Prayer: Master of the Universe, the Almighty from Whom No Purpose Can Be Withheld, Fulfill in Me the Song "Awake" 891

Master of the Universe, please make my son the holy of holies. May he merit the holiness of our holy Rebbe, Rebbe Nachman. May he be exceedingly patient and guard his eyes with the utmost vigilance. May he be like our holy Rebbe, who had no worldly vision whatsoever and saw nothing of this world from the day of his birth; the entire world was to him less than the blink of an eye. May the entire world and all its desires be considered by him as absolute nothingness, worth less than a single penny. May he merit to be like Moshe Rabbeinu, in the aspect of a "crying youth," shedding rivers of tears all his days until he becomes like a purifying river that cleanses all stains. May all the tractates of Talmud he studies be immersed in oceans of tears, fulfilling the verse, "And I have mingled my drink with weeping." May all the Torah insights he reveals throughout his life stem purely from holiness. May he merit to hear Torah directly from the mouth of Hashem, just like our holy Rebbe. May he know the entire Torah forwards and backwards, with infinite breadth and boundless depth. May he attain the spiritual level of "By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and also wept," so that all the Babylonian Talmud he learns will be soaked and saturated in rivers of tears, until his physical body is completely nullified and no trace of corporeality remains. And all the impurities with which my wife and I may have tainted this holy child—as it is written, "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me"—may they depart from him in the blink of an eye. May no impurity ever push him away, may no sin ever overtake him, and may the Sitra Achra (the Other Side; forces of impurity) have absolutely no dominion over him whatsoever. May he merit to escape the claws of impurity, fulfilling the words of our Sages, "Do not bring me to the hands of sin." May he have only good, holy, pure, and upright friends, never encountering a bad influence in his entire life. May only the spirit of Rebbe Nachman accompany him and hover over him all day long, until he merits to be holy with the ultimate, infinite, and unfathomable holiness and purity. And may we merit that his Bris Milah (circumcision) and Pidyon HaBen (redemption of the firstborn) take place at their proper times and according to Halachah, and that the Sandek and the Mohel be kosher, upright individuals who believe in our holy Rebbe with absolute faith and self-nullification.

A Prayer for the Kvater (the one who carries the baby to the circumcision): Master of the Universe, the Almighty, You hew souls from the Throne of Glory. Now, You have made me an emissary of a mitzvah to carry this holy newborn. How can I not be ashamed and embarrassed to touch a soul that has just descended from the supernal heights, from Your Throne of Glory? It was emanated from Your very Essence, from the heavens, from the most concealed of all concealments, hidden from all and utterly mysterious. Its greatness is beyond measure; only You alone know the magnitude of its spiritual level. I am entirely gripped by fear, awe, and trembling, lest I defile, Heaven forbid, a soul so utterly pure, clear, and pristine, shining with the 390 supernal lights drawn from the thirteen rivers of purity and holiness. It is entirely composed of the most dazzling, radiant lights, and all lights shine upon its face. Yet I, in my impurity and the darkness of my countenance—trembling seizes me lest I darken the light of this soul due to the multitude of my dark deeds. I come before You at this moment as I carry this holy infant, with rivers of tears to wash away my sins and my impure thoughts. I have placed my trust in You and in the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy, that You will purify me and sanctify me with all types of holiness. Pass me now through all the seven purifying waters that sanctify all levels of the soul—Nefesh, Ruach, and Neshamah—until I merit right now the highest levels of Chayah and Yechidah. May I be incorporated at this moment into the spiritual level of the Four Matriarchs, with humility and lowliness, so that they may refine within me all four character traits. May I emerge at this very moment from the impure traits rooted in the elements of fire, wind, water, and earth. Through this, may the four angels of the Divine Chariot—Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Nuriel—accompany me now, and above them, may the angel Or-Paniel hover over me. May I merit holiness and purity on the level of the Patriarchs, and may I further merit to project my holiness over this holy baby. May my arms that carry this pure infant be like the wings of the Cherubim spreading their wings over the Holy Ark. I place my trust in Your infinite and boundless mercy, that You will elevate me at this moment to all levels of holiness as I carry this pure and pristine child.

