Tehillim 90 – A Segula for Easily Freeing Oneself from Debts According to Rabbi Chaim Vital

Tehillim 90 – A Segula for Easily Freeing Oneself from Debts According to Rabbi Chaim Vital

A segula for easily freeing oneself from debts, from a manuscript of Rabbi Chaim Vital, may the memory of the righteous be a blessing. Psalm 90 of Tehillim should be recited in a special order: three words at a time, followed by a Holy Name formed from the rashei tevot (initial letters) of those three words. These Names help one recover debts with ease. [The Holy Names of the Almighty on the left are not to be pronounced; simply look at them.]   Tehillim 90 According to Rabbi Chaim Vital תּפִלָּה לְמֹשֶׁה אִיש       תלא Tefillah le-Moshe ish הָאֱלֹהִים אֲדֹנָי מָעוֹן        האמ Ha-Elohim, Adonai ma'on אַתָּה הָיִיתָ לָּנוּ          אהל Atah hayita lanu בְּדֹר וָדֹר בְּטֶרֶם          בוב Be-dor va-dor be-terem הָרִים יֻלָּדוּ וַתְּחוֹלֵל        היו Harim yulladu va-techolel אֶרֶץ וְתֵבֵל וּמֵעוֹלָם        אוו Eretz ve-tevel u-me'olam עַד עוֹלָם אַתָּה           עעא Ad olam atah אֵל תָּשֵׁב אֱנוֹשׁ            אתא El tashuv enosh עַד דַּכָּא וַתֹּאמֶר            עדו Ad dakka va-tomer שׁוּבוּ בְנֵי אָדָם            שבא Shuvu benei adam כִּי אֶלֶף שָׁנִים           כאש Ki elef shanim בְּעֵינֶיךָ כְּיוֹם אֶתְמוֹל          בכא Be-einecha ke-yom etmol כִּי יַעֲבֹר וְאַשְׁמוּרָה         כיו Ki ya'avor ve-ashmurah בַלָּיְלָה זְרַמְתָּם שֵׁנָה        בזש Ba-lailah zeramtam shenah יִהְיוּ בַּבֹּקֶר כֶּחָצִיר          יבכ Yihyu ba-boker ke-chatzir יַחֲלֹף בַּבֹּקֶר יָצִיץ           יבי Yachalof ba-boker yatzitz וְחָלָף לָעֶרֶב יְמוֹלֵל          ולי Ve-chalaf la-erev yemolel וְיָבֵשׁ  כִּי  כָלִינוּ            וככ Ve-yavesh ki chalinu בְאַפֶּךָ וּבַחֲמָתְךָ נִבְהָלְנוּ           בונ Be-appecha u-va-chamatecha nivhalnu שַׁתָּה עֲו‍ֹנֹתֵינוּ לְנֶגְדֶּךָ       שעל Shattah avonoteinu le-negdecha עֲלֻמֵנוּ לִמְאוֹר פָּנֶיךָ        עלפ Alumeinu li-me'or panecha כִּי כָל יָמֵינוּ          ככי Ki chol yameinu פָּנוּ בְעֶבְרָתֶךָ כִּלִּינוּ        פבכ Panu ve-evratecha chilinu שָׁנֵינוּ כְמוֹ   הֶגֶה.          שכה Shaneinu kemo hegeh יְמֵי   שְׁנוֹתֵינוּ בָהֶם        ישב Yemei shenoteinu vahem שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה וְאִם          ששו Shiv'im shanah ve-im בִּגְבוּרֹת שְׁמוֹנִים שָׁנָה      בשש Bi-gvurot shemonim shanah וְרָהְבָּם עָמָל וָאָוֶן           ועו Ve-rahbam amal va-aven כִּי גָז חִישׁ,           כגח Ki gaz chish וַנָּעֻפָה  מִי  יוֹדֵעַ,          ומי Va-na'ufah mi yode'a עֹז אַפֶּךָ וּכְיִרְאָתְךָ        עאו Oz appecha u-che-yir'atecha עֶבְרָתֶךָ לִמְנוֹת יָמֵינוּ      עלי Ev(rate)cha limnot yameinu כֵּן הוֹדַע וְנָבִא            כהו Ken hoda ve-navi לְבַב חָכְמָה שׁוּבָה        לחש Levav chochmah shuvah יְהוָה, עַד  מָתָי             יעמ Adonai, ad matai וְהִנָּחֵם, עַל  עֲבָדֶיךָ        ועע Ve-hinachem al avadecha שַׂבְּעֵנוּ בַבֹּקֶר חַסְדֶּךָ      שבח Sab'einu va-boker chasdecha וּנְרַנְּנָה וְנִשְׂמְחָה בְּכָל      ווב U-neranenah ve-nismechah be-chol יָמֵינוּ שַׂמְּחֵנוּ כִּימוֹת       ישכ Yameinu samecheinu ki-mot עִנִּיתָנוּ  שְׁנוֹת רָאִינוּ      עשר Innitanu shenot ra'inu רָעָה  יֵרָאֶה אֶל             ריא Ra'ah yera'eh El עֲבָדֶיךָ פָעֳלֶךָ  וַהֲדָרְךָ     עפו Avadecha fa'olecha va-hadarecha עַל בְּנֵיהֶם  וִיהִי            עבו Al beneihem vi-yihi נֹעַם אֲדֹנָי אֱלֹהֵינוּ          נאא No'am Adonai Eloheinu עָלֵינוּ  וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֵינוּ        עוי Aleinu u-ma'aseh yadeinu כּוֹנְנָה עָלֵינוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂה       כעו Kon'nah aleinu u-ma'aseh יָדֵינוּ, כּוֹנְנֵהוּ.              יכ Yadeinu, kon'nehu. After reciting Tehillim 90, one should ask Hashem in one's own words for help in repaying all debts.  

