You may know this line from official oaths of office. It’s also the opening line and theme of a heartfelt Sephardic melody that was adopted by Chabad.
“Azreini Ey-l Chai Lehachniyah et Yetzer Hamefateh Hameiriah…”
Help me living G-d to subdue the temptations of the evil inclination.
Click on this link to hear the song audio on Chabad.org
One of the key principles of AA’s Twelve Steps is that we must rely on a higher power. We can’t get ourselves out on our own, we need help from the outside.
This song doesn’t ask G-d to do it for us, neither does it push ahead with self-reliance and self-assurance. Instead, it asks G-d for help as it expects us to do the heavy-lifting ourselves.
Part of the power of prayer is the ability to transcend ourselves, open up with humility, and make space for that which is greater than us.