Master of the Universe, grant me the merit to study in the holy Shuvu Banim Yeshiva, which is situated facing the Holy of Holies. From there, a Heavenly Voice goes forth every day proclaiming, "Return, O wayward sons!" (Shuvu Banim). May I truly merit, upon entering this holy yeshiva, to hear this Heavenly Voice of "Shuvu Banim." Out of awe of this Heavenly Voice, may I be unable to stumble in any sin, any foreign thought, or any forbidden gaze. May I study in this holy yeshiva all the days of my life in fear, awe, and terrible reverence, with all my limbs knocking together. May trembling and quaking seize me every time I enter the holy yeshiva. Let me know that all the fears I experience are actually the highest level of supernal awe clothed in external things, and may I feel only this highest supernal awe—the awe of the exaltedness of the Infinite One. May I know and believe that with every single letter I utter from my mouth and contemplate in my thoughts, supernal crowns are bound to the Sefirah of Malchus (Kingship) and Zeir Anpin (the Small Face; the emotional attributes), and to Abba and Imma (the supernal Father and Mother; Wisdom and Understanding). May I also merit to bind holy crowns to Arich Anpin (the Long Face; Divine Will) and Atika Kadisha (the Holy Ancient One; the highest level of Divine Will). In all my learning, may I be united in a single holy bond with the Holy One, Blessed be He, and His Shechinah (Divine Presence). May I not forget You even for a brief moment, and may I know that apart from You and without You, there is no world, and no one else exists at all.

Master of the Universe, the Almighty from Whom no purpose can be withheld, in just a few minutes the most awesome event is about to take place here, the likes of which has not occurred since the days of old. Eliyahu HaNavi (Elijah the Prophet) is about to descend from the hidden heights of heaven and appear in all his glory, to forgive us for our iniquities, our sins, our transgressions, and our rebellions—everything we have sinned whether inadvertently or intentionally, whether in rebellion or in treachery. For the service we are about to perform right now is truly like the service of the Kohen Gadol (High Priest) on Yom Kippur. The dear, beloved, holy, pure, and awesome Mohel standing before us right now is in the aspect of the Kohen Gadol on Yom Kippur. The Sandek's chair is like the Altar of the Burnt Offering and the Altar of Incense, and the Sandek himself is in the aspect of Zeir Anpin (the Divine emotional attributes), as it says, "And I saw, and behold, the likeness of a man sitting upon the throne." For the holy and awesome Sandek is truly in the aspect of Zeir Anpin, which is presently entirely the Right Side (of mercy). In this very second, all iniquities, rebellions, transgressions, and terrible wrongs we have committed since the days of old—from the days of the sin of Adam HaRishon, from the day of man's creation until our very days, through tens and hundreds of reincarnations where we stumbled at every time and every hour, intentionally and willingly, out of ignorance and out of knowledge, sins we committed deliberately with malice and treachery, rebelling against the Life of Life, the Source of Life, the Rock of our formation, the God of the Universe, the Life of Life who bestows life at every moment and every hour. Instead of bringing about the resurrection of the dead and healing all the sick, we brought upon the world holocaust and devastation, destruction and ruin, death, doom, and cessation, plunging all of humanity into terrible despair, fulfilling the verse, "He has delivered me into hands from which I cannot rise." But nevertheless, my Redeemer lives, and ultimately He will arise upon the dust. I do not despair, Heaven forbid, because I trust in the merit of the true Tzaddik, who is the Kohen Gadol of the generation. All his services are like the services of the Kohen Gadol on Yom Kippur when he enters the Holy of Holies to see the Living God face to face. Therefore, it is in the power of the true Tzaddik, in the aspect of the Kohen Gadol, to forgive every iniquity and rebellion in the world for whoever does true teshuvah (repentance) at this moment, resolving never to return to this sin again, until the Knower of Hidden Things testifies about him [Rambam, Laws of Repentance 2:2]. May I merit to be like Devorah the Prophetess, who forgave the iniquities and intentional sins of all the Jewish people when "vengeance was taken in Israel," paying off all their debt documents both below and above, and drowning all of Pharaoh's army in the ancient river, the Kishon River. This is the river that flows from Adam Kadmon (Primordial Man), which Rabbi Akiva merited when they combed his flesh with iron combs. For the Kohen Gadol, who is the true Tzaddik, is included in the right hand of Zeir Anpin, in the secret of "And they shall place My Name upon the children of Israel, and I will bless them." Regarding this it is said, "Remember Your mercies, Hashem, and Your kindnesses, for they are from eternity." For initially, He created the world with the soul of Yitzchak (representing strict judgment), and afterward He associated Avraham (the attribute of mercy) and joined it with the attribute of Yitzchak. He preceded the soul of Yitzchak to the soul of Avraham, because He wanted to create the world solely through the soul of Yitzchak, where anyone who sinned would be burned, stoned, stabbed, or strangled. But then Hashem saw that the inclination of man's heart is evil from his youth, and he would lean more toward sin than toward good, which would require destroying the world. So He associated the soul of Avraham, in the secret of "Remember Your mercies, Hashem," joining Avraham with Yitzchak. For Avraham is entirely loving-kindness, forgiving and pardoning every sin in the world. But if so, there would be no fear of sin, and everyone would follow the stubbornness of their heart, causing judgment to increase and the world to be destroyed, as happened in the year 1656 (the Flood) to Arpachshad, and in the year 3338 (the destruction of the First Temple), in the secret of "You shall surely send away the mother bird twice"—the first sending away was the destruction of the Tower of Babel, where a third of the world turned into apes, a third were swallowed by the earth, and the remaining third were left alive on the condition that in ten generations Avraham, the first circumcised one, would come and save the world from transgressions and rebellions. Therefore, we must bring down the soul of Eliyahu HaNavi at every Bris Milah. This is why Hashem asked him, "What are you doing here, Eliyahu? If you want the mouth of Moshe Rabbeinu, go to the eight-day-old infants and receive from them the breath of the mouth of infants." This is the breath of the mouth of the Seven Shepherds: Moshe, Aharon, David, Yosef, Avraham, Yitzchak, and Yaakov. Regarding this it is said, "Was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?" For the entire Jewish people, after fulfilling the mitzvah of Priah (uncovering the corona during circumcision) according to its Halachah, threw straw which turned into arrows, spears, swords, and javelins. And all the kings who came to annihilate Israel drank from Megiddo as if it were water, something that had not happened since the creation of the world. For Miriam's well bestows new living waters at every second, waters that never existed before, but only on the condition that they believe in the true Tzaddik truly and perfectly. For in our generation, there is no fear of opponents and persecutors, only the need to be saved from Hurmiz bar Lilis (a demonic force), lest he impregnate his son, Heaven forbid, Heaven forbid. For Hurmiz bar Lilis leaps from this one to that one, and after this, he pours from cup to cup without spilling even a single drop, on the day when mountains rise and those who go down to the sea ascend to the heavens and descend to the depths in stormy winds. But in the merit of the Priah that Devorah renewed, all the debts of Israel were paid off, and Sisera and his entire army drowned in the Kishon River, which is the ancient river drawn from Adam Kadmon, from the river drawn from Adam Kadmon that forgives every iniquity and sin, and purifies from every rebellion and treachery. May it be His will that we merit the complete Geulah (Redemption) in the blink of an eye, Amen, Netzach, Selah, Va'ed.

