A Prayer to Merit the Secret of the Tree of the Field

"For man is a tree of the field, and you shall not destroy it, for you shall eat from it." If he is a worthy Torah scholar, "you shall eat from it," meaning you should learn Torah from him. But if he is not worthy, do not eat from him. "Iron sharpens iron" — just as one piece of iron sharpens another, so too do Torah scholars sharpen one another in Halachah (Jewish law). For Devorah the Prophetess, the wife of Lapidos, fulfilled the verse, "A contemptible torch in the thought of the complacent, ready for those whose feet slip." Because she was entirely made of torches; all her 248 limbs and 365 sinews were torches of fire. She would make wicks (pesilos), which share the exact same letters as prayers (tefillos), that would never be extinguished. And the prayers of the Rav will never end and will never be extinguished, for Devorah, the wife of Lapidos, was forged from the lights of Chanukah. Because Chana said, "The bows (keshes) of the mighty are broken" (the numerical value of keshes is 800). This equals twice the value of "Eliyahu HaNavi zachur latov" (Elijah the Prophet, remembered for good), which is 400 x 2 = 800. For Chana merited the lights of Chanukah, as it is said, "He will give strength to His king and raise the horn of His anointed." Because keshes (bow) is 800, as it is written, "These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite, chief of the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite, against eight hundred slain at one time." For with every strike, David would strike down 800 men with his strength. This is the secret of "Eliyahu HaNavi zachur latov" (400 x 2), striking 800 at once with a single arrow upon which the Name of Hashem was written. This is the secret of the verse, "You have placed me (tesimeni, which equals 800) as the head of the nations; a people I have not known shall serve me." Through David, who was the "tree of the field" and merited to practice Hisbodedus (secluded prayer) in the forests, as it is written, "Behold, we heard of it in Ephrath; we found it in the fields of the forest." And we will merit to cut off all the hostile nations, which is why he said, "You have placed me (tesimeni) as the head of the nations" — the gematria (numerical value) of tesimeni is 800. Because 800 is twice the value of "Eliyahu HaNavi zachur latov." The nations are barren trees, while the Jewish people are fruit-bearing trees. And all the miracles and wonders come about through Eliyahu HaNavi zachur latov, for twice "Eliyahu HaNavi zachur latov" equals 800.

The Rav said that his prayers are like the wicks of Devorah the Prophetess, which illuminated the Holy Temple.

BS"D 1209

To merit the secret of the tree of the field, to be like Devorah who made wicks for the Holy Temple, to know that the prayers of the Rav will never end and will never be extinguished, to be strengthened in Hisbodedus in the fields and forests, and to merit miracles and wonders.

"For man is a tree of the field, and you shall not destroy it, for you shall eat from it." If he is a worthy Torah scholar, "you shall eat from it," meaning you should learn Torah from him. But if he is not worthy, do not eat from him. "Iron sharpens iron" — just as one piece of iron sharpens another, so too do Torah scholars sharpen one another in Halachah (Jewish law). For Devorah the Prophetess, the wife of Lapidos, fulfilled the verse, "A contemptible torch in the thought of the complacent, ready for those whose feet slip." Because she was entirely made of torches; all her 248 limbs and 365 sinews were torches of fire. She would make wicks (pesilos), which share the exact same letters as prayers (tefillos), that would never be extinguished. And the prayers of the Rav will never end and will never be extinguished, for Devorah, the wife of Lapidos, was forged from the lights of Chanukah. Because Chana said, "The bows (keshes) of the mighty are broken" (the numerical value of keshes is 800). This equals twice the value of "Eliyahu HaNavi zachur latov" (Elijah the Prophet, remembered for good), which is 400 x 2 = 800. For Chana merited the lights of Chanukah, as it is said, "He will give strength to His king and raise the horn of His anointed." Because keshes (bow) is 800, as it is written, "These are the names of the mighty men whom David had: Josheb-basshebeth a Tahchemonite, chief of the captains; the same was Adino the Eznite, against eight hundred slain at one time." For with every strike, David would strike down 800 men with his strength. This is the secret of "Eliyahu HaNavi zachur latov" (400 x 2), striking 800 at once with a single arrow upon which the Name of Hashem was written. This is the secret of the verse, "You have placed me (tesimeni, which equals 800) as the head of the nations; a people I have not known shall serve me." Through David, who was the "tree of the field" and merited to practice Hisbodedus (secluded prayer) in the forests, as it is written, "Behold, we heard of it in Ephrath; we found it in the fields of the forest." And we will merit to cut off all the hostile nations, which is why he said, "You have placed me (tesimeni) as the head of the nations" — the gematria (numerical value) of tesimeni is 800. Because 800 is twice the value of "Eliyahu HaNavi zachur latov." The nations are barren trees, while the Jewish people are fruit-bearing trees. And all the miracles and wonders come about through Eliyahu HaNavi zachur latov, for twice "Eliyahu HaNavi zachur latov" equals 800.

The Rav said that his prayers are like the wicks of Devorah the Prophetess, which illuminated the Holy Temple.