#1-TEFILLOS FOR ELUL AND ROSH HASHANAH, taken from the sefer Sichos Hischazkus on Elul and Tishrei, by HaRav Tzvi Meir Zilberberg, Shlita. (Transliterated, paraphrased – Any mistakes are solely on the part of the translator)

 

L’ZECHER NISHMAS Aaron Sholom ben Naftoli Hertz Yisroel, His memory should be a blessing for all of Klal Yisroeland may his family and all of us be reunited with him soon with the coming of Moshiach tzidkeinu.Ksiva V'chasima Tova.

 

 

Abba, please have compassion on us, Abba please clean us completely from the past, Abba, only you know the great weakness in our Dor, Abba only you know that past, Abba Aba, Rachamamim Rachamim Abba Abba, only you alone know our deepest, true desires. We want to fill your holy ratzon B’Shleimus, 24 X 7. Abba, Abba, only you know that great and awesome kochos of the yetzer and his chevra. Abba he burns like a fire. Abba, Abba, only you know my true past, completely, Bifrat this past year, Abba, only you know all of my failings, big and small. Abba, Abba only you know how I need to look today, with all the details of avodas H”, and only you know how I do look today in reality. Abba, Abba, I am embarrassed, Abba, Abba, Only you know how this past year should have looked, could have looked, with all its aspects in Avodah, and how it did look l’maaseh. Abba, I’m so embarrassed, Abba, please have compassion, forgive me please, fix everything Abba, Abba, only you know all the aspects of Torah Hakedoshah, Bichlal, and Bifrat, and the chelek of this year, how much I could and needed to learn, and to review, and attain, in Torah HaKedoshah, Abba, awesome, awesome, how I needed to look, please look and see what the yetzer and his chevrah did to me, Abba, please look and see the churban, Abba, please moichel us, Abba, help us in the coming year, Abba, the main point of teshuvah is on the future, help us please , from now on, that we should be zoche to fill your ratzon, b’shleimus mamash, according to what’s shayach in this dor, Abba, Abba, only you kjnow that details of the Avodah of Teshuvah, and the weakness of this Dor, Abba Abba, we can’t do the details of our avodah like the past Doros, we cant’ feel the tremendous charata that they felt, the great embarrassment, the deep feelings. Abba, please have mercy on us. We know your love for us in endless, and we love you Abba, our heart in it’s penimius burns and is ignited with a love and desire to fill your razton b’shleimus, to give you nachas ruach, and to complete the avodas hateshuvah in the right way, b’shleimus. Abba Abba, help us please, that we should be able to do all that you want us to do in our avodas hateshuva. Abba, be mashpia on us a new year, Abba, only you know what you want to be mashpia  on us this year, all hashpaos tovos, Abba, please help us abba, that we should be zoche to be mekabel all hashpaos kirtzonecha. Please be me’orer within us Abba all bechinos of “l’maanecha elokim chayim,  all the hashpaos of chayim , all the hashpaos should be nichlal in chayim, everything should be in a bechinah of Lema’ancha. There should be no kitrug. Everything should be nimtak, chesed v’rachamim, ohr, K’sheyeish din l’mata, ein din l’malah, hakol rachamim, Omed m’kiseh hadin l’kiseh harachamim, B’ohr panecha yahalechun, b’ohr penei melech chaim!

 

Abba, please help that everything we do should give you nachas ruach, everything we do should be a tzinur for kol hashpaos tovos. Please be mashpiah on us Abba, kulo tov!

 

H” yaazor we should be zoche to chasadim megulim and rachamim peshutim, H” we should be zoche to live to pursue our tachlis and your ratzon, so that IY”H you will bentsh us with Kol Tov, and all of our needs throughout the coming year, Help us to be davuk in the tachlis of our lives so that we are davuk to the shoresh and should be zoche to hashpaos l’maleh min hatevah in ruchnius and gashmius, H” we should be zoche that our entire razon should be to fill your razon, H” please help us that our torah and tefillah, our kedushah, our ahavas yisroel, our hisgabrus over our yetzer hara, our sheviros hamiddos, our b’chol dereachecha de’ehu, our rising, and our going to slepp, should all be kirtzonechah, to bring us close to  you Avinu Shebashamayim, so that we should be zoche to be saved from the mayim rabbim.

