(א) דַּע, כְּשֶׁהָאָדָם מִתְפַּלֵּל בַּשָּׂדֶה, אֲזַי כָּל הָעֲשָׂבִים כֻּלָּם בָּאִין בְּתוֹךְ הַתְּפִלָּה, וּמְסַיְּעִין לוֹ, וְנוֹתְנִין לוֹ כֹּחַ בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ. ,וְזֶה בְּחִינַת שֶׁנִּקְרֵאת הַתְּפִלָּה שִׂיחָה, בְּחִינַת (בראשית ב): שִׂיחַ הַשָּׂדֶה, שֶׁכָּל שִׂיחַ הַשָּׂדֶה נוֹתְנִין כֹּחַ וְסִיּוּעַ בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ. וְזֶה בְּחִינַת (שם כד): וַיֵּצֵא יִצְחָק לָשׂוּחַ בַּשָּׂדֶה – שֶׁתְּפִלָּתוֹ הָיְתָה עִם סִיּוּעַ וְכֹחַ הַשָּׂדֶה, שֶׁכָּל עִשְׂבֵי הַשָּׂדֶה נָתְנוּ כֹּחַ וְסִיּוּעַ בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ כַּנַּ"ל, שֶׁבִּשְׁבִיל זֶה נִקְרֵאת הַתְּפִלָּה שִׂיחָה כַּנַּ"ל. ,וְעַל־כֵּן בַּקְּלָלָה נֶאֱמָר (דברים יא): וְהָאֲדָמָה לֹא תִתֵּן אֶת יְבוּלָהּ; כִּי כָל יְבוּל הָאָרֶץ צְרִיכִין לִתֵּן כֹּחַ וְסִיּוּעַ בְּתוֹךְ הַתְּפִלָּה, וּכְשֶׁיֵּשׁ פְּגָם וְעִכּוּב עַל זֶה, אֲזַי נֶאֱמַר: וְהָאֲדָמָה לֹא תִתֵּן אֶת יְבוּלָהּ. ,כִּי אֲפִלּוּ כְּשֶׁאֵינוֹ מִתְפַּלֵּל בַּשָּׂדֶה, נוֹתְנִים גַם־כֵּן יְבוּל הָאָרֶץ סִיּוּעַ בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ, דְּהַיְנוּ כָּל מַה שֶּׁסָּמוּךְ אֶל הָאָדָם, כְּגוֹן אֲכִילָתוֹ וּשְׁתִיָּתוֹ וְכַיּוֹצֵא, רַק כְּשֶׁהוּא בַּשָּׂדֶה, שֶׁאֲזַי סָמוּךְ לָהֶם בְּיוֹתֵר, אֲזַי כָּל הָעֲשָׂבִים וְכָל יְבוּל הָאֲדָמָה נוֹתֵן כֹּחַ בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ כַּנַּ"ל. ,וְזֶה יְבוּל – רָאשֵׁי־תֵבוֹת: וַיֵּצֵא יִצְחָק לָשׂוּחַ בַּשָּׂדֶה – שֶׁכָּל יְבוּל הַשָּׂדֶה הִתְפַּלְּלוּ עִמּוֹ, כַּנַּ"ל: ,(זֶה הָעִנְיָן מְבֹאָר הֵיטֵב בַּמַּאֲמָר "תִּקְעוּ בַחֹדֶשׁ שׁוֹפָר", הַמַּתְחִיל בְּדַף א, עַיֵּן שָׁם):
(1) Know! when a person prays in the fields, all the flora enters into the prayer, helping him and strengthening his prayer. This is the reason prayer is called SiChah (conversation), the concept of “SiaCh (shrub) of the field” (Genesis 2:5). All the shrubs of the field empower and assist his prayer.,This is the concept of “And Yitzchak went out laSuaCh (to converse) in the field” (ibid. 24:63)—his prayer was with the help and power of the field. All the flora of the field empowered and assisted his prayer, on account of which prayer is called SiChah.,Therefore, the Curse includes the statement: “and the soil will not yield its produce (yevul)” (Deuteronomy 11:17). For all the earth’s produce must empower and assist the prayer. But when this is impeded or delayed, it thus states: “and the soil will not yield its produce.”,Now, even when a person does not pray in the fields, the earth’s produce—i.e., whatever is near the person, such as his food and drink and the like—aids his prayer. But when he is in the field, because he is particularly close to these things, all the flora and all the soil’s yevul (produce) empower his prayer.,And this is YeVUL—the first letters of Vayeitzei Yitzchak Lasuach Basadeh (“And Yitzchak went out to converse in the field”). All the produce of the field prayed together with him.,(This matter is thoroughly explained in Likutey Moharan II, 1:11, “Sound the Shofar at the New Moon”; see there.)
