Likutei Tefilot, Volume I 109/ליקוטי תפילות·חלק א ק״ט

1Faith Throughout One’s LimbsSometimes a person’s faith resides in his heart. But that is not enough. A person should possess so much faith that it spreads throughout all of his limbs.For instance, the Ari teaches that when a person washes his hands, he should lift them up to his head to receive holiness from above. For this act to be meaningful, the person needs faith that raising his hands to his head will bring down an influx of holiness. In that sense, his faith resides even in his hands.When a person has such faith, it is eventually transformed into clear knowledge. Then he rises to a higher level of faith — and this process continues to repeat itself.Higher Levels of Faith“All of Your commandments are faithful. When falsehood pursues me, help me, HaShem!”

2Faithful God, for the sake of Your Name, help me constantly rise to higher levels of faith. As I do so, may I understand matters that I had not previously understood, at which time I needed to strengthen myself with faith alone.

3As for higher and more hidden matters that I do not yet comprehend, may I believe in them with holy faith until I come to understand them as well.

4May I finally reach the acme of faith and holy mindfulness when I come to recognize You. May I know all that it is possible for human intellect to understand, as well as that which the mind cannot understand.

5May I attain ultimate faith in accordance with Your will and the will of Your true Tzaddikim, who attained the highest levels of faith and knowledge. May I attain a faith so perfect and strong that it spreads throughout all of my limbs.

6Blemishes in Our FaithMaster of the world, grant me complete faith.

7You know the challenges that the entire world is experiencing in regard to faith, which is the foundation of everything.

8In particular, the holy Jewish people are experiencing such challenges. The Jewish people are all believers and children of believers. However, there are tens of thousands of levels of faith. At present, all of the troubles and exiles that the Jewish people are experiencing result from a blemish in their faith, which is the foundation of the entire Torah, as You revealed to us through Your holy sages.

9(In particular, at present, You have sent forth Your wrath, so that a number of evil, anti-Jewish decrees have been passed into law, including the conscription of young Jews who are sent into battle. We are broken, and our wounds fester!

10(What has happened to us? Who will stand at our side at this troubled and bitter time? To where will we flee for help? And now we hear that even harsher decrees against the Jewish religion are being contemplated. All of these troubles have resulted from a blemish in our faith.)

11What can we do to rectify this — particularly myself, for I have sinned against You so much?

12Certainly this is all a result of a flaw in faith, which is the foundation of the entire Torah.

13Sin and a lack of faith are dependent on each other. Because we have sinned so much, our faith is not whole; and because of our lack of faith, we have sinned.

14How do we begin to rectify this?

15Keeping Our Hearts PureMaster of the world, You lovingly chose Your nation, the Jewish people, and graciously gave us Your Torah through Moses, Your faithful servant.

16Following that, in every generation, You have sent us holy and awesome Tzaddikim — pious, wise men who have understood the depths of the Torah and have revealed wondrous and elevated insights.

17No tongue can describe the holiness and ability of these people. They proclaim Your praises, telling of Your might and the wonders that You have performed. They draw down and reveal holy faith so that all people may experience it.

18Yet even so, we have not been inspired to return to You, and we have not repented of our errors. As a result, You have sent us many troubles.

19But even worse, there are a number of Jews whose minds and hearts have grown so twisted as a result of their bitter troubles that they have lost their faith.

20What can we say? Only You know all that we are experiencing in these generations before the coming of the Mashiach. And who knows what more will occur?

21Who will rise up on behalf of the weak Jewish people?

22Have compassion on us, God of faith, for we are in great distress — as a nation and as individuals. Save us!

23“HaShem, hear my prayer, listen to my supplications; in Your faithfulness, answer me, in Your righteousness.” “HaShem, Your kindness is in the heavens, Your faithfulness reaches to the heavens.”

24For the sake of Your Name, help us attain perfect faith until we feel awe before You Who fill the entire world with Your glory.

25You stand over us constantly and look at our deeds. You know our thoughts and investigate our hearts.

26Unique Master, full of compassion, Who has pity on the poor, strengthen us so that we will know and believe all of this. May this awareness keep us from committing sins, indulging in evil thoughts, and falling prey to confusion — particularly from every type of crookedness in the heart, from every type of thinking that opposes Your holy faith.

27Tzaddikim Throughout HistoryMaster of the universe, You alone know Who You are. We fully believe that You exist, that Your existence is necessary, that You are Unique, Primal, Eternal, without beginning or end, that You created the world out of absolute nothingness over five thousand years ago, and so forth.

28In Your compassion, You shone Your holy faith onto us through our patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, who began to reveal Your Godliness in the world.

29Afterward, You gave us Your holy Torah through Moses, Your faithful servant. By means of the great and awesome wonders that he performed on our behalf to give us life to this day, he illuminated our eyes and opened the light of knowledge so that we may know that You are HaShem our God, and that there is no one else besides You.

30And then, in every generation, You sent us true Tzaddikim — elders and prophets, Rishonim and Acharonim, Tannaim, Amora’im and Rabbanan Savorei, Geonim, Rabbanim and Chassidim, and other holy people in every generation — until You sent us awesome Tzaddikim like those in our generations.

31Walking in the Ways of the TzaddikimHelp us always walk in the ways of these Tzaddikim, obey their directives and live in accordance with their will.

32Teach us how to internalize the holy faith that our holy fathers and rabbis, the Tzaddikim, drew down to us in their great holiness.

33Help us draw onto ourselves their faith, kindness, goodness and righteousness. They toiled to help all Jews for all generations. They worked to draw down and reveal holy faith to all people — particularly to the holy Jewish people, who are special and close to You.

34Save us at this time of trouble for the sake of their unfathomable merit. Save us, God, because the waters have risen and threaten to drown us. Help us attain complete faith until we will come to knowledge and our holy faith will spread throughout all of our limbs.

35May we always communicate our holy faith clearly and with all our hearts. As the verse states, “I will sing the kindness of HaShem forever; for all generations, I will make Your faithfulness known with my mouth.”

36“The heavens will praise Your wonders, HaShem, even Your faithfulness amid the holy congregation.”

37“Your faith is in every generation; You have set up the earth and it stands.” “I have chosen the way of faithfulness; I have set Your laws before me.” “The word of HaShem is straight, and all of His deeds are faithful.” “The Tzaddik will live by his faith.”

38“My faithfulness and My kindness shall be with him, and through My Name, his might shall be elevated.” “HaShem is good, His kindness is forever, His faithfulness is in every generation.”

39“I will betroth you to Me forever. I will betroth you to Me with righteousness and with justice, with kindness and with compassion. I will betroth you to Me with faith, and you will know HaShem.”

40Blessed is HaShem forever. Amen and amen.