 

H” help us to remember that only you know how much each and every jew is chayav in is avodas H” – how much torah, how much tefillah, how much avodah, is required from each of us, and how and who is not fulfilling his chovah towards H”, so please H” help us not to look at any Yehudi with zilzul – perhaps our chiyuv is more than theirs and we are not living up to our own chiyuvim.

 

H” please help us to know that we are in a milchamah against the yetzer, every minute of the day, the yetzer tries to stop us from learning, from davening, v’chulu, he takes away our cheshek,he takes away our yegiyah, our hasmadah, our deveikus l’torah v’H”, our keviyus, our shmiras hazman, our retzifus, our havanah, our hasagus in Torah, Help us to live in the bechinah of “Ki tezei l’milchamah” , help us to grasp on to our cherev piypiyos, our avodas Hatefillah – the avodah of the dor acharon – to be mispallel in the way of tefillas l’ani.

 

H” Yisbarach thank you for all of the chasadim that you have done for us throughout this year, we all know the great tzarus that has come on Klal Yisroel this past year, H” Yisbarch please bentsh us with Health, Beriyut, that we shouldn’t come to sickness, because with sickness it is hard to learn, hard to daven, hard to serve you, have compassion on us H” that there should not be any more tzarus in a house of Beis Yisroel, H” Yisbarach please have rachamim on us, that we should not come to sickness, Chas V’Shalom.

 

Please H” bentsh all of us with a shanah tovah u’mtukah, and have compassion on Klal Yisroel, b’godel rachamecha –  Bentsh us H” Yisbarach – Al Hakol B’Rachamim Gedolim, B’Rachamim Merubim – on my family, and on all of klal yisroel!

 

H” Yisbarach , Rachem Aleynu, Shenizka lshanah tovah umetukah l’kol echad, to my family, to klal yisroel, Please have Rachamim Merubim on us, K’Rachem Av Al Banim, the Av who gives all to his children. We should be zoche to Shnas Rachamim V’Chasadim, sh’yehiyeh shanah sh’ekuloh hashpaos tovos, Sh’nichtav b’sifran shel tzadikim gemurim, b’sefer chaim tekatveynu, u’vchol mah she’kalul bichlal sefer hachayim, azor lanu sh’nizkar v’nikatev lefanecha anachnu v’kol amecha bais yisroel, lchayim tovim u’lshalom.

 

See H” the evil yetzer that is in side of us. The Great churban that he casues, he’s a malach, and we’re in such a weak Dor, and it’s so hard to stand up to him and fight him, Avi Shebashamayim, only you know the chelek in the Torah HaKedosha that we are able to be koneh, v’eizeh kochos v’hashpaos that are on us to enable us to acquire Torah in this dor acharon. Avinu shebashamayim, lefanecha galuy v’yaduah l’kamah kedushah v’taharah we are able and need to acquire throughout the year, how many middos tovos we needed to work on and the power we have to achieve it, how much we need to be mevater, and to keep from answering back to our chaverim, or from speaking about others, - Avi Shebashamayim, See what we’re up against – the enemy – the yetzer hara. Avi Shebashamayim, Help us, Save us, from the great enemy the yetzer hara, because our ratzon is to do your ratzon.

 

Please moichel us Avinu shebashamayim on all that I’m chaser in my avodas hachizuk, and for what I’m lacking in simcha, help us to do teshuvah kirtzonechah and make and keep kabbalos for the future.  Avinu Shebashamayim Help me, I am overcome by the middah of kas, kapdanus, gaivah, hisnasus, I am mezalzel others, and megadeal over others, I am weak in my middos, machashavah, dibbur, maaseh, I am not careful in hurting others,  or to be sever panim yafos, I am chaser in kibbud av v’em, or b’kavod bnei bayis, v’lev yodeah maras nafsho, H” please help me that my Torah that I learn, should purify me and my neshamah, please bring me close in all bechinos of v’halachata b’darchav, l’davkah bo, hidabek b’midosav, that the Torah haKedosha should purify all my weaknesses, and separate out all the pesoles within me, because ein Tov Eleh Torah, because through Torah we are zoche to Lev Tov and all that is kollel in it.  Please be mashpiah to us all hashpaos sh’nitzrachim – that we should be zoche to through the Torah the Torah HaKedoshah.