(א) עוֹד שָׁמַעְתִּי בִּשְׁמוֹ לְעִנְיַן מַעֲלַת הַשִּׂיחָה בֵּינוֹ לְבֵין קוֹנוֹ, שֶׁאָמַר שֶׁעַל תְּפִלּוֹת וּתְחִנּוֹת וּבַקָּשׁוֹת הַסְּדוּרוֹת מִכְּבָר, כְּבָר יוֹדְעִין מֵהֶם כָּל הַמְחַבְּלִים וְהַמְקַטְרְגִים, וְהֵם אוֹרְבִים עַל הַדְּרָכִים שֶׁל אֵלּוּ הַתְּפִלּוֹת, מֵחֲמַת שֶׁיּוֹדְעִים מֵהֶם מִכְּבָר.,כְּמוֹ, לְמָשָׁל, עַל הַדֶּרֶךְ הַכְּבוּשָׁה, הַיָּדוּעַ וּמְפֻרְסָם לַכֹּל, שָׁם אוֹרְבִים רוֹצְחִים וְגַזְלָנִים תָּמִיד, מֵחֲמַת שֶׁיּוֹדְעִים מִדֶּרֶךְ זֶה כְּבָר. אֲבָל כְּשֶׁהוֹלְכִין בְּנָתִיב וְדֶרֶךְ חָדָשׁ, שֶׁאֵינוֹ נוֹדָע עֲדַיִן, שָׁם אֵינָם יוֹדְעִים לֶאֱרֹב שָׁם כְּלָל.,כְּמוֹ־כֵן לָעִנְיָן הַנַּ"ל, כִּי הַשִּׂיחָה שֶׁמְּדַבֵּר הָאָדָם עַצְמוֹ בֵּינוֹ לְבֵין קוֹנוֹ, הוּא דֶּרֶךְ חָדָשׁ וּתְפִלָּה חֲדָשָׁה, שֶׁהָאָדָם אוֹמְרָהּ מִלִּבּוֹ מֵחָדָשׁ, עַל־כֵּן אֵין הַמְקַטְרְגִים מְצוּיִים כָּל־כָּךְ לֶאֱרֹב.,וְאַף־עַל־פִּי־כֵן הִזְהִיר מְאֹד גַּם עַל אֲמִירַת שְׁאָר תְּחִנּוֹת וּבַקָּשׁוֹת, כַּמְבֹאָר בִּדְבָרֵינוּ כַּמָּה פְּעָמִים:
(1) I heard another thing in Rebbe Nachman’s name regarding the value of conversation with God. He said: All the damagers and accusers already know about the formal prayers, supplications and entreaties. They lie in wait on the routes of these prayers, because they are already familiar with them.,This can be likened to murderers and thieves, who always lurk on well-traveled public thoroughfares because these roads are already known to them. But when a person travels via a new path or route, one as yet unknown, it does not at all occur to them to set their ambush there.,It is the same with the aforementioned matter. A person’s private conversation with God is a new pathway and a new prayer, which he utters from his heart anew. Consequently, it is uncommon for the accusers to lie in wait there.,Even so, the Rebbe cautioned about also reciting the other supplications and entreaties, as is explained many times in our teachings.
