"Vihi Noam" — the power to counter the five gevurot

"Vihi Noam" — the power to counter the five gevurot

וִיהִ֤י ׀ נֹ֤עַם אֲדֹנָ֥י אֱלֹהֵ֗ינוּ עָ֫לֵ֥ינוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה יָ֭דֵינוּ כּוֹנְנָ֥ה עָלֵ֑ינוּ וּֽמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יָ֝דֵ֗ינוּ כּוֹנְנֵֽהוּ - "Vihi Noam Ado-nai Eloheinu aleinu, uma'aseh yadeinu konenah aleinu, uma'aseh yadeinu konenehu" — (May the favor of the L-rd our G-d rest upon us; establish for us the work of our hands, and establish the work of our hands). Ben Ish Chai teaches that before performing each mitzvah, a Jew should recite this pasuk twice. It often happens that the blessing that should descend upon a person through mitzvot and good deeds can be blocked. This is because there are judgments — dinim. As a remedy, these judgments must be eased and sweetened. There are five types of judgments in the world, corresponding to the five fingers of a person's hand (the channel through which judgments are held—the entire power is in the hands). The root of these judgments lies in the five letters of the Otiyot Menatzפך—the final letters: ם — Mem sofit (final) ן — Nun sofit (final) ץ — Tzadi sofit (final) ף — Peh sofit (final) ך — Kaf/Khaf sofit (final) The gematria of these five letters is 280.   In the pasuk "Vihi Noam: "Vihi Noam Ado-nai Eloheinu aleinu, uma'aseh yadeinu konenah aleinu, uma'aseh yadeinu konenehu" — נוּ is repeated five times; its gematria is 56. 56 repeated five times also gives a total of 280. These five instances of נוּ ease the power of Menatzפך, from which the entire force of judgments in the world derives. This does not occur anywhere else in Tanakh—only in Tehillim 90:17. The Sages teach that before performing each mitzvah, one should have two intentions: To remove all obstacles—judgments (when a person sins, the Shechinah departs, and he becomes subject to judgments)—the recitation of the pasuk "Vihi Noam" removes the judgments. This phrase always weakens the power of Satan. During any mitzvah, good deed, or even ordinary physical action, a person needs help from Heaven—בס׳׳ד "be-siyata diShmaya". In this pasuk, the words are: "uma'aseh yadeinu konenehu" (establish the work of our hands for us). Ben Ish Chai says that this is precisely where we learn that it is good to recite this pasuk twice. Moreover, וִיהִ֤י ׀ נֹ֤עַם אֲדֹנָ֥י אֱלֹהֵ֗ינוּ עָ֫לֵ֥ינוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה יָ֭דֵינוּ כּוֹנְנָ֥ה עָלֵ֑ינוּ וּֽמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יָ֝דֵ֗ינוּ כּוֹנְנֵֽהוּ Two Names of HaShem are encoded in this pasuk: עָלֵ֑ינוּ וּֽמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יָ֝דֵ֗ינוּ — the sofей tevot form the Name והו, one of the 72 Names. On the last day of Sukkot—Hoshana Rabbah—when holding the Four Species, we recite the pasuk: "Ani VaHu Hoshiah Na" — "Ani VaHu"—two Names of G-d. אני והו — "Ani" has the gematria 61, while "Vav" has the gematria 17, corresponding to tov (good), meaning that we draw out the tov, the good. Furthermore, in this pasuk, three words are repeated twice: "…aleinu, uma'ase yadeinu — … — aleinu, uma'ase yadeinu"—and together they form the Name "VaHu" — והו twice. Rabbi Moshe Zacuto—the great Ramaz—explains in the sefer "Shorshei HaShemot" that all blessing in the world descends through the Name והו from Heaven by means of the power of the Temple (even today, when the Temple does not stand). This power grants us help from Heaven to succeed in mitzvot and in all our endeavors, through the power of the two Holy Names.   Where else does the Name והו appear? During the Shabbat Kiddush we recite: "Yom ha-shishi, vaychulu hashamayim ve-ha'aretz vechol tzeva'am"—if we look at the roshei tevot, the initial letters of the three words "vaychulu hashamayim ve-ha'aretz," we see that they also form the abbreviation of the Name והו—and one should have the kavanah that HaShem send help from Heaven, success, and blessing.

Segula for Parnassah Tovah Be-Shefa and Wealth

Take 91 coins (of the same denomination—1 shekel, 1 ruble, or 10 cents). While reciting the pasuk: "Vihi Noam Ado-nai Eloheinu aleinu, uma'aseh yadeinu konenah aleinu, uma'aseh yadeinu konenehu"—place emphasis on the word נֹ֤עַם "Noam" and put 1 coin into a Kupat Tzedakah. Then continue in the same manner for the remaining 90 repetitions, emphasizing the word נֹ֤עַם "Noam" each time and putting in 1 coin. Then take 84 coins and recite the Tehillim pasuk (145:16): — "Pote'ach et yadecha, umasbia lechol chai ratzon". While reciting this pasuk, place emphasis on the word "yadecha", put 1 coin into a Kupat Tzedakah, and continue in the same manner for another 83 repetitions. Then take the entire sum and give it to a synagogue or yeshivah. At the same time, ask HaShem for a good livelihood.