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A tiqqun for Erev Rosh Ḥodesh Nissan, as found in Sefer Zokhrenu le-Ḥayyim, a Ḳabbalistic haggadah for the Passover seder with translation and commentary published in Livorno in 1870 for use of the Tripolitanian Jewish community.
Note: “The CAUSE” is used to translate the Divine Name YHVH, based on the philosophical idea of God as the Prime Mover and on the interpretation of the Name as a causative form of the copula – “causes to be.” This translation also uses the plural pronouns They/Their/Them to refer to God as a pluralis majestatis, and to avoid the implications of God being assigned a gender. (Find Ibn Ezra’s commentary on Genesis 1:1 for a discussion of the pluralis majestatis when referring to God.) All divine referents (pronouns, epithets, names) are rendered in unicase.
| Source (Hebrew) | Translation (English) |
|---|---|
קבלו וקיימו אנשי מעשה להתענות יום שלפני ראש חודש ניסן וביום צום תעניתם יאמרו נוסח זה: |
The men of action accepted and took it up to fast on the day before Rosh Ḥodesh Nisan, and on the day of fasting self-affliction they would say the following liturgy: |
אַתָּה הוּא יְהֹוָה הָאֱלֹהִים הַפּוֹתֵֽחַ וּמַשְׁפִּיעַ טַלְלֵי רָצוֹן בְּרָכָה וּנְדָבָה בְּעוֹלָמוֹת הָעֶלְיוֹנִים וּמֵהֶם לָעוֹלָמוֹת שֶׁל־מַֽטָּה וּבַיּוֹם הַחֹֽדֶשׁ הַזֶּה נִיסָן רֹאשׁ חֳדָשִׁים הַבָּא עָלֵֽינוּ בְּרַחֲמִים יִפָּתְחוּ לָזוּן וּלְפַרְנֵס מִקַּרְנֵי רְאֵמִים וְעַד־בֵּיצֵי כִּנִּים וּמָה רַב־טוּבְךָ אֲשֶׁר עָשִֽׂיתָ עִם־כׇּל־בְּרוּאֶֽיךָ וְעִמָּֽנוּ בָּרָעָב זַנְתָּֽנוּ וּבַשָּׂבָע כִּלְכַּלְתָּֽנוּ וְאָכַֽלְנוּ וְשָׂבַֽעְנוּ וְהוֹתַֽרְנוּ בְּיָדְךָ הַטּוֹבָה עָלֵֽינוּ לֹא־חָסַֽרְנוּ דָּבָר וְלֹא בְרֹֽעַ מַעֲלָלֵֽינוּ גְּמַלְתָּֽנוּ כִּי יָדַֽעְנוּ כִּי אֵין־בָּֽנוּ לֹא־תּוֹרָה וְלֹא־מַעֲשִׂים טוֹבִים וְלֹא־יֵשׁ בְּכׇל־יְמֵי חַיֵּֽינוּ אֲפִֽילּוּ רֶֽגַע שֶׁעָשִֽׂינוּ בוֹ רְצוֹנֶֽךָ כְּטוּב לְבָבֵֽנוּ. |
You are the Cause our God, who opens and precipitates dew of will, blessing, and gift in the upper worlds, and from them to the lower worlds, and on this new month, Nisan, the head of months, may it come in mercy, they will be opened to feed and sustain [all] from the horns of the aurochs[1] An identification of the reémim, and otherwise unknown or mythical land animal. –Aharon Varady to the eggs of lice.[2] Talmud Bavli, Avodah Zarah 3b And how great is Your goodness that You did with all Your creatures and with us! In hunger You fed us, and in fullness You provided for us,[3] From the Nishmat Kol Ḥai liturgy and we ate and were sated and had extra by Your good hand upon us; we have not lacked a thing, and not by our miserable deeds have we merited such, for we know that we have no Torah nor good deeds, nor do we have in all the days of our life even a moment in which we did Your will goodheartedly. |
