Prayer with the Help of Heaven

Master of the World, Almighty, in the merit of the month of Elul and in the merit of the holy and awesome day, which is the greatest day of the entire year—the 24th of Elul—on which Hashem emanated the Keter (Crown), Chochmah (Wisdom), Binah (Understanding), and Da'at (Knowledge) of the Name Mah (the Divine Name with the numerical value of 45, spelled Yud-He-Vav-He).

And Leah receives all three Alephs: from the first 'Mah,' the Da'at of Leah is formed; from the second 'Mah,' the Tiferet (Beauty) of Leah is formed; and from the third 'Mah,' the Yesod (Foundation) of Leah is formed, all from the Name Mah (Yud-He-Vav-He). For Leah and Chavah (Eve) are the 'filling' of Adam HaRishon (the first man), according to the secret of the number 19, the gematria (numerical value) of Chavah.

The entire Nesirah (mystical process of separation) will take place on the night following the 29th of Elul, the night of Rosh Hashanah, which equals 861—the gematria of Matityahu (861). On every Rosh Hashanah, the soul of Matityahu is emanated anew.

This soul enters as an 'ibbur' (spiritual impregnation) into every single person who merits coming to the True Tzaddik on Rosh Hashanah and becoming part of the Holy Kibbutz (gathering) on Rosh Hashanah. This gathering is composed of all the parts of the Tzaddik's soul that enter as an 'ibbur' into all those who crowd together in the Holy Kibbutz on Rosh Hashanah. This is the aspect of 'standing crowded and bowing with ample space.' The Bartenura explains that Israel receives the power to float in the air, similar to Avishai, Asahel, and Yoav, the sons of Zeruiah, the daughter of Nachash (a name for Yishai). As the Rema mi-Fano explains in Gilgulei Neshamot (Reincarnations of Souls) in the section on the sons of Zeruiah, they were all born from the 'Rock and Stone' without any blemish at all. This was Sarah’s wonder: 'After I have withered, shall I have smooth skin? Shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, give birth?' Avraham also said the same words: 'Shall a child be born to one who is a hundred years old? And shall Sarah, who is ninety years old, give birth?' Yet Hashem said nothing to Avraham, only to Sarah. This is because Sarah’s entire complaint was: why is Hashem returning her to the age of 12 ('After I have withered, shall I have smooth skin?') instead of granting her the miracle of giving birth at age 90? Meanwhile, He leaves Avraham as he is at age 100. However, Avraham had already reached such a level of dveikus (cleaving to the Divine) that he could not descend from his level even by a hair’s breadth. If he were to descend even a hair’s breadth, he would die, G-d forbid. Regarding this, Moshe Rabbeinu said: 'And if so, kill me now,' meaning: if You want to lower me from my level and have me begin distributing meat to them, it is better that You kill me right now. Similarly, with Avraham, there was no possibility of lowering him from his level even by a hair’s breadth, even for a single second.

Please, Hashem, merit me in the month of Elul, like Avraham and Moshe, to merit such dveikus (cleaving) that I will never again be able to descend from my level, even for a single second.

With the help of Heaven, for the sake of the unification [of the Holy One and His Shechinah], for the sake of the return [of the captives].

Master of the World, Almighty, from Whom no purpose can be withheld, in the merit of the two awesome days: the 24th of Elul, when You emanated the 'Point in its Palaces'—the point within the letter 'Bet'—which includes the secret of Keter, Chochmah, Binah, and Da'at of the Name Mah.

And in the merit of the awesome day of the 25th of Elul, when You separated and emanated the letter 'Bet'—the Sefirah of Binah of the Name Mah—from the Sefirah of Chochmah of the Name Mah. Through this, there were emanated from it Chesed (Kindness), Gevurah (Might), Tiferet (Beauty), Netzach (Victory), Hod (Splendor), Yesod (Foundation), and Malchus (Kingship), which are the six days of Creation that were emanated from the Or Ein Sof (Infinite Light).

Then Moshe said, 'Sun, stand still in Gibeon, and Moon, in the valley of Aijalon' (referenced here through the verse 'Ba'alei Bamot Arnon'). This was after he nullified the 'nurturing' of Sihon from the left heel of Leah. This is the secret of why Rachel took the Teraphim (idols) from Laban—so that Laban would not be able to draw energy from the left heel of Leah and succeed in his sorcery.

And also in Tishrei, Moshe said, 'Sun, stand still in Bashan.' Then he nullified the 'nurturing' of Og, following the dances of Simchat Torah, from the right heel of Leah.

Through this, both heels of Leah entered the Keter (Crown) of Rachel, which is the secret of the building of the Beis HaMikdash (Holy Temple).

This is what Balak and Bilaam saw—that Moshe was about to enter the Land of Israel and build the Beis HaMikdash. Bilaam said, 'Behold, I have received a blessing; He has blessed, and I cannot reverse it,' meaning: I cannot reverse it and remove the heel of Leah from the Keter of Rachel.

Then Balak and Bilaam consulted to bury a barrel of snakes in the place of the Altar, at a depth of 1,500 cubits.

And when David removed the barrel before the eyes of the Jebusites from the place of the Altar, the Jebusites gathered for an urgent meeting to decide what to do after David removed the barrel of snakes. Then Araunah, their king, advised them that after his death, they should cut off his head and hide his skull in the place of the Altar.

Even though the Rambam writes in Hilchos Avot HaTumah (1:13-14) that the skull of a non-Jew only imparts impurity through touch and carrying, and not through being under the same roof (Ohel), nevertheless, the impurity of Araunah the Jebusite delayed the acceptance of the sacrifices for about two hundred years, until Hezekiah revealed this (Tosafot, Sanhedrin 12a).