Master of the worlds and Lord of lords,
Father of Compassion and Forgiveness,
we give thanks before you
YHVH our elo’ah, and elo’ah of our ancestors,
bowing and in prostration,
for drawing us close to your Torah and to your service [in] the holy mission,
and for granting us a portion in the hidden insights of your holy Torah.

What are we and what is our life
that you should have made for us this immense ḥesed?

Therefore we cast our supplications before you,
requesting that you forgive and pardon all our sins and transgressions,
and that our sins shall not alienate us from you.

Therefore may it be your will,
YHVH our elo’ah, and elo’ah of our ancestors,
that you attune our minds^[1] Until the modern period, the heart was understood as the locus of the intellect, and thus translated here as mind, not literally as heart.   to your fearsomeness and your lovingness,
and let your ears hear our speech,
and open our closed^[2] Here I interpret, he’aral, literally “uncircumcised,” as closed, i.e., unprepared, immature.   minds with the secrets of your Torah,
and let our study be pleasing before your Resplendent Cathedra as the redolence of honeyed incense,
and emanate upon us light from the source of our souls to [illuminate] all facets of our inner being,
and let the nitsotsot (primordial sparks) [contained within] your holy servants,
through whom you have revealed your words in this Age, shine forth!

May their merit,
and the merit of their ancestors,
and the merit of their Torah, of their perfection, and of their sanctity
support us so that we should not stumble in our study.

And may their merit illuminate our eyes in what we are studying,
in the words of the enchanting singer of Yisra’el:
“Open my eyes and I will perceive the wonders of your Torah”^[3] Psalms 119:18  ,
“for YHVH grants wisdom; out of Their mouth, knowledge and discernment emanate.”^[4] Proverbs 2:6  

“May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart find favor before you, YHVH, my fortress and my redeemer.” (Psalms 19:15)

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Thanks to Judy Barret for offering pointed text as reference for this transcription. Translated for my 40th birthday in love and honor of my mother and father.

In the Zohar discussion group on Facebook, Judy Barret writes, “There is a custom of prefacing each study session of the Zohar with this prayer.” This prayer commonly appears at the beginning of many works of Kaballah. (See for example, here.)

Source

 

]]> https://opensiddur.org/prayers/praxes/study/prayer-before-studying-kabbalah-by-yitzhak-luria-translated-by-aharon-varady/feed/ 2 https://opensiddur.org/readings-and-sourcetexts/mekorot/tanakh/ketuvim/hamesh-megillot/shir-hashirim/yehi-ratson-after-shir-hashirim-cantillated-and-translated-by-isaac-gantwerk-mayer/ https://opensiddur.org/readings-and-sourcetexts/mekorot/tanakh/ketuvim/hamesh-megillot/shir-hashirim/yehi-ratson-after-shir-hashirim-cantillated-and-translated-by-isaac-gantwerk-mayer/#respond Thu, 27 Mar 2025 13:18:26 +0000 https://opensiddur.org/?p=60729 After the recitation of Shir haShirim — which, in some circles, is recited every Friday night — the Lurianic kabbalists instituted a yehi ratson, a petition to be recited in the merit of what was just read. In many communities, this petition is recited using the same melodies as the recitation of the scroll itself. As an extension of this custom, here I’ve added cantillation marks to the yehi ratson after Shir haShirim. Included also is a recitation of the text following said cantillation marks.

Rabbi Isaiah Horowitz (1565-1630), known as the Shlah from the name of his chief work (Shnei Luḥot HaBrit – The Two Tablets of the Covenant), was a rabbi in Central and Eastern Europe and later Chief Ashkenazi Rabbi of Jerusalem. This text is an excerpt from his kabbalistic prayer book, Siddur Shaar haShamayim (Gate of Heaven), which deals with the Shema prayer.

According to Eliot Wolfson, the Shla went to Israel to study the work of the chariot, which was not pursued as strongly in Eastern and Central Europe. That he was very much influenced by Yitzḥak Luria is shown not only by his writings, but by his specific visit to Ḥayyim Vital’s son in Damascus where he was shown some uncirculated manuscripts.

