תְּפִלַּת הַדֶּרֶךְ לַנְּשָׁמָה שֶׁיָּצְאָה אֶל אוֹר הָאֵינְסוֹף | Tefilat haDerekh for the Soul Journeying to the Infinite, by Limor Rubin

Source Link: https://opensiddur.org/?p=61511

open_content_license: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) 4.0 International copyleft license date_src_start: 2025-04-20 date_src_end: 2025-04-20 languages_meta: [{"name":"Hebrew","code":"heb","standard":"ISO 639-3"},{"name":"English","code":"eng","standard":"ISO 639-3"}] scripts_meta: [{"name":"Latin","code":"Latn","standard":"ISO 15924"},{"name":"Hebrew (Ktav Ashuri)","code":"Hebr","standard":"ISO 15924"}]

Date: 2025-04-21

Last Updated: 2025-04-21

Categories: Mourning

Tags: 21st century C.E., 58th century A.M., Alzheimer's Disease

Excerpt: In preparation for the coming days of Remembrance, which are the days of longing and questions about the meaning of life on this planet and the meaning of its end, I share in a prayer I wrote at the request of Nikki, a member of our family, who lost her only sister, Andy, to Alzheimer's disease at such a young age (58). We also translated this prayer into English and it was recited in Melbourne, Australia, at a funeral service. During the shiva, the community rabbi asked for permission to recite it at more funerals, and since then it has been repeated and I am happy that it comforts more and more families. I am releasing it here in Israel as well and dedicating it to all the good souls who decided to watch over us from another dimension, and to the loving relatives who are left to miss and fix the world from within. --Limor Rubin . . .

Content:
לקראת ימי הזכרון הבאים עלינו שהם ימי הגעגוע וימי השאלות על משמעות החיים על הכדור הזה ועל משמעות סיומם, משתפת בתפילה שכתבתי לבקשת ניקי, בת משפחה שלנו, שאיבדה את אחותה היחידה אנדי למחלת האלצהיימר בגיל צעיר כל כך (58). את התפילה הזו תרגמנו גם לאנגלית והיא הוקראה במלבורן אוסטרליה בטקס הלוויה. במהלך השבעה רב הקהילה ביקש רשות להקריא אותה בעוד לוויות, ומאז היא כבר מתגלגלת לה ואני שמחה שהיא מנחמת עוד ועוד משפחות. אני משחררת אותה גם כאן בישראל ומקדישה אותה לכל הנשמות הטובות כל כך שהחליטו ולשמור עלינו ממימד אחר, ולקרובים האוהבים שנשארו להתגעגע ולתקן את העולם מבפנים:
In preparation for the coming days of Remembrance, which are the days of longing and questions about the meaning of life on this planet and the meaning of its end, I share in a prayer I wrote at the request of Nikki, a member of our family, who lost her only sister, Andy, to Alzheimer’s disease at such a young age (58). We also translated this prayer into English and it was recited in Melbourne, Australia, at a funeral service. During the shiva, the community rabbi asked for permission to recite it at more funerals, and since then it has been repeated and I am happy that it comforts more and more families. I am releasing it here in Israel as well and dedicating it to all the good souls who decided to watch over us from another dimension, and to the loving relatives who are left to miss and fix the world from within.
Source (Hebrew) Translation (English)
יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ
אֲדֹנָי אֱלֹהַי וֶאֱלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתַי וְאִמּוֹתַי
שֶׁתּוֹלִיךְ אֶת נִשְׁמַת (שם) אֲהוּבָתֵנוּ
לְשָׁלוֹם
בְּדֶרֶךְ רְצוּפַת אַהֲבָה וְשָׁלוֹם
אֶל חֵיקוֹ שֶׁל אוֹר הָאֵינְסוֹף,
בְּשַׁלְוָה, בֶּאֱמֶת וּבְשָׁלוֹם.
May it be Your will,
Lord our God and God of our ancestors,
that You guide the soul of (name), our beloved,
in peace and in mercy,
upon a path of love and light,
to the shelter of the Infinite Presence—
in tranquility, in truth, and in peace.
וְתַצִּילֶנָּה מִכָּל מִנִּי פְּחָדִים וַעִכּוּבִים בַּדֶּרֶךְ
וְתִשְׁלַח לָהּ אֶת בִּרְכָתֵנוּ
וְאַהֲבָתֵנוּ הָאֵינְסוֹפִית
דְּאַג שֶׁמַּלְאָכֶיךָ הַשּׁוֹמְרִים,
יַעַטְפוּהָ בְּחֵן, בְּחֶסֶד וּבָרַחֲמִים
May You deliver her from all fear and hindrance along the way.
Send forth our blessing upon her,
and surround her with our infinite love.
Appoint Your holy angels to accompany her,
to guard her in grace, in kindness, and in compassion.
עֲשֵׂה שֶׁתְּפִלָּתֵנוּ תִּהְיֶה לָהּ
לִגְלִימָה שׁוֹמֶרֶת
Let our prayer be unto her a garment of light,
a mantle of protection upon her sacred journey.
הֲפֹךְ אֶת צְרִיבַת הַגַּעֲגוּעַ בְּלִבֵּנוּ
לְשִׂמְחָה עַל הַזִּכְרוֹנוֹת הַטּוֹבִים
Transform the burning ache of longing within us
into joy for the goodness she brought into our lives.
וְאֶת כְּאֵב הַחֹסֶר וְהַהַחְמָצָה
הֲפֹךְ לְהוֹדָיָה עַל שְׁנוֹת חַיִּים יְקָרוֹת מִפָּז
Let the sorrow of her absence be turned into thanksgiving
for the days of precious life we were granted with her.
זַכֵּה אוֹתָנוּ לִחְיוֹת לְאוֹר הַמּוֹרֶשֶׁת שֶׁהוֹתִירָה
וּלְהַמְשִׁיךְ לְנַגֵּן יַחַד אֶת מַנְגִּינַת חַיֶּיהָ
May we be found worthy to walk in the light of her legacy,
to continue the melody of her days with faith and with love.
לִהְיוֹת רְאוּיִים לְטוּב לִבָּה וְלַאֲצִילוּתָהּ
וְלָאַהֲבָתה וּמְסִירוּתָהּ הָאֵינְסוֹפִית
May we embody her generous heart, her noble spirit,
her boundless devotion to those she cherished.
כִּי אַתָּה אֶל שׁוֹמֵעַ תְּפִלָּה
בָּרוּךְ דַּיַּן הָאֱמֶת
מֵמִית וּמִחְיָה
וּמַצְמִיחַ יְשׁוּעָה.
For You are the One who hears prayer.
Blessed are You, Righteous Judge,
who gives life and returns it,
who plants seeds of redemption in the soil of sorrow.

“Prayer for the Soul Journeying to the Infinite” by Limor Rubin was first shared on her Facebook page on 20 April 2025, together with this adapted English translation.

 

Contributor: Limor Rubin

Co-authors:

Featured Image:
Andy Rosenberg Jayes and friends on a visit to Israel
Title: Andy Rosenberg Jayes and friends on a visit to Israel
Caption: בתמונה משמאל- אנדי אהובתנו ז״ל בביקור בישראל (Andy Rosenberg Jayes and friends on a visit to Israel)