Master of the Universe, the Almighty, before I go to light the first Chanukah candle—for the Chanukah candles number 36, corresponding to the 36 severe transgressions punishable by Kares (spiritual excision), and corresponding to the 36 hidden Tzaddikim in every generation, whom anyone who does not believe in them incurs Kares, as it is written, "And that soul shall be cut off from its people." For the flame of the Chanukah candle is drawn from the prayer of Chana (חנה = 65, corresponding to the Name of Hashem), as it is written, "And Chana prayed to Hashem." Through the Chanukah candle, we merit to ascend to Atika Kadisha (the Holy Ancient One), the Holy of Holies, the most hidden of all, the most concealed of all. For through the Chanukah candle, we merit to ascend even higher than Atika Kadisha. Because through the Chanukah candle that Chana drew down, "Who performed miracles for our forefathers," You return to us the 390 myriads of lights that You took from Chava at the time of the sin of the Tree of Knowledge. (Likutey Halachos, Matanah 5:1, page 39). This is what we intend when we say "Who performed miracles for our forefathers" (She'asah Nisim La'Avoseinu)—the 390 myriads of lights, which we draw down through the Chanukah candle in the blink of an eye (Gematria: כהרף [305] עין [130] = 435). Through this, Hashem is One (1), we will draw down the soul of Mashiach ben David (434 + 1 = 435), who is the Tzaddik (209) Yesod (80) Olam (146) = 435 (the Tzaddik, Foundation of the World), who is revealed anew in every single generation, especially during the lighting of the Chanukah candles, when he is revealed with even greater strength and power.