The majority of the material is a compilation of direct quotes from well-known kabbalistic writings (See the section in the bibliography under “Kabbalistic Sources.”) These texts mostly span the period from the 12th to 17th centuries and are written in Hebrew and a sort of Medieval Aramaic, thus serving as a microcosm of the Kabbalistic genre. Much work has been done over the last 70 years to translate and explain , and much remains to be done. Roughly 40% consists of Lurianic kavvanot quoted directly from the ARI of which a quarter consists of paraphrasing by the Shla. The remainder of the material quotes from Moshe Cordovero (Pardes Rimonim), Meir ibn Gabbai (Avodat Hakodesh, Tolaat Yaakov), and from the Zohar on Genesis.^[1] Avrum Goodman credits the following translators:
Everett Fox, Torah and Samuel. (Michael Friedlander, Jewish Family Bible (1883) for all else, as presented in Koren Publisher’s Jerusalem Bible).
Gerald Friedlander, Pirkei d’Rebbe Eliezer.
Aryeh Kaplan, Sefer Yetzirah.
Miles Krassen, The Generations of Adam (from Isaiah Horowitz, Shnei Luḥot haBrit)
Danny Matt, Zohar. (The Soncino Zohar (1935) for translations not yet available from Matt).
Adin Steinsaltz, Talmud Bavli Tractates Taanit & Sanhedrin. (Contributors to the Soncino Talmud for works not yet translated by R’ Steinsaltz.)
Reuven Hammer, Sifre (of Deuteronomy).  

It is possible that the Shla did not do extensive editing on the texts – there are several cases, even in this short section, of whole sentences repeating themselves (shown by underline with the words adjacent ‘repeated above’ or ‘repeated below’). Within a specific quote, the various sentences appear in somewhat different sequence than in the most common version of the Pri Etz Ḥayim. It is possible that they are instead from Shaar haKaavanot (at least one excerpt definitely is), but I have not managed to locate any version which has the excerpts in the same order. The other quotes do seem to match almost exactly.

The rest of the material consists of paraphrases of various ideas by the author. Because all the discussion relates in one way or another to the Shema (either directly or through a closely related prayer), this text provides an interesting cross-section and comparison in the development and differentiation of kabbalistic understandings and practices.

The original edition (p. 167-172 or 84a-86b) was five pages of very small Rashi script, divided into five paragraphs. A more recent edition (p. 329-338) has nine pages of somewhat larger Rashi script, with mostly correct references to text sources and multiple paragraphs. The original text has been retyped from the Rashi script to modern Hebrew script, with appropriate layout to better show the flow of the material. The seven original glosses (hagahot) are notated by a number enclosed in parentheses e.g. (1), and placed at the end of the texts which they refer to. I have added interlineal comments in square brackets []. The notes are simple and serve only as an aid to explain specific limited matters, such as the calculations for various gematria, or point to a related discussion.

Textual analysis has generally been limited to the historical, literary, philosophical, or religious. There are three inter-twined approaches which would be fruitful in new ways:

a. scientific – Lurianic thought especially can be seen as a precursor to and influence on modem scientific thinking.
b. depth psychology/comparative mysticism- the kavvanot’s dynamics can be illuminated by comparison with other explorations of the psyche
c. visual thinking and creativity – The facility to think visually is necessary to appreciate much of the Kabbalah, and is significant in relating to kavvanot as a creative process.

By addressing the first three challenges, it is possible to attempt the fourth, by making it possible for experts in those fields to approach the original texts, rather than only through interpretations and translations. [It is recommended to supplement this with access to one of a number of glossaries and the Encyclopedia Judaica.] One example of following these other approaches is to correlate kavvanot with processes of scientific creativity and inspiration.

Where are the mothers on Sukkot? Why don’t we traditionally invite them into the sukkah the way we do the fathers? These are not just rhetorical questions, and the answer isn’t just “patriarchy”. In the adaptation of the Ushpizin above we invite the mothers. Below we explain the traditional Ushpizin prayer, as the new liturgy is a direct extension of what came before.

First and foremost, the seder of the ushpizin or guests—the seven Avot or ancestors we invite during the seven nights of Sukkot—is a Kabbalistic custom. Each of the ancestors represents one of the seven lower Sefirot. The same Sefirot correspond to the seven days in each week and seven weeks of the Omer. The traditional lineup,^[3] It’s important (to the degree that things like this can be important) that the order is not historically chronological but spiritual, reflecting the unfolding of divinity in creation, as Kabbalah understands it. Any Ashkenazi liturgy that orders the ushpizin chronologically, putting Yosef before Moshe, is not traditional, even if it is found in a Rinat Yisrael siddur.   is:

• Avraham, Ḥesed ~ Lovingkindness
• Yitzḥak, Gevurah ~ Might, Judgment
• Yaakov, Tiferet ~ Beauty, Harmony
• Moshe, Netzaḥ ~ Triumph, Eternity
• Aharon, Hod ~ Majesty
• Yosef, Yesod ~ Foundation
• David, Malkhut ~ Kingship, Kingdom

For the fathers, these correspondences are very strongly established in the Zohar and other Kabbalistic literature, and there are no well-grounded alternative orders. For the mothers, however, the correspondences with the lower Sefirot are much less stable, with the major exception of Raḥel Imeinu, who is always Malkhut. To the extent that other female figures are mentioned in Kabbalah, they most often also symbolize Malkhut. For example, in Gikatilla in Sha’arey Orah writes, “In Abraham’s time Malkhut was called Sarah; in Isaac’s time Malkhut was called Rivkah, and in Jacob’s time Malkhut was called Raḥel.”

There are only two strong correspondences between any mother and a particular sefirah besides Malkhut-Raḥel. They are between Tamar and Yesod, and between Leah and Binah. Furthermore, because Binah is above Ḥesed, and not one of the lower seven Sefirot, it doesn’t get its own day of Sukkot. That means that any liturgy for the Imahot, if it’s going to be based on the Kabbalah, can’t include Leah as one of the seven ushpizin (or, in the feminine, ushpizata).

(As an aside, the Kabbalistic significance of Leah being Binah and Raḥel being Malkhut is that Binah and Malkhut are the upper and lower mother (imma ila’ah and imma tata’ah), or (alternatively), the upper and lower feminine, or mother and daughter. The reason why Jacob has to marry both Leah and Raḥel because he is the symbol of Tif’eret, the lower masculine, which stands between Binah and Malkhut and connects them. Tif’eret-Jacob must be in conjunction with both Binah and Malkhut in order for the chain of emanation (seder hishtalsh’lut) to be unbroken and for the world to be sustained.)

The whole point of the liturgy of Ushpizin in fact is to invoke the energies of the seven lower Sefirot in the proper order, so that Shefa, blessing and sustenance, can be drawn down into the world. This is the essence of Kabbalistic liturgy, and a liturgy of the imahot would only make sense if it were to follow that pattern. That means we have the playfully serious task of finding a stable order for the imahot where no clear order exists. There are a number of proposals out there for how to do this. The liturgy I am sharing here uses only the most traditional texts^[4] The most helpful source in doing this was not a particular book but an index of Kabbalistic literature called Torat Natan.   to establish the “right” order, and you can also find below Reb Zalman’s order and the order for the seven “prophetesses” from Azariah deFano.

So, here is our list of correspondences between the mothers and the seven lower Sefirot:

• Ruth, Ḥesed (Lovingkindness) – pure kindness and trust, devoting herself entirely to being God’s instrument and Naomi’s support, the one who chooses to be Jewish (to speak anachronistically) without any advantage or self-interest, motivated strictly from within herself, like Abraham
• Sarah, Gevurah (Judgment) – the one who demands that Hagar be thrown into the wilderness, judgment that overcomes mercy, she is even called g’virati by Hagar
• Rivkah, Tiferet (Beauty, Balance) – she is the wily one, like Jacob, who knows how things must turn out, who can create the reality that needs to exist, and who can draw on mercy or harshness as needed to accomplish her purpose
• Miriam, Netzaḥ (Victory, Eternity)^[5] Netzaḥ and Hod are called Einei Hashem, “the eyes of God”, and represent the power of prophecy, so Miriam and Devorah as prophets fit here pretty clearly, but the distinctions between Netzaḥ and Hod in Kabbalah are pretty nebulous, so the order between them is tentative. The connection between Miriam and Moshe makes Miriam fit with Netzaḥ well, but one could also argue for Devorah as Netzaḥ, the victorious one.   – prophet, bearer and bringer of water (the right side), Moshe’s sister, the one who knows how to celebrate victory over Pharoah’s army
• Devorah, Hōd (Majesty)^[6] See above, Netzaḥ   – warrior and prophet, the greatest female ruler in Israel.
• Tamar, Yesōd (Foundation) – the one who sits at the crossroads of Einei Hashem (i.e. between Netzaḥ and Hod), who embodies the fullness of sexuality (as does Yesod), who joins with Judah (who represents Malkhut – this reverses the masculine and feminine assignments of these Sefirot), who is tzadkah, the righteous one, just as Yosef is tzadik.
• Raḥel, Malkhut (Kingdom) – the Shekhinah who goes into exile with her children and pleads for their return.