 

H” help us to live in the way of Yehoshuah Ben Nun, to know that Vadai YOU will save us H”!

 

Avinu Shbashamayim prepare us to greet the new year as a yam shel torah, with hasmadah, yegiyah, yam shel tefillah, yam of hisalus in all aspects of avodas H”, , bein adam lchaveiro, in the way of mahapechos, please be mevatel all external thoughts and wanton glances and looking down on others, as the Ba’al HaTanya says, to work with all your might, to instill love of other jews in our hearts, never to look disparagingly on another jew, and if the thought should arise in our hearts, please Abba take it away, like a thought of avodah zarah. Please prepare us H” a shanah of kedushah v’taharah, with an avodah of b’chol derachechah de’ehu, please bentsh us with a year of shtark avodas H”, a year in which we can fulfill our shlichus, a shanah tovah u’mtukah. As we know everything in the past is l’tovah, but with respect to the new year, please H” bentsh us with a shanah tova umetukah, that each one of us should be zoche to hamtikus sh’btov, chasadim megulim mamash, bless us in ruchniyus this year, that we should be zoche to fulfill the Razon H” b’shleimus, and fulfill our shlichus and tafkid b’shleimus.

 

Just as Avraham, the pillar of chesed, pushed away Yishmael because of his bad influences on Yitzchak, H” Yaazor, please help us to guard our homes, our children, please help us to keep bad influences away from our home, please help us keep the filth of the street and the world out of our lives, help us with shmiras habayis, taharas habayis, help us to be careful with this – we should be zoche to batim kedoshim, nachas amiti,  that we shouldn’t have hesech hadas from the chinuch of our children – just as all the parshiyos of tefillin contain a reference to banim, just as we shouldn’t have hesech hadas from our tefillin, help us that we shouldn’t have hesech hadas from our children.

 

H” we should be zoche to hashpaos tovos, chasadim medulim, simcha v’chizuk, avinu shbashamayim rachem alayenu that we should be zoche to hashpaos tovos, l’briyut hanefesh v’haguf. Bentsh all of klal yisroel that we should all be zoche to zerah shel kayamah. We should be zoche please H” bentsh us with a year of chasadim megulim, nachas tov, parnassah b’shefah, so that our avodas H” should not be shterred. We know H” that everything that happened in the past was your ratzon and we needed every ounce of trial and tribulation, it was all ahavah, hiskarvus – all bais yisroel should be be mechuzakim b’chizuk harbeh, bentsh us with chizuk Abbah, to fight the milchemos in avodas H”, and please bentsh us all – all of klal yisroel, with the kochos to stand b’chzuk – chazak b’amatz, in the milchemes hayetzer, amidst chomos aish and bris eish. Please bentsh us H” with all of the chizuk we need, especially with all of the scary events going on in the world – Horeini H” Darchecha – haderech hachizuk, bentsh us with chiyus and hislahavus, in the bechina of chomos Eish. Help us H” to shake off all of the artziyus, the atzlus, and help us to approach all of our avodas with chiyus v’hislahavus, zerizus v’chizuk – zachrenu l’chayim – help us to be davuk to you H” and bentsh us with kochos atzumim of chiyus.

