Seeking Wise Counsel A person must seek the counsel of truly righteous and worthy people, counsel that comes entirely from the holy Torah that they received from their teachers, the true, holy Tzaddikim. He must receive their counsel about everything: about serving God, about doing business and earning a living, and about other affairs. As a result, great kindness will come to us and sweeten and nullify all harsh judgments in the world. Benefiting from the Counsel of Wise People “Guide me in Your counsel and afterward receive me with glory.”
You know how I lack counsel. I am so uncertain that in most cases, I cannot decide what to do and I cannot advise myself regarding anything, great or small.
Have compassion on me, Master of compassion. You are great in counsel and vast in actions. Help me always accept the counsel of truly righteous and worthy people of the generation, whose counsel comes entirely from the holy Torah that they received from their teachers, the true, holy Tzaddikim.
Help me come close to them and receive their counsel about everything: about serving You, about doing business and earning a living, and about other affairs. May I ask their advice about all of these matters.
May I benefit from their counsel and insight. May their holy wisdom illuminate me. As a result, may great kindness come to me and sweeten and nullify all harsh judgments in the world.
Always guard me and rescue me so that I will never stumble as a result of poor advice, Heaven forbid. May I never draw to myself any sorrow, suffering or harm, Heaven forbid, as a result of foolish counsel.
Awaken Your great compassion and kindness for me at every moment. Always save me in whatever way I need to be saved, physically or spiritually. Draw Your kindness onto me the entire day.
May the verse be realized in me, “HaShem has eradicated the counsel of the peoples, thwarted the thoughts of the nations. The counsel of HaShem stands forever, the thoughts of His heart for every generation.”
“When the God of hosts has given counsel, who will strike it down?” “May He give you what your heart desires and fulfill all your counsel.” “Let us sing in your salvation and assemble in the Name of our God. May HaShem fulfill all of your requests.” “HaShem, save! King, answer on the day we call.”
[עַל־פִּי תּוֹרָה קמ"ג - מַעֲלַת הַמְקַבֵּל עֵצָה מֵחַכְמֵי הַדּוֹר]
בַּעֲצָתְךָ תַנְחֵנִי וְאַחַר כָּבוֹד תִּקָּחֵנִי.
Seeking Wise Counsel
A person must seek the counsel of truly righteous and worthy people, counsel that comes entirely from the holy Torah that they received from their teachers, the true, holy Tzaddikim.
He must receive their counsel about everything: about serving God, about doing business and earning a living, and about other affairs.
As a result, great kindness will come to us and sweeten and nullify all harsh judgments in the world.
Benefiting from the Counsel of Wise People
“Guide me in Your counsel and afterward receive me with glory.”
רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, מַלְכִּי וֵאלֹהָי אֵלֶיךָ אֶתְפַּלָּל. אֵלֶיךָ יְהֹוָה אֶקְרָא וְאֶל יְהֹוָה אֶתְחַנָּן.
Master of the world, “my King and my God, I will pray to You.” “I call to You, HaShem. I plead to HaShem.”
עַד אָנָה אָשִׁית עֵצוֹת בְּנַפְשִׁי, יָגוֹן בִּלְבָבִי יוֹמָם, עַד אָנָה יָרוּם אוֹיְבִי עָלָי.
“How long will I take counsel in my soul, mourning in my heart by day? How long will my enemy rise up against me?”
רַחֵם עָלַי לְמַעַן שְׁמֶךָ, וְתַקְנֵנוּ בְּעֵצָה טוֹבָה מִלְפָנֶיךָ, וְהוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ מְהֵרָה לְמַעַן שְׁמֶךָ,
Have compassion on me for the sake of Your Name. Rectify me with good counsel and save me quickly for the sake of Your Name.
כִּי אַתָּה יוֹדֵעַ גֹּדֶל חֶסְרוֹן הָעֵצָה וְעֹצֶם רִבּוּי הַסְּפֵקוֹת שֶׁיֵּשׁ בְּלִבִּי בְּכָל הַדְּבָרִים, אֲשֶׁר עַל פִּי רֹב כָּל עֲצָתִי חֲלוּקָה לִשְׁתַּיִם, וְאֵינִי יָכוֹל לָתֵת עֵצוֹת בְּנַפְשִׁי בְּשׁוּם דָּבָר לְמִגָּדוֹל וְעַד קָטָן,
You know how I lack counsel. I am so uncertain that in most cases, I cannot decide what to do and I cannot advise myself regarding anything, great or small.
אֲשֶׁר זֶה הַדָּבָר הָיָה בְּעוֹכְרַי, וּמוֹנֵעַ אוֹתִי הַרְבֵּה מֵעֲבוֹדַת יְהֹוָה וּמִתְּשׁוּבָה אֲמִתִּיִּית.
This confuses me and keeps me from serving You and truly repenting.
רַחֵם עָלַי, בַּעַל הָרַחֲמִים. גְּדוֹל הָעֵצָה וְרַב הָעֲלִילָה, וְזַכֵּנִי לְקַבֵּל תָּמִיד כָּל הָעֵצוֹת מִצַדִּיקֵי וּכְשֵׁרֵי הַדּוֹר הָאֲמִתִּיִּים, אֲשֶׁר כָּל עֵצוֹתֵיהֶם נִמְשָׁכוֹת מֵהַתּוֹרָה הַקְּדוֹשָׁה, שֶׁקִּבְּלוּ מֵרַבּוֹתֵיהֶם הַצַדִּיקִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים הָאֲמִתִּיִּים,
Have compassion on me, Master of compassion. You are great in counsel and vast in actions. Help me always accept the counsel of truly righteous and worthy people of the generation, whose counsel comes entirely from the holy Torah that they received from their teachers, the true, holy Tzaddikim.