How do we fit Leah in? It turns out that the Sefaradi nusach includes a reference to Binah (Understanding), so all that we need to do is to add Leah’s name when Binah is invoked.

One thing you may have already considered is that it’s not clear which of the other women besides the four matriarchs^[7] This ignores the question of Bilhah and Zilpah, the handmaids of Leah and Raḥel who also bore Jacob’s sons, and who are included in a discussion of the “six imahot” in one of the early midrashim.   should be included. Dinah, Hannah, Hulda, Esther and many others come to mind besides the ones we’ve already mentioned. Because allusions to the other foremothers, besides Sarah, Rivkah, Raḥel and Leah, are so infrequent as compared to the forefathers, it’s hard to know which allusion is the most important, both with respect to which figure to use and with respect to which Sefirah she should represent.

There is one clear text that assigns a Sefirah to each of the “seven prophetesses” which is quite different than the above order. Menachem Azariah deFano^[8] Thanks to Aryeh Cohen of the SFKAUJ (AJU) for bringing my attention to deFano, which he learned about from Shaul Magid. Aryeh also spent time on the phone holding my hand through the Aramaic conjugations and declensions.   gives this order in his work Asarah Ma’amarot: Sarah, Chesed; Miriam, Gevurah; Devorah, Tif’eret; Hannah, Netzaḥ; Avigail, Hod; Hulda, Yesod; Esther, Malkhut. This order doesn’t feel to me like the one we should base ushpizin on however: only one of the matriarchs is represented, and the three very strong correspondences between the Sefirot with Leah, Raḥel and Tamar are left out. We might make a distinction for this question between the seven n’viot prophetesses, and the seven mothers.

The basic order of the Ushpizin presented here is: Ruth, Sarah, Rivkah, Miriam, Devorah, Tamar, Raḥel, plus Leah as Binah. Reb Zalman’s order is also quite different, with Sarah at Hod! The rest are: Miriam, Chesed; Leah, Gevurah; Hannah, Tif’eret; Rivkah, Netzaḥ; Tamar, Yesod; Esther and Ruth, Malkhut.^[9] You can read a 2-page pdf in Hebrew of Reb Zalman’s explanations for these correspondences, provided by R. Ruth Kagan from the Hebrew volume of Reb Zalman’s thought, Kirvat Elohim:Tikkun Olam v’Tikkun Halev (Jewish Renewal—Integrating Heart and World), which she edited. Click here to download.   It would be easy to plug deFano’s order or Reb Zalman’s order (or any other order you’re attached to) into the liturgy I’ve created, with the simple proviso that if Leah is included in the lower seven, one would leave out the mention of her name where it’s used as an epithet for imma ila’ah near the beginning. (This line is the one that immediately precedes the invitation, Ulu, ulu.)

In all cases, making space for a liturgy that includes the imahot, especially where there is absolutely no halakhic rule about something needing to be said, seems not only good but imperative. May this action add to our “building the stature of the Shekhinah” to bring redemption nearer. The phrase comes from the Or Hameir, Zev Wolf of Zhitomir, who calls on us to build up the Shekhinah to be equal, ayin b’ayin “eye-to-eye” with the Holy One. For him this is the essential task of the exile. Or Hame’ir, pp.51-2:

“And it was the middle of the night, and the man awoke trembling and started, and here, a woman lying by his feet. And he said: Who are you? Mi at? And she said: I am Anokhi Ruth your maidservant. Spread your corner over your maidservant, for you are a redeemer, a go’el” (Ruth 3:8-9). “He awoke trembling”—[this means] the Holy One Blessed Be [Tif’eret], who trembles [with desire] to build the body of the Shekhinah, to be body opposite body, qomah neged qomah. For now in the time of exile it is “Alef with all of them and all of them with Alef” [i.e. they are unequal], but in the future they will be equal in appearance, standing eye to eye. Therefore the Holy One asks the Shekhinah: “Who is with you in exile? Is there anyone seeking YHVH to search out your unity, to raise up the limbs of the Shekhinah and to build your qomah?” And all this falls upon us, to bring near the time of redemption g’ulah through means of good acts [so that] her qomah will be built and established…Know [therefore] how to raise up, now in this day especially, the limbs of the Shekhinah in order to redeem her from exile, for this is the drive, the intent of our souls, m’gamat nafsheinu…to build her and to prepare her with a complete body, qomah sh’leymah.