(א) [עַל־פִּי תּוֹרָה י"א - דַּע, כְּשֶׁאָדָם מִתְפַּלֵּל בַּשָּׂדֶה]
לְכָה דוֹדִי נֵצֵא הַשָּׂדֶה נָלִינָה בַּכְּפָרִים, נַשְׁכִּימָה לַכְּרָמִים, נִרְאֶה אִם פָּרְחָה הַגֶּפֶן פִּתַּח הַסְּמָדַר הֵנֵצוּ הָרִמּוֹנִים, שָׁם אֶתֵּן אֶת דּוֹדַי לָךְ.
(ב) רִבּוֹנוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, זַכֵּנִי לְהַרְבּוֹת בְּהִתְבּוֹדְדוּת תָּמִיד, וְאֶזְכֶּה לִהְיוֹת רָגִיל לָצֵאת בְּכָל יוֹם לַשָּׂדֶה בֵּין אִילָנוֹת וַעֲשָׂבִים וְכֹל שִׂיחַ הַשָּׂדֶה,
(ג) וְשָׁם אֶזְכֶּה לְהִתְבּוֹדֵד וּלְהַרְבּוֹת בְּשִׂיחָה זוֹ תְפִלָּה, בֵּינִי לְבֵין קוֹנִי, לָשׂוּחַ שָׁם כָּל אֲשֶׁר עִם לְבָבִי,
(ד) וְכֹל שִׂיחַ הַשָּׂדֶה וְכָל הָעֲשָׂבִים וְהָאִילָנוֹת וְכָל הַצְּמָחִים, כֻּלָּם יִתְעוֹרְרוּ לִקְרָאתִי, וְיַעֲלוּ וְיִתְּנוּ כֹּחָם וְחַיּוּתָם לְתוֹךְ דִּבְרֵי שִׂיחָתִי וּתְפִלָּתִי,
(ה) עַד שֶׁתִּהְיֶה תְפִלָּתִי וְשִׂיחָתִי נִשְׁלֶמֶת בְּתַכְלִית הַשְּׁלֵמוּת עַל־יְדֵי כָּל שִׂיחַ הַשָּׂדֶה, שֶׁיֻּכְלְלוּ כֻּלָּם עִם כָּל כֹּחוֹתָם וְחַיּוּתָם וְרוּחָנִיוּתָם עַד שָׁרְשָׁם הָעֶלְיוֹן, כֻּלָּם יֻכְלְלוּ בְּתוֹךְ תְּפִלָּתִי,
(ו) וְעַל־יְדֵי־זֶה אֶזְכֶּה לִפְתֹּחַ אֶת לִבִּי לְהַרְבּוֹת בִּתְפִלָּה וְתַחֲנוּנִים וּבְשִׂיחָה קְדוֹשָׁה לְפָנֶיךָ מָלֵא רַחֲמִים רַבִּים, וּלְפָנֶיךָ אֶשְׁפֹּךְ כָּל שִׂיחִי,
(ז) עַד שֶׁאֶזְכֶּה לִשְׁפֹּךְ לִבִּי כַמַּיִם נוֹכַח פָּנֶיךָ יְהֹוָה, וְאֶשָּׂא אֵלֶיךָ כַּפָּי, עַל נַפְשִׁי וְנֶפֶשׁ עוֹלָלַי וְטַפַּי:
(ח) אֲהָהּ יְהֹוָה, עֲזֹר עֲזֹר, אֲהָהּ יְהֹוָה, כִּמְעַט אָפֵס תִּקְוָה חָלִילָה, רְאֵה כִּי אָזְלַת יָדִי וְאָפֵס כֹּחִי, רַק מֵרָחוֹק וּמֵעָפָר אֲנִי מְצַפְצֵף אִמְרָתִי אֵלֶיךָ.
