הַלְלִ֥י נַ֝פְשִׁ֗י אֶת־יי
אֲהַלְלָ֣ה יי בְּחַיָּ֑י
אֲזַמְּרָ֖ה לֵֽאלֹקַי בְּעוֹדִֽי׃
Halleli Nafshi et Adonai
Ahallelah Adonai B'chayai
Azamra Lelohai B'odi
Azamra Lelohai B'odi
Praise Adonai, O my soul!
I will praise Adonai all my life,
I will sing hymns to my God with all my might.
(the teachings Reb Nahman of Bratslav)
Excerpted and translated by Rabbi Jonah. C. Steinberg
Know that one must judge every person in a way that inclines toward merit, and even someone who is thoroughly wicked, one must find in such a person some small bit of goodness, a grain of good in which that person is not wicked.
And this is an aspect of the verse, “Just a little more and the wicked shall not be, and you shall look at his place and he will not be there.” (Psalm 37:10)
– which is to say, that you must seek in such a person just a little more goodness, which is still in the person, where that person is not wicked.
Because even if that person is wicked, how is it possible that there is not in that person yet a little good? For how is it possible that this person has never done some mitzvah[1] or some good thing ever?
And by means your finding in the person just a little more good where that person is not wicked, and by your judging the person favorably, by means of that, you truly elevate the person from guilt to merit
And that is the meaning of “Just a little more, and the wicked shall not be”
– that by finding in the wicked person just a little more good, where the person is not wicked, by means of that “you shall look at his place and he will not be there.”
That is to say, when you search that person’s former place and standing, the person is no longer there, for by finding in the person just a little more good, some grain of goodness, and by judging the person in a way that inclines toward merit, by that means one truly removes the person from the side of guilt to the side of merit, and, in that sense, “you shall look at his place and he will not be there.”
And likewise, one must find the same within one’s self. For this is well known, that one must be very careful to be in a state of joy always and to distance sadness very, very much. And even when one starts to look at one’s self and to feel that there isn’t any good in one’s self at all, and that one is full of transgressions, and the Accuser wants to topple one in this way into sorrow and darkest melancholy, God forbid, nonetheless, it is forbidden to succumb to this. For is it really possible that one has never done some mitzvah or good thing ever?
And even if, when one begins to search that good thing itself, one sees that it too is full of blemishes and that it too is not wholly sound – that is to say, one sees that even the mitzvah or the sacred thing that one merited to do is also full of distractions and foreign thoughts and many faults – even so, how is it possible that there should not be in that mitzvah or sacred act some small bit of good?
That is to say, just as one must judge others in a way that inclines toward merit, even the wicked, and find in them some good points; and thereby one truly moves the person from guilt to merit, according to the sense of the verse “Just a little more...” as stated, so too it is for one’s own self.
And so one must search out and gather more and more points of goodness, and in this way, melodies are made. For the origin of melody is in sorting out the good from the ill, and by sorting out and gathering the good points from amid the ill, by means of that, melodies are made.....
And then one can pray, and sing, and acknowledge God....
And that is an aspect of the verse, “I shall sing to the Lord to my full extent” Exactly – be’odi, with my ‘more’ – that is to say, by means of that aspect of ‘more’ in me that I find in myself, in the sense of “Just a little more, and there shall be no wicked,” as we have said.
And that is “I shall sing.” Exactly – azam’rah – I shall sing, that is to say, songs and melodies that are made by gathering the good points...
And know that the person who can make these melodies, that is to say, the person who can gather the good points that are found in each and every person and even in sinners, that person can pray at the leader’s lectern. For the one who prays at the lectern is called shaliach tzibur[2] –“the emissary of the congregation”– and that person must be sent by all of the congregation, which is to say that this person must gather each point of good that is to be found in each one of the people praying, so that all the points of good come together in this person, so that person will stand and pray with all that goodness – and that is a shaliach tzibur.