 

Avinu Shebashamayim, we want it so badly - please bentsh us with a year of  hasmadas hatorah, kedushas Hatorah,  yegiyas HaTorah, Amelus HaTorah, retsifus haTorah, Chazaras HaTorah, Zichron HaTorah, hachana re’uyah l’tefillah, tefillah metoch hishtapchus hanefesh, help us to run from bitul torah, and to have shmiras hanefesh, help us to be misnaheg k’roy in all aspects of bein adam l’chaveroh, to be k’seder b’sever panim yafos, to give chizuk to those in need, not to fall to kas and kapdanus, or fall to chalishus hadas in myself or bring it upon others,  help us to be mavir al midosav, help us to be yehudim shel “shvisi H” Lenegdi Tamid” – to live in the bechinah of Shivti b’veis H” kol yemei chayai, to be Lifnei H” kol es v’kol regah, to fulfill our tachlis, not to forget our tachlis for a moment, to fulfill your Ratzon H” Yisbarach, bichlal u’bfrat, and all of our avodos should be Lemaan H”, Help us to live b’dan kaf zechus, to live b’kedusha v’taharah, help us to be in your eyes tehoros v’shmuros, b’peh kadosh and kadosh will all of our body parts, help us to live in the way of Bechol Darchech De’ehu, kadesh atzmecha b’mutar lach, we want to be kedoshim v’taharim, help us to fulfill your ratzon 24 x 7 in machshavah, dibur v’maaaseh – only you know H” the power of the yetzer within us, the tremendous koach of the yetzer in the world today, how many nisyonos we need to go through, and which he brings us and weakens us with, how he prevents us from any hischaskus and hischadshus – Please rescue us H” from the hand of the yetzer, and forgive us for all that we have done against your ratzon – purify us, and please fulfill all of the things that we needed to do – all of the pegamim, and please help us H” to fulfill these days of elul and tishrei  to fulfill your razon b’shleimus, and please help that the whole new year should be amidst hischadshus and Eish Kodesh!  H” we know that we sinned against you. Please H”, forgive us, have compassion on us, its not my desire or will to cause you agmas nefesh, I want to live in the right way, and all that I have been nichshal in is because of my yetzer hara – I want only to give you nachas – please look at us H” Yisbarach with only Rachamim! Please Abbabe metaher us from all that we’ve done and come across in the past year, and bentsh us to be masig kol chelkei hatorah hakedosha b’shleimus, b’bechinas Toras H” Temimah, all parts of the Torah that are shayach to us, please don’t let the yetzer hara be ganveh our chalakim in the Torah HaKedosha, help us instead to be zoche to kol kinyanei hatorah, v’nizkeh l’amel v’yegiyah b’torah hakedosha. Help us to wake up from our spiritual slumber, and to learn b’retzifus, and that that torah that we learn should be metaher us and me’orer rachamaim on us, and a melitz yosher for us , and that we should be zoche to Kol Devarim tovim through our torah learning – middos tovos, kedusha, taharah, chizuk, emunah, v’simchah.  Please forgive us H” Yisbarach, for our pegamim in not learning in the right way – we beg forgiveness of you and the holy Torah HaKedoshah. Help us to be dan l’kaf zechus and maleh rachamim, mavir al midosav so that we should be zoche to kol hashpaos tovos. Abba, Abba, Abba, Rachamim, Rachamim, Rachamim – gevalidig rachamim aleinu. Hatzileni Abba , Rachameni.

 

H” , Abba, please help us to live b’hisalus b’avodas hachizuk, so that we can give you great nachas ruach, simcha v’shashuim above, and come close to you, Abba . Help us to live according to our tachlis, and with the emes l’amito, with the ratzon to give you nachas ruach, in order that we are attached to you in hisalus, please help our neshamah to be revealed, and our hidden kochos to be revealed, and please lift us above tevah,  and bentsh us with hasmadah l’maaleh min hateveah,  havanah l’maaleh min hatevah, v’amkus lamaleh min hatevah , bentsh us that we should be shakuah b’limud hatorah l’maaleh min hatevah, that we should be koveah itim l’maaleh min hataevah, and zoche to the koach of tefillah l’maaleh min hatevah, and middos tovos l’maaleh min hatevah, so that we should be mishapech to be neshamahdig!

 

Yehi Ratzon, Abbala, that we should be zoche to teshuvah, hishapchus b’emes, v’lhischadesh b’emes, b’hischaskus l’elul v’tishrei, v’lhischadshus v’hischazkus for the entire new year, help us please H” show us the derech that we can be b’chizuk k’seder, show us what we can be mechazek with, so that we can be zoche to kol tuv, simcha, chiyus l’maaleh m’derech hatevah, deveikus, and hisalus through hischazkus. Help us please Abba, that through hischazkus and hischadshus, that we should be baalei teshuvah amitim.!