(ט) חֲמֹל עַל חַיָּב אֲלָפִים וּרְבָבוֹת פְּעָמִים עַד הַיּוֹם כָּמוֹנִי, חֲמֹל עַל רָחוֹק כָּמוֹנִי, חֲמֹל עַל מִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ רָאוּי לְחֶמְלָה כָּמוֹנִי, חֲמֹל עָלַי, חֲמֹל עָלַי, חֲמֹל עָלַי, חֲמֹל עָלַי, רַחֵם עָלַי, רַחֵם עָלַי,
(י) חָנְנֵנִי יְהֹוָה בְּמַתְּנַת חִנָּם לְגַמְרֵי, חָנֵּנִי חָנֵּנִי, פְּדֵנִי פְּדֵנִי, הַצִּילֵנִי מֵחֲטָאִים וַעֲוֹנוֹת וּפְשָׁעִים, הַצִּילֵנִי מִדִּינָהּ שֶׁל גֵּיהִנָּם,
(יא) הַצִּילֵנִי מֵעוֹנָשִׁים הַקָּשִׁים וְהַמָּרִים שֶׁהָיוּ מַגִּיעִים לִי חַס וְשָׁלוֹם עַל־פִּי מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ הָאֲמִתִּיִּים, הַצִּילֵנִי מֵחַרְבּוֹ שֶׁל מַלְאַךְ הַמָּוֶת וּמֵחִבּוּט הַקֶּבֶר וּמִדִּינָהּ שֶׁל גֵּיהִנָּם,
(יב) הַצִּילֵנִי מֵחֶרְפּוֹת וּבוּשׁוֹת וּבִזְיוֹנוֹת, שֶׁלֹּא אֵבוֹשׁ וְלֹא אֶכָּלֵם וְלֹא אֶכָּשֵׁל לְעוֹלָם וָעֶד, לֹא בְעַלְמָא הָדֵין וְלֹא בְעַלְמָא דְאָתֵי,
(יג) הַחֲזִירֵנִי בִּתְשׁוּבָה שְׁלֵמָה לְפָנֶיךָ, עֲשֵׂה אֵת אֲשֶׁר בְּחֻקֶּיךָ אֵלֵךְ וְאֶת מִשְׁפָּטֶיךָ אֶשְׁמֹר. שָׁמְרָה נַפְשִׁי וְהַצִּילֵנִי אַל אֵבוֹשׁ כִּי חָסִיתִי בָךְ.
(יד) הַפְלֵא חֲסָדֶיךָ, גַּלֵּה חֲסָדִים חֲדָשִׁים הַגְּנוּזִים אֶצְלְךָ לְקָרֵב וּלְרַחֵם אֶת שֶׁאֵינוֹ רָאוּי לְרַחֵם כָּמוֹנִי, לְמַעַנְךָ וּלְמַעַן אֲבוֹתֵינוּ וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ הַצַּדִּיקִים הָאֲמִתִּיִּים, אֲשֶׁר קְדֻשָּׁתָם כְּדַאי לְהָגֵן גַּם עָלַי.
(טו) הוֹשִׁיעָה, אָבִי שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַיִם, הוֹשִׁיעָה, אֲדוֹנִי הַמֶּלֶךְ, שִׁטַּחְתִּי אֵלֶיךָ כַפָּי, אֵלֶיךָ נָשָׂאתִי אֶת עֵינַי הַיּוֹשְׁבִי בַּשָּׁמָיִם, פָּרַשְׂתִּי יָדַי כָּל הַיּוֹם, נַפְשִׁי כְּאֶרֶץ עֲיֵפָה לְךָ סֶלָה.
(טז) זַכֵּנִי שֶׁאֶהְיֶה כִּרְצוֹנְךָ תָּמִיד, דַּלּוּ עֵינַי לַמָּרוֹם אֲדֹנָי עָשְׁקָה לִּי עָרְבֵנִי, עֲרֹב עַבְדְּךָ לְטוֹב, אַל יַעַשְׁקוּנִי זֵדִים.