Master of the Universe, may I have a regular, natural birth in the blink of an eye (Gematria: כהרף [305] עין [130] = 435), in the merit of the Tzaddik (209) Yesod (80) Olam (146) = 435. And grant me the merit (87), Hashem is One (1), to burn (308) toward You (61) with a flaming (42) fire (301) = 800. In this merit, grant me, O God (31) full of (71) mercy (298), the revelation of Eliyahu (52) HaNavi (68) remembered (233) for good (47) = 800, and to ascend to Jerusalem, and to be attached to the Rav.

Master of the Universe, the Almighty, grant me an easy birth, and may I merit to give birth to Mashiach ben Yosef and Mashiach ben David (Gematria = 1000), in the secret of "The thousand are for you, Shlomo." Through this, may we subdue the two terrible kelipos (impure husks): Og (73) King of (90) Bashan (357), and Sichon (134) King of (90) the Amorites (256) = 1000. Through this, may I merit to fulfill "Every man (311) his mother (47) and his father (25) shall you revere (617)" = 1000. And to unite the heels of Leah (36) with the crown of Rachel (238) = 274. Through this, may the kelipos of Balak (132) and Bilaam (142) = 274 be eradicated from the world, and may we merit that the Rav will be the Sandek.

Master of the Universe, the Almighty from Whom no purpose can be withheld, save us from the terrible kelipah (impure husk) that sees only faults in the Tzaddik, and sees only faults in every single Jew. In the merit of our supporting every single Jew, giving charity for them, and distributing the Rav's prayers to every single Jew—which is the primary support for the soul of every Jew—may we be incorporated into every single Jew. This is the rectification for the terrible sin of "And they looked after Moshe," when the Jewish people looked with an evil eye at Moshe Rabbeinu, the perfect Tzaddik of the generation who possessed every perfection, who tore through every spiritual barrier, and who merited to attain a level among the angels that no created being or one born of a woman had ever attained. This was in the merit of the humiliation he suffered when they degraded him and looked after him with an evil, accusing eye, with each man suspecting his wife of adultery with Moshe. For all the evil thoughts that each person had, they projected onto Moshe. And in the merit of this, Moshe spoke with Hashem, Blessed be He, without the intermediation of angels. Please, Hashem, grant me the merit to believe in Moshe Rabbeinu and the Tzaddik of each generation, and may we never speak against the Tzaddik. In this merit, may we always be incorporated into the Tzaddik of the generation, who merits in every generation to receive illumination from the Fiftieth Gate of Understanding. And in the merit of the Rav's prayers, which are drawn from the illumination of the Fiftieth Gate [according to the Rambam's commentary on the Mishnah, Sanhedrin, the Seventh Principle].

Master of the Universe, the Almighty, grant me the merit to fear the true Tzaddik, and to be filled with awe (247), trembling (218), quaking (93), and shuddering (285) = 843. And that I will not (37) break (509) the Rav's (232) bones (611) [meaning, to not crowd or crush him physically], and I will not (37) push (99) him, Amen (91) = 2017. Especially in the year 2017, "But they did not (37) listen (416) to (31) Moshe (345) because of shortness (436) of breath (214) and hard (405) labor (133)" = 2017, especially in the year 2017. Through this, may I merit to unify (52) unifications (78), and a word to the wise (132) is sufficient (20). May I merit awe and love (20) from the Tzaddik, and to love the entire Jewish people (561) = 843 with a true love, a love (13) without (42) boundaries (380) = 435. Through this, may I bring, in the blink of an eye (305 + 130 = 435), the soul of Hashem is One (1), Mashiach (358) ben (52) David (24) = 435 into the world, who will build the Beis HaMikdash (Holy Temple), in the merit of the Tzaddik (209) Yesod (80) Olam (146) = 435, whom I will fear and revere.

Master of the Universe, the Almighty from Whom no purpose can be withheld, upon my reaching (100) the age of 73 (or 22) = 22, grant me the merit (87) of the light (237) of lights (618) = 1137. May I know that there is nothing (161) besides You (463) and none (61) other than You (452) = 1137. There is none like You and none comparable to You. Through this, may I merit Emunas (497) Chachamim (118) (faith in the Sages), and to love them with a great (48) love (33) without (61) boundaries (380) = 1137. May I know faithfully, in the merit of reaching the age of 22, that there is no (61) singular one (32) like His singularity (54). Through this, may my wife merit to conceive the souls of Mashiach (358) ben (52) Yosef (156) and Mashiach (358) ben (52) David (14) = 1137.

