Prayer of the Shla HaKadosh for Children on Erev Rosh Chodesh Sivan

Prayer of the Shla HaKadosh for Children on Erev Rosh Chodesh Sivan

On Erev Rosh Chodesh Sivan it is customary to recite the prayer for children of the Shla HaKadosh, the greatest Torah scholar and kabbalist, Rabbi Yeshaya bar Avraham HaLevi Horowitz. For almost 400 years, Jews all over the world have recited Tefillat HaShla, a special and powerful prayer for the protection of children. The Shla HaKadosh wrote: "The most fitting time to say this prayer is Erev Rosh Chodesh Sivan, because this is the month in which Hashem gave us His Torah, and when we began to be called His children." Erev Rosh Chodesh Sivan is also known as Yom Kippur Katan. The Shla HaKadosh teaches that it is specifically on this day, according to an old custom, that we turn to the Creator with a special prayer in which we ask Him that our children, and our children's children, until the end of all generations, walk in the way of the Torah. The text of this prayer has come down to us through Rabbi Shabtai Sofer of Przemyśl. At the Council of Four Lands in 1614, he, as an outstanding student of Rabbi Mordechai Yaffe, author of the "Levushim," was entrusted with re-publishing the Siddur — the prayer book. By that time many errors had accumulated in the reprinted siddurim, and it was he who was charged with putting the texts of the prayers in order. The siddur he published in 1618 was endorsed by the Maharsha, the Shla HaKadosh, the Bach, and others. Rabbi Shabtai did not introduce anything new — he only corrected and thoroughly verified the authenticity of prayer texts whose roots go back to the days of the Great Assembly. Among these prayers was the one that today is commonly called "Tefillat HaShla." But the tradition of reciting this prayer on the eve of the month of Sivan belongs to the Shla HaKadosh himself. Here are his words: "My heart tells me that the best time for this prayer is the eve of the month of Sivan, since this is the month in which the Torah was given to us, and in the merit of our having accepted the Torah we are called 'sons of G-d Almighty.' It would be proper for both parents to spend this day fasting (Taanit), to awaken their hearts to teshuva, and to check whether all the laws are being properly observed in their home — whether they have stumbled in matters connected with family purity — and to give charity to worthy poor people on this day." Mishnah Berurah (47:10) writes that this prayer should become habitual on our lips, so that we constantly pray to the Creator that our children study Torah, become righteous, and develop within themselves qualities worthy of the name "human being." This should be kept in mind also at the moment when we recite "Ahavah Rabbah," and when we recite the morning blessing on the Torah: "and may we and our descendants..." The Shla HaKadosh wrote about this in his book "Shnei Luchot HaBrit" (from whose acronym the author is commonly called the Shla HaKadosh — "the holy"). Before the prayer it is customary to give tzedakah, and then to light a 24-hour candle le-chvod (in honor of) the tzadik Rabbi Yeshaya bar Avraham HaLevi Horowitz (the Shla HaKadosh). Why is this prayer so important? The Mekubalim (kabbalists) say that the Shla HaKadosh is a spark of the neshama of Ruth the Moabite and Boaz — the "shoresh" (root) of his soul comes from them. After the death of his wife Chaya, the Shla HaKadosh moved to Israel and settled in Safed, where he studied mainly from the "ktivat nistar" — the hidden manuscript of the Arizal. It was during these years that the Shla HaKadosh found (according to his own words) the prayer that we today call "Tefillat HaShla" — the prayer for children on the eve of Rosh Chodesh Sivan — in the name of "one of the mediakdekim [grammarians]," Rabbi Shabtai Sofer of Przemyśl, author of the Baal Shem Tov's siddur. There are those who included this prayer in the siddur "Chemdat HaYamim." In any case, the Shla HaKadosh found and gave us the opportunity to pray this most powerful prayer for our children and descendants.    