רַק כִּלִּֽינוּ שָׁנֵֽינוּ בְהַבְלֵי הָעוֹלָם לְהַשְׂבִּֽיעַ יִצְרֵֽנוּ אַכְזָרִי וּלְהַשְׁפִּיל וּלְהַכְנִֽיעַ וּלְטַמֵּא וּלְתַעֵב בְּכׇל־מִינֵי טֻמְאוֹת וְתוֹעֵבוֹת לְנַפְשֵֽׁנוּ הַיְּקָרָה וְהַמְּהֻדֶּֽרֶת אֲשֶׁר הִיא חֵֽלֶק מִמָּךְ וּפָגַֽמְנוּ בִּשְׁמוֹתֶֽיךָ הַקְּדוֹשִׁים וְהִגְבַּֽרְנוּ הַדִּינִים הַקָּשִׁים עַל־הָרַחֲמִים וְאַף־גַּם־זֹאת כִּי בֹֽשְׁנוּ וְנִכְלַֽמְנוּ לְהָרִים פָּנֵֽינוּ אֵלֶֽיךָ כִּי בְטוֹבָה אֲשֶׁר הִשְׁפַּֽעְתָּ עָלֵֽינוּ בָּעַֽטְנוּ בָּךְ וְעָשִֽׂינוּ נֶאָצוֹת גְּדוֹלוֹת׃ |
We have only spent our years in the world’s wasted breath, to sate our wicked desires, to bring down and subdue and defile and abhore with all kinds of defilement and abhorrences to our precious glorous souls which are a portion from You, and we damaged Your holy names and empowered cruel judgments over mercy, and despite all this, we are ashamed and disgraced to raise our faces before You, for in the goodness You have precipitated upon us, we have kicked[4] Find Deuteronomy 32:15 for the usage of “kicked” as a verb to refer to rebelliousness. at you and done great blasphemies. |
וְלִי אֲנִי עַבְדֶּֽךָ הַמִּתְפַּלֵּל לְפָנֶֽיךָ הֵטַֽבְתָּ חַסְדֶּֽךָ עַל־כֹּל וְנָתַֽתָּ לִי כְּבִרְכָתֶֽךָ יוֹתֵר מִן־הָרָאוּי לִי קָטֹ֜נְתִּי מִכֹּ֤ל הַחֲסָדִים֙ וּמִכׇּל־הָ֣אֱמֶ֔ת אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָשִׂ֖יתָ אֶת־עַבְדֶּ֑ךָ בְּנִדְבַת לִבֶּֽךָ. וְיָרֵא אָנֹכִי מְאֹד לְנַפְשִׁי הָעֲלוּבָה שֶׁלֹּא אֶהְיֶה מִן־כַּת אוֹיְבֶֽיךָ וְשׂוֹנְאֶֽיךָ אֲשֶׁר נֶאֱמַר בָּהֶם וּמְשַׁלֵּ֧ם לְשֹׂנְאָ֛יו אֶל־פָּנָ֖יו לְהַאֲבִיד֑וֹ חַס וְשָׁלוֹם וּלְהַאֲכִילֵֽנִי בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה מִעוּט זָכִיּוֹת אֲשֶׁר בְּיָדִי. וְאִם־כָּֽכָה אַתָּה עֹֽשֶׂה לִי אָנָּא יְהֹוָה בַּֽעַל הָרַחֲמִים קַח־נָא בִּרְכָתִי וְאַל־אֶרְאֶה בְרָעָתִי בָּעוֹלָם הַבָּא אֶֽרֶץ הַחַיִּים עוֹלָם הַנִּצְחִי. |
And to me, I Your servant who prays before You, You have done good kindness on all, and You have given me as per Your blessings more than I deserve. I am too small for all the kindnesses and all the truth that You have done for Your servant[5] Genesis 32:11 by Your heart’s generosity. And I fear greatly for my sorrowful soul, that I not be of the party of Your enemies and Your foes of whom it is said “And They pay back Their foes to their face, to destroy them” (Deuteronomy 7:10) — Heaven forfend! — and to feed me in this world the few merits that I have.[6] Based on the idea that one’s merits are paid back both in this world and in the next, so one who has much blessing in this world is forfeiting a greater reward. And if thus You are doing to me, please, Cause, Master of mercies, take, please, my blessing that I may not see my evil in the world to come, the land of life, the eternal world. |
וְאִם־מִדַּת טוּבְךָ הוּא לָתֵת וּלְהַשְׁפִּֽיעַ וְלֹא־לָשׁוּב לְקַחְתּוֹ הִנֵּה אָנֹכִי בָּא אֵלֶֽיךָ בְּיוֹם צוֹם הַתַּעֲנִית הַזֶּה בְּלֵב נִשְׁבָּר וְנִדְכֶּה לְבַקֵּשׁ רַחֲמִים וְתַחֲנוּנִים לְפָנֶֽיךָ עֲשֵׂה עִם־עַבְדְּךָ כְּחַסְדֶּֽךָ וְהָיָה הַטּוֹב הַהוּא אֲשֶׁר תֵּטִיב עִמִּי לַעֲשׂוֹת רְצוֹנְךָ בְּלֵבָב שָׁלֵם וְלַעֲשׂוֹת צְדָקָה וָחֶֽסֶד אֵלַי כׇּל־הַיּוֹם וְתָסִיר אֶת־לֵב הָאֶֽבֶן מִבְּשָׂרֵֽנוּ וְתִתֵּן־לָֽנוּ לֵב טָהוֹר שֶׁלֹּא־נְבַעֵט בָּךְ מֵרֹב טוֹבָה וְלֹא־נִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בְּמַתְּנוֹתֶֽיךָ לִדְבָרִים רָעִים וְתַעֲנוּגֵי הַגּוּף לְמַֽעַן לֹא־נֵבוֹשׁ בָּעוֹלָם הַזֶּה וְלֹא־נִכָּלֵם לְעוֹלָם הַבָּא. |
