Prayer for the Month of Elul by Rabbi Eliezer Berland Shlit”a

RIBBONO SHEL OLAM -- MASTER OF THE WORLD, WHO CAN DO EVERYTHING, AND THAT NOTHING CAN IMPEDE [YOUR] PURPOSE FROM YOU—GRANT ME MERIT IN THIS AWESOME MONTH, THE MONTH OF ELUL, IN WHICH AWESOME FEAR AND TERROR FALL UPON ME, AND MY WHOLE BODY TREMBLES, MY KNEES KNOCK ONE AGAINST THE OTHER, FROM THE GREATNESS OF HIS FEAR--GIVE ME THE MERIT IN [ELUL] TO PRAY ALL MY PRAYERS WITH TREMENDOUS KAVANAH (FOCUSED INTENT), WORD BY WORD, LETTER BY LETTER, AND THAT NO LETTER SHOULD LEAVE MY MOUTH WITHOUT KAVANAH.

PLEASE, MERCIFUL AND GRACIOUS ONE, GRANT ME THE MERIT IN THIS MONTH AND THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE YEAR, THAT I SHOULD NOT SEE ANY FORBIDDEN SIGHT, GOD FORBID; AND THAT I SHOULD NOT SPEAK ANY LASHON HARA (EVIL GOSSIP) ABOUT ANY PERSON IN THE WORLD; AND THAT I SHOULD NOT ENVY ANY PERSON. AND EVEN IF I AM DEGRADED WITH ALL THE DEGRADATIONS AND INSULTS IN THE WORLD—LET ME MERIT THEN TOO, TO REJOICE IN THEM WITH EXCEEDINGLY GREAT JOY, AS OUR SAGES OF BLESSED MEMORY SAID: “THOSE WHO ARE INSULTED AND DO NOT INSULT, WHO HEAR THEIR DISGRACE AND DO NOT RESPOND, WHO ACT OUT OF LOVE AND REJOICE IN SUFFERING—ABOUT THEM THE VERSE SAYS: ‘THOSE WHO LOVE HIM ARE LIKE THE SUN GOING FORTH IN ITS MIGHT.’”

AND MAY I MERIT IN THIS AWESOME MONTH OF ELUL TO THE LEVEL OF DEVORAH HANEVIAH, THE WIFE OF LAPIDOT, WHO AT THE TIME SHE PROPHESIED, FLAMES OF FIRE (LAPIDIM) WERE SEEN ABOVE HER TENT LIKE AT THE GIVING OF THE TORAH.

LET ME MERIT THROUGH TESHUVAH (REPENTANCE) IN THIS MONTH, WHICH IS THE BEGINNING OF THE FORTY DAYS THAT ARE THE PREPARATION FOR THE SECOND TABLETS, TO RECEIVE THEM ON YOM KIPPUR, AND TO BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL IN THE COMMANDMENT OF “LO TIN’AF (DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY),” AND TO DO COMPLETE TESHUVAH FOR ALL THE FORBIDDEN SIGHTS THAT I SAW AND LOOKED AT, WHETHER INDELIBERATELY OR DELIBERATELY, WHETHER UNDER COMPULSION OR WILLINGLY, AND LET ME MERIT TO NO LONGER STUMBLE IN ANY FORBIDDEN SIGHT UNTIL THE END OF MY LIFE, AND THAT I SHOULD SANCTIFY MY EYES WITH THE ULTIMATE HOLINESS AND PURITY, AND THAT I SHOULD NOT ENVY ANY PERSON IN THE WORLD, AND THAT I SHOULD MERIT TO BE LIKE RAV ACHAI BAR YOSHIYAH, WHO, IN THE MERIT OF NOT ENVYING ANYONE, HIS BONES DID NOT DECAY, AND HE MERITED THAT HIS BODY REMAINED INTACT EVEN AFTER HIS PASSING. AND MAY I MERIT TO WHAT RABBI YEHOSHUA BEN LEVI MERITED—THAT, IN THE MERIT OF LEARNING TORAH WITH EVERYONE AND DRAWING CLOSE EVERY PERSON IN THE WORLD, HE ENTERED WITH HIS BODY INTO THE GARDEN OF EDEN. SO TOO MAY I MERIT, IN THE MERIT OF THE TESHUVAH THAT I WILL DO IN THE MONTH OF ELUL, TO ENTER WITH MY BODY INTO THE GARDEN OF EDEN.