I wish to share with you a profound Tefillah, a prayer, that was originally penned under the radiant glow of the midnight moon on Hoshana Rabbah, the 21st of Tishri 5784. While Hoshana Rabbah is a pivotal day in the Jewish calendar, marking the culmination of the Days of Awe and Repentance, the universality and depth of this prayer means it can be recited and embraced on any day, in any circumstance.
This Tefillah encapsulates a yearning, a deep-rooted desire to draw closer to HaShem, to remove barriers, and to seek guidance and clarity in life. With its earnest supplications and sincere apologies, this prayer embodies the essence of a soul reaching out to the Divine.
When reciting this Tefillah, it’s not just a mere repetition of words. It demands one’s complete immersion, deep intent, purity of heart, and absolute humility. When uttered with such authenticity, it holds the power to allow the spiritual to manifest within the physical realm of one’s life, regardless of the day or occasion.
For all who resonate with its words and choose to embrace this prayer, making it a part of their spiritual journey, it promises the potential to transform, elevate, and invoke divine blessings in abundance.
Whether on Hoshana Rabbah or any other day of the year, let this Tefillah serve as your bridge, connecting our earthly existence with the higher, spiritual realms.
May HaShem bless your days, years, life, and eternity immensely. Amen.
With a heart of love and eyes turned heavenward,
– Dovid
English Version of the Tefillah
“Adon-ai, i ask you to remove the clouds above my head and in front of me and cast them behind me. reveal to me my beginning. Adon-ai, I ask You my God, my Lord, my Master, The King; walk with me in clarity and in truth. Send me help my God as I am alone in this world, inflicted, I am an orphan. Be my God, my Lord, my father, my mother, my teacher, my companion, my comforter. Adon-ai my God, I am so sorry for all my stubbornness, my sins against you and man. Adon-ai, i ask you to please accept my Teshuva and transform all my deliberate and unintentional sins to merits in which I give to you as a down payment. Use me my God in your service. I ask you all these things in your merit alone, for the sake of Your Name, for the sake of your Torah, for Israel, for the well being of your people. You are my God, my Lord, my father, my mother, my teacher, my companion, my comforter. Amen.”
Author Commentary
In offering a commentary on this Tefillah, I aim to illuminate its profound layers by navigating through the four dimensions of Torah exegesis: Pshat, the straightforward reading; Remez, the subtle allusions; Drash, the allegorical interpretations; and Sod, the esoteric mysteries.
1. English: “Adonai, I ask you to remove the clouds above my head and in front of me and cast them behind me.”
Hebrew: אדוני אני שואל אותך להסיר את העננים מעל ראשי ולפני ולהשליך אותם אחרי
Commentary:
• Pshat: A simple plea to God for clarity and removal of obstructions.
• Remez: Alluding to the “clouds of confusion” that can hinder spiritual growth.
• Drash: Drawing from the narrative of the Israelites in the desert, where clouds represented divine protection (Bamidbar 10:34). This prayer might be asking for obstructions, even if divinely ordained, to be made clear.
• Sod: The clouds could symbolize spiritual barriers or klipot that prevent one from reaching higher spiritual realms.
2. English: “Reveal to me my beginning.”
Hebrew: גילה לי את תחילתי
Commentary:
• Pshat: A request to understand one’s origin or purpose.
• Remez: This could hint at understanding one’s role or mission in this world.
• Drash: A reflection of the teaching in Avot 3:1: “Know from where you came.”
• Sod: The mystical quest to understand one’s root soul in the higher worlds.
3. English: “Adonai, I ask You my God, my Lord, my Master, The King; walk with me in clarity and in truth.”
Hebrew: אדוני אני שואל ממך אלוקי אדוני רבי המלך להלך איתי בבהירות ובאמת
Commentary:
• Pshat: A plea for divine guidance.
• Remez: Alluding to Proverbs 3:6, “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”
• Drash: Drawing from the Talmudic teaching (Brachot 29b) about God guiding our steps.
• Sod: A kabbalistic plea for alignment with divine will and to walk with the Shechinah.
4. English: “Send me help my God as I am alone in this world, inflicted, I am an orphan.”
Hebrew: שלח לי עזרה אלוקי כי אני לבדי בעולם הזה נגועה אני יתום
Commentary:
• Pshat: A heartfelt plea for divine assistance in times of loneliness and suffering.
• Remez: Evokes the Biblical figures who cried out in their affliction, such as Hannah or David.
• Drash: Reminiscent of the Talmudic statement (Berachot 5b) that God is close to the broken-hearted.
• Sod: The soul’s yearning for divine connection when feeling distant or “orphaned” from its source.
5. English: “Be my God, my Lord, my father, my mother, my teacher, my companion, my comforter.”
Hebrew: היה לי אלוקי אדוני אב אם מורי חברי מנחמי
Commentary:
• Pshat: A desire for God to fulfill all roles and relationships in one’s life.
• Remez: An allusion to various Biblical figures who saw God in these roles, such as Avraham who called Him “Adonai” and David who saw Him as a teacher in the Psalms.
