day, to love the Lord thy God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, and His statutes, and His judgments, that thou mayest live, and the Lord thy God shall bless thee. [Deuteronomy xxx, 11-16.] Lead me in Thy truth, and teach me; for Thou art the God of my help. Cause me to know Thy ways, O Lord; teach me Thy paths! [Psalm xxv, 4-5.] Teach me to do Thy will; for Thou art my God! Let Thy good spirit lead me in a plain path. Quicken me, O Lord, for Thy name's sake! In Thy righteousness bring my soul out of distress. [Psalm cxliii, 10-11.] Search me, O God! and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts; and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. irsalm cxxxix, 23-24.] Send out Thy light and Thy truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to Thy holy mountain, and to Thy habitation. [Psalm xliii, 3.] He that planted the ear, shall He not hear? He that formed the eye, shall He not see? He that chastiseth nations, shall He not correct? He that teacheth man knowledge, shall He not know? The Lord knoweth the thoughts of men, that they are vanity. Blessed is the man, whom Thou chastisest, O Lord, and teachest him out of Thy law; that Thou mayest give him rest in the days of adversity. [Psalm xciv, 9-12.] He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds. He counteth the number of the stars; He calleth them all by their names. The Lord lifteth up the meek. He casteth the wicked down to the ground. [Psalm cxlvii, 3-6.] Blessed is he that considereth the poor; the Lord will uphold him in the time of trouble. The Lord will preserve him, and keep him alive; and he shall be blessed upon the earth. [Psalm xli, 2-3.] Thus saith the Lord: Keep ye judgment and do justice, for my salvation is near to come, and my righteousness to be revealed. Blessed is the man that doeth this, and the son of man that layeth hold of it; that keepeth the Sabbath and profaneth it not, and keepeth his hand from doing evil. The strangers, also, that join themselves to the Lord to serve Him, to love the name of the Lord, and to be His servants, them will I bring to my holy mountain, and I will make them rejoice in my house of prayer: for my house snall be called a house of prayer for all nations. [Isaiah lvi, 1-2, 6-7.] Turn again to the Most iniquity, for He will lead Return unto the Lord and forsake thy sins; make thy prayer before His face. High, and turn away from thee out of darkness into the way of light. As a drop of water unto the sea, and as a grain of sand, so are a thousand years to the days of eternity. Therefore is God patient with men and poureth forth His mercy upon them. The mercy of man is toward his neighbor; but the mercy of the Lord is upon all flesh. He reproveth, and chasteneth, and teacheth, and bringeth again as a shepherd his flock. [Ben Sirach.] Prayer is the purest service which the heart can offer unto God. The gates of repentance are always open. When thou prayest lift up not alone thy voice but also thy heart unto God. Before thou prayest, examine thy heart, whether a devout spirit animate thee. Prayer without devotion is a body without a soul. When thou prayest turn thine eyes toward the earth, but let thy heart be turned toward heaven. God will surely hear the prayer of him who prayeth for others, though he himself may stand in need of divine mercy. Though all other prayers should cease, the prayer of thanksgiving shall never cease. Be thou as God-fearing in secret as thou seemest in public, always acknowledging the truth and harboring the truth in thy heart. Say every morning: Lord of the world, not in reliance upon mine own righteousness, but trusting in Thine infinite mercy do I make supplication unto Thee. "Kind and just is the Lord, therefore showeth He to sinners the way;" He is kind because He is justHe is just because He is kind. "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself;" this is the chief commandment of the Torah. [Talmud.] |