This is part of an ongoing series focusing on women’s prayers throughout the ages, and what we can learn from women about the impact of prayer.


Ever find yourself walking straight into a potential spiritual minefield? A business meeting, a family event or a get-together with friends that might present you with some common triggers. A situation where you might become angry or frustrated, or stay too late and miss something important, like prayer time. How about a scenario that would tempt you to gossip or do something unethical?

G‑d custom makes each of our spiritual challenges, and none of us are exempt. So what should we do at that moment before we walk into a situation that we know has the potential to cause us to stumble?

The truth is that the most powerful tool we have is to know that we don’t go into any situation alone. On the one hand, there are no guarantees that we will not fall prey to temptation. On the other hand, the best thing we can do for ourselves is to lean into the fact that on our own we might be vulnerable, but when we turn to G‑d and ask for help, it gives us the strength to overcome any challenges.

Like Ruth.

Ruth was no stranger to challenges. She went from being a Moabite princess surrounded by wealth to being a poverty-stricken widow. Her sister-in-law Orpah experienced the same fate, as did her mother-in-law, Naomi. Alone and in pain, Naomi saw no point in remaining in Moab and planned to return to the Holy Land. Initially, both Orpah and Ruth chose to follow Naomi on her path.

Through her tears, Naomi tried to dissuade them until she was successful in convincing Orpah to remain in Moab. But Ruth refused to leave her mother-in-law alone:

“Do not entreat me to leave you, to return from following you, for wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people and your G‑d, my G‑d. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. So may the L‑rd do to me and so may He continue, if anything but death separate me and you.”1

These words of Ruth are a prayer to G‑d, but what exactly did this prayer consist of?

Rabbi Shmuel Di Uzeda, a disciple of the famed Arizal from Safed, wrote a commentary on the book of Ruth called Iggeret Shmuel, and he added more context for this conversation between Naomi and Ruth.

Naomi tried to dissuade Ruth not only from joining her on her physical journey but from joining the Jewish nation as a convert. Naomi warned her that were she to convert, she would be responsible to keep all the mitzvot and she would be liable for punishment were she to commit any sin. Naomi warned her that Judaism even has four types of capital punishments for the worst offenses.

Ruth understood the ramifications of joining the Jewish people, but she also understood human nature. She realized that while she wanted to keep the Torah completely, there are no guarantees in life when a person can feel temptation is too big and give in.

So she uttered a prayer to G‑d, essentially saying, “G‑d, I’m all in. I choose this way of life, and I want to be a devout Jewess. But I don’t know if temptation will come my way, so please, G‑d, spare me and help me keep Your will. Help me not transgress any sin that will result in me being liable for capital punishment. Allow me to die a natural death, and that should be the only thing that separates me from my mother-in-law, Naomi.”

We say a similar prayer each morning:

Do not bring us into the grasp of sin, nor into the grasp of transgression or iniquity. Do not cause us to be tested, or brought to disgrace. Let us not be ruled over by the evil inclination. Keep us far from an evil person, and from an evil companion. Make us hold fast to the good inclination, and to good deeds, and compel our evil inclination to be subservient to You. (Morning Blessings)

It is humbling, as well as empowering, to admit our limitations, as well as ask for spiritual help. As our sages say, “[Man’s evil inclination gathers strength daily … and] if the Almighty did not help him (i.e., help his good inclination) he could not overcome it(his evil inclination).”2

Of course, when we sincerely reach out, G‑d answers our prayers. He assists us and helps us overcome our internal demons and challenges.

How?

The Tanya describes the help as follows: “The help that G‑d grants him is the glow of Divine light that illuminates his Divine soul, that it may gain superiority and mastery over the folly of the “fool,” the evil inclination, [a dominion] paralleling the superiority of light over darkness.”3 G‑d literally provides us with the spiritual energy to overcome our temptations.

So next time you find yourself about to walk into a spiritual minefield, take a few moments to utter a prayer to G‑d. You will find yourself that much more spiritually supported.

Soul Note: Prayer isn’t only asking G‑d to grant us our physical needs, but our spiritual ones as well.