(א) הַֽלְלוּ־יָ֡הּ הַלְלִ֥י נַ֝פְשִׁ֗י אֶת־יי׃ (ב) אֲהַלְלָ֣ה יי בְּחַיָּ֑י אֲזַמְּרָ֖ה לֵֽאלֹקַ֣י בְּעוֹדִֽי׃ (ג) אַל־תִּבְטְח֥וּ בִנְדִיבִ֑ים בְּבֶן־אָדָ֓ם ׀ שֶׁ֤אֵֽין ל֥וֹ תְשׁוּעָֽה׃ (ד) תֵּצֵ֣א ר֭וּחוֹ יָשֻׁ֣ב לְאַדְמָת֑וֹ בַּיּ֥וֹם הַ֝ה֗וּא אָבְד֥וּ עֶשְׁתֹּנֹתָֽיו׃ (ה) אַשְׁרֵ֗י שֶׁ֤אֵ֣ל יַעֲקֹ֣ב בְּעֶזְר֑וֹ שִׂ֝בְר֗וֹ עַל־יי אֱלֹקָֽיו׃ (ו) עֹשֶׂ֤ה ׀ שָׁ֘מַ֤יִם וָאָ֗רֶץ אֶת־הַיָּ֥ם וְאֶת־כָּל־אֲשֶׁר־בָּ֑ם הַשֹּׁמֵ֖ר אֱמֶ֣ת לְעוֹלָֽם׃ (ז) עֹשֶׂ֤ה מִשְׁפָּ֨ט ׀ לָעֲשׁוּקִ֗ים נֹתֵ֣ן לֶ֭חֶם לָרְעֵבִ֑ים יי מַתִּ֥יר אֲסוּרִֽים׃ (ח) יי ׀ פֹּ֘קֵ֤חַ עִוְרִ֗ים יי זֹקֵ֣ף כְּפוּפִ֑ים יי אֹהֵ֥ב צַדִּיקִֽים׃ (ט) יי ׀ שֹׁ֘מֵ֤ר אֶת־גֵּרִ֗ים יָת֣וֹם וְאַלְמָנָ֣ה יְעוֹדֵ֑ד וְדֶ֖רֶךְ רְשָׁעִ֣ים יְעַוֵּֽת׃ (י) יִמְלֹ֤ךְ יי ׀ לְעוֹלָ֗ם אֱלֹקַ֣יִךְ צִ֭יּוֹן לְדֹ֥ר וָדֹ֗ר הַֽלְלוּ־יָֽהּ׃
(1) Hallelujah. Praise Adonai, O my soul! (2) I will praise Adonai all my life, sing hymns to my God with all I have. (3) Put not your trust in the great, in the human who cannot save. (4) When the breath departs, he will return to the dust; on that day his plans will come to nothing. (5) Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in Adonai his God, (6) maker of heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them; who keeps faith forever; (7) who secures justice for those who are wronged, gives food to the hungry. Adonai sets prisoners free; (8) Adonai restores sight to the blind; Adonai makes those who are bent stand straight; Adonai loves the righteous; (9) Adonai watches over the stranger; God gives courage to the orphan and widow, but makes the path of the wicked tortuous. (10) Adonai shall reign forever, your God, O Zion, for all generations. Hallelujah.
(א) לְדָוִ֨ד ׀ אַל־תִּתְחַ֥ר בַּמְּרֵעִ֑ים אַל־תְּ֝קַנֵּ֗א בְּעֹשֵׂ֥י עַוְלָֽה׃ (ב) כִּ֣י כֶ֭חָצִיר מְהֵרָ֣ה יִמָּ֑לוּ וּכְיֶ֥רֶק דֶּ֝֗שֶׁא יִבּוֹלֽוּן׃ (ג) בְּטַ֣ח בַּֽ֭יי וַעֲשֵׂה־ט֑וֹב שְׁכָן־אֶ֝֗רֶץ וּרְעֵ֥ה אֱמוּנָֽה׃
(ד) וְהִתְעַנַּ֥ג עַל־יי וְיִֽתֶּן־לְ֝ךָ֗ מִשְׁאֲלֹ֥ת לִבֶּֽךָ׃ (ה) גּ֣וֹל עַל־יי דַּרְכֶּ֑ךָ וּבְטַ֥ח עָ֝לָ֗יו וְה֣וּא יַעֲשֶֽׂה׃ (ו) וְהוֹצִ֣יא כָא֣וֹר צִדְקֶ֑ךָ וּ֝מִשְׁפָּטֶ֗ךָ כַּֽצָּהֳרָֽיִם׃ (ז) דּ֤וֹם ׀ לַיי וְהִתְח֪וֹלֵ֫ל ל֥וֹ אַל־תִּ֭תְחַר בְּמַצְלִ֣יחַ דַּרְכּ֑וֹ בְּ֝אִ֗ישׁ עֹשֶׂ֥ה מְזִמּֽוֹת׃ (ח) הֶ֣רֶף מֵ֭אַף וַעֲזֹ֣ב חֵמָ֑ה אַל־תִּ֝תְחַ֗ר אַךְ־לְהָרֵֽעַ׃ (ט) כִּֽי־מְ֭רֵעִים יִכָּרֵת֑וּן וְקֹוֵ֥י יי הֵ֣מָּה יִֽירְשׁוּ־אָֽרֶץ׃
(י) וְע֣וֹד מְ֭עַט וְאֵ֣ין רָשָׁ֑ע וְהִתְבּוֹנַ֖נְתָּ עַל־מְקוֹמ֣וֹ וְאֵינֶֽנּוּ׃ (יא) וַעֲנָוִ֥ים יִֽירְשׁוּ־אָ֑רֶץ וְ֝הִתְעַנְּג֗וּ עַל־רֹ֥ב שָׁלֽוֹם׃ (יב) זֹמֵ֣ם רָ֭שָׁע לַצַּדִּ֑יק וְחֹרֵ֖ק עָלָ֣יו שִׁנָּֽיו׃ (יג) אדושם יִשְׂחַק־ל֑וֹ כִּֽי־רָ֝אָ֗ה כִּֽי־יָבֹ֥א יוֹמֽוֹ׃
(יד) חֶ֤רֶב ׀ פָּֽתְח֣וּ רְשָׁעִים֮ וְדָרְכ֪וּ קַ֫שְׁתָּ֥ם לְ֭הַפִּיל עָנִ֣י וְאֶבְי֑וֹן לִ֝טְב֗וֹחַ יִשְׁרֵי־דָֽרֶךְ׃
(טו) חַ֭רְבָּם תָּב֣וֹא בְלִבָּ֑ם וְ֝קַשְּׁתוֹתָ֗ם תִּשָּׁבַֽרְנָה׃ (טז) טוֹב־מְ֭עַט לַצַּדִּ֑יק מֵ֝הֲמ֗וֹן רְשָׁעִ֥ים רַבִּֽים׃ (יז) כִּ֤י זְרוֹע֣וֹת רְ֭שָׁעִים תִּשָּׁבַ֑רְנָה וְסוֹמֵ֖ךְ צַדִּיקִ֣ים יי׃ (יח) יוֹדֵ֣עַ יי יְמֵ֣י תְמִימִ֑ם וְ֝נַחֲלָתָ֗ם לְעוֹלָ֥ם תִּהְיֶֽה׃ (יט) לֹֽא־יֵ֭בֹשׁוּ בְּעֵ֣ת רָעָ֑ה וּבִימֵ֖י רְעָב֣וֹן יִשְׂבָּֽעוּ׃ (כ) כִּ֤י רְשָׁעִ֨ים ׀ יֹאבֵ֗דוּ וְאֹיְבֵ֣י יי כִּיקַ֣ר כָּרִ֑ים כָּל֖וּ בֶעָשָׁ֣ן כָּֽלוּ׃ (כא) לֹוֶ֣ה רָ֭שָׁע וְלֹ֣א יְשַׁלֵּ֑ם וְ֝צַדִּ֗יק חוֹנֵ֥ן וְנוֹתֵֽן׃ (כב) כִּ֣י מְ֭בֹרָכָיו יִ֣ירְשׁוּ אָ֑רֶץ וּ֝מְקֻלָּלָ֗יו יִכָּרֵֽתוּ׃ (כג) מֵ֭יי מִֽצְעֲדֵי־גֶ֥בֶר כּוֹנָ֗נוּ וְדַרְכּ֥וֹ יֶחְפָּֽץ׃ (כד) כִּֽי־יִפֹּ֥ל לֹֽא־יוּטָ֑ל כִּֽי־יי סוֹמֵ֥ךְ יָדֽוֹ׃ (כה) נַ֤עַר ׀ הָיִ֗יתִי גַּם־זָ֫קַ֥נְתִּי וְֽלֹא־רָ֭אִיתִי צַדִּ֣יק נֶעֱזָ֑ב וְ֝זַרְע֗וֹ מְבַקֶּשׁ־לָֽחֶם׃ (כו) כָּל־הַ֭יּוֹם חוֹנֵ֣ן וּמַלְוֶ֑ה וְ֝זַרְע֗וֹ לִבְרָכָֽה׃ (כז) ס֣וּר מֵ֭רָע וַעֲשֵׂה־ט֗וֹב וּשְׁכֹ֥ן לְעוֹלָֽם׃ (כח) כִּ֤י יי ׀ אֹ֘הֵ֤ב מִשְׁפָּ֗ט וְלֹא־יַעֲזֹ֣ב אֶת־חֲ֭סִידָיו לְעוֹלָ֣ם נִשְׁמָ֑רוּ וְזֶ֖רַע רְשָׁעִ֣ים נִכְרָֽת׃ (כט) צַדִּיקִ֥ים יִֽירְשׁוּ־אָ֑רֶץ וְיִשְׁכְּנ֖וּ לָעַ֣ד עָלֶֽיהָ׃ (ל) פִּֽי־צַ֭דִּיק יֶהְגֶּ֣ה