּי עֲשׂוֹת אֶת כָּל מִצְוֹתַי לְהַפְרְכֶם אֶת בְּרִיתִי:

(טז) אַף אֲנִי אֶעֱשֶׂה זֹּאת לָכֶם וְהִפְקַדְתִּי עֲלֵיכֶם בֶּהָלָה אֶת הַשַּׁחֶפֶת וְאֶת הַקַּדַּחַת מְכַלּוֹת עֵינַיִם וּמְדִיבֹת נָפֶשׁ וּזְרַעְתֶּם לָרִיק זַרְעֲכֶם וַאֲכָלֻהוּ אֹיְבֵיכֶם:

(יז) וְנָתַתִּי פָנַי בָּכֶם וְנִגַּפְתֶּם לִפְנֵי אֹיְבֵיכֶם וְרָדוּ בָכֶם שׂנְאֵיכֶם וְנַסְתֶּם וְאֵין רֹדֵף אֶתְכֶם:

(יח) וְאִם עַד אֵלֶּה לֹא תִשְׁמְעוּ לִי וְיָסַפְתִּי לְיַסְּרָה אֶתְכֶם שֶׁבַע עַל חַטֹּאתֵיכֶם:

(יט) וְשָׁבַרְתִּי אֶת גְּאוֹן עֻזְּכֶם וְנָתַתִּי אֶת שְׁמֵיכֶם כַּבַּרְזֶל וְאֶת אַרְצְכֶם כַּנְּחֻשָׁה:

(כ) וְתַם לָרִיק כֹּחֲכֶם וְלֹא תִתֵּן אַרְצְכֶם אֶת יְבוּלָהּ וְעֵץ הָאָרֶץ לֹא יִתֵּן פִּרְיוֹ:

(כא) וְאִם תֵּלְכוּ עִמִּי קֶרִי וְלֹא תֹאבוּ לִשְׁמֹעַ לִי וְיָסַפְתִּי עֲלֵיכֶם מַכָּה שֶׁבַע כְּחַטֹּאתֵיכֶם:

“But if you do not listen to Me and do not perform all these commandments, and if you despise My statutes and reject My ordinances, not performing any of My commandments, thereby breaking My covenant then I too, will do the same to you; I will order upon you shock, consumption, fever, and diseases that cause hopeless longing and depression. You will sow your seed in vain, and your enemies will eat it. I will set My attention against you, and you will be smitten before your enemies. Your enemies will rule over you; you will flee, but no one will be pursuing you. And if during these, you will not listen to Me, I will add another seven punishments for your sins: I will break the pride of your strength and make your skies like iron and your land like copper. Your strength will be expended in vain; your land will not yield its produce, neither will the tree of the earth give forth its fruit. And if you treat Me as happenstance, and you do not wish to listen to Me, I will add seven punishments corresponding to your sins (Vayikra 26:14-21).

 

Prayer for Appreciating the Holiness of the Land by Keeping the Mitzvot of The Sabbatical Year

Parashat Behar

Prayer for Appreciating the Holiness of the Land by Keeping the Mitzvot of The Sabbatical Year

Hashem, please guide me to express my love of the Land,

which You have granted us with the wings of Your Hand!

During the Shabbat Year, please help my hand withstand

the temptation to work the land, breaking Your command.

 

Every seven years the land deserves to rest.

Yet, for me, this is one of the greatest tests.

Although I trust Your laws to be the very best, 

in my garden, it is hard to feel like a guest.

 

Let me recognize that only You are the Master here!

The entire land belongs to You whether far or near.

Please strengthen me Hashem during the Shemita Year,

to overcome my deep desire for all the weeds to clear!

 

Do not allow me, my custodian rights to abuse,

by letting various seeds in the holy land diffuse!

Now is the time to firmly refuse

the desire to constantly produce.

 

From exhaustion the land must be healed,

recharging her powers that were concealed.

Yet even when we avoid planting the field,

We may be blessed to discover crops revealed.

 

Whatever was planted before Shemita we may eat:

Apples, pears, cherries and strawberries, what a treat!

Let the fruits’ holiness to my palate taste sweet! 

Help me Hashem to every part of them complete!

 

Let me eat the seeds rather than make them grow!

For on the Shabbat Year, we mustn’t accidentally sow.

I know, letting the hoe go, allows only You to bestow.

As above let Your blessings flow for the land below to glow!

Based on Vayikra Chapter 25: verse 2-7:

ספר ויקרא פרק כה

(ב) דַּבֵּר אֶל בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם כִּי תָבֹאוּ אֶל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי נֹתֵן לָכֶם וְשָׁבְתָה הָאָרֶץ שַׁבָּת לַהָשֵׁם:

(ג) שֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים תִּזְרַע שָׂדֶךָ וְשֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים תִּזְמֹר כַּרְמֶךָ וְאָסַפְתָּ אֶת תְּבוּאָתָהּ:

(ד) וּבַשָּׁנָה הַשְּׁבִיעִת שַׁבַּת שַׁבָּתוֹן יִהְיֶה לָאָרֶץ שַׁבָּת לַהָשֵׁם שָׂדְךָ לֹא תִזְרָע וְכַרְמְךָ לֹא תִזְמֹר:

(ה) אֵת סְפִיחַ קְצִירְךָ לֹא תִקְצוֹר וְאֶת עִנְּבֵי נְזִירֶךָ לֹא תִבְצֹר שְׁנַת שַׁבָּתוֹן יִהְיֶה לָאָרֶץ:

(ו) וְהָיְתָה שַׁבַּת הָאָרֶץ לָכֶם לְאָכְלָה לְךָ וּלְעַבְדְּךָ וְלַאֲמָתֶךָ וְלִשְׂכִירְךָ וּלְתוֹשָׁבְךָ הַגָּרִים עִמָּךְ:

(ז) וְלִבְהֶמְתְּךָ וְלַחַיָּה אֲשֶׁר בְּאַרְצֶךָ תִּהְיֶה כָל תְּבוּאָתָהּ לֶאֱכֹל:

“Speak to the children of Israel and you shall say to them: When you come to the land that I am giving you, the land shall rest a Shabbat to Hashem. You may sow your field for six years, and for six years you may prune your vineyard, and gather in its produce. Yet in the seventh year, the land shall have a complete rest a Shabbat to Hashem; you shall not sow your field, nor shall you prune your vineyard. You shall not reap the aftergrowth of your harvest, and you shall not pick the grapes you had set aside [for yourself], [for] it shall be a year of rest for the land. And [the produce of] the Shabbat of the land shall be yours to eat for you, for your male and female slaves, and for your hired worker and resident who live with you, and all its produce may be eaten [also] by your domestic animals and by the beasts that are in your land” (Vayikra 25:2-7).