Master of the Universe, the Almighty, grant me the merit during the Bris Milah, at the moment of the cutting of the foreskin, that Eliyahu HaNavi will stand beside me and support me to ascend during the Milah to the level of Adam Kadmon of Adam Kadmon. Just as Amram merited the secret of "Amar Neka" (pure wool/cleansing), through which he could have brought all of Egypt to teshuvah (repentance). However, because he divorced Yocheved, this merit was hidden from him. Then came Chizkiyahu, who was a reincarnation of Amram, in the secret of "Amar Neka," and he planted a sword at the entrance of the Beis Midrash. This is the secret of what Rechavam said, "My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions," because he wanted to replicate the act of Chizkiyahu who planted a sword at the entrance of the Beis Midrash and obligated all of Israel to study Torah, until the verse was fulfilled in him: "And the yoke shall be destroyed because of the oil"—the yoke of Sancheriv was destroyed because of the oil of Chizkiyahu. This is like the wife of Ovadiah, whose oil burned constantly for 24 hours in dark caves where no spark of light reached, and like the candles of Devorah the Prophetess, which burned constantly and never went out all the days of her life, which is why she was called "Eshes Lapidos" (Woman of Flames), and all of Israel walked by her light. "Was there a shield or spear seen among forty thousand in Israel?"—forty thousand walked by her inspiration without shield or spear; they merely threw sand, straw, and gravel. Regarding this it is said, "Among the archers (mechatzetzim) among the drawers of water," meaning they drew inspiration and power from the gravel (chatzatz) they threw, which turned into terrifying atomic bombs. For Sisera brought an army like the sand of the sea: four hundred thousand troop commanders, each in charge of 100,000 soldiers, making 40 billion soldiers! Yet Devorah the Prophetess wiped them all out with a single wave of her hand, because she renewed the mitzvah of Priah (uncovering the corona during circumcision), as it is written, "When vengeance was taken (bifro'a pra'os - related to Priah) in Israel, when the people willingly offered themselves." For from the time the Jewish people entered the Land of Israel, they forgot the mitzvah of Priah immediately after the death of Yehoshua and the Elders. For 166 years they forgot the mitzvah of Priah: 30 years of Yehoshua and the Elders [Baal HaTurim, end of Balak], 8 years of Cushan-Rishathaim, 40 years of Othniel ben Kenaz, 18 years of Eglon King of Moab, 80 years of Ehud ben Gera, 20 years of Sisera = 196, minus the 30 days of the Elders and Yehoshua. All of Israel acted like the Ishmaelites, performing only the circumcision without the Priah, until Devorah arose, "Until I, Devorah, arose, I arose as a mother in Israel." For Devorah the Prophetess was a spark of Moshe [Megaleh Amukos, Chapter 7], and Yael was a spark of Tzipporah = S'michah (blanket) [= 385], because "S'michah" means "Shmi-Koh" (My Name is here) [Yalkut Shimoni]. And Devorah, who renewed the mitzvah of Priah, merited that her song surpassed the Song of Moshe [Zohar Vayikra 19b] at the Splitting of the Sea. Then Mount Tavor merited, which was entirely the breaking of pride, as our Rebbe said in his Torah, and as we read on Tisha B'Av: "Let not the wise man boast of his wisdom, nor the strong man boast of his strength, nor the rich man boast of his riches. But let him who boasts boast of this: that he understands and knows Me, that I am Hashem who exercises loving-kindness, justice, and righteousness on earth, for in these I delight, declares Hashem." "Who is the wise man who may understand this? And who is he to whom the mouth of Hashem has spoken, that he may declare it? Why is the land ruined, laid waste like a wilderness, so that no one passes through?" Then Chizkiyahu came and planted a sword at the entrance of the Beis Midrash, in the secret of "My father chastised you with whips, but I will chastise you with scorpions; my little finger is thicker than my father's waist." For days are coming upon Edom, the children of Ammon and Moab, and upon all those who cut off the corners of their hair (Peyos)—for whoever cuts off his Peyos will die a premature death from strange diseases. Then Chizkiyahu came, who was the reincarnation of Amram, and rectified the sin of Amram, bringing all of Egypt to teshuvah, as it is written in Isaiah 19:18-21: "In that day there will be five cities in the land of Egypt speaking the language of Canaan and swearing allegiance to Hashem of Hosts; one of them will be called the City of Destruction. In that day there will be an altar to Hashem in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to Hashem at its border. It will be a sign and a witness to Hashem of Hosts in the land of Egypt; when they cry out to Hashem because of oppressors, He will send them a savior and a defender, and deliver them. And Hashem will make Himself known to the Egyptians, and the Egyptians will know Hashem in that day, and worship with sacrifice and offering, and they will make vows to Hashem and perform them." For if Amram had merited what Chizkiyahu merited, all the Egyptians would have immediately returned in teshuvah, sending the Jewish people away willingly, and accepting upon themselves the mitzvos, each according to his capacity. And a Beis HaMikdash of fire would have descended, and the entire world would have gone up to sacrifice in Jerusalem on the mountain of Hashem of Hosts. Therefore, O Merciful and Gracious One, strengthen me, support me, and send me Eliyahu HaNavi, remembered for good, to hold my hand during the Bris Milah.