 

H” all that we daven for, all that we ask for, should not be in the way of “Hav Lanu” , and instead we beg of you that all of our tefillos, Abba, for all of our needs should be to give you ta’anug, and nachas ruach, kirtzonecha, L’maanecha Elokim Chaim, Lma’anecha. H” we ask you for all of our needs, so that our minds and hearts should be free for avodas H” – therefore, please bentsh us with hashpaos tovos, so that our heart and minds should be free for avodas H”, and please consider all our tefillos on gashmius, to be tefillos for ruchnius, so that we can be free to serve you H”.  H” Yisbarach you are maleh rachamim, and don’t want to be mechayev any creation, - please abba find us meritorious, and help us to do teshuva m’ahavaso that we can purify ourselves. Even though we are not kedai H”, please treat us with chesed, and rachamim. Help us please H” to daven k’roi – in the right way, during Elul and Tishrei and throughout the entire year, and help us please that we should be zoche to be po’el all that we need in ruchnius and gashmius, l’maaleh min hatevah mamash.

 

4 things to Ask for during Tekios:

 

1 - On the Past: Avinu shebashamayim yimchol v’yitaken hakol, so that we should be zoche to teshuvah shleimah b’ahava

2 – On the future: H” Yisbarach please bentsh all of klal yisroel with all things good in ruchniyus and gashmiyus. Help us Abba, all of Klal Yisroel, that we should be zoche to fulfill your razon b’shleimus, mitoch rachamim peshutim, v’chasadim megulim, u’mitoch ksivah v’chasimah Tovah.

3- we should be zoche to full your ratzon avinu  shebashamayim in all the avodos of elul and tishrei and the holy tekiyos, b’shleimus, and be po’el kol mah she’bratzon avinu shebashamayim sh’nifol.

4- We should be zoche mitoch rachamim peshutim, v’chasadim megulim, v’teshuva me’ahavah to be mekabel p’nei mashiach tzidkeinu,  and all the heilige tefillos of rosh Hashanah and those of tishrei on the tikkun shaleim should be fulfilled in our days– meloch al kol haolam kulo bichvodechah.

 

H” Yaazor – that our Avodah from Elul and Tishrei should be Kirtzonecha.  Please Bentshu us that everything should be included in Chaim – we should be zoche to chaim in ruchnius and gashmius, Mishpat Tov, Teshuva Ila, Tata. H” please help our avodah be in the way of “Kechu Imachem Devarim” – which lifts everything up, help us to be zoche to be mispallel Kirtzonecha. Help us H” that our Yirah should be in the bechinah of Ohr Panecha – Deveikus to you H”  – H” B’Ohr Panechah Ya’alechu.  We know that the Tachlis  of it all is rachamim , H” – to reveal your endless love for us – and we know that the yetzer tries to take that away. The Yetzer has the power to bring all of our aveiros of the past and present to mishpat – we’re all going to mishpat now – the biggest and the smallest of us – so please H” help us to be nichlal in Chaim , and to think of only chaim and Tov on Rosh HaShanah. H” please heal all the broken hearts – all who have experienced bechinas of U’nesaneh Tokef this year. Please Bentsh us with a new year of chesed and Rachamim B’Shleimus , Gut in ruchnius and gashmius. Please H” be goel klal yisroel with rachamim peshutim and chasdim megulim, and bentsh us all with Beriyus B’shleimus, arichas yomim v’shanim, parnassah, yeladim tovim, nachas, kol hashpaos tovos b’ruchnius and gashmius, hisalus in avodas H” –  and all should be Le’mancha! We should be zoche to yirah & hisorerus, Abba,  Rachem Aleinu H” – please help our avodah to be in the bechinah of “Betoch Ami Anochi Yosheves” – Please be Po’el gut for all of Klal Yisroel, the yirah of these days should bring on klal yisroel rachamim peshutim, rachamim merubim! 