And if Your measure of goodness is to give and precipitate and not to return, taking it, here I come before You on this fast-day of self-affliction with a shattered and crushed heart to beg for mercy and pleading before You. Do with Your servant as per Your kindness, that this goodness that You do be with me to do Your will wholeheartedly and do justice and kindness to me all day, and remove the stone heart from our flesh, and grant us a pure heart[7] Find Ezekiel 11:19 that we not kick against You, from Your great goodness, and that we not use Your gifts for bad things and bodily pleasures, that we not be ashamed in this world nor wiped out from the next world. |
וּבְכֵן יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶֽיךָ יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵֽינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵֽינוּ שֶׁתַּשְׁפִּֽיעַ טַל הָעֶלְיוֹן מִתְּרֵין מַזָּלִין נוֹצֵ״ר וְנַקֵּ״ה דֶּֽרֶךְ חֵיךְ וְגָרוֹן לְאַֽבָּא וְאִֽמָּא וּמִן־אַֽבָּא וְאִֽמָּא לִזְעֵיר אַנְפִּין וּמִזְּעֵיר אַנְפִּין לַחֲקַל תַּפּוּחִין קַדִּישִׁין וּמֵהֶם יִשְׁתַּלְשֵׁל וְיַגִּֽיעַ וְיֵרָאֶה הַשֶּֽׁפַע הַהוּא בְּכׇל־הָעוֹלָמוֹת וְרַוֵּה פְּנֵי תֵבֵל וְשַׁבַּע אֶת־הָעוֹלָם כֻּלּוֹ מִטּוּבָךְ וּמַלֵּא יָדֵֽינוּ מִבִּרְכוֹתֶֽיךָ וּמֵעֹֽשֶׁר מַתְּנוֹת יָדֶֽיךָ וּבִימִינְךָ תִּסְעָדֵֽנוּ הַטְרִיפֵֽנוּ לֶֽחֶם חֻקֵּֽינוּ לָֽנוּ וּלְכׇל־בְּנֵי בֵּיתֵֽנוּ וְלֹא־יְנֻכֶּה מִזָּכִיּוֹתֵֽינוּ מְאֽוּמָה וַנִּֽשְׂבַּֽע־לֶ֙חֶם֙ וַנִּהְיֶ֣ה טוֹבִ֔ים כִּי אַתָּה הָאֵל פּוֹתֵ֥חַ אֶת־יָדֶ֑ךָ וּמַשְׂבִּ֖יעַ לְכׇל־חַ֣י רָצֽוֹן׃ (תהלים קמה:טז) |
And thus, may it be willed before You, Cause our God and God of our ancestors, that You make the supernal dew precipitate down the two channels, Notsér and Naqeh,[8] Referring to the eighth and thirteenth of the tiqqunin listed in the Idra Rabba, the beard’s borders and volume, corresponding to the eighth and thirteenth of the thirteen attributes of mercy. The imagery of the Idra Rabba paints the divine beard as the channel via which supernal dew trickles down from the Ancient of Days to the Short-Faced One. via the palate and the throat, to the Father and Mother,[9] The sefirot of ḥokhma and bina respectively, which suckle from the divine beard in the Idra’s cosmology. and from them to the Lesser Face[10] The microprosopus, the divine aspect of the lower sefirot in the Idra’s cosmology. and from the Lesser Face to the Field of Holy Apples,[11] The sefira of malkhut, reflecting the divine femininity and fruitfulness as well as the garden of Eden in the Idra’s cosmology. and from them may that precipitation link up and reach and be seen in all the worlds, and water the face of the land, and sate the entire world with Your goodness, and fill our hands with Your blessing and with the wealth of the gift of Your hands,[12] From the Sephardic-rite birkat hashanim for the rainy season and in Your right hand support us, tearing off our apportioned bread for us and for all our household, that we not be deduced from our merits at all, and we be sated with bread and we be good.[13] Jeremiah 44:17 For You, Deity, open Your hand and sate all life as willed. (Psalms 145:16) |
