Tefillah Le-Chol Tzarah — A Prayer for Times of Distress
This prayer, drawn from the Sha'arei Dim'ah ('Gates of Tears') collection, is recited in any moment of crisis, illness, or hardship. It weaves together a charitable act — giving at least eighteen small coins to tzedakah — with an invocation of Rabbi Meir Ba'al HaNes, a revered Talmudic sage whose name is traditionally associated with miraculous rescue. The prayer calls on the merit of the patriarchs and the righteous to awaken divine compassion. Whatever your background or tradition, you are welcome to bring your need before the One who hears all prayer.
A wondrous prayer to be said at any time of distress or illness, God forbid.
One should take no fewer than eighteen small coins (and give them to tzedakah) and say:
"God of Meir, answer me" — three times,
and afterward say:
Master of the Universe,
I hereby give the sum of — (specify how much you are giving) — to tzedakah,
or oil for the lamp in the amount of — (specify how much you are giving) —
for the elevation of the souls of our forefathers, the pillars of the world: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,
and for the sake of the soul of Rabbi Meir Ba'al HaNes,
and for the sake of the souls of all the righteous and the pious.
May it be Your will before You, Adonai my God and God of my fathers,
just as You heard their prayer
and rescued them from every distress and anguish,
and performed with them miracles and wonders both revealed and hidden,
and brought them from darkness into light —
so, in their merit, may there now be a moment of compassion and an hour of favor before You,
and may You deal with me — (state your name and your mother's name) —
and with all Your people, the house of Israel, wherever they may be,
with miracles both revealed and hidden,
and rescue me from all distress and anguish, from now and forever.
(If praying about a specific matter, specify it here. For example:
if praying for one who is ill, say: and in particular, send complete healing to the one who is ill, [name], son/daughter of [mother's name];
or if you need goodwill from a certain person, say: and grant me grace, kindness, and compassion in the eyes of all who see me, and especially in the eyes of [name], and so forth.)
May the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable before You,
Adonai, my rock and my redeemer.
Tefillah Nifla'ah le-omrah be-chol et tzarah o choli, chalilah.
Yikach lo pachot mi-shmonah esreh perutot (ve-yitnem le-tzedakah) ve-yomar:
"Elaha de-Meir aneni" shalosh pe'amim,
ve-achar kach yomar:
Ribono shel olam,
hareni noten sach — (yefaret kamah hu noten) — le-tzedakah,
o shemen le-ma'or be'ad sach — (ve-yefaret kamah hu noten) —
le-ilui nishmatam shel avoteinu avot ha-olam Avraham Yitzchak ve-Ya'akov,
ve-lishem nishmat Rabbi Meir Ba'al HaNes,
ve-lishem nishmat kol ha-tzadikim ve-ha-chasidim.
Yehi ratzon lefanecha, Adonai Elohai ve-Elohei avotai,
ke-shem she-shama'ta et tefilatam
ve-hitzalta otam mi-kol tzarah ve-tzukah
ve-asita imahem nisim ve-nifla'ot galuyim ve-nistarim
ve-hotzeta otam me-afelah le-orah,
ken bi-zkhutam yehi na sha'at rachamim ve-et ratzon milfanecha
ve-ta'aseh imadi — (Ploni / Plonit ben / bat Plonit — yomar et shemo ve-shem imo) —
ve-im kol amecha beit Yisrael be-chol makom she-hem,
nisim galuyim ve-nistarim,
ve-tatzileni mi-kol tzarah ve-tzukah me-atah ve-ad olam.
(Im mitpalel al inyan meyuchad, yefaret kan. Le-mashal:
im mitpalel be'ad choleh, yomar: u-vi-frat she-tishlachu refu'ah shelemah la-choleh Ploni / Plonit ben / bat Plonit;
o im tzarich tovah me-eizeh adam, yomar: ve-titneni le-chen u-le-chesed u-le-rachamim be-einei chol ro'ai u-vi-frat etzel [Ploni], ve-chadome.)
Yihyu le-ratzon imrei fi ve-hegyon libi lefanecha,
Adonai tzuri ve-go'ali.
Common Questions
'Elaha de-Meir aneni' is Aramaic for 'God of Meir, answer me.' It is a traditional formula associated with Rabbi Meir Ba'al HaNes — Rabbi Meir 'the Miracle-Worker' — a prominent Talmudic sage. Jewish tradition teaches that calling upon the merit of this righteous figure, alongside the act of giving tzedakah in his name, helps open the gates of heaven to one's prayer. It is recited three times before the main prayer text.
In Jewish tradition, tzedakah is not merely generosity but an act of justice and spiritual power. The Talmud and later Jewish thought teach that charity has the capacity to avert harsh decrees and open one to divine mercy. By giving at least eighteen coins — the number eighteen corresponding to the Hebrew word 'chai,' meaning 'life' — the person praying performs a concrete act of righteousness before voicing their plea, linking deed and word together.
Rabbi Meir was one of the foremost sages of the Mishnaic period, a student of Rabbi Akiva, and a central figure in the Talmud. The title 'Ba'al HaNes,' meaning 'Master of the Miracle,' was attached to him by later tradition, which associated his name and merit with miraculous rescue in times of danger. Charity boxes in his name have been a fixture of Jewish homes for centuries, with donations traditionally directed to the Land of Israel.
In Jewish prayer, a person in need is customarily identified by their own Hebrew name followed by their mother's Hebrew name — for example, 'Yosef son of Rachel.' The placeholders 'Ploni' and 'Plonit' are the Hebrew equivalents of 'so-and-so,' functioning like blanks to be filled in. When praying for yourself, you insert your own name; when praying for someone else, you insert that person's name. The prayer also invites you to specify your particular need — illness, financial hardship, the need for goodwill from another person, and so on.
This reflects the concept of 'zekhut avot' — the merit of the ancestors. Jewish tradition holds that the righteous deeds and covenantal relationship of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and later saintly figures create a kind of spiritual inheritance that their descendants can draw upon, especially in dire moments. It is not a mechanical transaction but an appeal to God's own faithfulness: 'You heard them and saved them — please, in that same spirit, hear me now.'
This prayer is rooted in Jewish liturgical tradition and calls specifically on the patriarchs of Israel, the merit of a Talmudic sage, and God's covenant with the people of Israel. A non-Jewish reader is warmly welcome to read, reflect on, and draw inspiration from it. If you choose to recite it as a personal prayer, do so with honesty about where you stand — you might simply pray the words as a meditation, or adapt the petition to your own language, trusting that the God addressed here hears all who call sincerely.