Concentrating on one’s prayers / Irrelevant and improper thoughts At those points in the prayers where irrelevant and improper thoughts are especially prone to come to mind, one should make an extra effort to concentrate on the words of the prayers in order to raise the sparks of holiness clothed in such thoughts. May it be Your will, HaShem my God and God of my fathers, that You help me. Grant that I should be able to pray to You with the utmost concentration and devotion. Don’t let a single word of the prayers leave my mouth without proper intention.
Let my ears and my heart hear clearly what is coming from my mouth. Let me listen to what I am saying, and concentrate well on every single word of the service. May I always pray with every fiber of my being.
Protect me and save me from irrelevant and improper thoughts during my prayers. Give me the strength to overcome all improper thoughts when I pray — help me subdue them, break them, drive them away and eliminate them, so they will never come near my prayers at all. Rise up and help me! Put wisdom, understanding and knowledge into my heart. Guide me. Fill me with holy strength, and let me make an extra effort at all those points in the service where I tend to become especially distracted by improper thoughts.
When I reach these places, let me marshal all the strength and determination I have at my command. Let me throw myself totally into the battle, until I succeed in breaking the power of such thoughts and overcoming them. Let me cleanse my prayers of any kind of foreign or distracting thought.
Help me sift out and elevate the sparks of holiness clothed in such thoughts. Give me the power to refine and rectify these sparks, and restore them to their holy source.
Compassionate God, save me at all times. Let my prayers be clear and clean, free of any impurities and any improper and irrelevant thoughts. Let my prayers rise up and find favor before Your throne of glory. Let them ascend to make a crown upon Your head.
May our prayers give You pride and delight, and may You always have great joy from our prayers and supplications. Have mercy on us and turn Your face toward us again, and send us our righteous Mashiach quickly in our days. Amen.
[עַל־פִּי תּוֹרָה כ"ו - רְצִיצָא א']
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, שֶׁתַּעַזְרֵנִי וּתְזַכֵּנִי לְהִתְפַּלֵּל תְּפִלָּתִי לְפָנֶיךָ בְּכַוָּנָה גְּדוֹלָה, וְאֶזְכֶּה שֶׁלֹּא יֵצֵא שׁוּם דִּבּוּר שֶׁל הַתְּפִלָּה מִפִּי בְּלֹא כַוָּנָה,
Concentrating on one’s prayers / Irrelevant and improper thoughts
At those points in the prayers where irrelevant and improper thoughts are especially prone to come to mind, one should make an extra effort to concentrate on the words of the prayers in order to raise the sparks of holiness clothed in such thoughts.
May it be Your will, HaShem my God and God of my fathers, that You help me. Grant that I should be able to pray to You with the utmost concentration and devotion. Don’t let a single word of the prayers leave my mouth without proper intention.
וְאֶשְׁמַע בְּאָזְנַי וּבְלִבִּי הֵיטֵב מַה שֶּׁאֲנִי מוֹצִיא מִפִּי, שֶׁאֶשְׁמַע מַה שֶּׁאֲנִי מְדַבֵּר, וַאֲכַוֵּן הֵיטֵב בְּכָל דִּבּוּר וְדִבּוּר שֶׁל הַתְּפִלָּה. וְתַעַזְרֵנִי שֶׁאֶזְכֶּה לְהִתְפַּלֵּל וּלְהִתְחַנֵּן תָּמִיד בִּמְסִירַת נֶפֶשׁ,
Let my ears and my heart hear clearly what is coming from my mouth. Let me listen to what I am saying, and concentrate well on every single word of the service. May I always pray with every fiber of my being.