חָכְמָ֑ה וּ֝לְשׁוֹנ֗וֹ תְּדַבֵּ֥ר מִשְׁפָּֽט׃ (לא) תּוֹרַ֣ת אֱלֹקָ֣יו בְּלִבּ֑וֹ לֹ֖א תִמְעַ֣ד אֲשֻׁרָיו׃ (לב) צוֹפֶ֣ה רָ֭שָׁע לַצַּדִּ֑יק וּ֝מְבַקֵּ֗שׁ לַהֲמִיתוֹ׃ (לג) יי לֹא־יַעַזְבֶ֣נּוּ בְיָד֑וֹ וְלֹ֥א יַ֝רְשִׁיעֶ֗נּוּ בְּהִשָּׁפְטֽוֹ׃ (לד) קַוֵּ֤ה אֶל־יי ׀ וּשְׁמֹ֬ר דַּרְכּ֗וֹ וִֽ֭ירוֹמִמְךָ לָרֶ֣שֶׁת אָ֑רֶץ בְּהִכָּרֵ֖ת רְשָׁעִ֣ים תִּרְאֶֽה׃ (לה) רָ֭אִיתִי רָשָׁ֣ע עָרִ֑יץ וּ֝מִתְעָרֶ֗ה כְּאֶזְרָ֥ח רַעֲנָֽן׃ (לו) וַ֭יַּֽעֲבֹר וְהִנֵּ֣ה אֵינֶ֑נּוּ וָֽ֝אֲבַקְשֵׁ֗הוּ וְלֹ֣א נִמְצָֽא׃ (לז) שְׁמָר־תָּ֭ם וּרְאֵ֣ה יָשָׁ֑ר כִּֽי־אַחֲרִ֖ית לְאִ֣ישׁ שָׁלֽוֹם׃ (לח) וּֽ֭פֹשְׁעִים נִשְׁמְד֣וּ יַחְדָּ֑ו אַחֲרִ֖ית רְשָׁעִ֣ים נִכְרָֽתָה׃
(לט) וּתְשׁוּעַ֣ת צַ֭דִּיקִים מֵיי מָֽ֝עוּזָּ֗ם בְּעֵ֣ת צָרָֽה׃ (מ) וַֽיַּעְזְרֵ֥ם יי וַֽיְפַ֫לְּטֵ֥ם יְפַלְּטֵ֣ם מֵ֭רְשָׁעִים וְיוֹשִׁיעֵ֑ם כִּי־חָ֥סוּ בֽוֹ׃
(1) Of David. Do not be vexed by evil men; do not be incensed by wrongdoers; (2) for they soon wither like grass, like verdure fade away. (3) Trust in Adonai and do good, abide in the land and remain loyal. (4) Seek the favor of Adonai, and God will grant you the desires of your heart. (5) Leave all to Adonai; trust in God; God will do it. (6) God will cause your vindication to shine forth like the light, the justice of your case, like the noonday sun. (7) Be patient and wait for Adonai, do not be vexed by the prospering man who carries out his schemes. (8) Give up anger, abandon fury, do not be vexed; it can only do harm. (9) For evil ones will be cut off, but those who look to Adonai— they shall inherit the land. (10) Just a little more and there will be no wicked; you will look at where he was— he will be gone. (11) But the lowly shall inherit the land, and delight in abundant well-being. (12) The wicked person schemes against the righteous, and gnashes his teeth at him. (13) Adonai laughs at him, for God knows that his day will come. (14) The wicked draw their swords, bend their bows, to bring down the lowly and needy, to slaughter upright men. (15) Their swords shall pierce their own hearts, and their bows shall be broken. (16) Better the little that the righteous man has than the great abundance of the wicked. (17) For the arms of the wicked shall be broken, but