Master of the Universe, please have pity on my poor and unfortunate brothers. Grant them the merit of the holiness of the Covenant (Shmiras HaBris), and grant them the merit to wake up every morning for prayer. May their Torah study not turn into a deadly poison for them, Heaven forbid, and may they not have any inclination of opposition toward the true Tzaddik, Heaven forbid. And even if a trace of opposition has already entered their hearts, may You, in Your abundant mercy, remove it swiftly, leaving no memory of it whatsoever. May no arrogance ever leave their mouths to speak against true Tzaddikim. Guard their holiness and purity, as is fitting for the grandchildren and great-grandchildren of Rabbi Shmuel Shapiro zt"l and of the holy and awesome Tzaddik, our holy Rebbe, Rabbi Yitzchak Isaac of Zidichov zy"a. Please, Merciful and Gracious One, sanctify my brothers and sisters with all types of holiness, and grant them the merit to believe in all true Tzaddikim and to drink their words with thirst. May their learning not be for the sake of boasting or provoking, Heaven forbid, but truly to bring gratification to their Creator, their Maker, and their Master. Save them from those who prevent people from the path of truth, and may the truth and faith be revealed before them. May they merit to sense and feel where the true Tzaddik is, as it is written, "And he shall be animated by the fear of Hashem." Rescue them from any trace of pride and haughtiness of spirit, which is the main thing that distances a person from the true Tzaddik, causing him to become repulsive in the eyes of the true Tzaddik. Therefore, grant them and me the merit to guard our time, and to attain humility and lowliness. May we never speak about any topic in the world other than our holy Rebbe. And all the words they have spoken until now, may You, in Your abundant mercy, clarify, refine, and whiten them, turning all the words to good. Combine them into new combinations of words of Torah and wondrous Torah insights, for only You know the secret of the words and the wondrous things that are revealed when the combinations are turned to good. Elevate all their words to their root, in such a way that through these words new Halachos will be revealed, and wondrous insights will be discovered from all the Gemaras they have learned, and through their words, wondrous things will be revealed.

Master of the Universe, the Almighty from Whom no purpose can be withheld, grant me the merit that the Rav will be my Mesader Kiddushin (officiating rabbi at my wedding). May I know that "There is none holy like Hashem, for there is none besides You, and there is no rock like our God." Through this, may You perform miracles and wonders for me, and may my bride and I merit 100 times the 300 supernal lights, just like Adam and Eve before the sin. Fulfill in us the blessing, "Make these beloved companions joyful, just as You made Your creations joyful in the Garden of Eden from the beginning." May my groom and I merit to strip off our physical bodies, which are made of the "skin of the snake" (Mashka D'Chivya) and the leprosy of the serpent's skin, and may we merit new, holy bodies from the Garden of Eden.

