A Prayer to Merit, Through the Power of Donning Tefillin, to Elevate All Souls—Even the Most Lost—and to Awaken Mercy

"After Eight Days of Not Donning Tefillin"

Master of the Universe, Almighty! After eight days of not donning tefillin [during the festival of Sukkos], we ascend on the morning after Simchas Torah. At that time, we ascend to the level of Adam Kadmon of Adam Kadmon (the highest primordial spiritual realm) through the donning of the hand tefillin and the head tefillin. The hand tefillin corresponds to Rachel (the Divine emanation of Malchus/Kingship), while the straps and the knot of the head tefillin correspond to Leah (the higher Divine emanation of thought). By donning both the hand and head tefillin, the "heels" (lowest aspects) of Leah enter the "crown" (highest aspect) of Rachel.

Then, there is an elevation for all souls, even the most lost. Because immediately after the Second Hakafos (the post-Simchas Torah dancing), the Children of Israel went out to war against Og, King of Bashan, who dwells in Ashtaros in Edrei. All the power of Og, King of Bashan, came from the soul of Shimon ben Nesanel, which was spiritually impregnated (in the secret of ibbur) in his heel. Right after the Second Hakafos, Moshe Rabbeinu promised to extract the soul of Shimon ben Nesanel—whose initials spell BaShaN (Bashan).

This is just as Yael crushed and smashed the head of Sisera. For in Sisera's head, in his temple, was spiritually impregnated the soul of Rabbi Akiva, whose flesh they later combed with iron combs. Through this, Rabbi Akiva atoned for all the generations until the end of time. For all the generations are sustained by the terrible sufferings of the Ten Martyrs (Asarah Harugei Malchus). Their sufferings cover all the sins of all the generations for anyone who does true teshuvah (repentance).

Because all the 22 days that just passed from Rosh Hashanah until the end of Simchas Torah—when the Second Hakafos begin—serve to sweeten and mitigate all the harsh judgments that awaken toward the new year. They tear up all the unfavorable decrees. From this, we merit the awakening of the tefillin and the illumination of the tefillin for the new year.

For the success of the Zilberberg family, materially and spiritually (b'ruchniyus u'v'gashmiyus)

BS"D (With the Help of Heaven) 1348