tefila cards: elokai netzor

אלוקי נצור

This is adapted from what Gemara Brachos 17a says that Mar son of Ravina said after he finished davening:

💬 Why ask for this? Isn’t this our free will?  😯	אֱלֹקי נְצֹר לְשׁוֹנִי מֵרָע	My God: Guard my tongue from evil
💬 Same Q as above. 😯 😕What’s so bad about speaking falsehood?	וּשְׂפָתַי מִדַּבֵּר מִרְמָה	and [guard] my lips from speaking falsehood
😯 (this emoji keeps being relevant) It’s SO hard to keep calm when people curse me.  I need help with this!	וְלִמְקַלְלַי נַפְשִׁי תִדֹּם	and to those who curse me, my soul should be silent
💬 But I want everyone to like me, not think I’m dust!	וְנַפְשִׁי כֶּעָפָר לַכֹּל תִּהְיֶה	and my soul should be like dust to everyone.
💘 Please make me open to what the Torah says	פְּתַח לִבִּי בְּתוֹרָתֶךָ	Open my heart to Your Torah
💬 I’ll do the mitzvos, but love them so much that I chase them?! And how does davening for that make me like them more?	וְבמִצְוֹתֶיךָ תִּרְדֹּף נַפְשִׁי.	And my soul should chase Your mitzvos.
	וְכָל-הַחושבים עָלַי רָעָה	And all who plan evil against me--
Yeah, no disagreement here	מְהֵרָה הָפֵר עֲצָתָם וְקַלְקֵל מַחְשְבוֹתָם	quickly break their plans and confuse their thoughts.
Really? How does helping me out help out Hashem’s reputation?	עֲשֵׂה לְמַעַן שְׁמֶךָ	Do it for the sake of Your name
*metaphor alert* What is Hashem’s right hand and why does it need help?	עֲשֵׂה לְמַעַן יְמִינֶךָ	Do it for the sake of Your right hand
How does helping me out help out Hashem’s Torah?	עֲשֵׂה לְמַעַן תּוֹרָתֶךָ	Do it for the sake of Your Torah
How does helping me out help Hashem’s holiness? (Note we are telling Hashem to help us for Him, not for us… But Hashem has no needs..)	עֲשֵׂה לְמַעַן קְדֻשָּׁתֶךָ	Do it for the sake of Your holiness
Yeah! I always want to jump up and yell this.	לְמַעַן יֵחָלְצוּן יְדִידֶיךָ הוֹשִׁיעָה יְמִינְךָ וַעֲנֵנִי	So that Your beloved ones will be rescued, let Your right hand save and Answer me!