יִ֥הְיֽוּ־לְרָצ֨וֹן ׀ אִמְרֵי־פִ֡י וְהֶגְי֣וֹן לִבִּ֣י לְפָנֶ֑יךָ יְ֝הֹוָ֗ה צוּרִ֥י וְגֹאֲלִֽי׃ (תהלים יט:טו) וִיהִ֤י ׀ נֹ֤עַם אֲדֹנָ֥י אֱלֹהֵ֗ינוּ עָ֫לֵ֥ינוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה יָ֭דֵינוּ כּוֹנְﬞנָ֥ה עָלֵ֑ינוּ וּֽמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יָ֝דֵ֗ינוּ כּוֹנְﬞנֵֽהוּ׃ (תהלים צ:יז) אָמֵן כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן׃ |
May my mouth’s words and my heart’s mutterings be desired before You, Cause, my Rock and my Redeemer. (Psalms 19:15) And may the Master our God’s sweetness be upon us, and our handiworks be established upon us; may They establish our handiworks! (Psalms 90:17) Amen, thus may it be willed. |
קריאות בראשית כז:כח–כט דברים לג:יג–יז זכריה ח תהלים כג תהלים כד תהלים קלג |
Readings: Genesis 27:28–29, Deuteronomy 33:13–17, Zechariah 8, Psalms 23, Psalms 24, Psalms 133 |
Source(s)
Tikkun for erev Rosh Hodesh Nisan (Seder Zokhrenu leHayyim 1870), p. 1r Tikkun for erev Rosh Hodesh Nisan (Seder Zokhrenu leHayyim 1870), p. 1v Tikkun for erev Rosh Hodesh Nisan (Seder Zokhrenu leHayyim 1870), p. 2r Tikkun for erev Rosh Hodesh Nisan (Seder Zokhrenu leHayyim 1870), p. 2v Tikkun for erev Rosh Hodesh Nisan (Seder Zokhrenu leHayyim 1870), p. 3r
Notes
| 1 | An identification of the reémim, and otherwise unknown or mythical land animal. –Aharon Varady |
|---|---|
| 2 | Talmud Bavli, Avodah Zarah 3b |
| 3 | From the Nishmat Kol Ḥai liturgy |
| 4 | Find Deuteronomy 32:15 for the usage of “kicked” as a verb to refer to rebelliousness. |
| 5 | Genesis 32:11 |
| 6 | Based on the idea that one’s merits are paid back both in this world and in the next, so one who has much blessing in this world is forfeiting a greater reward. |
| 7 | Find Ezekiel 11:19 |
| 8 | Referring to the eighth and thirteenth of the tiqqunin listed in the Idra Rabba, the beard’s borders and volume, corresponding to the eighth and thirteenth of the thirteen attributes of mercy. The imagery of the Idra Rabba paints the divine beard as the channel via which supernal dew trickles down from the Ancient of Days to the Short-Faced One. |
| 9 | The sefirot of ḥokhma and bina respectively, which suckle from the divine beard in the Idra’s cosmology. |
| 10 | The microprosopus, the divine aspect of the lower sefirot in the Idra’s cosmology. |
| 11 | The sefira of malkhut, reflecting the divine femininity and fruitfulness as well as the garden of Eden in the Idra’s cosmology. |
| 12 | From the Sephardic-rite birkat hashanim for the rainy season |
| 13 | Jeremiah 44:17 |
“תיקון לערב ראש חודש ניסן | Tiqun for Erev Rosh Ḥodesh Nisan” is shared through the Open Siddur Project under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike (CC BY-SA) 4.0 International copyleft license.
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