תפילת היוצר | A Worker's Prayer, by Rabbi Stephen Belsky • the Open Siddur Project

Categories: Labor, Fulfillment, and Parnasah, International Workers' Day (May 1st), Labor Day (1st Monday of September)

Tags: 21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., artisans, crafters, labor, Michigan, North America, workers, תחינות teḥinot

Excerpt: A worker's prayer by Rabbi Stephen Belsky, dedicated to Noam Ezra ben haRav Moshe z”l. . . .

Content:

Source (Hebrew)	Translation (English)
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלִּפְֿנֵי אָבִֽֿינוּ שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַֽיִם,‏ בּוֹרְאֵֽנוּ, יוֹצְרֵֽנוּ, יוֹצֵר בְּרֵאשִׁיתֿ, הָאֻמָּן הָעֶלְיוֹן,‏ כְּאָמְרָם ”אֵין צוּר כֵּאלֹהֵֽינוּ“ – ‏ ”אֵין צַיָּר כֵּאלֹהֵֽינוּ“,‏ שֶׁיְּחָנֵּ֫נוּ בְכָֿל הַחָכְֿמוֹתֿ —‏ חָכְֿמוֹתֿ הַלֵּבֿ, וְחָכְֿמוֹתֿ הַנֶּֽפֶֿשׁ,‏ וְחָכְֿמוֹתֿ הַיָּדַֿיִם;‏ וְיַנְחֵֽנוּ בִדְֿרָכָֿיו לַעֲשׂוֹתֿ אֶתֿ מְלַאכְֿתֵּנוּ בְּיֹֽשֶׁר, וּבְֿחֶֽסֶדֿ, וּבֶֿאֱמוּנָה;‏ וִיבָֿרֵךְֿ אֶתֿ מַעֲשֵֽׂינוּ וְאֶתֿ מַעֲשֵׂי מַעֲשֵֽׂינוּ,‏ לְקַדֵּשׁ אֶת שְׁמוֹ בֵּין בִּרְיוֹתָֿיו,‏ וּלְהַגְֿדִּיל אֶתֿ דְּמוּתֿוֹ בְעוֹלָמוֹ.‏	May it be the will of our Father in Heaven — our Creator, our Molder, the Molder of all creation, the Supreme Artisan, as our Sages interpreted the verse “there is no Bedrock (Tsur) like our God”^[1] 1 Samuel 2:2 to mean ‘there is no Artist (Tsayyar) like our God’^[2] Berakhot 10a — to bestow upon us every type of wisdom: the wisdoms of the heart-and-mind, the wisdoms of the soul, and the wisdoms of the hands; and to guide us in Gd’s ways, so that we may perform our labors in rightness, in kindness, and in good faith; and to bless our handiwork, and the products of our handiwork, such that through them we may sanctify Gd’s name among the human race, Gd’s beloved creations, and magnify the divinity that lies at the essence of humanity in Gd’s world.
וִיהִי נֹֽעַם אֲדֹֿנָי אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ עָלֵֽינוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֵֽֿינוּ כּוֹנֲנָה עָלֵֽינוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֵֽֿינוּ כּוֹנֲנֵֽהוּ.‏	May the pleasantness of the Lord our God be upon us, when Gd establishes the work of our hands upon our efforts; O Gd, establish it – the work of our hands!^[3] Psalms 90:17

Source (Hebrew)

Translation (English)

יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלִּפְֿנֵי אָבִֽֿינוּ שֶׁבַּשָּׁמַֽיִם,‏
בּוֹרְאֵֽנוּ, יוֹצְרֵֽנוּ, יוֹצֵר בְּרֵאשִׁיתֿ, הָאֻמָּן הָעֶלְיוֹן,‏
כְּאָמְרָם ”אֵין צוּר כֵּאלֹהֵֽינוּ“ – ‏
”אֵין צַיָּר כֵּאלֹהֵֽינוּ“,‏
שֶׁיְּחָנֵּ֫נוּ בְכָֿל הַחָכְֿמוֹתֿ —‏
חָכְֿמוֹתֿ הַלֵּבֿ, וְחָכְֿמוֹתֿ הַנֶּֽפֶֿשׁ,‏
וְחָכְֿמוֹתֿ הַיָּדַֿיִם;‏
וְיַנְחֵֽנוּ בִדְֿרָכָֿיו לַעֲשׂוֹתֿ אֶתֿ מְלַאכְֿתֵּנוּ
בְּיֹֽשֶׁר, וּבְֿחֶֽסֶדֿ, וּבֶֿאֱמוּנָה;‏
וִיבָֿרֵךְֿ אֶתֿ מַעֲשֵֽׂינוּ וְאֶתֿ מַעֲשֵׂי מַעֲשֵֽׂינוּ,‏
לְקַדֵּשׁ אֶת שְׁמוֹ
בֵּין בִּרְיוֹתָֿיו,‏
וּלְהַגְֿדִּיל אֶתֿ דְּמוּתֿוֹ בְעוֹלָמוֹ.‏

May it be the will of our Father in Heaven —
our Creator, our Molder, the Molder of all creation, the Supreme Artisan,
as our Sages interpreted the verse “there is no Bedrock (Tsur) like our God”
to mean ‘there is no Artist (Tsayyar) like our God’ —
to bestow upon us every type of wisdom:
the wisdoms of the heart-and-mind, the wisdoms of the soul,
and the wisdoms of the hands;
and to guide us in Gd’s ways, so that we may perform our labors
in rightness, in kindness, and in good faith;
and to bless our handiwork, and the products of our handiwork,
such that through them we may sanctify Gd’s name
among the human race, Gd’s beloved creations,
and magnify the divinity that lies at the essence of humanity in Gd’s world.

וִיהִי נֹֽעַם אֲדֹֿנָי אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ עָלֵֽינוּ
וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֵֽֿינוּ כּוֹנֲנָה עָלֵֽינוּ
וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֵֽֿינוּ כּוֹנֲנֵֽהוּ.‏

May the pleasantness of the Lord our God be upon us,
when Gd establishes the work of our hands upon our efforts;
O Gd, establish it – the work of our hands!

Dedicated to Noam Ezra ben haRav Moshe z”l.

Notes[+]

Notes
1	1 Samuel 2:2
2	Berakhot 10a
3	Psalms 90:17

Featured Image:

Title: Irving Greenberg’s Work Crew, Bushwick Terminal Building, ca. early 1960s
Caption: Irving Greenberg's Work Crew, Bushwick Terminal Building, circa early 1960s (collection of Aharon Varady, CC BY-SA)