Prayer for Divine Guidance in Choosing Proper Words, and in the Ability to Fulfill Them

Parashat Matot

Prayer for Divine Guidance in Choosing Proper Words,
and in the Ability to Fulfill Them
 
Hashem let me always remember the value of my word!
May I express myself so that the meaning is truly heard!
 
Let my words praise You like the song of the bird!
May my pronunciation be clear and never slurred!    
 
Let my words never harm nor wrong!
May their message be clear and strong!
 
May they reach where they belong,
So others can sing along their song!
 
Let all my words be kind and true!
May I first think their message through!
 
Let me be sensitive to others’ cue,
and I consider the words of their view!
 
May I accept what comes as my exact due!
Let me not bite off more than I can chew!
 
May I express my higher will!
Whatever I promise let me fulfill!
 
Let my words good faith instill!
May I ensure to pay every bill!
 
Let the words that I have spun
shine brilliantly like the sun!
 
May my husband and I speak as one!
Let our words be broken by none!
 
Let the good deeds that we’ve begun
never need to become undone!
 
Let our words the heaven reach!
Hashem help us direct our speech!
 
Guide us to choose the words we teach!
Help us to practice what we preach!

Based on Bamidbar Chapter 30 verse 4-9, 14,17

 

ספר במדבר פרק ל פסוק ד וְאִשָּׁה כִּי תִדֹּר נֶדֶר לַהָשֵׁם וְאָסְרָה אִסָּר בְּבֵית אָבִיהָ בִּנְעֻרֶיהָ:

(ה) וְשָׁמַע אָבִיהָ אֶת נִדְרָהּ וֶאֱסָרָהּ אֲשֶׁר אָסְרָה עַל נַפְשָׁהּ וְהֶחֱרִישׁ לָהּ אָבִיהָ וְקָמוּ כָּל נְדָרֶיהָ וְכָל אִסָּר אֲשֶׁר אָסְרָה עַל נַפְשָׁהּ יָקוּם: וַהָשֵׁם יִסְלַח לָהּ כִּי הֵנִיא אָבִיהָ אֹתָהּ: (ו) וְאִם הֵנִיא אָבִיהָ אֹתָהּ בְּיוֹם שָׁמְעוֹ כָּל נְדָרֶיהָ וֶאֱסָרֶיהָ אֲשֶׁר אָסְרָה עַל נַפְשָׁהּ לֹא יָקוּם וַ הָשֵׁם יִסְלַח לָהּ כִּי הֵנִיא אָבִיהָ אֹתָהּ: (ז) וְאִם הָיוֹ תִהְיֶה לְאִישׁ וּנְדָרֶיהָ עָלֶיהָ אוֹ מִבְטָא שְׂפָתֶיהָ אֲשֶׁר אָסְרָה עַל נַפְשָׁהּ:

(ח) וְשָׁמַע אִישָׁהּ בְּיוֹם שָׁמְעוֹ וְהֶחֱרִישׁ לָהּ וְקָמוּ נְדָרֶיהָ וֶאֱסָרֶהָ אֲשֶׁר אָסְרָה עַל נַפְשָׁהּ יָקֻמוּ: (ט) וְאִם בְּיוֹם שְׁמֹעַ אִישָׁהּ יָנִיא אוֹתָהּ וְהֵפֵר אֶת נִדְרָהּ אֲשֶׁר עָלֶיהָ וְאֵת מִבְטָא שְׂפָתֶיהָ אֲשֶׁר אָסְרָה עַל נַפְשָׁהּ וַהָשֵׁם יִסְלַח לָהּ:

“If a woman makes a vow to Hashem or imposes a prohibition [upon herself] while in her father’s house, in her youth, if her father heard her vow or her prohibition which she has prohibited upon herself, yet her father remains silent, all her vows shall stand, and any prohibition that she has imposed upon herself shall stand. But if her father hinders her on the day he hears it, all her vows and her prohibitions that she has imposed upon herself shall not stand. Hashem will forgive her because her father hindered her. But if she is [betrothed] to a man, with her vows upon her or by an utterance of her lips which she has imposed upon herself, and her husband hears it but remains silent on the day he hears it, her vows shall stand, and her prohibition which she has imposed upon herself shall stand. But if her husband hinders her on the day he heard it, he has revoked the vow she had taken upon herself and the utterance which she had imposed upon herself, and Hashem will forgive her” 

(Bamidbar 30:4-9).

 

(יד) כָּל נֵדֶר וְכָל שְׁבֻעַת אִסָּר לְעַנֹּת נָפֶשׁ אִישָׁהּ יְקִימֶנּוּ וְאִישָׁהּ יְפֵרֶנּוּ: (טו) וְאִם הַחֲרֵשׁ יַחֲרִישׁ לָהּ אִישָׁהּ מִיּוֹם אֶל יוֹם וְהֵקִים אֶת כָּל נְדָרֶיהָ אוֹ אֶת כָּל אֱסָרֶיהָ אֲשֶׁר עָלֶיהָ הֵקִים אֹתָם כִּי הֶחֱרִשׁ לָהּ בְּיוֹם שָׁמְעוֹ: (טז) וְאִם הָפֵר יָפֵר אֹתָם אַחֲרֵי שָׁמְעוֹ וְנָשָׂא אֶת עֲוֹנָהּ: (יז) אֵלֶּה הַחֻקִּים אֲשֶׁר צִוָּה הָשֵׁם אֶת משֶׁה בֵּין אִישׁ לְאִשְׁתּוֹ בֵּין אָב לְבִתּוֹ בִּנְעֻרֶיהָ בֵּית אָבִיהָ:

“Any vow or any binding oath of self-affliction, her husband can either uphold it or revoke it. However, if her husband remained silent from day to day, he has upheld all the vows and prohibitions she has assumed; he has upheld them since he remained silent on the day he heard it. If he revokes them after having heard [them], he shall bear her iniquity. These are the statutes which Hashem commanded Moshe concerning a man and his wife, a father and his daughter, in her youth, while in her father’s house (Bamidbar 30:14-17).