Prayer of the Yanuka Gaon from the Depths for Revealing Mercy and Causing the Horn of Salvation to Sprout

Prayer of the Yanuka Gaon from the Depths for Revealing Mercy and Causing the Horn of Salvation to Sprout

תפלה ממעמקים לגילוי רחמים ולהצמיח קרן ישועה Ribono shel Olam, Av Ha-Rachamim, whose compassion has no limit or end, please awaken and reveal Your great mercy to the very place and level at which I stand before You. For only You know and see where I am in this world, and You know my path and my way, where I must arrive, in accordance with what Your wisdom established as the purpose of my coming into this world. Without You, I have no standing or existence in this world at all, for through my iniquities, sins, and transgressions, which I have committed and for which I have grievously sinned before You, I have erred and gone astray again and again, more and more. I have no counsel or understanding of how to return to You in truth, for the state and level of my place, and the true path and way on which I should walk before You, are hidden from the eyes of my understanding. I do not know how I can merit having Your goodness and light shine upon me, or emerging from the depths of the netherworld in which I find myself. Please, full of mercy, save me with Your right hand and answer me. For many rise up against me, and my heart sees and feels that I am enveloped in kelipot, falsehood, and despair, and that all the evil traits that prevent me from drawing near to You and cleaving to the light of Your countenance have taken hold of me. Please, Merciful and Gracious One, redeem me and save me from the hand of every adversary and accuser who stands against me, for only You, blessed be Your Name, are able to protect me from them. You are omnipotent, and You can rebuke all the kelipot that surround me at every moment, place upon me the image of G-d, and cause dread and fear to overcome them, as You promised us in Your Torah: "לֹא יִתְיַצֵב אִישׁ בִּפְנֵיכֶם פַּחְדְּכֶם וּמוֹרַאֲכֶם יִתֵּן ה' אֱ־לֹהֵיכֶם עַל פְּנֵי כָל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר תִּדְרְכוּ בָהּ כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר לָכֶם". Please, Merciful and Gracious One, look and see how greatly I have distanced myself from You, and awaken Your great mercy toward my poor and lowly state. Do this for Your sake and save me. And if, because of my sins, the light of Your countenance is not with me, and I find no favor in Your eyes that You should save me, please judge me favorably, by virtue of and through the power of this prayer with which I ask and plead before You, and once again grace me with the light of Your countenance. For I rely and depend solely upon the words of my lips, because through the power of prayer we were born and came before You. You made our foremothers barren so that they would pray to You, and Your pure nation would be born through prayer. Please make this prayer find favor in Your eyes and awaken Your great mercy upon me, to save me with a complete salvation, for I place my trust in You alone. You, blessed be Your Name, created and formed me; You alone will help me and set me right, for it is fitting that You should have mercy on me in my place and at my level. Who will have mercy on that which has been formed, if not the Former? Who will have mercy on that which has been created, if not the Creator? Who will have mercy on that which is corrupted and flawed, if not the One who is perfect in every form of perfection? For You, blessed be You, are One, and Your Name is One. Therefore, I will take refuge in Your shadow and pray to You, for You are near to all who call upon You and available to all who seek You. In You I trust and hope that You will show me Your salvation, shine upon me the light of Your countenance, and grace me. Amen, forever and ever.   Tefillah Mi-ma'amakim Le-gilui Rachamim U-lehatzmiach Keren Yeshuah Ribono shel Olam, Av Ha-Rachamim, asher ein gevul va-ketz le-otzem rachamecha, ana orer ve-galeh rachamecha ha-gedolim ad limkomi u-madregati asher hineni omed le-fanecha, ki lecha levadecha galui ve-yadua heichan sharui anochi ba-olam, ve-atah yadata orch i ve-darki, le-heichan tz arich ani lavo kefi she-kavta chokhmat echa be-tachlit biati la-olam, u-mibal adecha ein li matzav u-tekumah ba-olam klal, ki ba-avonotai ve-chata'ai u-fesha'ai she-aviti ve-chatati u-fashati meod le-fanecha, ta iti ve-ta iti shuv va-shuv yoter ve-yoter, ve-ein li kol etzah u-tevunah eich lashuv elecha be-emet, ki ne'elam me-einei sichli ma'amad mekomi u-madregati, ve-eizo hi derech ve-orach ha-emet ba asher elech le-fanecha, ve-eineni yode'a keitzad uchal lizkot le-ha'ir alai orecha ha-tov, ve-latzet me-imkei ha-sheol tachtiyot bo ani nimtza. Ana male rachamim, hoshi'a yeminecha va-aneni. Ki rabbim kamim alai, ve-libi ro'eh u-margish she-atu f anochi bi-kelipot va-sheker ve-ye'ush, ve-ne'echazim bi kol ha-midot ha-ra'ot ha-me'akvot ba'adi mi-lehitkarev elecha u-lehidabek be-or panecha. Ana rachum ve-chanun, pedeni ve-hatzileni mi-yad kol tzar u-mastin ha-omed kenegdi, ki rak atah yitbarach Shimcha levadecha asher yachol le-hagen ba'adi mi-peneihem, she-harei kol yachol atah, ve-yachol atah li-g'ror be-chol ha-kelipot ha-ofefot oti