(יז) עֵינַי כָּלוּ לִישׁוּעָתֶךָ וּלְאִמְרַת צִדְקֶךָ, עַד יַשְׁקִיף וְיֵרֶא יְהֹוָה מִשָּׁמָיִם. אוּלַי יָחוֹס אוּלַי יְרַחֵם.
(יח) וַאֲנִי תָּמִיד אֲיַחֵל וְהוֹסַפְתִּי עַל כָּל תְּהִלָּתֶךָ, כִּי לֹא יִזְנַח לְעוֹלָם אֲדֹנָי. טוֹב וְיָחִיל וְדוּמָם לִתְשׁוּעַת יְהֹוָה, כִּי שָׁחָה לֶעָפָר נַפְשֵׁנוּ, דָּבְקָה לָאָרֶץ בִּטְנֵנוּ, קוּמָה עֶזְרָתָה לָּנוּ וּפְדֵנוּ לְמַעַן חַסְדֶּךָ. אָמֵן וְאָמֵן:
(1) The Grasses of the Field Enhance a Person’s Prayers
When a person prays in the field, all of the grasses enter into his prayer and imbue it with power.
Hitbodedut Among the Trees and Grasses
“Come, my beloved. Let us go out to the field, let us stay overnight in the villages. Let us arise to the vineyards, let us see if the grapevine has flowered, if the tiny grapes have developed, if the pomegranates have lost their flowers. There I will give you my love.”
(2) Master of the world, help me always engage in a great deal of hitbodedut.5 Hitbodedut (literally, “self-seclusion”) refers to private prayer to God in one’s mother tongue. For a “how-to” guide to hitbodedut, see Where Earth and Heaven Kiss: Rebbe Nachman’s Path of Meditation, published by the Breslov Research Institute. See also Outpouring of the Soul. May I accustom myself to go out every day to the fields, among the trees, grasses and all of the vegetation of the field.
(3) There, may I engage in hitbodedut and a great deal of conversation — that is, prayer — between myself and You, my Maker, expressing everything that is in my heart.
(4) May all of the vegetation of the field, all of the grasses, trees and plants, be aroused to greet me, rise up and invest their strength and vitality in my words of conversation and prayer.
(5) Then may my prayer and conversation reach the ultimate perfection with the aid of all of the plants of the field, so that all of them, with all of their might, vitality and spirit, reaching up to their supernal root, will be incorporated into my prayer.
(6) As a result, may I open my heart and engage in a great deal of prayer, pleading and holy conversation before You Who are filled with vast compassion. May I pour forth all of my conversation before You.
(7) At last, may I pour my heart out like water before Your countenance, HaShem, and lift my hands to You on behalf of my soul and the souls of my children and infants.
(8) Seeking God’s Rescue
HaShem, help! Help me, HaShem! My hope is almost entirely gone, Heaven forbid. Look, my hand has no more strength, my might is gone. I murmur to You from a great distance.
(9) Have mercy on me. I am guilty a thousand times over, tens of thousands of times over, to this day. Have mercy on me, I who am so far away from You. Have mercy on me, I who do not deserve mercy. Have mercy on me! Have compassion on me!
(10) Be gracious to me, HaShem. Grant me a gift that is totally undeserved. Be gracious to me! Redeem me! Rescue me from transgressions, sins and offenses. Rescue me from the judgment of Gehennom.
(11) Rescue me from the harsh and bitter punishments that I deserve, Heaven forbid, according to Your true judgments. Rescue me from the sword of the angel of death, from being beaten in the grave and from the judgment of Gehennom.
(12) Rescue me from dishonor, shame and disgrace. May I never be ashamed or humiliated. May I never stumble, either in this world or the next.
