When the Night Has No End
You are in a dark place right now. It may feel like hope has left you, like the weight on your heart will never lift. You may not even know why you came to this page, only that something inside you is still reaching. That quiet reaching is itself a form of tefillah.
There is a Perek in Tehillim that speaks to this moment exactly. Not for the person who can see light at the end. Not for the person who feels Hashem close. For the person in total darkness, with nothing to hold onto, who cries out anyway.
Kapitel 88 is introduced in its superscription as “a song, a psalm of the sons of Korah … a maskil of Heman the Ezrahite.” Heman is described as one of the Levitical musicians appointed for the service of song in the House of Hashem. This kapitel is striking for the way it closes: the final word is “darkness,” with no explicit note of consolation. Even so, Tehillim makes room for a prayer spoken from the depths of despair.
Before You Say This Tefillah
If you can barely whisper, that is enough. Hashem hears you from the very bottom.
Master of the Universe, I am in the darkest place. No hope, no path, no light. This kapitel ends in darkness, but I am still speaking to You. The very fact that I still turn to You means something in me still believes. Do not abandon me. God of Meir, answer me.
If giving tzedakah, add:
In the merit of the tzedakah I give in the merit of Rabbi Meir, may You find light for me. Ribbono Shel Olam, I care for Your children. Please care for me.
The Tefillah of Heiman HaEzrachi: The Full Prayer
שִׁיר מִזְמוֹר לִבְנֵי־קֹרַח לַמְנַצֵּחַ עַל־מָחֲלַת לְעַנּוֹת מַשְׂכִּיל לְהֵימָן הָאֶזְרָחִי׃
יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי יְשׁוּעָתִי יוֹם־צָעַקְתִּי בַלַּיְלָה נֶגְדֶּךָ׃
תָּבוֹא לְפָנֶיךָ תְּפִלָּתִי הַטֵּה אׇזְנְךָ לְרִנָּתִי׃
כִּי־שָׂבְעָה בְרָעוֹת נַפְשִׁי וְחַיַּי לִשְׁאוֹל הִגִּיעוּ׃
נֶחְשַׁבְתִּי עִם־יוֹרְדֵי בוֹר הָיִיתִי כְּגֶבֶר אֵין־אֱיָל׃
בַּמֵּתִים חׇפְשִׁי כְּמוֹ חֲלָלִים שֹׁכְבֵי קֶבֶר אֲשֶׁר לֹא זְכַרְתָּם עוֹד וְהֵמָּה מִיָּדְךָ נִגְזָרוּ׃
שַׁתַּנִי בְּבוֹר תַּחְתִּיּוֹת בְּמַחֲשַׁכִּים בִּמְצֹלוֹת׃
עָלַי סָמְכָה חֲמָתֶךָ וְכׇל־מִשְׁבָּרֶיךָ עִנִּיתָ סֶלָה׃
הִרְחַקְתָּ מְיֻדָּעַי מִמֶּנִּי שַׁתַּנִי תוֹעֵבוֹת לָמוֹ כָּלֻא וְלֹא אֵצֵא׃
עֵינִי דָאֲבָה מִנִּי־עֹנִי קְרָאתִיךָ יְהֹוָה בְּכׇל־יוֹם שִׁטַּחְתִּי אֵלֶיךָ כַפָּי׃
הֲלַמֵּתִים תַּעֲשֶׂה־פֶּלֶא אִם־רְפָאִים יָקוּמוּ יוֹדוּךָ סֶלָה׃
הַיְסֻפַּר בַּקֶּבֶר חַסְדֶּךָ אֱמוּנָתְךָ בָּאֲבַדּוֹן׃
הֲיִוָּדַע בַּחֹשֶׁךְ פִּלְאֶךָ וְצִדְקָתְךָ בְּאֶרֶץ נְשִׁיָּה׃
וַאֲנִי אֵלֶיךָ יְהֹוָה שִׁוַּעְתִּי וּבַבֹּקֶר תְּפִלָּתִי תְקַדְּמֶךָּ׃
לָמָה יְהֹוָה תִּזְנַח נַפְשִׁי תַּסְתִּיר פָּנֶיךָ מִמֶּנִּי׃
עָנִי אֲנִי וְגֹוֵעַ מִנֹּעַר נָשָׂאתִי אֵמֶיךָ אָפוּנָה׃
עָלַי עָבְרוּ חֲרוֹנֶיךָ בִּעוּתֶיךָ צִמְּתוּתֻנִי׃
סַבּוּנִי כַמַּיִם כׇּל־הַיּוֹם הִקִּיפוּ עָלַי יָחַד׃
הִרְחַקְתָּ מִמֶּנִּי אֹהֵב וָרֵעַ מְיֻדָּעַי מַחְשָׁךְ׃
Shir mizmoir livnei-koirach lamnatzeiach al-mochalas l’annois maskil l’Heimon ho’ezrochi.
