Thursday, January 3, 2008

Before You Shall I Pour Forth My Speech

by Rav Avraham Yitzchak Kook

Before You shall I pour forth my speech, Master of all worlds.

Your greatness will not prevent me from coming close to You, for indeed [Your] greatness is [Your] humility, and they have no end—as is the case with all of Your traits.

Neither will my awareness of my smallness and my nothingness prevent me from having the vigor to come close to You, the light of life and the source of good, for there is no end to the greatness that my heart will cause me to feel in that I am one of Your creations.

And even if I look down on some of Your creatures and they are inconsequential in my eyes, only foolishness causes that.

You are the source of wisdom. Only You know Your greatness. And in the power of that greatness, truly all of Your creatures are of equal worth, insofar as they are Your creations, great and awesome God.

And for me as well, it is enough for me to be considered one of the works of Your hands—that covers all of my imperfections.

And behold, with a trembling of the holy I come to You, my King. Save me. From all of my sins help me escape, and from all of my enemies deliver me. Save [me] please, save [me] please, Father Who is compassionate and gracious regarding all deeds.

“To Hashem belongs salvation; upon Your nation is Your blessing selah.”

Chadarav, pp. 153-154

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