וְתִשְׁמְרֵנִי וְתַצִּילֵנִי מִמַּחֲשָׁבוֹת זָרוֹת שֶׁבַּתְּפִלָּה, וְתִתֶּן לִי כֹּחַ וּגְבוּרָה לְהִתְגַּבֵּר עַל כָּל הַמַּחֲשָׁבוֹת זָרוֹת שֶׁבַּתְּפִלָּה, לְהַכְנִיעָם וּלְשַׁבְּרָם וּלְגָרְשָׁם וּלְבַטְּלָם, שֶׁלֹּא יִתְקָרְבוּ לִתְפִלָּתִי כְּלָל: וְקוּמָה בְּעֶזְרָתִי, וְתֵן בְּלִבִּי בִּינָה וָדַעַת וְעֵצָה וּגְבוּרָה דִּקְדֻשָּׁה, שֶׁאֶזְכֶּה לְהִתְגַּבֵּר בְּיוֹתֵר בְּכָל מָקוֹם בַּתְּפִלָּה שֶׁבָּאִים שָׁם עָלַי מַחֲשָׁבוֹת זָרוֹת לְבַלְבֵּל חַס וְשָׁלוֹם,
Protect me and save me from irrelevant and improper thoughts during my prayers. Give me the strength to overcome all improper thoughts when I pray — help me subdue them, break them, drive them away and eliminate them, so they will never come near my prayers at all. Rise up and help me! Put wisdom, understanding and knowledge into my heart. Guide me. Fill me with holy strength, and let me make an extra effort at all those points in the service where I tend to become especially distracted by improper thoughts.
שֶׁאֶתְגַּבֵּר בְּאֵלּוּ הַמְּקוֹמוֹת דַּיְיקָא בְּהִתְגַּבְּרוּת גָּדוֹל וְעָצוּם מְאֹד, וּבִמְסִירַת נֶפֶשׁ בְּיוֹתֵר, וְאֶזְכֶּה לְהִתְגַּבֵּר אָז בְּכָל עֹז וְתַעֲצוּמוֹת, וְאֶמְסֹר נַפְשִׁי אָז יוֹתֵר וְיוֹתֵר, עַד שֶׁאֶזְכֶּה לְשַׁבְּרָם וּלְנַצְּחָם וּלְטַהֵר אֶת הַתְּפִלָּה מִכָּל מִינֵי מַחֲשָׁבוֹת זָרוֹת וּבִלְבּוּלִים.
When I reach these places, let me marshal all the strength and determination I have at my command. Let me throw myself totally into the battle, until I succeed in breaking the power of such thoughts and overcoming them. Let me cleanse my prayers of any kind of foreign or distracting thought.
וְאֶזְכֶּה לְבָרֵר וּלְהַעֲלוֹת נִצּוֹצֵי הַקְּדֻשָּׁה הַמְּלֻבָּשִׁין בְּהַמַּחֲשָׁבוֹת זָרוֹת, וְתִתֶּן בִּי כֹחַ לְבָרְרָם וּלְתַקְּנָם וּלְהַעֲלוֹתָם לִמְקוֹר חוֹצְבָם לַהֲשִׁיבָם אֶל הַקְּדֻשָּׁה,
Help me sift out and elevate the sparks of holiness clothed in such thoughts. Give me the power to refine and rectify these sparks, and restore them to their holy source.
וּתְרַחֵם עָלַי וְתוֹשִׁיעֵנִי תָמִיד שֶׁתִּהְיֶה תְפִלָּתִי זַכָּה וּנְקִיָּה בְּלִי שׁוּם פְּסֹלֶת וּבְלִי שׁוּם מַחֲשָׁבוֹת זָרוֹת, בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁתּוּכַל תְּפִלָּתִי לַעֲלוֹת לְנַחַת וּלְרָצוֹן לִפְנֵי כִסֵּא כְבוֹדְךָ, וְתַעֲלֶה וְתִנָּשֵׂא לִהְיוֹת כֶּתֶר לְרֹאשֶׁךָ,
Compassionate God, save me at all times. Let my prayers be clear and clean, free of any impurities and any improper and irrelevant thoughts. Let my prayers rise up and find favor before Your throne of glory. Let them ascend to make a crown upon Your head.
וְתִתְפָּאֵר וְתִתְעַנֵּג בִּתְפִלָּתֵנוּ, וְיִהְיוּ לְךָ שַׁעֲשׁוּעִים גְּדוֹלִים מִתְּפִלָּתֵינוּ וּתְחִנּוֹתֵנוּ תָמִיד, וְתִמָּלֵא רַחֲמִים עָלֵינוּ וְתָשִׁיב פָּנֶיךָ אֵלֵינוּ, וְתָבִיא לָנוּ אֶת מְשִׁיחַ צִדְקֵנוּ בִּמְהֵרָה בְּיָמֵינוּ, אָמֵן:
May our prayers give You pride and delight, and may You always have great joy from our prayers and supplications. Have mercy on us and turn Your face toward us again, and send us our righteous Mashiach quickly in our days. Amen.