Rectifying Improper Prayers / Hosting a Torah Scholar Every individual, at some point, offers an inappropriate prayer. For example, our sages teach that before breaking into a house, a thief asks God to help him succeed. Afterward, when a person wishes to pray properly, his previous improper prayers come and confound him. He can rectify that by hosting a Torah scholar. Then he is also considered as if he had brought a continual offering upon the Altar. Hosting Torah Scholars HaShem, my God and God of my fathers, help me host Torah scholars in my home. May I accord them so much honor that You will consider my performance of this mitzvah as being equivalent to having offered sacrifices in the Temple.
In the merit of performing this mitzvah, please grant me the ability to pray to You with great feeling, with all my heart and soul, with a pure and proper focus on Your great Name alone, without any confusion or foreign thoughts.
May my words be acceptable before You, Master of all. May I elevate my prayer before You, so that You accept it and elevate it to be the crown on Your head.
“May my speech be sweet to Him; I will rejoice in HaShem. Sinners will be erased from the land and the wicked will be no more. My spirit, bless HaShem. Halleluyah!”
[עַל־פִּי תּוֹרָה ר"ט - תְּפִלּוֹת כְּנֶגֶד תְּמִידִין תִּקְּנוּם]
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, שֶׁתַּעַזְרֵנִי בְּרַחֲמֶיךָ הָרַבִּים, וּתְזַכֵּנִי לְהַכְנִיס אוֹרְחִים תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים בְּתוֹךְ בֵּיתִי, וְאֶזְכֶּה לְקַבְּלָם בְּכָבוֹד גָּדוֹל וּלְכַבְּדָם בְּכָל עֹז וּפְאֵר, עַד שֶׁיַּעֲלֶה לְפָנֶיךָ מִצְוָה זוֹ שֶׁל הַכְנָסַת אוֹרְחִים תַּלְמִידֵי־חֲכָמִים כְּאִלּוּ הִקְרַבְתִּי תְּמִידִין כְּסִדְרָן.
Rectifying Improper Prayers / Hosting a Torah Scholar
Every individual, at some point, offers an inappropriate prayer. For example, our sages teach that before breaking into a house, a thief asks God to help him succeed.
Afterward, when a person wishes to pray properly, his previous improper prayers come and confound him.
He can rectify that by hosting a Torah scholar. Then he is also considered as if he had brought a continual offering upon the Altar.
Hosting Torah Scholars
HaShem, my God and God of my fathers, help me host Torah scholars in my home. May I accord them so much honor that You will consider my performance of this mitzvah as being equivalent to having offered sacrifices in the Temple.
וּבִזְכוּת זֶה תַּעַזְרֵנִי שֶׁאֶזְכֶּה לְהִתְפַּלֵּל תְּפִלָּתִי לְפָנֶיךָ בְּכַוָּנָה גְּדוֹלָה בְּכָל לֵב וָנֶפֶשׁ וּבְמַחֲשָׁבָה זַכָּה וּנְכוֹנָה לְשִׁמְךָ הַגָּדוֹל לְבַד בֶּאֱמֶת, וּבְלִי שׁוּם בִּלְבּוּל וְעִרְבּוּב הַדַּעַת, וּבְלִי שׁוּם מַחֲשָׁבוֹת זָרוֹת כְּלָל.
In the merit of performing this mitzvah, please grant me the ability to pray to You with great feeling, with all my heart and soul, with a pure and proper focus on Your great Name alone, without any confusion or foreign thoughts.
וְתִשְׁמְרֵנִי וְתַצִּילֵנִי מִתְּפִלּוֹת רָעוֹת, וְלֹא יְבַלְבְּלוּ הַתְּפִלּוֹת רָעוֹת אֶת תְּפִלָּתִי הַקְּדוֹשָׁה.
Rescue me from engaging in wrong prayers. And even if I do engage in such prayers, may they not contaminate my holy prayer.
וּתְתַקֵּן וּתְזַכֵּךְ אֶת תְּפִלָּתִי, וְתִהְיֶה תְפִלָּתִי שְׁלֵמָה וּסְדוּרָה בְּפִי,
Rectify and purify my prayer so that it will be perfected and fluent in my mouth.
וְיִהְיוּ נָא אֲמָרַי לְרָצוֹן לִפְנֵי אֲדוֹן כֹּל. וְתַעֲלֶה תְפִלָּתִי לְפָנֶיךָ לְרָצוֹן לְמַעְלָה לְמַעְלָה, וְתַעֲלֶה וְתִנָּשֵׂא לִהְיוֹת כֶּתֶר לְרֹאשְׁךָ.
May my words be acceptable before You, Master of all. May I elevate my prayer before You, so that You accept it and elevate it to be the crown on Your head.
וּתְמַלֵּא כָּל מִשְׁאֲלוֹתַי לְטוֹבָה בְּרַחֲמִים,
Fulfill all of my requests for the good.
הַאֲזִינָה יְהֹוָה תְּפִלָּתִי וְהַקְשִׁיבָה בְּקוֹל תַּחֲנוּנוֹתָי.
“HaShem, listen to my prayer; take heed of the voice of my pleadings.”
וַאֲנִי תְפִלָּתִי לְךָ יְהֹוָה עֵת רָצוֹן אֱלֹהִים בְּרָב חַסְדֶּךָ עֲנֵנִי בֶּאֱמֶת יִשְׁעֶךָ.
“As for me, my prayer comes before You, HaShem, at a time of acceptance; God, in Your vast kindness, answer me in the truth of Your salvation.”
יֶעֱרַב עָלָיו שִׂיחִי אָנֹכִי אֶשְׂמַח בַּיהֹוָה. יִתַּמּוּ חַטָּאִים מִן הָאָרֶץ וּרְשָׁעִים עוֹד אֵינָם בָּרְכִי נַפְשִׁי אֶת יְהֹוָה הַלְלוּיָהּ:
“May my speech be sweet to Him; I will rejoice in HaShem. Sinners will be erased from the land and the wicked will be no more. My spirit, bless HaShem. Halleluyah!”