בסיעתא דשמיא

Kavvanah for the Mitzvah of Kindling the Ḥanukah Lights by Rebbe Tzvi Elimelech Spira of Dinov

לְשֵׁם יִחוּד קֻדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וּשְׁכִינְתֵּהּ, בִּדְחִילוּ וּרְחִימוּ וּרְחִימוּ וּדְחִילוּ, לְיַחֵד שֵׁם י״ה בְּו״ה בְּיִחוּדָא שְׁלִים בְּשֵׁם כָּל יִשְׂרָאֵל. הִנְנִי מְכַוֵּן בְּהַדְלָקַת נֵר חֲנוּכָּה לְקַיֵם מִצְוַת בּוֹרְאִי כַּאֲשֶׁר צִוּוּנִי חֲכָמֵינוּ ז”ל לְתַקֵן אֶת שׁוֹרְשָׁה בְּמָקוֹם עֶלְיוֹן:‏

וּבְכֵן יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְפָנֶיךָ יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ שֶׁתְּהֵא חֲשׁוּבָה וּמְקֻבֶּלֶת וּמְרֻצָּה לְפָנֶיךָ מִצְוַת הַדְלָקַת נֵר . . . → Read More: Kavvanah for the Mitzvah of Kindling the Ḥanukah Lights by Rebbe Tzvi Elimelech Spira of Dinov

Likutei Tefillot and The Open Breslov Project

Image: "Объятие вечности | Eternity hugs" by L'Yoshka (License: CC BY-SA 2.0). Image taken in Uman Park, Uman, Ukraine.

In 2010 while beginning to prepare resources for Tu Bishvat, I stumbled across a fascinating project over on Wikisource — the Open Breslov Project — a project for creating free digital translations into English of the work of Rebbe Naḥman of Breslov, the work of his student, Reb Natan of Nemirov, and a few others. Closely related to the Open Siddur Project is an effort at Hebrew Wikisource to create free digital editions of all the texts of Breslov Ḥasidut in Hebrew. . . . → Read More: Likutei Tefillot and The Open Breslov Project

The Tikkun Haklali according to Rebbe Naḥman of Breslov

Cherokee Dusk by Eistean (licensed CC BY 2.0)

In 1806, Rebbe Naḥman of Breslov taught that the recitation of ten psalms could act as a powerful Tikkun (remedy) in a process of t’shuva leading to an awareness of the divine presence that permeates and enlivens this world but is alas, hidden though an accretion of transgressive thoughts and actions. Five years later, Rebbe Naḥman revealed the specific ten psalms of this Tikkun to two of his closest disciples, Rabbi Aharon of Breslov and Rabbi Naftali of Nemirov… . . . → Read More: The Tikkun Haklali according to Rebbe Naḥman of Breslov

Tikkun Ḥatzot: Getting Right at Midnight

Shmuel Gonzales, who has for years now been transcribing sections of the Nusah Ha-Ari (comparable to the liturgy in Siddur Tehillat Hashem and the Siddur Torah Ohr) graciously shared his latest work: a transcription of the midnight devotional liturgy called the Tikkun Ḥatzot. What follows is Shmuel’s introduction to this work. (All of Shmuel’s transcriptions . . . → Read More: Tikkun Ḥatzot: Getting Right at Midnight

סידור תורה אור | Siddur Torah Ohr: the Nusaḥ Ha-Ari according to Rav Schneur Zalman of Lyadi

Rav Schneur Zalman of Liadi

When Rav Yiztḥak Luria, zt”l, also known as the Holy Ari, davvened in Eretz Yisroel he brought about a series of liturgical innovations witnessed in later siddurim. His particular nusaḥ bridged minhag Ashkenaz and minhag Sefarad (the customs of the Rheinland Jews and the customs of the Jews of the Iberian Peninsula) with the teachings of his school of Kabbalists. When two centuries later, the Ḥassidic movement blossomed in Eastern Europe, it found purchase in Lithuania among a mystical school centered around Rav Schneur Zalman of Lyady, the Alter Rebbe and founder of the ḤaBaD movement within Ḥassidism. The Alter Rebbe compiled his own siddur, the Siddur Torah Ohr, “according to the tradition of the Ari.” . . . → Read More: סידור תורה אור | Siddur Torah Ohr: the Nusaḥ Ha-Ari according to Rav Schneur Zalman of Lyadi

Siddur Tehillat Hashem Yidaber Pi

Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi

The Open Siddur is pleased to announce the first contribution of a contemporary translation of the siddur. Reb Zalman Schachter-Shalomi contributed his Weekday Siddur and Sabbath Supplement: Siddur Tehillat HaShem Yidaber Pi. The siddur presents Reb Zalman’s creative translation in English of Psalms, blessings, the Amidah, liturgical poetry, meditations, and other prayers read daily and . . . → Read More: Siddur Tehillat Hashem Yidaber Pi

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