Master of the Universe, the Almighty from Whom no purpose can be withheld, grant me the merit to be blessed with a male child in the blink of an eye. Open for me, with the mercy (260) of Heaven (390), all the gates of (580) holiness (420) = 1650. May I merit to see a miracle (112) within (428) a miracle (110), and to be blessed with a male child in the blink of an eye, and that the Rav will be the Sandek. May all my sins be transformed into merits through teshuvah (repentance) out of love, as it is written, "Though (31) your sins (88) be like scarlet (420), they shall become white (108) as snow (353) = 1650; though they be red like crimson, they shall become like wool." May I merit to concentrate every day in my prayers on every verse, word, and letter, and especially on the two verses: "Hear, O Israel, Hashem is our God, Hashem is One," and "You shall love (414) Hashem (26) your God (66) with all (52) your heart (54), with all (58) your soul (450), and with all (58) your might (71)" = 1650, with all my 248 limbs and 365 sinews, with all the levels of my soul: Nefesh, Ruach, Neshamah, Chayah, and Yechidah.

Master of the Universe, the Almighty, upon our teacher the Rav shlit"a reaching the age of eighty, open for him all the gates of heaven, all the gates of faith, and all the gates of prayer. May I pray all the prayers at the peak of faith, and may we merit the intellect (350) of our holy (415) and awesome (268) Rebbe (268), Rebbe (268) Nachman (148) ben (52) Simcha (353) ben (52) Feiga (94). And to see Eliyahu (52) HaNavi (68) remembered (233) for good (47) = 2598 face to face. Through this, may we merit the fulfillment of the verse, "And for all (86) the strong (125) hand (19) and for all (86) the great (48) awe (252) that (501) Moshe (345) performed (375) before the eyes of (170) all (50) Israel (541)" = 2598.

Master of the Universe, the Almighty, in the merit of the prayers with the Rav, that I will pray with him day (96) and night (81) = 177, without pausing for a moment or a second, may I merit the level of Yechidah, and all five levels of the soul in perfection: Nefesh, Ruach, Neshamah, Chayah, and Yechidah. And may I merit, by virtue of praying with the Rav day (96) and night (81) = 177, and not missing a single prayer, Heaven forbid, that through this I will merit to enter the Garden of Eden (Gan Eden = 177) with my physical body. Please, Hashem, "I will rejoice greatly in Hashem, my soul will exult in my God; for He has clothed me with garments of salvation, He has wrapped me in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns himself with a garland, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels." "For as the earth brings forth its growth, and as a garden causes its seeds to shoot up, so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations." "For Zion's sake I will not keep silent, and for Jerusalem's sake I will not be quiet, until her righteousness goes forth as brightness, and her salvation as a burning torch." "And the nations shall see your righteousness, and all kings your glory; and you shall be called by a new name that the mouth of Hashem will designate." "You shall be a crown of beauty in the hand of Hashem, and a royal diadem in the palm of your God." And in this merit, "She (16) is a tree (160) of life (68) to those who grasp (247) her (7), and those who support her (587) are fortunate (547)" = 1530. And all this is true (441), firm (118), established (132), enduring (156), upright (516), faithful (147), and beloved (20) = 1530.

Master of the Universe, the Almighty, grant me the merit to stand beside the Rav during prayer, and to enjoy the radiance of his face, the radiance of the face of the Shechinah. May I be incorporated into all the letters of the prayer, not missing a single letter from the beginning of the prayer until its end, and not skipping a single word from "How goodly are your tents, O Yaakov, your dwelling places, O Israel," and "Adon Olam," all the way to "Even to your old age I am He, and even to gray hairs I will carry you; I have made, and I will bear; I will carry and will save." Please, Hashem, save us now! Please, Hashem, bring us success now! Fulfill in me the blessing, "And of Asher he said: Blessed with children is Asher" (+1 for the Kollel) = 1650. This is the Gematria of "And the spirit of Hashem shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom (73) and understanding (73), the spirit of counsel (165) and might (222), the spirit of knowledge (474) and the fear of (617) Hashem (26)" = 1650. And may everything said about Queen Esther be fulfilled in me: "And Esther (421) found (757) favor (58) in the eyes of (142) all (50) who saw her (222)" = 1650. May I merit that the very essence (200) of the soul of (790) our holy (415) and awesome (268) Rebbe (268) = 1941 impregnates me. Through this, may I merit to be bold (77) as a leopard (370), light (130) as an eagle (570), swift (290) as a deer (122), and strong (221) as a lion (231) = 1941.

