The following email is about what is for most of us, our most fervent wish and most important prayer. Please take a few minutes to read it.

While we were in Israel several years ago, we visited numerous graves of great and holy people.

One of the graves that we visited, was that of Rabbi Yeshaya Horowitz, otherwise known as the Holy Shaloh, after the name of his most famous work – Shnei Luchot HaBrit, the two tablets of the covenent. The Shaloh was the first person to successfully and comprehensively combine the two parts of our Holy Torah – the Revealed Torah and the Concealed Torah.

Upon his grave there is a prayer which he himself composed – it is called “Tefilat HaShaloh – the prayer of the Shaloh”, in which we pray to G-d to have worthy children. Parents all over the world recite this prayer with fervour and deep sincerity.

Although it is always good to say this holy prayer, he especially asked that it be recited on Erev Rosh Chodesh Sivan. And Lo and Behold, without at the time realizing its signficance, the day we visited his grave was indeed Erev Rosh Chodesh Sivan!

Sivan is not only the month in which we celebrate the gift of the Torah. It is also the month in which we celebrate the uniqueness of Am Yisrael – the People of Israell. As you read the prayer below, you will find that it beautifully cobines the two notions of Am Yisrael and Torat Yisrael.

So here is the Holy Shaloh’s prayer. Print it out and recite it often – but especially before Shavuot. And may Hashem grant each and everyone of us the most cherished desire of every Jewish parent – Yiddishe Nachas from our children.

I have translated the prayer especially for our congregation.

With prayerful wishes for you,  your children, grandchildren and your families

Rabbi Benzion and Henya Milecki

Click here to download a printer friendly English version of this prayer. Click here to download the Hebrew version of this prayer as it appears at the Shaloh’s grave side.

You are G-d our G-d before You created the world, and you are our G-d after You created the world; forever and ever You are G-d.
You created the world so that your G-dliness would become known through Your Holy Torah, as our Rabbis of blessed memory have stated:

"Bereishit – Beit Reishit"

Because of two (Beit) things called beginning (Reishit) G-d created the world - because of Torah and because of Israel.

For they are Your people and Your inheritance that You have chosen from all nations; You have given them your Holy Torah; and You have drawn them close to Your Holy Name.

To ensure the existence of the world and the existence of the Torah, we have received from You, G-d our G-d, two commandments:

You have written in Your Torah: Be Fruitful and Multiply and You have written in Your Torah: And you shall teach it (Torah) your children.

The intent of these two commandments is the same: For the world was not created without purpose but as an abode (for G-d). You created, formed and made it for Your Glory, so that we and the descendents of all Your People the House of Israel will know Your Name and learn Your Torah.

I therefore come before You, G-d, King, King of Kings. I place my petition before You, my eyes hang upon You until You favour me and hear my supplication:

Grant me sons and daughters, and may they too be fruitful and multiply, they and their children until the end of all generations, with the objective that they, and I and all of us, occupy ourselves in Your Holy Torah, to learn, to teach, to observe to do and to fulfill the words of Your Torah with love. Cause our eyes to shine with Your Torah, cause our hearts to cling to Your commandments, to love and to fear Your Name.

Our Father, merciful Father, grant all of us a long and blessed life. Who can be compared to You, Merciful Father, Who remembers His creatures for life with mercy! Remember us for eternal life!

Our father Abraham prayed: "Would he only live before You", which our sages have explained to mean Would he only live in awe of You".

I have therefore come to beseech and to petition before You, that my seed, and my seed's seed will forever be fit and proper seed, and may there never be found in me or in my seed or in my seed's seed anything to disqualify them or to make them unfit.

Rather Peace and Truth, and goodness and uprightness in the eyes of G-d and man. May they be masters of Torah, masters of the Bible, masters of the Mishna, masters of the Talmud, masters of the Secrets, masters of Mitzvah, masters of loving kindness, masters of great character. And may they serve You with love, and with inner awe, not superficial awe.

You G-d know all secrets, and before You are revealed all the mysteries of my heart. My intentions in all this are for the sake of Your Great and Holy Name, and for the sake of Your Holy Torah. Therefore, answer me G-d, answer me, for the sake of our Holy Fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. Because of them grant salvation to the children, that they may be branches similar to their roots.

And for the sake of David Your servant, “the fourth leg” of your Divine Chariot, who sang inspired by Your Holy Spirit:

A Song of Ascents: Happy are those that fear G-d, who go in His ways. The toil of your hands you shall eat – Happy are you, and may it be Good for you. Your wife is a like a fruitful vine in the walls of your home. Your children are like shoots of olives around your table. Behold, so shall be blessed a man who fears G-d. May G-d bless you from Zion, and see in the good of Jerusalem all the days of your life. May you see children to your children; may there be Peace on Israel.

Please G-d – Who hears prayers – may it be fulfilled concerning me the verse:

“As for me this is my treaty with them, say G-d: The spirit which is upon you, and my words that I have placed in your mouth. May they not be removed from your mouth, and from the mouth of your seed, and from your seed’s seed, says G-d, from now and forever!”

May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart, be acceptable before You, G-d my Rock and My Redeemer.