(13) Bring me back to You in complete repentance. Help me walk in Your laws and keep Your judgments. “Guard my soul and save me; may I never be ashamed, for I take refuge in You.”
(14) May Your lovingkindness be wondrous. Reveal new kindnesses that have been concealed with You to bring compassion to someone like myself, someone who does not deserve compassion, for Your sake and for the sake of our forefathers and our rabbis, the true Tzaddikim, whose holiness is capable of shielding even me.
(15) Save me, my Father in Heaven! Save me, my Master, the King! “I have spread my hands out to You.” “To You have I raised my eyes, You Who dwell in Heaven.” “I have stretched out my hands the entire day.” “My soul turns to You like a tired land.”
(16) Help me always be in accordance with Your will. “My eyes are raised to the heights, HaShem. I have been oppressed; be my guarantor.” “Be a guarantor to Your servant for the good — do not let the wicked oppress me!”
(17) “My eyes have pined for Your salvation and Your righteous word,” “until HaShem will gaze and see from Heaven.” Perhaps You will have pity! Perhaps You will have compassion!
(18) “And I will always hope, and I will add to all of Your praises,” “because the Lord will not cast away forever.” “It is good for a person to hope silently for the salvation of HaShem,” “because our soul is cast down to the dust, our belly clings to the earth. Arise to help us and redeem us for the sake of Your kindness.” Amen and amen.
Rabbi Nachman of Bratsalv, Prayer for Nature (adapted from above)
Grant me the ability to be alone; may it be my custom to go outdoors each day among the trees and grass - among all growing things and there may I be alone, and enter into prayer, to talk with the One to whom I belong. May I express there everything in my heart, and may all the foliage of the field - all grasses, trees, and plants - awake at my coming, to send the powers of their life into the words of my prayer so that my prayer and speech are made whole through the life and spirit of all growing things, which are made as one by their transcendent Source. May I then pour out the words of my heart before your Presence like water, O L-rd, and lift up my hands to You in worship, on my behalf, and that of my children!
Elul Day 11 - י"א באלול
Dear Elul Writers,
The luminous poet, Donika Kelly, was asked in an interview about the prevalent role of animals, plants and the natural world in her work. Her answer resonated so deeply with me that I thought I would share it here.
What I find most compelling about the animal and natural world is that the motives of those lives—animal lives, plant lives, mineral, and stone—those motives exist outside the human framework. There is no regard for our values, our philosophical dilemmas, or the structures we enable that cause harm. Understanding that we are not the center of any world other than our species’ own gives me small hope about other ways of being and knowing that prioritize balance over dominion. Most personally, though, situating my hurts, which feel so big inside my body, against the natural world scales my feelings to my own singular smallness and makes them more manageable.
We all have the tendency to see our struggles, whether personal or societal, as the central drama unfolding in the world. How might attention to the ways of plants, animals, rivers and mountains, help us reorient ourselves to the world, to scale our feelings.
The other night when I was at my wit’s end with parenting, I did what I often do, and slipped out for a ten minute stroll through the woods near our house. Not two minutes into my walk, a cardinal flew past me, a streak of red, really, and found its perch on a nearby tree. I turned to look at it and immediately felt a softening, a release of the stress that I was carrying, a creeping in of appreciation and awe. Just a bird! A red bird, yes. But still, it was the mere sight of a bird that reminded me that I would be okay, that frustration passes, that the world will go on.
Prompt
Rebbe Nachman writes, “Grant me the ability to be alone; may it be my custom to go outdoors each day among the trees and grass - among all growing things and there may I be alone, and enter into prayer, to talk with the One to whom I belong.” What the mystic seems to know is that our ability to connect is enhanced by our setting. So, on this 11th day of Elul, I encourage you to spend some time in a spot where you can both feel your “singular smallness” and, in terms of personal growth, ‘prioritize balance over dominion.’ Maybe it’s on your front stoop or in the arboretum or sitting under an old tree or running by the Hudson River.