The Effect of a Sigh A person can choose to either sanctify himself or pollute himself. Through his breath — in particular, his sigh — he connects his soul to that which he is seeking, whether that be good or evil. A person’s sigh marks the expiration of his body and the transformation of his soul. If someone was wicked throughout his entire life and he now sighs in regret and repentance, that sigh nullifies and removes the evil within him, and he clings to holiness. That sigh is more efficacious than any number of afflictions and fasts. For the latter affect only a person’s body, but a sigh also transforms his soul from evil to good. Conversely, if a righteous person regrets his blameless past and he sighs, that sigh is an impure breath, and he then clings to impurity. A Plea to Repent HaShem, my God and God of my fathers, help me return to You completely.
Master of the world, You know how far I am from You because of my transgressions and willful sins, which are many and intense, reaching to the heights of the heavens.
I do not know any way to return to You. The denseness of matter and its evil lusts have grasped and clung to me so strongly that my mind is confused, dirtied and obscured.
A Sigh of Holiness Master of the world, advise me how to return to You. Help me make it a regular practice to sigh from the depths of my heart as I think of how far I am from You, until my entire body is wracked and broken.
In this way, may I cut myself free from the rope of pollution that was tied to me because of my many sins, and instead bind myself to the rope of holiness, forever and ever.
Grant me a good and long life through my connection to the rope of holiness. Graciously send me an abundant flow of goodness, blessing, compassion, life and peace. May I lead a life of holiness, a life filled with the fear of Heaven, a life in which I will attain complete repentance and serve You always.
May I then cling to You, the living God, my Portion, my Rock. Grant me life in the light of Your countenance. Lift me up so that I will live a life of holiness.
Save me from the sighs of the Side of Evil, so that I never breathe a sigh of yearning for the pleasures and vanities of this world. May all of my sighs and longing be only for Your Name, in order to serve You and come close to You.
[עַל־פִּי תּוֹרָה ק"ט - יֵשׁ הֶבֶל אֲשֶׁר נַעֲשָׂה עַל הָאָרֶץ]
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, שֶׁתַּעַזְרֵנִי לָשׁוּב בִּתְשׁוּבָה שְׁלֵמָה לְפָנֶיךָ בֶּאֱמֶת.
The Effect of a Sigh
A person can choose to either sanctify himself or pollute himself.
Through his breath — in particular, his sigh — he connects his soul to that which he is seeking, whether that be good or evil. A person’s sigh marks the expiration of his body and the transformation of his soul.
If someone was wicked throughout his entire life and he now sighs in regret and repentance, that sigh nullifies and removes the evil within him, and he clings to holiness. That sigh is more efficacious than any number of afflictions and fasts. For the latter affect only a person’s body, but a sigh also transforms his soul from evil to good.
Conversely, if a righteous person regrets his blameless past and he sighs, that sigh is an impure breath, and he then clings to impurity.
A Plea to Repent
HaShem, my God and God of my fathers, help me return to You completely.
רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, אַתָּה יָדַעְתָּ גֹּדֶל הִתְרַחֲקוּתִי מִמְּךָ עַל־יְדֵי עֲוֹנוֹתַי וּפְשָׁעַי הָרַבִּים וְהָעֲצוּמִים מְאֹד עַד גָּבְהֵי שָׁמַיִם,
Master of the world, You know how far I am from You because of my transgressions and willful sins, which are many and intense, reaching to the heights of the heavens.
עַד אֲשֶׁר אֵינִי יוֹדֵעַ שׁוּם דֶּרֶךְ אֵיךְ לָשׁוּב אֵלֶיךָ, כִּי גַּשְׁמִיּוּת עֲכִירַת הַחֹמֶר וְתַאֲווֹתָיו הָרָעִים נֶאֱחַז וְנִדְבַּק בִּי מְאֹד, וְדַעְתִּי נִתְעַרְבֵּב וְנִתְעַכֵּר וְנִתְגַּשֵּׁם מְאֹד.
I do not know any way to return to You. The denseness of matter and its evil lusts have grasped and clung to me so strongly that my mind is confused, dirtied and obscured.
מָרָא דְּעַלְמָא כֹּלָא, חוּס וַחֲמֹל עָלַי, וְתֵן לִי עֵצָה טוֹבָה אֵיךְ לְחַפֵּשׂ וּלְבַקֵּשׁ וְלַחְתֹּר וְלִמְצֹא אֵיזֶה דֶרֶךְ וּנְתִיב וּשְׁבִיל, בְּאֹפֶן שֶׁאֶזְכֶּה לָשׁוּב אֵלֶיךָ מֵעַתָּה. וְזַכֵּנִי בְּרַחֲמֶיךָ הָרַבִּים, לִהְיוֹת רָגִיל לְהִתְאַנֵּחַ לְפָנֶיךָ בֶּאֱמֶת מֵעֹמֶק הַלֵּב עַל גֹּדֶל הִתְרַחֲקוּתִי מִמְּךָ, וְשֶׁתְּזַכֵּנִי לְהִתְקָרֵב אֵלֶיךָ בֶּאֱמֶת. וְאֶהְיֶה מִתְאַנֵּחַ עַל זֶה בֶּאֱמֶת בְּכָל עֵת, עַד שֶׁיִּהְיֶה נִשְׁבָּר כָּל גּוּפִי עַל־יְדֵי כָּל אֲנָחָה וַאֲנָחָה.
A Sigh of Holiness
Master of the world, advise me how to return to You. Help me make it a regular practice to sigh from the depths of my heart as I think of how far I am from You, until my entire body is wracked and broken.