Adonai is the support of the righteous. (18) Adonai is concerned for the needs of the blameless; their portion lasts forever; (19) they shall not come to grief in bad times; in famine, they shall eat their fill. (20) But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of Adonai shall be consumed, like meadow grass consumed in smoke. (21) The wicked person borrows and does not repay; the righteous is generous and keeps giving. (22) Those blessed by God shall inherit the land, but those cursed by God shall be cut off. (23) A person's steps are made firm by Adonai, when God delights in his way. (24) Though he stumbles, he does not fall down, for Adonai gives him support. (25) I have been young and am now old, but I have never seen a righteous man abandoned, or his children seeking bread. (26) All day always generous, and lending, and his children are held blessed. (27) Shun evil and do good, and you shall abide forever. (28) For Adonai loves what is right, God does not abandon the faithful ones. They are preserved forever, while the children of the wicked will be cut off. (29) The righteous shall inherit the land, and abide forever in it. (30) The mouth of the righteous utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is right. (31) The teaching of his God is in his heart; his feet do not slip. (32) The wicked watches for the righteous, seeking to put him to death; (33) Adonai will not abandon him to his power; He will not let him be condemned in judgment. (34) Look to Adonai and keep to God's way, and God will raise you high that you may inherit the land; when the wicked are cut off, you shall see it. (35) I saw a wicked person, powerful, well-rooted like a robust native tree. (36) Suddenly he vanished and was gone; I sought him, but he was not to be found. (37) Mark the blameless, note the upright, for there is a future for the man of integrity. (38) But transgressors shall be utterly destroyed, the future of the wicked shall be cut off. (39) The deliverance of the righteous comes from Adonai, their stronghold in time of trouble. (40) Adonai helps them and rescues them, rescues them from the wicked and delivers them, for they seek refuge in God.