Hashem Eloihei y’shu’osi yoim-tzo’akti valayloh negdecho.
Tovo l’fonecho t’fillosi hatteih ozn’cho l’rinnosi.
Ki-sov’oh v’ro’ois nafshi v’chayay lish’oil higi’u.
Nechshavti im-yoir’dei voir hoyisi k’gever ein-eyol.
Bammeisim chofshi k’moi chalolim shoich’vei kever asher loi z’chartom oid v’heimmoh miyod’cho nigzoru.
Shasani b’voir tachtiyois b’machashakkim bimtzoilois.
Olay som’choh chamosocho v’chol-mishborecho inniso seloh.
Hirchakto m’yuddo’ay mimmenni shasani soiveivois lomoi kolu v’loi eitzei.
Eini do’avoh minni-oini k’rosicho Hashem b’chol-yoim shittachti eilecho chappoy.
Halammeisim ta’aseh-pele im-r’fo’im yokumu yoiducho seloh.
Haysuppar bakkever chasdecho emunos’cho bo’avaddoin.
Hayivvoda bachoishech pil’echo v’tzidkos’cho b’eretz n’shiyyoh.
Va’ani eilecho Hashem shivva’ti uvabboiker t’fillosi s’kadd’meko.
Lomoh Hashem tiznach nafshi tastir ponecho mimmenni.
Oni ani v’goivei’a minnoiar nososi eimecho ofunoh.
Olay ov’ru charoinecho bi’usecho tzimm’susuni.
Sabbuni chamayim kol-hayoim hikkifu olay yochad.
Hirchakto mimmenni oiheiv vorei’a m’yuddo’ay machshoch.
Shir mizmor livnei-korach lamnatzeach al-machalat le’annot maskil le-Heman ha’ezrachi.
Hashem Elohei yeshu’ati yom-tza’akti valaylah negdecha.
Tavo lefanecha tefillati hatteh oznecha lerinnati.
Ki-sav’ah vera’ot nafshi vechayay lish’ol higi’u.
Nechshavti im-yordei vor hayiti kegever ein-eyal.
Bammetim chofshi kemo chalalim shochvei kever asher lo zechartam od vehemmah miyadecha nigzaru.
Shattani bevor tachtiyyot bemachashakkim bimtzolot.
Alay samechah chamatecha vechol-mishbarecha innita selah.
Hirchakta meyudda’ay mimmenni shattani to’evot lamo kalu velo etze.
Eini da’avah minni-oni keraticha Hashem bechol-yom shittachti elecha chappay.
Halammetim ta’aseh-pele im-refa’im yakumu yoducha selah.
Haysuppar bakkever chasdecha emunatecha ba’avaddon.
Hayivvada bachoshech pil’echa vetzidkatecha be’eretz neshiyyah.
Va’ani elecha Hashem shivva’ti uvabboker tefillati tekaddemekka.
Lamah Hashem tiznach nafshi tastir panecha mimmenni.
Ani ani vegovea minnoar nasati emecha afunah.
Alay averu charonecha bi’utecha tzimmetutuni.
Sabbuni chamayim kol-hayom hikkifu alay yachad.
Hirchakta mimmenni ohev varea meyudda’ay machshach.