וְאֶזְכֶּה עַל־יְדֵי אַנְחוֹתַי לְהוֹצִיא מִמֶּנִּי הָרוּחַ וְהַהֶבֶל דִּסִטְרָא אַחֲרָא, וּלְהַכְנִיס בְּקִרְבִּי רוּחַ וָהֶבֶל דִּקְדֻשָּׁה.
With these sighs, may I expel the spirit of the Side of Evil and instead infuse myself with the spirit of holiness.
וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה אֶזְכֶּה לַעֲקֹר וּלְהַפְסִיק חֶבֶל הַטֻּמְאָה שֶׁנִּקְשָׁר בִּי בַּעֲוֹנוֹתַי הָרַבִּים. וְתַעַזְרֵנִי מְהֵרָה, שֶׁאֶזְכֶּה לְהַפְסִיק וּלְנַתֵּק עַצְמִי לְגַמְרֵי מֵחֶבֶל הַטֻּמְאָה, וַאֲדַבֵּק וַאֲקַשֵּׁר עַצְמִי בְּקֶשֶׁר אַמִּיץ וְחָזָק לְחֶבֶל הַקְּדֻשָּׁה לְעוֹלְמֵי עַד וּלְנֵצַח נְצָחִים.
In this way, may I cut myself free from the rope of pollution that was tied to me because of my many sins, and instead bind myself to the rope of holiness, forever and ever.
וְתַפְסִיק וּתְגָרֵשׁ וּתְבַטֵּל מִמֶּנִּי מִגּוּפִי וְנַפְשִׁי וְרוּחִי וְנִשְׁמָתִי כָּל מִינֵי טֻמְאוֹת וְסִטְרִין אוֹחֲרָנִין.
Expel from my body and soul every type of impurity and aspect of evil. Tie me to the rope of holiness strongly, from now and forever.
וּתְקָרְבֵנִי וּתְקַשְּׁרֵנִי בְּרַחֲמֶיךָ, לְחֶבֶל הַקְּדֻשָּׁה בֶּאֱמֶת, בְּקֶשֶׁר אַמִּיץ וְחָזָק מֵעַתָּה וְעַד עוֹלָם. וּמֵעַתָּה תַּמְשִׁיךְ עָלַי חַיִּים טוֹבִים וַאֲרֻכִּים דֶּרֶךְ הַחֶבֶל שֶׁבִּקְדֻשָּׁה. וּתְחָנֵּנוּ מֵאִתְּךָ שֶׁפַע טוֹבָה וּבְרָכָה וְרַחֲמִים וְחַיִּים וְשָׁלוֹם וְכָל טוֹב, חַיִּים אֲמִתִּיִּים, חַיִּים דִּקְדֻשָּׁה, חַיִּים שֶׁיֵּשׁ בָּהֶם יִרְאַת שָׁמַיִם, חַיִּים שֶׁנִּזְכֶּה בָּהֶם לִתְשׁוּבָה שְׁלֵמָה בֶּאֱמֶת, וְלַעֲבֹד אוֹתְךָ תָמִיד
Grant me a good and long life through my connection to the rope of holiness. Graciously send me an abundant flow of goodness, blessing, compassion, life and peace. May I lead a life of holiness, a life filled with the fear of Heaven, a life in which I will attain complete repentance and serve You always.
וּלְהִתְדַבֵּק בָּהֶם בְּחַי הַחַיִּים. אֵל חַי חֶלְקֵנוּ צוּרֵנוּ, הַחֲיֵינוּ בְּאוֹר פָּנֶיךָ, הֲקִימֵנִי וְאֶחְיֶה חַיִּים דִּקְדֻשָּׁה,
May I then cling to You, the living God, my Portion, my Rock. Grant me life in the light of Your countenance. Lift me up so that I will live a life of holiness.
עָזְרֵנִי וְחָנֵּנִי וְדַבֵּק לִבִּי בְּמִצְוֹתֶיךָ, זַכֵּנִי לִהְיוֹת דָּבוּק בְּךָ תָמִיד לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד.
May my heart adhere to Your commandments. May I cling to You forever.
וְתִשְׁמְרֵנִי וְתַצִּילֵנִי בְּרַחֲמֶיךָ, מֵאֲנָחוֹת דְּסִטְרָא אַחֲרָא שֶׁלֹּא יֵצֵא מִמֶּנִּי הֶבֶל וַאֲנָחָה לְתַאֲווֹת עוֹלָם הַזֶּה וַהֲבָלָיו חַס וְשָׁלוֹם, רַק כָּל אַנְחוֹתַי וְגַעֲגּוּעַי וּתְשׁוּקָתִי, יִהְיוּ רַק לְשִׁמְךָ וְלַעֲבוֹדָתְךָ, לְהִתְקָרֵב אֵלֶיךָ בֶּאֱמֶת.
Save me from the sighs of the Side of Evil, so that I never breathe a sigh of yearning for the pleasures and vanities of this world. May all of my sighs and longing be only for Your Name, in order to serve You and come close to You.
וְאֶזְכֶּה לְהִתְדַבֵּק בְּךָ תָמִיד, וִיקֻיַּם בִּי מִקְרָא שֶׁכָּתוּב, וְאַתֶּם הַדְּבֵקִים בַּיהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם חַיִּים כֻּלְּכֶם הַיּוֹם. אָמֵן וְאָמֵן:
May I cling to You always. May the verse be realized in me, “You who cling to HaShem your God are alive, all of you, today.” Amen and amen.