• Drash: Reflecting the Talmudic teaching that when one lacks human companionship, the Shechinah (Divine Presence) becomes their companion.
• Sod: The kabbalistic teaching that God encompasses all Sefirot, from the loving kindness of “Chesed” (akin to a father) to the strictness of “Gevurah” (akin to a mother).
6. English: “Adonai my God, I am so sorry for all my stubbornness, my sins against you and man.”
Hebrew: אדוני אלוקי אני כואב על כל קשיותי על חטאתי לפניך ולאדם
Commentary:
• Pshat: A confession and expression of regret for misdeeds.
• Remez: Reflects the process of Teshuva (repentance) as described throughout rabbinic literature.
• Drash: Draws from the teaching in Yoma 87a that for sins between man and God, Yom Kippur atones; but for sins between man and his fellow, Yom Kippur does not atone until one appeases his fellow.
• Sod: The understanding that sins create barriers (klipot) that hinder the soul’s connection to its divine source.
7. English: “Adonai, I ask you to please accept my Teshuva and transform all my deliberate and unintentional sins to merits in which I give to you as a down payment.”
Hebrew: אדוני אני שואל אותך לקבל את תשובתי ולהפוך את כל חטאי בזדון ובשגגה לזכויות שאני נותן לך כפיריון
Commentary:
• Pshat: A sincere plea for repentance and a request for sins to be transformed into merits.
• Remez: The notion of transforming sins into merits finds a hint in the prophets, showing that with sincere repentance, past wrongs can lead to greater connection to Hashem.
• Drash: Based on the Talmudic concept (Yoma 86b) that repentance out of love can turn deliberate sins into merits.
• Sod: The profound kabbalistic idea that through sincere Teshuva, we not only rectify our own souls but also elevate the divine sparks trapped in our misdeeds.
8. English: “Use me my God in your service.”
Hebrew: שתמש בי אלוקי בעבודתך
Commentary:
• Pshat: A humble offering of oneself to serve Hashem.
• Remez: Alluding to the idea of being an instrument in the divine plan, fulfilling a unique role.
• Drash: Reminiscent of Moses’ plea to be used by Hashem to bring about redemption for the Israelites.
• Sod: The soul’s intrinsic yearning to return to its source and serve its divine purpose in creation.
9. English: “I ask you all these things in your merit alone, for the sake of Your Name, for the sake of your Torah, for Israel, for the well-being of your people.”
Hebrew: אני שואל אותך את כל אלה בזכותך בלבד למען שמך למען תורתך לישראל לשלום עמך
Commentary:
• Pshat: Recognizing that all pleas and prayers are not based on one’s own merit, but for the higher ideals and the divine plan.
• Remez: Reflects the many instances in the Tanakh where prayers were offered for the sake of Hashem’s name and the covenant with Israel.
• Drash: Drawing from the Midrashic teachings which describe the power of prayer when it is for the sake of the greater community and divine purpose.
• Sod: The kabbalistic understanding that our prayers help rectify and elevate the Shechinah, the divine presence.
10. English: “You are my God, my Lord, my father, my mother, my teacher, my companion, my comforter. Amen.”
Hebrew: אתה אלוקי אדוני אב אם מורי חברי מנחמי אמן
Commentary:
• Pshat: A closing acknowledgment of the multifaceted relationship with Hashem.
• Remez: Each title offers a different aspect of the divine relationship with humanity as seen throughout scriptures.
• Drash: Based on the Talmudic teaching (Berachot 10a) that Hashem fills all these roles for those who seek Him.
• Sod: Reflecting the sefirotic aspects of God, from Chesed (kindness, fatherly) to Gevurah (judgment, motherly) and the encompassing Shechinah as the comforting presence.
The 10 segments evoke the following concepts:
10 & Yod: The number 10 corresponds to the Hebrew letter Yod (י), the initial spark of creation. Just as Yod serves as the foundation of all letters, the number 10 serves as the foundation of our numeric system, representing completeness and the potential for a new beginning.
10 Utterances: God used ten utterances to create the world (Avot 5:1). The segments reflect these utterances, seeking to harness the divine power of speech to bring about change in one’s life.
10 Sefirot: Kabbalistically, the 10 Sefirot represent the channels through which divine energy flows into the world. Each segment can mirror a Sefirah, reflecting different facets of the divine.
Manifesting Spiritual into Physical: Just as the 10 utterances transformed spiritual will into a tangible world, the segments aim to transform spiritual desire into physical change.
Significance of 10 Segments: The 10 segments are intrinsically connected with the idea of the Ten Sefirot, the channels of divine energy, each segment mirroring a particular Sefirah. These segments, like the Ten Utterances during Creation, manifest spiritual ideals into physical reality, drawing the essence of the heavens down to earth. The number 10 also connects to the Yod, the smallest Hebrew letter but the seed of all creation, symbolizing the infinite in the finite, and the divine in the mundane.
In essence, the ten segments draw upon the foundational energies of creation, echoing the divine processes that bring forth existence. The Hebrew language and Gematria unveil layers of understanding, bridging the chasm between the spiritual and physical realms.
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