זַכֵּנוּ לְהִתְקָרֵב אֲלֵיהֶם בֶּאֱמֶת וּלְקַבֵּל מֵהֶם כָּל הָעֵצוֹת בְּכָל הַדְּבָרִים שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם, הֵן בַּעֲבוֹדוֹת יְהֹוָה, וְהֵן בַּעֲבוֹדוֹת מַשָּׂא וּמַתָּן וּפַרְנָסָה, וְהֵן בְּשַׁאֲרֵי עֲסָקִים, בְּכֻלָּם אֶשְׁאַל אֶת פִּיהֶם, וְאֶזְכֶּה לֵהָנוֹת מֵהֶם עֵצָה וְתוּשִׁיָּה.
Help me come close to them and receive their counsel about everything: about serving You, about doing business and earning a living, and about other affairs. May I ask their advice about all of these matters.
וְיָאִירוּ בִּי חָכְמָתָם הַקְּדוֹשָׁה. וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה יִהְיֶה נִמְשָׁךְ עָלַי חֶסֶד גָּדוֹל. וְיַמְתִּיקוּ וִיבַטְּלוּ מִמֶּנִּי כָּל הַדִּינִים שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם.
May I benefit from their counsel and insight. May their holy wisdom illuminate me. As a result, may great kindness come to me and sweeten and nullify all harsh judgments in the world.
וְאֶזְכֶּה לִישׁוּעָה שְׁלֵמָה בְּכָל־עֵת, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב, וּתְשׁוּעָה בְּרֹב יוֹעֵץ.
May I be saved at every moment, because “with many counselors there is victory.”
וְתִשְׁמְרֵנִי וְתַצִּילֵנִי תָמִיד שֶׁלֹּא אֶכָּשֵׁל לְעוֹלָם בְּעֵצָה שֶׁאֵינָהּ טוֹבָה חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, וְלֹא אַמְשִׁיךְ עָלַי שׁוּם צַעַר וְיִסּוּרִים וְהֶזֵּק חַס וְשָׁלוֹם עַל־יְדֵי עֵצוֹת נִבְעָרוֹת חַס וְשָׁלוֹם,
Always guard me and rescue me so that I will never stumble as a result of poor advice, Heaven forbid. May I never draw to myself any sorrow, suffering or harm, Heaven forbid, as a result of foolish counsel.
רַק אֶשְׁתַּדֵּל תָּמִיד לְקַבֵּל כָּל הָעֵצוֹת מִצַּדִּיקֵי וּכְשֵׁרֵי הַדּוֹר הָאֲמִתִּיִּים, בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁיָּאִירוּ בִּי חָכְמָתָם הַקְּדוֹשָׁה.
May I always strive to receive counsel from the truly righteous and worthy people of the generation, so that their holy wisdom will shine on me.
וּתְעוֹרֵר רַחֲמֶיךָ וַחֲסָדֶיךָ הַגְּדוֹלִים עָלַי בְּכָל־עֵת, וְתוֹשִׁיעֵנִי תָמִיד בְּכָל מַה שֶּׁאֲנִי צָרִיךְ לְהִוָּשֵׁעַ בְּגַשְׁמִיּוּת וְרוּחָנִיּוּת, וְיִהְיֶה נִמְשָׁךְ עָלַי חֶסֶד אֵל כָּל הַיּוֹם,
Awaken Your great compassion and kindness for me at every moment. Always save me in whatever way I need to be saved, physically or spiritually. Draw Your kindness onto me the entire day.
וִיקֻיַּם בִּי מִקְרָא שֶׁכָּתוּב, יְהֹוָה הֵפִיר עֲצַת גּוֹיִם הֵנִיא מַחְשְׁבוֹת עַמִּים. רַבּוֹת מַחֲשָׁבוֹת בְּלֵב אִישׁ וַעֲצַת יְהֹוָה הִיא תָקוּם. עֲצַת יְהֹוָה לְעוֹלָם תַּעֲמֹד מַחְשְׁבוֹת לִבּוֹ לְדוֹר וָדוֹר.
May the verse be realized in me, “HaShem has eradicated the counsel of the peoples, thwarted the thoughts of the nations. The counsel of HaShem stands forever, the thoughts of His heart for every generation.”
וְנֶאֱמַר, יְהֹוָה צְבָאוֹת יָעָץ וּמִי יְפִירֶנָּה. וְנֶאֱמַר, יִתֵּן לְךָ כִלְבָבֶךָ וְכָל עֲצָתְךָ יְמַלֵּא. נְרַנְּנָה בִּישׁוּעָתֶךָ וּבְשֵׁם אֱלֹהֵינוּ נִדְגֹּל, יְמַלֵּא יְהֹוָה כָּל מִשְׁאֲלוֹתֶיךָ. יְהֹוָה הוֹשִׁיעָה הַמֶּלֶךְ יַעֲנֵנוּ בְיוֹם קָרְאֵנוּ.
“When the God of hosts has given counsel, who will strike it down?” “May He give you what your heart desires and fulfill all your counsel.” “Let us sing in your salvation and assemble in the Name of our God. May HaShem fulfill all of your requests.” “HaShem, save! King, answer on the day we call.”
יִהְיוּ לְרָצוֹן אִמְרֵי־פִי וְהֶגְיוֹן לִבִּי לְפָנֶיךָ יְהֹוָה צוּרִי וְגוֹאֲלִי.
“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing before You, HaShem, my Rock and my Redeemer.”
בָּרוּךְ יְהֹוָה לְעוֹלָם אָמֵן וְאָמֵן:
“Blessed is HaShem forever, amen and amen.”