(31) And God saw all that He had made, and found it very good. And there was evening and there was morning, the sixth day.
(ב) והנה מה שהורונו חכמינו זכרונם לברכה הוא, שהאדם לא נברא אלא להתענג על ה' ולהנות מזיו שכינתו שזהו התענוג האמיתי והעידון הגדול מכל העידונים שיכולים להמצא. ומקום העידון הזה באמת הוא העולם הבא, כי הוא הנברא בהכנה המצטרכת לדבר הזה.
(2) Behold, what our sages, of blessed memory, have taught us is that man was created solely to delight in G-d and to derive pleasure in the radiance of the Shechina (divine presence). For this is the true delight and the greatest pleasure that can possibly exist. The place of this pleasure is, in truth, in Olam Haba (the World to Come). For it was created expressly for this purpose.
(טז) וִיהִי רָצון מִלְּפָנֶיךָ ה' אֱלהֵינוּ וֵאלהֵי אֲבותֵינוּ שֶׁתַּרְגִּילֵנוּ בְּתורָתֶךָ. וְדַבְּקֵנוּ בְּמִצְותֶיךָ. וְאַל תְּבִיאֵנוּ לא לִידֵי חֵטְא. וְלא לִידֵי עֲבֵרָה וְעָון. וְלא לִידֵי נִסָּיון. וְלא לִידֵי בִזָּיון. וְאַל תַּשְׁלֶט בָּנוּ יֵצֶר הָרָע. וְהַרְחִיקֵנוּ מֵאָדָם רָע וּמֵחָבֵר רָע. וְדַבְּקֵנוּ בְּיֵצֶר הַטוב וּבְמַעֲשים טובִים. וְכף אֶת יִצְרֵנוּ לְהִשְׁתַּעְבֶּד לָךְ. וּתְנֵנוּ הַיּום וּבְכָל יום לְחֵן וּלְחֶסֶד וּלְרַחֲמִים בְּעֵינֶיךָ וּבְעֵינֵי כָל רואֵינוּ. וְתִגְמְלֵנוּ חֲסָדִים טובִים. בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה' הַגּומֵל חֲסָדִים טובִים לְעַמּו יִשרָאֵל.
(16) And may it be pleasing before You, Hashem our G-d and the G-d of our forefathers, that you make us accustomed in your Torah, and make us stick to your commandments. And that You do not bring us not to the hands of sin, nor to the hands of transgression and wrongdoing, nor to the hands of trial, and nor to the hands of scorn. And let not the evil inclination rule inside us, and distance us from a bad person and a bad friend. And stick us to the good inclination and to good deeds, and force our inclination to be subdued to You. And grant us today and every day grace and kindness and mercy, in your eyes and in the eyes of all who see us, and reward us with good kindnesses. Blessed are You, Hashem, who rewards good kindnesses upon His nation, Israel.
(2) Examine me, O LORD, and try me, my heart and mind will be purified.
Rav Yehuda says that Rav says: A person should never bring himself to undergo an ordeal, as David, king of Israel, brought himself to undergo an ordeal and failed. David said before God: Master of the Universe, for what reason does one say in prayer: God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Jacob, and one does not say: God of David? God said to David: They have undergone ordeals before Me, and you have not undergone an ordeal before Me. David said before Him: Examine me and subject me to an ordeal, as it is stated: “Examine me, Lord, and subject me to an ordeal; try my kidneys and my heart” (Psalms 26:2). God said to him: I will subject you to an ordeal, and I will perform a matter for you that I did not perform for the Patriarchs, as for them, I did not inform them of the nature of the ordeal, while I am informing you that I will subject you to an ordeal involving a matter of a married woman, with whom relations are forbidden.
Rabbi Ḥanina says: Anyone who states that the Holy One, Blessed be He, is forgiving [vateran] of transgressions, his life will be relinquished [yivatru], as it is stated: “The Rock, His work is perfect, for all His ways are justice” (Deuteronomy 32:4). In other words, God does not waive heavenly justice. Rabbi Ḥana says, and some say that Rabbi Shmuel bar Naḥmani says: What is the meaning of that which is written
(ה) ה] אֲנִי מַאֲמִין בֶּאֱמוּנָה שְׁלֵמָה, שֶׁהַבּורֵא יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמו לו לְבַדּו רָאוּי לְהִתְפַּלֵּל, וְאֵין רָאוּי לְהִתְפַּלֵּל לְזוּלָתו.
(5) I believe with perfect faith that solely the Creator His name be blessed is fit to be prayed to, and it is unfit to pray to any other being.