Likutei Tefillah 2:11, A Prayer for Connection in Nature
Grant me the ability to be alone;
may it be my custom to go outdoors each day
among the trees and grass - among all growing things
and there may I be alone, and enter into prayer,
to talk with the One to whom I belong.
May I express there everything in my heart,
and may all the foliage of the field -
all grasses, trees, and plants -
awake at my coming,
to send the powers of their life into the words of my prayer
so that my prayer and speech are made whole
through the life and spirit of all growing things,
which are made as one by their transcendent Source.
May I then pour out the words of my heart
before your Presence like water, O Adonai,
and lift up my hands to You in worship,
on my behalf, and that of my children!
(א) הַהִתְבּוֹדְדוּת הוּא מַעֲלָה עֶלְיוֹנָה וּגְדוֹלָה מִן הַכֹּל, דְּהַיְנוּ לִקְבֹּעַ לוֹ עַל־כָּל־פָּנִים שָׁעָה אוֹ יוֹתֵר לְהִתְבּוֹדֵד לְבַדּוֹ בְּאֵיזֶה חֶדֶר אוֹ בַּשָּׂדֶה, וּלְפָרֵשׁ שִׂיחָתוֹ בֵּינוֹ לְבֵין קוֹנוֹ בִּטְעָנוֹת וַאֲמַתְלָאוֹת, בְּדִבְרֵי חֵן וְרִצּוּי וּפִיּוּס, לְבַקֵּשׁ וּלְהִתְחַנֵּן מִלְּפָנָיו יִתְבָּרַךְ, שֶׁיְּקָרְבוֹ אֵלָיו לַעֲבוֹדָתוֹ בֶּאֱמֶת. וּתְפִלָּה וְשִׂיחָה זוֹ יִהְיֶה בַּלָּשׁוֹן שֶׁמְּדַבְּרִים בּוֹ, דְּהַיְנוּ בִּלְשׁוֹן אַשְׁכְּנַז (בִּמְדִינָתֵנוּ), כִּי בִּלְשׁוֹן־הַקֹּדֶשׁ קָשֶׁה לוֹ לְפָרֵשׁ כָּל שִׂיחָתוֹ...
וְאֶת כָּל אֲשֶׁר עִם לְבָבוֹ יָשִׂיחַ וִיסַפֵּר לְפָנָיו יִתְבָּרַךְ, הֵן חֲרָטָה וּתְשׁוּבָה עַל הֶעָבָר, וְהֵן בַּקָּשַׁת תַחֲנוּנִים לִזְכּוֹת לְהִתְקָרֵב אֵלָיו יִתְבָּרַךְ מֵהַיּוֹם וְהָלְאָה בֶּאֱמֶת, וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּזֶה כָּל חַד לְפוּם דַּרְגֵּהּ.
"Hitbodedut" is the highest level of all, which means to set aside an hour or more to seclude herself in a room or in a field, and to have express herself in dialogue with her Creator, with claims, words of favor, and to request and supplicate before God in order for God to draw her close to Divine service. And this prayer should be in one's native language which is German (in our country), because in Hebrew it is hard to express oneself, and the heart isn't drawn after such words...
And it is that which is [truly] in her heart that she should speak and explain before the Holy One of Blessing whether it be regret and teshuvah on the past, or supplications and pleas to draw nearer to God in truth from that day on, and similar things, each according to her level.
דַּע, כְּשֶׁהָאָדָם מִתְפַּלֵּל בַּשָּׂדֶה, אֲזַי כָּל הָעֲשָׂבִים כֻּלָּם בָּאִין בְּתוֹךְ הַתְּפִלָּה, וּמְסַיְּעִין לוֹ, וְנוֹתְנִין לוֹ כֹּחַ בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ. וְזֶה בְּחִינַת שֶׁנִּקְרֵאת הַתְּפִלָּה שִׂיחָה, בְּחִינַת (בראשית ב): שִׂיחַ הַשָּׂדֶה, שֶׁכָּל שִׂיחַ הַשָּׂדֶה נוֹתְנִין כֹּחַ וְסִיּוּעַ בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ. וְזֶה בְּחִינַת (שם כד): וַיֵּצֵא יִצְחָק לָשׂוּחַ בַּשָּׂדֶה – שֶׁתְּפִלָּתוֹ הָיְתָה עִם סִיּוּעַ וְכֹחַ הַשָּׂדֶה, שֶׁכָּל עִשְׂבֵי הַשָּׂדֶה נָתְנוּ כֹּחַ וְסִיּוּעַ בִּתְפִלָּתוֹ כַּנַּ"ל, שֶׁבִּשְׁבִיל זֶה נִקְרֵאת הַתְּפִלָּה שִׂיחָה כַּנַּ"ל.
Know! when a person prays in the fields, all the flora enters into the prayer, helping him and strengthening his prayer. And this is the reason prayer is called a sicha (conversation), as in the concept that comes from "the siach [translated in context as "shrub," but also means "conversation"] of the field" (Genesis 2:5) - that every "siach of the field" lends help and strength to one's prayer. This is the concept of “And Yitzchak went out lasuach (to converse) in the field” (ibid. 24:63) - his prayer was with the help and power of the field. All the flora of the field empowered and assisted his prayer, on account of which prayer is called sichah.
וְכֹ֣ל ׀ שִׂ֣יחַ הַשָּׂדֶ֗ה טֶ֚רֶם יִֽהְיֶ֣ה בָאָ֔רֶץ וְכָל־עֵ֥שֶׂב הַשָּׂדֶ֖ה טֶ֣רֶם יִצְמָ֑ח...
when no shrub of the field was yet on earth and no grasses of the field had yet sprouted...
(סג) וַיֵּצֵ֥א יִצְחָ֛ק לָשׂ֥וּחַ בַּשָּׂדֶ֖ה לִפְנ֣וֹת עָ֑רֶב וַיִּשָּׂ֤א עֵינָיו֙ וַיַּ֔רְא וְהִנֵּ֥ה גְמַלִּ֖ים בָּאִֽים׃
And Isaac went out lasuach [often translated, "walking," but this is not the verb one would usually use for "to walk"] in the field toward evening and, looking up, he saw camels approaching.
Attributed to Rabbi Nachman of Breslov
If one kills a tree before its time, it is as if s/he has murdered a soul.