When a Person Praises God, He Gazes upon God’s “Image” Although no thought can grasp God, He has given us permission to label Him with names that the prophets revealed to us. Every word of praise, every description with which a person imagines and labels God, constitutes His “portrait.” When a person prays and praises God with feeling from the depth of his heart, until he claps his hands with joy, he gazes upon the image of HaShem. The Way We Imagine God Constitutes His “Portrait” God, You are Unique, and You preceded all else. You are concealed and hidden from all worlds, and no thought grasps You at all. In Your vast compassion, You had mercy on us and gave us permission to imagine and label You with names and descriptions that Your holy prophets revealed to us. In that way, we draw the presence of Your honor upon us.
Have compassion on us. Help us so that from now on, we will truly awaken and strengthen ourselves to pray with genuine feeling, paying attention to the holy, awesome words that we pronounce in every prayer.
May this apply to the Morning Blessings, the recitation of the sacrifices, the Pesukey d’Zimrah, the reading of the Shema with its blessings, the prayer of Shemoneh Esrei, the prayers after it, Kedushah, the Song of the Day and all the details of prayer.
Clapping in Prayer Help us pray and praise You with great intent, with inspiration from the depth of our heart, until we clap our hands during prayer with fervor, joy and desire. And as a result, we will gaze upon the image of HaShem. May the verse be realized in each one of us, “And he gazed upon the image of HaShem.”
As a result of clapping our hands, may our prayer be on the level of “the hands of a man underneath their wings.” In consequence of that, may our prayer be absorbed into the Written and Oral Torahs, which are the “hand that writes” and the “hand that seals.”
Have compassion on us for the sake of Your Name. Help us pray with the intent of our heart, with truly great fervor, until we will be inspired to clap our hands during prayer, so that we will gaze upon the image of HaShem and truly recognize You. We were created only for this: to truly know and recognize You.
For the sake of Your Name, help us so that we will not, Heaven forbid, lose any more true and eternal goodness that we are able to attain at every moment.
“I stretch my hands out to You. My soul turns to You like a weary land.” “Hurry, answer me, HaShem, my spirit expires. Do not hide Your face from me, lest I be like those who go down to the pit.” “Shine Your face on Your servant. Save me in Your lovingkindness.” “HaShem, God of hosts, bring us back; illumine Your face, and we shall be saved.”
Help me truly connect myself to true Tzaddikim, and as a result attain the power to speak perfectly; to speak many words of Torah, words of prayer and words expressing the fear of Heaven.
“May my mouth be filled with Your praise, the entire day with Your glory.” “I will bless HaShem at all times; His praise is always in my mouth.” “May my mouth speak the praise of HaShem, and all flesh bless His holy Name forever and ever.” “Blessed is HaShem forever, amen and amen.”
[עַל־פִּי תּוֹרָה רי"ב - מְחָאַת כַּף אֶל כַּף]
יָחִיד קַדְמוֹן, אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה סָתוּם וְנֶעְלָם מִכָּל הָעוֹלָמוֹת כִּי לֵית מַחֲשָׁבָה תְּפִיסָה בָּךְ כְּלָל, אַךְ בְּרַחֲמֶיךָ הָרַבִּים, חָמַלְתָּ עָלֵינוּ וְנָתַתָּ לָנוּ רְשׁוּת לְדַמּוֹת וּלְכַנּוֹת אוֹתְךָ עַל־יְדֵי שֵׁמוֹת וְכִנּוּיִים וְתְאָרִים, אֲשֶׁר גִּלּוּ לָנוּ נְבִיאֶיךָ הַקְּדוֹשִׁים, אֲשֶׁר עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה אָנוּ זוֹכִים לְהַמְשִׁיךְ שְׁכִינַת כְּבוֹדְךָ עָלֵינוּ.
When a Person Praises God, He Gazes upon God’s “Image”
Although no thought can grasp God, He has given us permission to label Him with names that the prophets revealed to us. Every word of praise, every description with which a person imagines and labels God, constitutes His “portrait.”
When a person prays and praises God with feeling from the depth of his heart, until he claps his hands with joy, he gazes upon the image of HaShem.
The Way We Imagine God Constitutes His “Portrait”
God, You are Unique, and You preceded all else. You are concealed and hidden from all worlds, and no thought grasps You at all. In Your vast compassion, You had mercy on us and gave us permission to imagine and label You with names and descriptions that Your holy prophets revealed to us. In that way, we draw the presence of Your honor upon us.
