Minimizing Work and Increasing Torah Learning A person should do his best to minimize his work and increase his Torah learning. He should strive to be among those who sit in the study hall, learning Torah day and night. Even when he engages in business, his Torah learning should be the permanent element in his life, and his work transitory. Only the external part of his thoughts should engage in the business, while his inner thoughts are attached to God and the Torah. That is not to deny the value of work. God wants man to engage in business to earn a living, so that he will draw forth and elevate all the holy sparks from the depths of the “husks” and return them to their place. He does so by engaging in business with great honesty. To that end, he should never go back on his word, even for all the riches in the world. When he elevates the sparks in this fashion, he need not elevate them via the disgrace of having to appear in a court of Jewish law. The Portion of Those Who Sit in the Study Hall “Turn my heart to Your testimonies and not toward monetary gain.”

Master of the world, help me and save me. May I be attached to Your Torah and to serving You forever.

Place my portion among those who sit in the study hall and not among those who sit on street corners. May Your Torah be my craft in this world, and may it remain with me in the World to Come. May I study Your Torah day and night.

The Inner Life of Business Even when, in accordance with Your will, I must engage in some business to earn money — to do some labor or business, or to travel and the like — have compassion on me and save me, so that my inner thoughts will be attached to You and to Your holy Torah, clothed in that business or trade.

May I not place my inner mind in the business and mundane activity itself. May only the external part of my thoughts engage in the business, while in my inner thoughts, I am attached to You and to Your holy Torah.

May I engage in business with great honesty. May my “yes” be honest, and may I never go back on my word, even for all the riches in the world.

When I engage in business, may my entire intent be for the sake of Your Name and Your Torah — for the sake of learning Torah, serving You, giving a great deal of charity, and fulfilling Your holy commandments.

Torah is the Permanent Element May I minimize my work and business, and increase my Torah learning for its own sake. May my Torah learning be the permanent element in my life, and my work transitory.

Even when I engage in work and business, may the essence of my mind and inner thoughts be planted in Torah and in truly serving You, solely for the sake of Your Name.

Be with me always when I am at home and when I am traveling. Strengthen me with faith and trust to truly know and believe that “not by might does a person prevail.” “For it is not from the east and not from the west and not from the mountainous desert” — because everything comes from You alone.

Elevating Holy Sparks It is Your will that we engage in some business to earn a living, so that we will draw forth and elevate all of the holiness and fallen sparks from the depths of the “husks” and return them to their place.

You Who are filled with compassion, have compassion on us. You think thoughts so that “none will be pushed away from Him.” Give us the might, strength and counsel to engage in battle whenever we must go out to engage in external work in business and the like.

May we do everything with great faith, holiness and purity, with awe, fear and attachment to Your Torah. May we serve You in our inner thoughts, so that with the help of holy faith, we will have the power to draw forth all of the sparks that fell into the depths of the “husks” because of our many sins and because of the sins of our forefathers, in this incarnation and in other incarnations, unintentionally or intentionally, under duress or willingly.

Have compassion on us for the sake of Your Name, because You know that we lack the strength and knowledge to fight this war, whose purpose is to draw forth the sparks from the power of the “husks” that have conquered and imprisoned them.

At each moment that we are inspired to draw them out and elevate them, these “husks” react and grow stronger and stronger, Heaven forbid. As a result, the exile has grown longer and our subjugation more complete — for the nation and for each individual. We have no one who knows how to overcome these “husks” and fight them.

On whom can we rely but our Father in Heaven? “HaShem is a warrior, HaShem is His Name.” He will fight on our behalf. “HaShem, fight those who fight against me; battle those who battle against me. Take hold of the shield and buckler and rise to help me.” “Arm Yourself with a spear and bar the way before those who pursue me. Say to my soul, ‘I am your salvation.’”

Save me, Master of salvations, so that my thoughts will always be attached to You and Your Torah, even when I am engaged in external activities — in work, business and the like.

Holy Faith May I always strengthen myself with complete faith. In particular, may I have the strongest faith when I leave the tent of Torah to engage in mundane affairs.

Give holy faith the power to draw out and elevate all holiness and fallen sparks that fell into all things in the world, from the Creation until this day.

Raise them up and bring them back to their original place, the place that was their tent before, more firmly than ever. May no one be driven away from You.

In Your vast compassion, help me engage in business honestly. May my inner thoughts be attached to and connected to the Torah even when I am engaged in business.

Avoiding Courts of Law Rescue me and protect me so that I will never be subjected to the disgrace of having to appear in a court of law before judges for a Torah judgment.

May all of my business affairs be honest. May all of those people with whom I engage in business treat me honestly. May I know, understand and believe that the Torah is clothed in all business. May my business always be connected to the Torah so that I will not need to rectify it by having to stand before judges in a Torah court.

HaShem Will Act on My Behalf Master of the world, compassionately fulfill my requests for good. Help me win the war in this world by means of learning Torah and attaining holy faith.

“Hear, HaShem, and be gracious to me. HaShem, help me!” Help and save me, I who am weak in might, weak in knowledge and weak in gaining counsel, so that I will win this difficult war in all ways.

Because I have so many blemishes, I would never have dared to ask for this. But everything that is hidden in my heart, including my assurance in and reliance on the power of the true Tzaddikim, is revealed to You. I cast my burden on them.

May they fight on my behalf. I will follow their holy counsel and walk in their paths, and never veer from their words, whether to the right or to the left.

“HaShem will act on my behalf. HaShem, Your kindness is forever; do not forsake the work of Your hands.” “Please, HaShem, save me. Please, HaShem, bring me success.” “HaShem, save! King, answer on the day we call.”

“May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be pleasing before You, HaShem, my Rock and my Redeemer.” Amen and amen.