 

H” please bentsh us with the best year for us that is shayach!  Atoh Maleh Rachamim – we know that of course the upcoming days need to be filled with yirah, and of course mishpat – but B’Ohr Panechah Ya’alechu, H”.  H” we learn and know that everything about the yetzer is hevel havalim – with a drop of yirah we can be misgaber over the yetzer hara – we’re going to see with the shofar gadol that it was all narishkeit – all types of yetzer haras have overcome us during these months – help us H”, to remember and act in accordance with the tachlis, which  is to be mevater, shmater, afar v’efer, midbar. Sometimes, we want our house, our avodah, our this and that, to be a certain way – but it’s never k’ragil!  So help us H” Yisbarach not to come to Kol Ram or Kas. We all have shtusim – the yetzer ganve’s so much of our lives. Takes big parts of our lives.  Ribbono Shel Olam you gave us a matanah with Yirah! The yetzer is just an illusion.

 

H”, we know that you don’t stop giving to us, and that all you ask for is for us to give a little bit back. To do the little bit that we can do.  Help us H” that our Avodah should be B’Shleimus. H”, I wasn’t b’seder this year – I know and I’m so sorry.  B’omek halev, Abbah, I only want inside to do your ratzon, and to be close to you – I  don’t want to cause you tzar chalilah – but I have a shver yetzer that caught me this year – Please H” be moichel us, help us  to be misgaber over our yetzer.  Every one of us is so gevaldig on the inside. Our penimius is moradig. Please have Rachmanus on us Abba, that with such hisgabrus of the yetzer in our Dor, that klal yisroel  still looks like we do. We’re like small children. We don’t understand. We try with temimus and peshitus. Shivti B’Veis H” – Please forgive us for what we’ve done wrong. 

 

Please Bentsh us that  our homes should be kirtzonecha Yisbarach.  The way of chinuch needs to be hashpaos of AHAVA. Kas is going to ruin chinuch.  Help us to always be vitur. Help us to always besever panim yafos, in our homes, and bichlal. Help us to ask for mechilah, in the right way. Kulo Machmadim.

 

Please help us H” Yisbarach that our Elul and Tishrei should be in the bechinah of nagilah V’Nishmecha Bach,  B’Ohr Panechah Ya’alechu, Ahava,  Nafshi Cholas Ahavasecha,  Chedvas H”, Deveikus, Bechius of Simcha,  Zachreinu L’Chaim,  everything should be nichlal in Chaim, Ohr Panei Melech Chaim! Please bentsh us H” that everything  we do should be B’Simcha – especially during the heilige tekios; H” Ya’azor that the tekios and teruos should break the klippos and be megaleh our penimius, so it all becomes B’Ohr Panechah Ya’alechu – B’Ohr Panei Melech Chaim!  Everything we do Abba, should be to reveal Ohr Panei Melech Chaim. Bentsh us Please Abba, that everything should be nimtak, rachamim, kiruv, and maleh with kochos of hischadshus, Koach of teshuvah, and Mahapaychos! 

 

Avinu Shebashamayim – give us our kochos – help us to show you what we really want to be this last few days of the year! Look at our penimius H”– b’dibbur v’maaseh , and help us to finish the year with chizuk in Avodas H” – Es Panecha H” Avakesh! . we should be zocheh to be megaleh the Ohr Panecha, so that everything is misbatel and nimtak. Avinu Sh’Bashamayim, Azor Lanu L’Nizke L’K’siva V’Chasimah Tovah, V’Nizkeh Lchazak B’yachad. The whole Elul V’Tishrei should be kirtzonecha  b’shlaymus and the whole new year should be metoch mahapechas, teshuvah m’ahava, hisalus, shanah tovah umesuka, shnas geulah v’yeshua, azor lanu shenizkeh lehiyot metoch rachamim peshutim b’chasadim megulim, metoch chedvas H” b’emes, to be mekabel pnei mashiach tzidkeinu .

 

 L’ZECHER NISHMAS Aaron Sholom ben Naftoli Hertz Yisroel, His memory should be a blessing for all of Klal Yisroeland may his family and all of us be reunited with him soon with the coming of Moshiach tzidkeinu.Ksiva V'chasima Tova.