עַל כֵּן רַחֵם עָלֵינוּ בְּרַחֲמֶיךָ הָרַבִּים, וְעָזְרֵנוּ וְהוֹשִׁיעֵנוּ שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה מֵעַתָּה לְהִתְעוֹרֵר וּלְהִתְחַזֵּק בֶּאֱמֶת לְהִתְפַּלֵּל תְּפִלָּתֵנוּ בְּכַוָּנָה גְּדוֹלָה בֶּאֱמֶת, שֶׁנַטֶּה אָזְנֵינוּ הֵיטֵב לְכָל הַדִּבּוּרִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים וְהַנּוֹרָאִים שֶׁאָנוּ מוֹצִיאִים מִפִּינוּ בְּכָל סֵדֶר הַתְּפִלָּה,
Have compassion on us. Help us so that from now on, we will truly awaken and strengthen ourselves to pray with genuine feeling, paying attention to the holy, awesome words that we pronounce in every prayer.
בְּבִרְכּוֹת הַשַּׁחַר, וּבְסֵדֶר הַקָּרְבָּנוֹת, וּבִפְסוּקֵי דְזִמְרָה, וּבִקְרִיאַת שְׁמַע וּבִרְכוֹתֶיהָ, וּבִתְפִלַּת שְׁמוֹנֶה עֶשְׂרֵה וּבְתַחֲנוּנִים שֶׁלְּאַחֲרֶיהָ, וּבִקְדֻשָּׁה דְּסִדְרָא, וְשִׁיר שֶׁל יוֹם, וּבְכָל פְּרָטֵי הַתְּפִלָּה,
May this apply to the Morning Blessings, the recitation of the sacrifices, the Pesukey d’Zimrah, the reading of the Shema with its blessings, the prayer of Shemoneh Esrei, the prayers after it, Kedushah, the Song of the Day and all the details of prayer.
אֲשֶׁר כָּל דִּבּוּר וְדִבּוּר שֶׁל הַשְּׁבָחִים וְתְאָרִים שֶׁאָנוּ מְדַמִּין וּמְכַנִּים אוֹתְךָ בָּהֶם, כֻּלָּם הֵם תְּמוּנַת יְהֹוָה,
Every word of praise, every description with which we imagine and label You, constitutes Your “portrait.”
זַכֵּנוּ לְהִתְפַּלֵּל וּלְסַדֵּר שְׁבָחִים לְפָנֶיךָ בְּכַוָּנָה גְּדוֹלָה בְּהִתְעוֹרְרוּת גָּדוֹל מֵעוּמְקָא דְּלִבָּא בֶּאֱמֶת, עַד שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה לִמְחִיאַת כַּפַּיִם בִּשְׁעַת הַתְּפִלָּה בְּהִתְלַהֲבוּת גָּדוֹל וּבְשִׂמְחָה רַבָּה וּבְחֵשֶׁק נִמְרָץ בֶּאֱמֶת, עַד שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה לְהַבִּיט בִּתְמוּנַת יְהֹוָה. וִיקֻיַּם בָּנוּ בְּכָל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד, וּתְמוּנַת יְהֹוָה יַבִּיט.
Clapping in Prayer
Help us pray and praise You with great intent, with inspiration from the depth of our heart, until we clap our hands during prayer with fervor, joy and desire. And as a result, we will gaze upon the image of HaShem. May the verse be realized in each one of us, “And he gazed upon the image of HaShem.”
גַּם נִזְכֶּה עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה עַל־יְדֵי מְחִיאַת כַּפַּיִם, שֶׁתִּהְיֶה תְפִלָּתֵנוּ בִּבְחִינַת, וִידֵי אָדָם מִתַּחַת כַּנְפֵיהֶם. גַּם נִזְכֶּה עַל־יְדֵי־זֶה שֶׁתִּהְיֶה נִכְלֶלֶת תְּפִלָּתֵנוּ בְּתוֹךְ תּוֹרָה שֶׁבִּכְתָב וְתוֹרָה שֶׁבְּעַל־פֶּה, שֶׁהֵם יַד כּוֹתֶבֶת וְיַד חוֹתֶמֶת.