Master of the Universe, grant me the merit to reach the spiritual level of Moshe Rabbeinu, peace be upon him, about whom it is said, "Mouth (85) to (31) mouth (85) I speak (207) with him, clearly and not (37) in riddles (430)" = 875, "and he beholds the form of Hashem. Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant, against Moshe?" May I not be punished like Miriam with leprosy. May I merit the Hidden (66) Light (207), and may I merit perfect (500) faith (102) = 875. May I merit to be bound to my Rebbe and teacher all my life, and always conduct myself with simplicity and earnestness. May I believe in the Tzaddik of the generation with simplicity and earnestness, without any questions or doubts whatsoever, so that I will not be punished like Miriam, Heaven forbid. And may I always remember the verse, "Remember what Hashem your God did to Miriam on the way as you came out of Egypt."

Master of the Universe, please make my son the holy of holies. May he merit the holiness of our holy Rebbe, Rebbe Nachman. May he be exceedingly patient and guard his eyes with the utmost vigilance. May he be like our holy Rebbe, who had no worldly vision whatsoever and saw nothing of this world from the day of his birth; the entire world was to him less than the blink of an eye. May the entire world and all its desires be considered by him as absolute nothingness, worth less than a single penny. May he merit to be like Moshe Rabbeinu, in the aspect of a "crying youth," shedding rivers of tears all his days until he becomes like a purifying river that cleanses all stains. May all the tractates of Talmud he studies be immersed in oceans of tears, fulfilling the verse, "And I have mingled my drink with weeping." May all the Torah insights he reveals throughout his life stem purely from holiness. May he merit to hear Torah directly from the mouth of Hashem, just like our holy Rebbe. May he know the entire Torah forwards and backwards, with infinite breadth and boundless depth. May he attain the spiritual level of "By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat and also wept," so that all the Babylonian Talmud he learns will be soaked and saturated in rivers of tears, until his physical body is completely nullified and no trace of corporeality remains. And all the impurities with which my wife and I may have tainted this holy child—as it is written, "Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me"—may they depart from him in the blink of an eye. May no impurity ever push him away, may no sin ever overtake him, and may the Sitra Achra (the Other Side; forces of impurity) have absolutely no dominion over him whatsoever. May he merit to escape the claws of impurity, fulfilling the words of our Sages, "Do not bring me to the hands of sin." May he have only good, holy, pure, and upright friends, never encountering a bad influence in his entire life. May only the spirit of Rebbe Nachman accompany him and hover...

Master of the Universe, the Almighty from Whom no purpose can be withheld, grant me the merit to conceive a male child, and to pass through the pregnancy with the utmost ease. May I merit that the Rav will be the Sandek, and to have an easy birth in the blink of an eye, without an epidural and without any blurring injections. May I merit to shine like the stones of the Choshen (Breastplate): "Odem (45), Pitdah (98), Barekes (702), Nofech (150), Sapir (350), Yahalom (85), Leshem (370), Shvo (308), Achlamah (90), Tarshish (1210), Shoham (345), Yashfeh (395)." Please, Hashem is One = 1, grant me the merit to see You face to face, as it is written, "When shall I come (10) and appear before God?" May I merit to be an upright (515) and righteous woman (306), and in every marital union, I will intend to cleave to the holy Shechinah. May I merit all the blessings that Binyamin merited, about whom it is said, "Binyamin is a ravenous wolf (10) = 5000; in the morning he devours the prey, and in the evening he divides the spoil." "And of Binyamin he said: The beloved of Hashem shall dwell in safety by Him; He hovers over him all the day, and He dwells between his shoulders." "Fortunate are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by Hashem, the Shield of your help, and the Sword of your triumph! Your enemies shall dwindle away before you, and you shall tread upon their high places." "There is none like God, O Yeshurun, who rides the heavens to your help, and in His majesty through the skies. The eternal God is a dwelling place, and underneath are the everlasting arms; He drove out the enemy from before you, and said, 'Destroy!' Israel dwells in safety, untroubled is the fountain of Yaakov, in a land of grain and wine; indeed, His heavens drop down dew." And fulfill in me the verse, "O my dove, in the clefts of the rock, in the covert of the cliff, let me see (276) your (401) countenance (271), let me hear (495) your (401) voice (156); for (30) your voice (156) is sweet (272), and your countenance (267) is comely (62)." Please, Hashem is One = 1, forgive me, pardon me, grant me atonement, and let this day be like Yom Kippur. "For (30) You (406) are the Forgiver (148) of Israel (571) and the Pardoner (154) of the tribes of (351) Yeshurun (572)" = 5000. Forgive and pardon all my iniquities, and transform all my iniquities into merits. In this merit, may I conceive a male child in the blink of an eye .