Why Is It So Important to Repay Debts?

Chazal teach that it is extremely important to repay one's debts, and they cite a great many stories (Sippurei Tzadikim) in which, for example, a person is sent back for a new gilgul in order to repay a debt, or is not allowed to enter the place he merited in Heaven. How Chacham Mordechai Eliyahu Saved the Chief Rabbi of the Caucasus The Mekubal Rabbi David Batzri (shlita) relates that in his early years, Rabbi Mordechai Eliyahu gave lectures for the residents of Jerusalem's Bukharim neighborhood. At a lecture devoted to the topic of the “Ten Days of Repentance,” Rav Mordechai Eliyahu quoted several times the explanations of Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchaki, author of the book “Ohaley Yaakov”, concerning the Ten Days of Repentance. Rav Mordechai Eliyahu noticed that a wealthy man named Yochananov clutched his pocket upon hearing the name of the sage from Derbent [Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchaki was the chief rabbi of the Caucasus]. After the lecture, the wealthy Mr. Yochananov approached Rav Mordechai Eliyahu and said: “Respected Rav, I knew Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchaki, of blessed memory. He was my neighbor. He was very poor. Once, many years ago, he asked me to lend him money against a promissory note. But he passed away before he was able to repay the entire debt. I still have the promissory note.” Rav Mordechai Eliyahu said with trepidation: “I earnestly ask you to say now: ‘I forgive the debt owed to me by Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchaki of Derbent.’ And when you return home, write on the promissory note that the debt has been paid.” Yochananov asked: “Do I need to tell my wife about this?” Rav Mordechai Eliyahu replied: “No, there is no need to upset her.” The next day, after the morning Shacharit prayers, as Rav Mordechai Eliyahu was leaving the synagogue, he saw Mr. Yochananov's wife. She said: “Chacham Mordechai, I had a dream last night. Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchaki, who was our neighbor, said to me: ‘After my death, I was unable to receive permission to enter Gan Eden. Only last night did I receive permission, in the merit of Chacham Mordechai Eliyahu. Rabbi Yaakov Yitzchaki asked me to convey his thanks to you for the great kindness you showed him.’” Meanwhile, the wealthy Mr. Yochananov himself approached Rav Mordechai Eliyahu and told him that he had also dreamed a dream the previous night. He related every detail that his wife had told earlier. Rav Mordechai Eliyahu said to the Yochananov family: “Well done for meriting to lend money to a righteous person in his time of need and to forgive his debt.” (Translated by Asher Shaulov) Chacham Menachem Menashe of Turkey relates a story that took place in Egypt. One day, the city's rabbi was walking down a narrow street and overheard a conversation. One of the speakers was Jewish, and it was clear from the conversation that both men were prosperous merchants. As the rabbi approached them, he saw that the non-Jew was holding a harness strap. Beside him stood his short but powerful horse. The rabbi looked into the horse's eyes and asked the merchant: - Have you ever done business with Jews? - All my trade is conducted exclusively with Jews, the man replied. - Perhaps one of them owes you money? - There was one such man, but he has already been dead for twelve years. - Did he have children? the rabbi asked. - Yes, he had sons and daughters. - If you still have a promissory note, why not ask them to repay your money? - But they are very poor. They have nothing to eat, and I should come demanding my money? - Then why keep this document if it is of no benefit to you? the rabbi asked. - What should I do with it? - Give it to me; I will tear up these papers. And listen to my advice: do not bear a grudge against him. Forgive your debtor, so that no resentment toward him remains in your heart. The merchant agreed and handed the rabbi a crumpled paper bearing the debtor's signature. The rabbi immediately tore up the document, and a few seconds later the merchant's horse suddenly fell to the ground. When the other merchant—the Jewish man—asked the rabbi what had happened, he replied that the soul of the unfortunate debtor had been reincarnated in the horse. “When I tore up the document testifying to his debt, his soul immediately returned to its resting place,” the rabbi explained. (From the book “Ahavat Chaim”)   (From the manuscript of Rabbi Chaim Vital — translation and transliteration by Zoya Chaya Tigai)