As a result of clapping our hands, may our prayer be on the level of “the hands of a man underneath their wings.” In consequence of that, may our prayer be absorbed into the Written and Oral Torahs, which are the “hand that writes” and the “hand that seals.”
רַחֵם עָלֵינוּ לְמַעַן שְׁמֶךָ, וְזַכֵּנוּ לִתְפִלָּה בְּכַוָּנַת הַלֵּב בְּהִתְלַהֲבוּת גָּדוֹל בֶּאֱמֶת, עַד שֶׁיִּתְעוֹרְרוּ יָדֵינוּ לְהַמְחָאַת כַּף אֶל כַּף בִּשְׁעַת הַתְּפִלָּה, בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה לְהַבִּיט בִּתְמוּנַת יְהֹוָה וּלְהַכִּיר אוֹתְךָ בֶּאֱמֶת, אֲשֶׁר רַק בִּשְׁבִיל זֶה נוֹצָרְנוּ כְּדֵי לָדַעַת וּלְהַכִּיר אוֹתְךָ בֶּאֱמֶת.
Have compassion on us for the sake of Your Name. Help us pray with the intent of our heart, with truly great fervor, until we will be inspired to clap our hands during prayer, so that we will gaze upon the image of HaShem and truly recognize You. We were created only for this: to truly know and recognize You.
עָזְרֵנוּ לְמַעַן שְׁמֶךָ, לְבַל אוֹבַד עוֹד חַס וְשָׁלוֹם טוֹב אֲמִתִּי וְנִצְחִי כָּזֶה אֲשֶׁר בְּיָדִי לִזְכּוֹת בּוֹ בְּכָל־עֵת,
For the sake of Your Name, help us so that we will not, Heaven forbid, lose any more true and eternal goodness that we are able to attain at every moment.
פֵּרַשְׂתִּי יָדַי אֵלֶיךָ נַפְשִׁי כְּאֶרֶץ עֲיֵפָה לְךָ סֶלָה, מַהֵר עֲנֵנִי יְהֹוָה כָּלְתָה רוּחִי, אַל תַּסְתֵּר פָּנֶיךָ מִמֶּנִּי וְנִמְשַׁלְתִּי עִם יוֹרְדֵי בוֹר. הָאִירָה פָנֶיךָ עַל עַבְדֶּךָ הוֹשִׁיעֵנִי בְחַסְדֶּךָ. יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהִים צְבָאוֹת הֲשִׁיבֵנוּ, הָאֵר פָּנֶיךָ וְנִוָּשֵׁעָה.
“I stretch my hands out to You. My soul turns to You like a weary land.” “Hurry, answer me, HaShem, my spirit expires. Do not hide Your face from me, lest I be like those who go down to the pit.” “Shine Your face on Your servant. Save me in Your lovingkindness.” “HaShem, God of hosts, bring us back; illumine Your face, and we shall be saved.”
וְזַכֵּנִי לְהִתְקַשֵּׁר לְצַדִּיקִים אֲמִתִּיִּים בֶּאֱמֶת, וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה אֶזְכֶּה לְכֹחַ הַדִּבּוּר בִּשְׁלֵמוּת לְדַבֵּר דִּבּוּרִים הַרְבֵּה בְּתוֹרָה וּתְפִלָּה וְיִרְאַת שָׁמַיִם.
Help me truly connect myself to true Tzaddikim, and as a result attain the power to speak perfectly; to speak many words of Torah, words of prayer and words expressing the fear of Heaven.
יִמָּלֵא פִי תְּהִלָּתֶךָ כָּל הַיּוֹם תִּפְאַרְתֶּךָ. אֲבָרְכָה אֶת יְהֹוָה בְּכָל־עֵת תָּמִיד תְּהִלָּתוֹ בְּפִי. תְּהִלַּת יְהֹוָה יְדַבֶּר פִּי וִיבָרֵךְ כָּל בָּשָׂר שֵׁם קָדְשׁוֹ לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד. בָּרוּךְ יְהֹוָה לְעוֹלָם אָמֵן וְאָמֵן:
“May my mouth be filled with Your praise, the entire day with Your glory.” “I will bless HaShem at all times; His praise is always in my mouth.” “May my mouth speak the praise of HaShem, and all flesh bless His holy Name forever and ever.” “Blessed is HaShem forever, amen and amen.”