StudyingandTeachingTorah

FOR WISDOM, UNDERSTANDING AND AWARENESS, STUDYING AND TEACHING TORAH

הוהי ךיֶנָפְלִּמ ןוֹצָר יִהְי ,יַתוֹבֲא יֵהֹלאֵו יַהֹלֱא ,ךְתָרוֹתְבּ יִבִּל חַתְּפִתֶּשׁ

הָנוּבְתוּ הָמְכָח יִל ןֶתִּתְו ,םָיַּה תַפְשׂ לַע רֶשֲׁא לוֹחַכּ בֵל בַחֹרְו

עֹמְשִׁלְו לֵבַּקְל יַתוֹבְשְׁחַמ ביִחְרַתְו

,עַמְשֶׁאֶּשׁ הַמ לָכְו הֶצְרֶאֶּשׁ הַמ לָכּ יִבִּלְבוּ יִשְׁפַנְבּ רָבָדּ לָכּ סיִנְכַהְל ,תַעַדְבוּ הָנוּבְתִבּ הָמְכָחְבּ

הוהי תֶא הָעֵדּ יִבִּל אֵלָמִּיְו ,םיִסַּכְמ םָיַּל םִיַמַּכּ הָנוֹכְנ שֶׁפֶנְבוּ הָרָבּ ַחוּרְבּ הָבָחְר תַעַדְבוּ .תֶרֶשֻּׁיְמוּ תֶבֶשֻּׁיְמוּ תֶרֶאֹבְמ הָמְכָחְבוּ

עַדֵא יַניֵעְבּ הֶאְרֶא רֶשֲׁא לָכְו ,יִבִּל ַחוּל לַע בַתְּכִנ הֶיְהִיְו ,יַדוּמִּל חַכְּשֶׁא אֹלְו .יִנֵנֲעַו יִנֵרְזָעְו יִנֵכְמָסְו יִנֵדְמַּלְו May it be Your will, Adonai, my God and the God of my ancestors, That You open my heart to Your Torah. May You give me wisdom and understanding, and an open heart that is expensive like the sand of the sea. May You broaden my thinking to receive and to hear all that I seek to hear. May all that I hear enter into my soul and my heart with wisdom, understanding, and awareness. May my heart be full of awareness of Adonai, like water covers the sea, with a clear spirit and a willing soul, with an expanded awareness, and discerning, settled, honest wisdom. May I be aware of all that my eyes see, and it be etched in my heart.

,יִתְּעַמָשֶּׁשׁ הַמ לָכּ רֹכְּזֶאְו ,לֵכְּשַׂהְבוּ הָניִבְבּ ,הָעֵדְבּ

.םָלוֹעְל רָבָדּ םֶהֵמ חַכְּשֶׁא אֹלְו

,יִבִּלְבוּ יִפְבּ םיִרוּדְס הָמְכָח יֵרְבִדּ וּיְהִיְו דֵמַּלְלוּ דֹמְלִלְו ןֵנַּשְׁלוּ סֹרְגִל םיִעְמוֹשַּׁה לָכּ לַע רֵבַּדְלוּ ,םָבִּלְבוּ םָשְׁפַנְבוּ םָתְּעַדְבּ ,ךֶתָרְמִא ַעֹמְשִׁל יִנְזאְָו םָנְזאָ טַהְו ,ךֶתאְָרִיְל יִבִּל דֵחַיְו

,הָבוֹטְל יִבִּל תוֹלֲאְשִׁמ לָכּ אֵלַּמוּ :בוּתָכֶּשׁ אָרְקִמ יִבּ םֵיַּקְתוּ .יִבִּל ביִחְרַת יִכּ ץוּראָ ךיֶתוֹצִמ ךֶרֶדּ May I not forget what I have learned. Teach, support, help, and answer me. May I remember all that I have heard, with awareness, understanding, and intelligence. May I not forget any of it, ever. May words of wisdom be in my mouth and heart, to examine, review, study and teach, and to speak with all who can listen, with mind, soul, and heart. Incline their ears and mine to hear Your words. Devote my heart to divine awe. Please fulfill the requests of my heart toward positive outcomes, and manifest in me the verse “I eagerly pursue Your mitzvot, for You broaden my understanding.”4

— Rabbi Moses ben Nachman, (Nachmanides, Ramban) (1194-1270), Gerona, Spain5

4 Psalms 119:32. 5 From the Spanish prayer book Siddur Minhag Sefarad (The Traditions of Spain), published in Lisbon.