Rebbe Nachman taught his followers to “turn their lessons into prayers” (Likutey Moharan II, 25). That is, not only should one always pray for one’s needs, but more specifically, when one studies, one should pray to fulfill what one has learned and make the potential a reality. Rebbe Nachman’s prescription is an expression of the integral relationship between prayer and study in the spiritual life of the Jew. With the Rebbe’s encouragement, Rabbi Nathan wrote extensive prayers based on the lessons in Likutey Moharan, collected in Likutey Tefilot. Presented here is the prayer to find one’s mate, based upon the above lesson (from Likutey Tefilot 11:45).
Blessed G-d, Who has Great Knowledge: Give us merit and reveal to us the True Tzaddik, the Tzaddik with very great knowledge. Let us merit to find him, to come close to him and to hear Torah teachings from his mouth.
And have pity upon all those who are having difficulty in finding their mate, in particular… (specify the names of those you wish to pray for). Help them! Save them quickly, so that each person will find his/her truly compatible, intended mate, quickly, speedily, without any more delay, difficulty and suffering. We do not know, nor have we any idea how to really seek our true mates, for only You know how difficult it is. All matches are made up of two opposites. And many times the distances between the two are so wide that it seems impossible to get them together. The only way to join them is with knowledge, the true knowledge that makes all shiduchim. We must therefore hear Torah teachings from the most knowledgeable person, the one who has original Torah teachings, having joined and bound together the different letter combinations of the Torah.
But due to our many sins, this Tzaddik is hidden from us. We do not know how to find the truly knowledgeable Tzaddik to hear Torah from him. And now, from where will our help come?
Our eyes are turned to You. You, Who are filled with compassion. You, Who makes matches. Have mercy upon Your nation Israel, and upon those who seek their mates, and send to each one his/her truly intended mate. Let them be compatible, helpful and supportive.
Master of the Universe! Who is filled with compassion; Who sees from the very beginning of Creation, until its very end; Who governs His world with kindness and compassion; have compassion and mercy upon all of us and show us Your path, the path that will lead us to our true mates.
Give us merit! Help us! Through the power and strength of the True Tzaddikim, who epitomize True Knowledge, who reveal great and true knowledge in this world — through their strength and in their merit, may those in need quickly find their true mate. With mazal tov, may they marry in a good time — for a long life, full of goodness and peace — so that they help and support each other. Let them suffer no marital strife, G-d forbid. Rather, let them live with love, peace and harmony, in holiness and purity.
May all Your nation Israel live in harmony, free of sin. May they all merit to have sons and daughters, grandchildren and succeeding generations, until the end of time. And may all their offspring live and be well. May they have long, healthy and successful lives — lives in which they recognize You and serve You. Lives in which they recognize the greatness of Your Tzaddikim. Lives in which to recognize the true knowledge that the Tzaddikim reveal in this world.
Master of the Universe! You have not acted towards us as we might deserve because of our errors; nor have You punished us according to our sins. Now, also, please have compassion and pity upon us, and hear our prayers. Hide Your face from our errors. Wipe out our sins. Do not look at our misdeeds. Rather, look upon the merits of the True Tzaddikim upon whom we rely, and upon whom we depend; whose knowledge we drink, and from whose mouths we live. And through their merit, may each Jew find his mate quickly. Fulfill all our requests with mercy. Fulfill all that we begged and prayed to You for, Master of Mercy, Master of Compassion. For Your mercy is boundless and You want even those completely distant from You, even someone small and insignificant as myself, to ask You to impart Your goodness upon me. For You are good and You impart good upon others. This is Your greatness, when You give over this goodness even to those distant from You, for You have compassion even upon those who are not worthy, and You have mercy even upon those who do not deserve it. Especially since I have merited seeing so much good from You already.
Therefore, Your servant has found in his heart to plead before You concerning all of the above. I am not relying upon my merits, but upon Your compassion, and upon the merits of the True Tzaddikim, who have many merits and bring others to merits and good deeds. Their merits are so very great before You that they can spread out even to me; to protect me, my children and descendants and all of Your Nation, Israel, forever, with all kinds of salvation.
For in Your Great and Awesome Name we have trusted; we will rejoice in Your salvation. May my words and the thoughts of my heart be accepted before You, G-d, my Rock and Salvation, Amen. Amen.
NAVIGATION
1. Selected teachings from Rebbe Nachman’s works to help a person find a mate.
2. The Matchmaker – Likutey Moharan (11:89), Rebbe Nachman offers a very novel approach to finding one’s mate.
4. The Shadchan’s Chair – The mystery of uncovering the true shadchan