be-chol et va-rega, u-le-ten alai tzelem Elokim ve-tichol aleihem eimat ah u-fachad, u-kefi she-hivtach tanu be-Toratecha: “לֹא יִתְיַצֵב אִישׁ בִּפְנֵיכֶם פַּחְדְּכֶם וּמוֹרַאֲכֶם יִתֵּן ה' אֱ־לֹהֵיכֶם עַל פְּנֵי כָל הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר תִּדְרְכוּ בָהּ כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֶּר לָכֶם". Ana rachum ve-chanun, habet u-re'eh na otzem rechuki mimcha, ve-orer rachamecha ha-gedolim el mekomi ha-dal ve-ha-shaf el kol kach, va-aseh le-ma'ancha ve-hoshi'eni. Ve-im ba-avonotai ein or panecha iti, ve-eineni motze chen be-einecha le-hoshi'eni, ana dun oti le-kaf zechut bi-zechut u-ve-koach tefillah zo she-mevakesh u-mitchanen anochi le-fanecha, ve-tashuv u-techaneni be-or panecha, ki rak al sich si ftotai nish an ve-nismach anochi, ki mi-koach ha-tefillah noladnu u-vanu le-fanecha, she-asita imoteinu akarot bi-kedei she-nitpallel elecha ve-yivaled amcha ha-tahor me-ha-tefillah. Ana aseh she-tisa tefillah zo chen be-einecha u-te'orer alai rachamecha ha-gedolim le-hoshi'eni yeshuah shelemah, ki vecha levadecha ani bote'ach, she-atah yitbarach Shimcha she-barata ve-yatzarta oti, atah levadecha te-sa'ayeni u-tetaken oti, ki lecha ra'ui le-rachem alai be-mekomi u-ve-madregati. Mi yerachem al ha-notzar — halo ha-yotzer? U-mi yerachem al ha-nivra — halo ha-Bore? U-mi yerachem al ha-mekulkal ve-ha-pagum — halo Hu ha-mashlim be-chol minei shelemut? Ki atah yitbarach echad, ve-Shimcha echad. Lachen be-tzilcha etkaseh, ve-elecha etpalel, ki karov atah le-chol kore'echa, u-matzui le-chol dorshecha, u-vecha evtach va-akaveh she-tar'eni yeshu'atecha, ve-ta'ir alai or panecha, ve-techaneni. Amen, netzach, selah, va'ed.   Prayer from the Depths for Revealing Mercy and Causing the Horn of Salvation to Sprout Master of the Universe, Father of mercy, whose compassion has no limit or end, please awaken and reveal Your great mercy to the very place and level at which I stand before You. For only You know and see where I am in this world, and You know my path and my way, where I must arrive, according to what Your wisdom established as the purpose of my coming into this world. Without You, I have no standing or existence in this world, for through my iniquities, sins, and transgressions, by which I have grievously sinned before You, I have erred and gone astray again and again, more and more. I have no counsel or understanding of how to truly return to You, for my state and level are hidden from the eyes of my understanding, as is the true path I should choose in order to walk before You. I do not know how I can merit having Your goodness and light shine upon me or emerging from the depths of the netherworld in which I find myself. Please, full of mercy, save me with Your right hand and answer me. For many rise up against me, and my heart sees and feels that I am enveloped in kelipot, falsehood, and despair, and that all the evil traits preventing me from drawing near to You and cleaving to the light of Your countenance have taken hold of me. Please, Merciful and Gracious One, redeem me and save me from the hand of every adversary and accuser standing against me, for only You, blessed be Your Name, are able to protect me from them. You are omnipotent, and You can cause all the kelipot surrounding me to disappear at any time, place the image of G-d upon me, and cause dread and fear to overcome them. As You promised us in Your Torah: “No man shall stand before you; the L-rd, your G-d, shall put your fear and dread upon every land upon which you tread, as He has spoken to you.” Please, Merciful and Gracious One, look and see how greatly I have distanced myself from You, and awaken Your great mercy toward my poor and lowly state. Do this for Your sake and save me. And if, because of my sins, the light of Your countenance is not with me, and I find no favor in Your eyes that You should save me, please judge me favorably by virtue of this prayer with which I ask and plead before You, and return to me the light of Your countenance. For I rely solely upon the words of my lips, because through the power of prayer we were born and came before You. You made our foremothers barren so that they would pray to You, and Your pure nation would be born through prayer. Please make this prayer find favor in Your eyes and awaken Your great mercy upon me, to save me with a complete salvation, for I trust in You alone. You, blessed be Your Name, created and formed me; You alone will help me and set me right, for it is fitting that You should have mercy on me in my place and at my level. Who will have mercy on that which has been formed, if not the Former? Who will have mercy on that which has been created, if not the Creator? Who will have mercy on that which is corrupted and flawed, if not the One who is perfect in every form of perfection? For You, blessed be You, are One, and Your Name is One. Therefore, I will take refuge in Your shadow and pray to You, for You are near to all who call upon You and available to all who seek You. In You I trust and hope that You will show me Your salvation, shine upon me the light of Your countenance, and grace me. Amen. Forever, eternally, without end.   (The disciples of the Yanuka Gaon for Silatehilim)