Week 47 (Book 7): The Snake is Saying

The Snake is saying,

I am mindful what my old age is; 

For what futility have You created all the sons of man? 

If she be a wall, we will build upon her a silver turret, 

And if she be a door, we will enclose her with cedar boards.

For it is not an empty thing for you, for it is your life, 

And through this thing, you will lengthen your days 

For He remembered His holy word with Abraham His servant.

And a small robe his mother would make for him, 

And the children of Israel cried to the Lord. 

Now it was when the children of Israel cried to the Lord concerning Midian,

When she ascended with her husband, to slaughter the sacrifice of the (festive) days.

And she would bring it up to him from appointed time to appointed time, 

G-d supports all the fallen, and straightens all the bent.

And take into your hand your staff, 

With which you struck the Nile, and go  

Upon the land to which you are crossing over the Jordan, to possess it.

And He took out His people with joy, 

His chosen ones with joyful singing.

And the Lord said to Moses, Pass before the people 

And take with you [some] of the elders of Israel, 

Moses did so before the eyes of the elders of Israel.   

And Israel was very impoverished because of Midian, 

And He gave them lands of nations, 

And they inherited the toil of kingdoms.

Behold, I shall stand there before you on the rock in Horeb, 

And you shall strike the rock, and water will come out of it, and the people will drink

The Lord lives, and blessed be my Rock; 

And exalted be the G-d, [who is] my rock of salvation.

Week 48 (Book 7): The Scorpion Is Saying

The Scorpion Is Saying, 

Who is a man who will live and not see death?
Who will rescue his soul from the grasp of the grave forever?
He named the place Massah [testing] and Meribah [quarreling]
Because of the quarrel of the children of Israel

For there our captors asked us for words of song
And our tormentors [asked of us] mirth
"Sing for us of the song of Zion"
Amalek came and fought with Israel in Rephidim

And because of their testing the Lord, saying
Is the Lord in our midst or not?
Because of the request which he had requested of the Lord
And they would go to his place

By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat
We also wept when we remembered Zion
And may he reign from sea to sea
And from the river to the ends of the land

G-d is good to all, and His mercy is upon all of His handiwork
And the Lord spoke to Moses on that very day, saying
That the Lord sent a prophet to the children of Israel
And he said to them, "Thus says the Lord, G-d of Israel"

The G-d who takes vengeance for me
And brings down peoples under me
I brought you up from Egypt
And I brought you out of the house of bondage

And I saved you from the hand of Egypt
And from the hand of all your oppressors
And I drove them out from before you
And I have given you their land

May the righteous flourish in his days
And much peace until there is no moon
May it descend as rain upon cut vegetation
As raindrops that drip upon the earth

On willows in its midst we hung our harps
And Eli would bless Elkanah and his wife, and he would say
"May the Lord grant you seed from this woman"
In order that they keep His statutes and observe His laws. Hallelujah.

Hoshea, Chapter 1

 

Prayers based on "Say 'Thank You' and See Miracles" by Rabbi Shalom Arush

 Prayers based on "Say 'Thank You' and See Miracles" by Rabbi Shalom Arush

Ribbono Shel Olam, Master of the World, may I live a life of constant gratitude and Emunah. May my every thought, speech, and deed be filled with faith in You and thanks for all that I have received every day of my life for years and years and years. May I be thankful for all that you have done for me and every member of my family. 

May I remember to thank you always and not act like a spoiled child, or even worse, upset with any little thing that doesn't go my way. Help me fully internalize the concept that every difficulty I face, whether big or small, comes directly from You, and is in my best interest. 

Ribbono Shel Olam, Rabbi Shalom Arush tells stories of people whose situations are infinitely more difficult than mine, and yet they were able to find the strength to say "Thank you," and changed their lives around completely. Whether it was a death in family, bullying at school, blindness and other health problems, extreme financial hardships, these people turned to thankfulness and emunah and saw miracles and salvations. May I learn from them and thank you for whatever small difficulty I face.  

Ribbono Shel Olam, may I also fully grasp the concept that any success in this world comes directly from you, and that the most that we can do is to build vessels to receive your abundance. May I understand that every perceived failure is truly the best thing for me, and may I never give up, and understand that the most important thing is how I act and desire, and not necessarily the result, which is completely in your hands.

May I also internalize the fact that even any lacking on my part is fully understood by You, because after all, You were the One that made me, and know of my many flaws. May I not persecute myself over my faults, but instead simply strive to do better, knowing full well that if my Teshuvah is sincere, it will be accepted. 

Ribbono Shel Olam, thank you for my health all these years, thank you for my ability to breathe, to eat, to sleep. Thank you for everything! Thank you for the opportunity to live each day and connect with you, whether it be through Torah, prayer, or good deeds, thank you! May I always be thanking you, every day, every moment, please let me never forget this important state of being, whether or not I am tired or busy, distracted, etc., may I always have this frame of mind, truly understanding that every moment is a gift, to be enjoyed, to make the most of every moment, in an eternal state of youth. 

Ribbono Shel Olam, thank you for every difficulty I have faced in the past, every fraught relationship, every difficult decision. Ribbono Shel Olam, Rabbi Shalom Arush teaches that prayers of requests are lower than prayers of gratitude, because requests imply that something is missing at this moment, when in fact my current situation is exactly what is best for me. I hope from now on to rejoice in it, to rejoice in the present.

Thank you, Ribbono Shel Olam, thank you for this wonderful life, thank you for Rabbi Shalom Arush, and for being able to share these ideas with others.

Prayers based on "A New Light" by Rav Shalom Arush

 

Prayers based on the works of Rav Shalom Arush: "A New Light - in the Garden of Yearning and Will"

Ribbono Shel Olam, Master of the World, grant us wisdom to know to always pray to you. To pray to you at all times, for all of our needs, from the smallest to the greatest. Let us never be satisfied with the status quo, or feel defeated, or despondent. Let us never give up hope, as Rebbe Nachman says, Ein Yeush Ba'Olam Klal, there is no such thing as despair.

Ribbono Shel Olam, our sages teach us that the most important thing is a person's will, and that in the direction that a person wants to go, he/she is taken there. We also know that nothing stands in the way of the will, and that our main task in life is simply to want the right things, to want what You want, that our Ratzon, will, should be nullified to Your Ratzon. Please nullify my will, so that it may be completely in line with Yours. Please Hashem, I beg of You, please grant me the will to always do what is right in Your eyes.  

Ribbono Shel Olam, I have learned from Rav Shalom Arush that this is mainly how a person is judged in this world: on whether they wanted to do the right thing, even if ultimately their deeds fall short, as long as their desire was firm and strong, that is how they are judged. May my desire always be firm and strong. May I not give up, may I have the will to accomplish all that I need to accomplish to achieve my tikkun (rectification), may I have the  strong will to fix my relationships, to pray on behalf of all those that need prayer, to give charity the right way, to fulfill my obligations to my family, to my friends, and to my colleagues in Torah study and, L'Havdil, at work. May I be a Kiddush Hashem (sanctification of His name) and not a Chilul Hashem (desecrecation of His name).

Ribbono Shel Olam, I have also learned from Rav Arush, that it is important to set time to desire. Please, Ribbono Shel Olam, help me set the proper time to desire. May I pray to you at set times every day, and may I include in my prayers everything necessary. May I practice Hitbodedut every day before davening, may I set the proper times for it, and not let a day go by without it.

Thank you, Ribbono Shel Olam, may the expressions of my lips and the thoughts of my heart find favor in Your eyes.