A song. A psalm of the Korahites. For the leader; on machalas le’annos. A maskil of Heman the Ezrahite.
Hashem, God of my deliverance, when I cry out in the night before You,
let my prayer reach You; incline Your ear to my cry.
For I am sated with misfortune; I am at the brink of Sheol.
I am numbered with those who go down to the Pit; I am like someone without strength,
abandoned among the dead, like bodies lying in the grave of whom You are mindful no more, and who are cut off from Your care.
You have put me at the bottom of the Pit, in the darkest places, in the depths.
Your fury lies heavy upon me; You afflict me with all Your breakers. Selah.
You make my companions shun me; You make me abhorrent to them; I am shut in and do not go out.
My eyes pine away from affliction; I call to You, Hashem, each day; I stretch out my hands to You.
Do You work wonders for the dead? Do the shades rise to praise You? Selah.
Is Your faithful care recounted in the grave, Your constancy in the place of destruction?
Are Your wonders made known in the darkness, Your righteousness in the land of oblivion?
As for me, I cry out to You, Hashem; each morning my prayer greets You.
Why, Hashem, do You reject me, do You hide Your face from me?
From my youth I have been afflicted and near death; I suffer Your terrors wherever I turn.
Your fury overwhelms me; Your terrors destroy me.
They swirl about me like water all day long; they encircle me on every side.
You have put friend and neighbor far from me and my companions out of my sight.
As our meforshim explain, Chazal included this unique kapitel to teach us something profound: a tefillah from total darkness, without any feeling of hope, still reaches the Kisei HaKavod.
What These Words Mean for You
Hashem Eloihei y’shu’osi “Hashem, Hashem of my deliverance”
This is how Heiman HaEzrachi opens. Before the grief, before the accusations, before the darkness, he calls Hashem “Hashem of my deliverance.” Yeshuah. Salvation.
Rescue. Even in the deepest pit, Heiman addresses Hashem as his rescuer. He uses the word anyway, because somewhere beneath the despair, the knowledge that Hashem saves is still there. When you say these words, you are calling out to the One who saves even when yeshuah feels impossible.
Ki sov’oh v’ro’ois nafshi “For I am sated with misfortune”
Sov’oh. Full. Saturated.
It is the same word we use for being full after a meal. Heiman is saying: I am full of suffering the way a person is full of bread. There is no room left. This is what despair feels like. You have absorbed so much pain that you cannot hold any more. Heiman does not dress it up or soften it. He tells Hashem the raw truth. And Hashem does not turn away from that honesty. He accepts that truth. A related tefillah that speaks to this same yearning is the Jewish prayer for depression.
Va’ani eilecho Hashem shivva’ti “As for me, I cry out to You, Hashem”
This passuk comes near the end of the kapitel, after verse upon verse of anguish. Heiman has described the pit, the darkness, the loneliness, the feeling that Hashem has turned away.
And then he says: va’ani, “but I.” Despite everything. Despite the unanswered questions and the silent heavens, I still cry out to You. Shivva’ti. A raw, desperate scream. This is the essential lesson from Heiman. You do not need answers. You do not need to understand. You just need to keep calling, recognizing Hashem as the source of salvation.
M’yuddo’ay machshoch “My companions out of my sight” (literally: “my companions are darkness”)
This is the very last word of the kapitel: machshoch, darkness. Our meforshim point out that no other kapitel in Tehillim ends this way.
There is no closing comfort, no “but Hashem will hear me.” Just darkness. And yet this kapitel was not hidden or removed. It was given to us as part of Tanach. This teaches that darkness itself can be a tefillah. When you have nothing left to say, when even hope is gone, the darkness you bring before Hashem is received. Your tefillah does not need to end with comfort to be accepted.
How to Say This Prayer
Say this tefillah whenever the heaviness is too much to carry. There is no special time that is better than another. Some say it at night, when the quiet feels too heavy. Others say it first thing in the morning, when facing the day ahead feels impossible. Say it when you need to. You may also draw chizuk from saying a tefillah for loneliness at night.
