Rabbi Elimelech's Prayer

Guard us from all deflections and from all haughtiness,
from anger and sudden rage, from dismalness of heart
and evil insinuations, and from all other ignoble things
and from aught that stains Thy holy and pure service,
which is precious to us. Pour out over us Thy holy spirit,
that we may cling to Thee and that our desire
may be fixed upon Thee…
Redeem us from envy of our comrades;
let no envy arise in our hearts…
Grant us so to act that all shall see
the merits of our comrades and not their lacks,
and that we, each one of us, speak with his comrades
in the way of veraciousness,
which is pleasing in Thy sight…Amen.
May this be Thy will.


From Martin Buber’s For the Sake of Heaven, p82.