Praise the LORD, O my soul! I will praise the LORD all my life,
sing hymns to my God while I exist.
Put not your trust in the great,
in mortal man who cannot save. His breath departs;
he returns to the dust;
on that day his plans come to nothing.
Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,
whose hope is in the LORD his God, maker of heaven and earth,
the sea and all that is in them;
who keeps faith forever; who secures justice for those who are wronged,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets prisoners free; The LORD restores sight to the blind;
the LORD makes those who are bent stand straight;
the LORD loves the righteous; The LORD watches over the stranger;
He gives courage to the orphan and widow,
but makes the path of the wicked tortuous.
The LORD shall reign forever,
your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Hallelujah.
Behold each other silently and relax. Take a couple of deep breaths, centering yourself and releasing any tension...If you feel discomfort or an urge to laugh or look away, just note that gently with patience, and return your attention, when you can, to the living presence of this being. He or she is unique, different from anyone who has ever lived, or will live…
As you behold this person, open your awareness to the powers that are there...to their gifts and strengths and the potentialities. In this being are unmeasurable reserves of courage and intelligence...of patience, endurance, wit and wisdom...There are gifts there, of which this person her/ himself may be as yet unaware...Consider what these powers could do for the healing of our planet, if they were to be believed and acted on. As you consider that, feel your desire that this person be free from fear...Experience how much you want her/him to be free from greed, released from hatred and from sorrow and from the causes of suffering… Know that what you are now experiencing is the great loving-kindness…
Now, as you behold this person, open your awareness to the pain they have known… Here, as in all human lives, there are sorrows, disappointments, failures and losses, loneliness, abuse... There are hurts this person may never have told to another living being… As you open to their suffering, you know that you cannot remove it. You are not that powerful. But you can be with it. As you experience your readiness to be with the pain of another, know that what you are experiencing is the great compassion... It is excellent for the healing of our world…
Now, as you take in the presence of this person, consider how good it would be to work together--on a joint project, toward a common goal... Imagine what it would be like…planning, conspiring, taking risks together... each helping the other find their strength and creativity, celebrating the successes, consoling each other over the setbacks, forgiving each other when you make mistakes...and simply being there for each other… As you open to that possibility, what you open to is the great wealth: the pleasure in each other's powers, the joy in each other's joy…
Lastly, let your awareness drop deep within you like a stone, sinking below the level of what words can express, to the vast currents of relationship that underlie all experience. It is the web of life that supports and interweaves our lives through all space and time...See the being before you as if seeing the face of one who, at another time, another place, was your lover or your enemy, your parent or your child… And now you meet again on this brink of time...And you know your lives are as inextricably interwoven as nerve cells in the mind of a great being… Out of that vast net you cannot fall. No stupidity or failure or cowardice can ever sever you from that living web, because, you see, that is what you are… Rest in that knowing. That is the Great Peace. Out of it you can act, you can risk anything...and let every encounter be a homecoming to your true nature...Indeed it is so.
Notes from Joanna Macy on this exercise:
This exercise is derived from the Buddhist practice of the Brahma-viharas, also known as the Four Abodes of the Buddha, which are loving-kindness, compassion, joy in the joy of others, and equanimity. Adapted for use interactively in a social context, it helps us to see each other more truly and experience the depths of our interconnections.
In workshops I offer this as a guided meditation with participants sitting face to face in pairs or pausing to meet each other silently as they move about the room. At its close, I encourage them to proceed to use all or any portion of it, as they go about their daily lives. It is an excellent antidote to boredom, when our eye falls on another person, say on the subway or in a check-out line. It charges that an movement with beauty and discovery. It also is useful when dealing with people whom we are tempted to disregard or dislike; it breaks open our accustomed ways of viewing them. When used like this, as a meditation-in-action, one does not, of course, gaze long and deeply into the other's eyes, as in the guided exercise. A seemingly casual glance is enough.