Segula Alert: Tefilat HaShlah (Including the Missing Paragraphs)

Segula Alert: Tefilat HaShlah (Including the Missing Paragraphs)

Last week I went, for the first time in maybe a year, to Henny Machlis’ grave to pray for some guidance for some heavy issues one of my kids is facing.
By the time I was heading out of the cemetery, it was getting dark and the cemetery was pretty deserted. And then, as I was washing my hands, a woman appeared out of nowhere and asked if I wanted a copy of “Tefilat HaShlah.”
“Tefilat HaShlah?” I said, “That’s not for today. That’s for next week,” since Tefilat HaShlah is traditionally read today (Sunday night and Monday), the eve of Rosh Chodesh Sivan.
And I headed for the exit, but then I thought to myself: Hey, didn’t you come here to pray for your kids? And isn’t this a prayer, like, for the wellbeing of KIDS! Maybe Hashem sent me this woman with this prayer cause I’m supposed to say it.”
So I walked back to the woman, and I told her that actually, yes, I would like a copy of the Tefilat HaShlah. And I walked back to Henny’s grave, and read it. And discovered something amazing. The Tefilat HaShlah that she had given me contained some extra paragraphs I’d never seen before. In fact, I realized, very few people in the world have ever seen them before. The author of “Shaar HaTefilot v’ha’Bakashot” where these additional paragraphs appeared explained: “this continuation of the prayer has never before been printed, except in the first printing of the Shlah’s prayer book.”
Wow! So here it is, for you to recite today! Thank you to the woman who gave it to me. And thank you to Hashem who sent me that woman so I could read it for my kids and pass it on to you!
May Hashem answer all of our prayers!

You have been the Eternal, our G-d, before You created the world, and You are the Eternal, our G-d, since you created the world, and You are G-d forever. You created Your world so that Your Divinity should become revealed thorugh Your holy Torah, as our Sages expounded on the first word therein, and for Israel, for they are Your people and Your inheritance whom You have chosen from among all nations. You have given them Your holy Torah and drawn them toward Your great Name. These two commandments are, “Be fruitful and Multiply” and “You shall teach them to your children.” Their purpose is that You did not create the world to be empty, but to be inhabited, and that it is for Your glory that You created, fashioned, and perfected it, so that we, our offspring, and all the descendants of your people Israel will know Your Name and study Your Torah.
Thus I entreat You, O Eternal, supreme King of kings. My eyes are fixed on You until You favor me, and hear my prayer, and provide me with sons and daughters who will also be fruitful and multiply, they and their descendents unto all generations, in order that they and we might all engage in the study of Your holy Torah, to learn and to teach, to observe and to do, and to fulfill with love all the words of Your Torah’s teaching. Enlighten our eyes in Your Torah and attach our heart to Your commandments to love and revere Your Name.
Our Father, compassionate Father, grant us all a long and blessed life. Who is like You, compassionate Father, Who in compassion remembers His creatures for life! Remember us for eternal life, as our Forefather Avraham prayed, “If only Yishmael would live before You,” which the Sages interpreted as “…live in reverence of You.”
For this I have come to appeal and plead before You, that my offspring and their descendants be proper, and that You find no imperfection or disrepute in me or them forever. May they be people of peace, truth, goodness and integrity in the eyes of G-d and man. Help them to become practiced in Torah, accomplished in Scriptures, Mishnah, Talmud, Kabbalah, mitzvos, kindness, and good attributes, and to serve you with an inner love and reverence, not merely outwardly. Provide every one of them with their needs with honor, and give them health, honor and strength, good bearing and appearance, grace and loving-kindness. May love and brotherhood reign among them. Provide them with suitable marriage partners of scholarly and righteous parentage who will also be blessed with all that I have asked for my own descendants, since they will share the same fate.
You, the Eternal, know everything that is concealed, and to You all my heart’s secrets are revealed. For all my intention concerning the above is for the sake of Your great and holy Name and Torah. Therefore, answer me, O Eternal, answer me in the merit of our holy Forefathers Avraham, Yitzchak, and Ya’akov. For the sake of the fathers save the children, so the branches will be like the roots. For the sake of Your servant, David, who is the fourth part of Your Chariot, who sings with Divine inspiration.
A song of ascents. Fortunate is everyone who fears the Eternal, who walks in His ways. When you eat of the toil of your hands, you are fortunate, and good will be yours. Your wife is like a fruitful vine in the inner chambers of your home; your children are like olive shoots around your table. Look! So is blessed the man who fears the Eternal. May the Eternal bless you from Zion, and may you see the good of Jerusalem all the days of your life. May you see your children’s children, peace upon Israel.
Please, O Eternal, Who listens to prayer: May the following verse be fulfilled in me: “‘As for Me,’ says the Eternal, “this My covenant shall remain their very being; My spirit, which rests upon you, and My words which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth nor from the mouths of your children, nor from the mouths of your children’s children,” said the Eternal, “from now to all Eternity.” May the words of my mouth and the thoughts of my heart be pleasing before You, Eternal, my Rock and my Redeemer.

[Here’s a summary, not word for word] Dear Lord, may the words of Your Torah be in my mouth and in the mouths of my children and grandchildren forever. And may my children be proper and kosher, for the sake of Heaven, and not stray left or right from the straight path. May they distance themselves from dishonesty and may they have no defects or bad character traits.

[A summary, not word for word] May my children live with integrity, act justly, and speak truth in their hearts. May they not gossip or treat others badly. May they honor those who fear You, and be honest in their financial dealings.
May it be Your will that I will give birth to boys and girls, and none of them will die in my lifetime. And may all of my children marry good and holy people, and may none of their spouses die young, nor my own spouse.
May all of my children find the spouse that is especially for them. And may they have children with mazal tov and at a good hour. And may they never be lacking financially and have enough food. May You save them from tragedy and disasters. And may they never sin. And may they live in purity. And may they fulfill the mitzvah, at the proper time, to be fruitful and multiply. And may they be blessed with marital harmony.

[A summary, not word for word] May I be able to feed them respectably when they are children. May they dedicate themselves to learning Torah, and be financially independent, and may I see their happiness, and may they not have fertility problems, and may they find grace in the eyes of God and other people. And may they listen to their parents and rabbis. And may they listen to their older siblings and may all my children get along. May my daughters be pretty and pleasant and intelligent and holy, modest, and holy tsadikot, crowned with good character traits. May they be perfect, without defect. And please bless me so that I should be able to give them a plentiful dowry. And may they have children who are tsadikim, who merit and bring merit to the entire Jewish people. May the words of my mouth be pleasing before You, God, my rock and my redeemer. Amen.

4 comments

  1. Yasher Koach!! Thanks Chanah

  2. Dear Chana
    Thanks for all the chizuk you give us. This was very interesting.

    Each year you remind us to say this prayer, but each year I don’t see it until the day has passed. 🙁 This is because I live in Australia and at this time of the year, we are 7 hours ahead of you and it get’s dark early..

    Fortunately we remind each other on the day and I managed to say the Tefilat HaShlah today, but I did not know about the extra paragraphs.

    Next year I would really really appreciate if you could publish your Segula alert one day earlier.

    May we all have naches from our children. I hope the issues your child is facing are easily resolved now.

    Many thanks, Debbie

  3. Hadassah

    wow! how amazing to find these additional paragraphs. may we all merit to have this tefillah fulfilled in its entirety. I hope that your child will be able to resolve his/her problems speedily and in good spirits. Thanks again for all you do to help give chizzuk to all Jewish moms.

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