If you cannot read the Hebrew, use the transliteration or the English. Hashem hears the tefillah of a broken heart.
Before you begin, set your kavanah. You might say quietly: “Hashem, I am in a dark place, and I do not see a way out. But I am still here, still turning to You. Please do not abandon me. Hear my voice.”
Give Tzedakah in the Zechus of Rabbi Meir Baal Haness
The Gemara (Avodah Zarah 18a-18b) tells how Bruria asked Rabbi Meir to rescue her sister, who had been condemned by the Romans to a house of shame. There seemed to be no way out. Rabbi Meir approached the guard with a bribe, teaching him to say “Eloka d’Meir aneni!” — “God of Meir, answer me!” — if he was ever in danger. When the guard asked for proof, Rabbi Meir threw a clod of earth at nearby man-eating dogs. They lunged to devour him, and he called out the words — the dogs turned away. The guard was convinced and released her, later using these powerful words to save his life when he was caught.
Tefillah and tzedakah together carry a special weight. When you cry out to Hashem in your darkness and also give tzedakah in the zechus of Rabbi Meir Baal Haness, you are joining your tefillah with an act of chesed. You are reaching up to Hashem while also reaching out to help another Yid. You are saying: Hashem, I have nothing left, but I still care about another Yid. Let that caring count for something.
After saying the tefillah, you may say: Elokah d’Meir aneni!
Rabbi Meir Baal Haness Charities was founded in 1799 and supports talmidei chachamim and the poor in Eretz Yisrael. The scholars at the kever of Rabbi Meir in Tiberias daven by name for those who reach out to them. When you give tzedakah for the poor of Eretz Yisrael in Rabbi Meir’s zechus, your chesed rises together with your tefillah.
Give Tzedakah in the Zechus of Rabbi Meir Baal Haness Kapitel 88, the tefillah of Heiman HaEzrachi, is befitting for exactly that moment. It is the only kapitel in Tehillim that ends in total darkness, with no note of comfort. Its power is that it gives voice to despair without requiring you to feel hopeful first. Saying it is itself an act of emunah and recognition that Hashem is the source of salvation. Kapitel 88 gives voice to a person who feels abandoned by Hashem. Heman HaEzrachi speaks of darkness, distance, and being cast into the pit — yet he says all of it directly to Hashem. That itself matters. A person can feel far away and still be turning toward Hashem. Speaking to Hashem from a place of distance is still speaking to Hashem. Rabbi Meir was a great Tanna who taught a guard to say “Elokah d’Meir aneni!” to rescue Bruria’s sister from captivity, and the words were answered in his merit. Giving tzedakah in his zechus is asking Hashem to hear your tefillah in the combined merit of this tzaddik and your own act of chesed. Rabbi Meir Baal Haness Charities, founded in 1799, supports talmidei chachamim and the needy in Eretz Yisrael. Many who say this tefillah also seek out a tefillah for emotional healing for additional strength. Whenever you need to. There is no required time. Some say it at night when the quiet becomes unbearable. Others say it in the morning before facing the day. Hashem hears this tefillah at any hour. God of Meir, answer me.” Rabbi Meir said these words to the guard, and Hashem answered. Saying them after this tefillah is an expression of emunah that Hashem hears even from the deepest darkness, and that the zechus of tefillah, tzedakah and this tzaddik can open gates that seem sealed.
A Brachah for the One in Darkness
You came to this page from a place of real pain. That quiet pull toward Hashem, even when everything inside you feels broken, is itself a kind of tefillah.
May Hashem hear your cry from the deepest place. May He send you even one small opening of light, one moment of relief, one person who understands. May the heaviness on your heart begin to lift. And may you look back one day and know that even in the darkest night, Hashem was with you.
You can submit a prayer request to the scholars who will daven on your behalf at the kever of Rabbi Meir in Tiberias at no cost. They will daven for you by name through Rabbi Meir Baal Haness Charities. And if you would like to give tzedakah in Rabbi Meir’s zechus as well, your kindness will rise together with your prayer.