Tefillat HaShla

אַתָּהּ הוּא יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ עַד שֶׁלֹּא בָּרָאתָ הָעוֹלָם, וְאַתָּהּ הוּא אֱלֹהֵינוּ מִשֶּׁבָּרָאתָ הָעוֹלָם, וּמֵעוֹלָם וְעַד עוֹלָם אַתָּה אַל. וּבָרָאתָ עוֹלָמְךָ בְּגִין לְאִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע אֱלָהוּתָךְ בְּאֶמְצָעוּת תּוֹרָתְךָ הַקְּדוֹשָׁה כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה. "בְּרֵאשִׁית", בִּשְׁבִיל תּוֹרָה וּבִשְׁבִיל יִשְׂרָאֵל, כִּי הֵם עַמְּךָ וְנַחֲלָתְךָ אֲשֶׁר בָּחַרְתָּ בָּהֶם מִכָּל הָאֻמּוֹת, וְנָתַתָּ לָהֶם תּוֹרָתְךָ הַקְּדוֹשָׁה, וְקֵרַבְתָּם לְשִׁמְךָ הַגָּדוֹל. וְעַל קִיּוּם הָעוֹלָם וְעַל קִיּוּם הַתּוֹרָה בָּא לָנוּ מִמְּךָ יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ שְׁנֵי צִוּוּיִים. כָּתַבְתָּ בְּתוֹרָתְךָ "פְּרוּ וּרְבוּ", וְכָתַבְתָּ בְּתוֹרָתְךָ "וְלִמַּדְתֶּם אוֹתָם אֶת בְּנֵיכֶם", וְהַכַּוָּנָה בִּשְׁתֵּיהֶן אֶחָת, כִּי לֹא לְתֹהוּ בָרָאתָ כִּי אִם לָשֶׁבֶת, וְלִכְבוֹדְךָ בָּרָאתָ, יָצַרְתָּ אַף עָשִׂיתָ, כְּדֵי שֶׁנִּהְיֶה אֲנַחְנוּ וְצֶאֱצָאֵינוּ וְצֶאֶצָאֵי כָּל עַמְּךָ בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל יוֹדְעֵי שְׁמֶךָ וְלוֹמְדֵי תּוֹרָתֶךָ. וּבְכֵן אָבוֹא אֵלֶיךָ יְיָ מֶלֶךְ מַלְכֵי הַמְּלָכִים, וְאַפִּיל תְּחִנָּתִי, וְעֵינַי לְךָ תְּלוּיוֹת עַד שֶׁתְּחָנֵּנִי וְתִשְׁמַע תְּפִלָּתִי לְהַזְמִין לִי בָּנִים וּבָנוֹת, וְגַם הֵם יִפְרוּ וְיִרְבּוּ הֵם וּבְנֵיהֶם וּבְנֵי בְּנֵיהֶם עַד סוֹף כָּל הַדּוֹרוֹת לְתַכְלִית שֶׁהֵם וַאֲנִי וַאֲנַחְנוּ כֻּלָּנוּ יַעַסְקוּ בְּתוֹרָתְךָ הַקְּדוֹשָׁה לִלְמֹד וּלְלַמֵּד לִשְׁמֹר וְלַעֲשׂוֹת וּלְקַיֵּם אֶת כָּל דִּבְרֵי תַּלְמוּד תּוֹרָתְךָ בְּאַהֲבָה, וְהָאֵר עֵינֵינוּ בְּתוֹרָתֶךָ וְדַבֵּק לִבֵּנוּ בְּמִצְווֹתֶיךָ לְאַהֲבָה וּלְיִרְאָה אֶת שְׁמֶךָ. אָבִינוּ אָב הָרַחֲמָן, תֵּן לְכֻלָּנוּ חַיִּים אֲרֻכִּים וּבְרוּכִים, מִי כָמוֹךָ אָב הָרַחֲמִים זוֹכֵר יְצוּרָיו לְחַיִּים בְּרַחֲמִים, זָכְרֵנוּ לְחַיִּים נִצְחִיִּים כְּמוֹ שֶׁהִתְפַּלֵּל אַבְרָהָם אָבִינוּ "לוּ יִחְיֶה לְפָנֶיךָ", וּפֵרְשׁוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה, "בְּיִרְאָתֶךָ". כִּי עַל כֵּן, בָּאתִי לְבַקֵּשׁ וּלְחַנֵּן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ שֶׁיְּהֵא זַרְעִי וְזֶרַע זַרְעִי עַד עוֹלָם זֶרַע כָּשֵׁר, וְאַל יִמָּצֵא בִי וּבְזַרְעִי וּבְזֶרַע זַרְעִי עַד עוֹלָם שׁוּם פְּסוּל וָשֶׁמֶץ, אַךְ שָׁלוֹם וֶאֱמֶת וְטוֹב וְיָשָׁר בְּעֵינֵי אֱלֹהִים וּבְעֵינֵי אָדָם, וְיִהְיוּ בַּעֲלֵי תוֹרָה, מָארֵי מִקְרָא, מָארֵי מִשְׁנָה, מָארֵי תַלְמוּד, מָארֵי רָזָא, מָארֵי מִצְוָה, מָארֵי גוֹמְלֵי חֲסָדִים, מָארֵי מִדּוֹת תְּרוּמִיּוֹת, וְיַעַבְדוּךָ בְּאַהֲבָה וּבְיִרְאָה פְּנִימִית, וְלֹא יִרְאָה חִיצוֹנִית. וְתֵן לְכָל גְּוִיָּה וּגְוִיָּה מֵהֶם דֵּי מַחְסוֹרָהּ בְּכָבוֹד, וְתֵן לָהֶם בְּרִיאוּת וְכָבוֹד וְכֹחַ, וְתֵן לָהֶם קוֹמָה וְיֹפִי וְחֵן וָחֶסֶד, וְיִהְיֶה אַהֲבָה וְאַחֲוָה וְשָׁלוֹם בֵּינֵיהֶם, וְתַזְמִין לָהֶם זִוּוּגִים הֲגוּנִים מִזֶּרַע תַּלְמִידֵי חֲכָמִים מִזֶּרַע צַדִּיקִים, וְגַם הֵם זִוּוּגָם יִהְיוּ כְּמוֹתָם כְּכָל אֲשֶׁר הִתְפַּלַּלְתִּי עֲלֵיהֶם, כִּי זִכָּרוֹן אֶחָד עוֹלֶה לְכָאן וּלְכָאן. אַתָּה יְיָ יוֹדֵעַ כָּל תַּעֲלוּמוֹת, וּלְפָנֶיךָ נִגְלוּ מַצְפּוּנֵי לִבִּי, כִּי כַוָנָתִי בְּכָל אֵלֶּה לְמַעַן שִׁמְךָ הַגָּדוֹל וְהַקָּדוֹשׁ וּלְמַעַן תּוֹרָתְךָ הַקְּדוֹשָׁה. עַל כֵּן עֲנֵנִי יְיָ עֲנֵנִי בַּעֲבוּר הָאָבוֹת הַקְּדוֹשִׁים אַבְרָהָם יִצְחָק וְיַעֲקֹב, וּבִגְלָלָם תּוֹשִׁיעַ בָּנִים לִהְיוֹת הָעֲנָפִים דּוֹמִים לְשָׁרְשָׁם, וּבַעֲבוּר דָּוִד עַבְדֶּךָ רֶגֶל רְבִיעִי בַּמֶּרְכָּבָה, הַמְּשׁוֹרֵר בְּרוּחַ קָדְשֶׁךָ. שִׁיר הַמַּעֲלוֹת אַשְׁרֵי כָּל יְרֵא ה' הַהֹלֵךְ בִּדְרָכָיו. יְגִיעַ כַּפֶּיךָ כִּי תאֹכֵל אַשְׁרֶיךָ וְטוֹב לָךְ. אֶשְׁתְּךָ כְּגֶפֶן פֹּרִיָּה בְּיַרְכְּתֵי בֵיתֶךָ בָּנֶיךָ כִּשְׁתִלֵי זֵיתִים סָבִיב לְשֻׁלְחָנֶךָ. הִנֵּה כִי כֵן יְבֹרַךְ גָּבֶר יְרֵא ה'. יְבָרֶכְךָ ה' מִצִּיּוֹן וּרְאֵה בְּטוּב יְרוּשָׁלָיִם כֹּל יְמֵי חַיֶּיךָ. וּרְאֵה בָנִים לְבָנֶיךָ שָׁלוֹם עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל. אָנָּא יְיָ שׁוֹמֵעַ תְּפִלָּה, יְקֻיַּם בָּנוּ הַפָּסוּק. וַאֲנִי זֹאת בְּרִיתִי אוֹתָם אָמַר יְיָ רוּחִי אֲשֶׁר עָלֶיךָ וּדְבָרַי אֲשֶׁר שַׂמְתִּי בְּפִיךָ לֹא יָמוּשׁוּ מִפִּיךָ וּמִפִּי זַרְעֲךָ וּמִפִּי זֶרַע זַרְעֲךָ אָמַר יְיָ מֵעַתָּה וְעַד עוֹלָם. יִהְיוּ לְרָצוֹן אִמְרֵי פִי וְהֶגְיוֹן לִבִּי לְפָנֶיךָ יְיָ צוּרִי וְגוֹאֲלִי:   Transliteration "Ata hu Ado-nai Eloheinu ad shelo barata ha-olam, ve-ata Ado-nai Eloheinu mi-she-barata ha-olam, u-me-olam ve-ad olam Ata El, u-varata olamcha be-gin le-hishtmoda Elohutcha be-emtzaut Toratcha ha-kdosha kmo she-omru rabboteinu zichronam livracha, 'Bereishit', bishvil Torah u-vishvil Yisrael, ki hem amcha ve-nachalatcha asher bacharta ba-hem mi-kol ha-umot, ve-natata la-hem Toratcha ha-kdosha, ve-keravtam le-Shimcha ha-gadol. Ve-al kiyum ha-olam ve-al kiyum ha-Torah ba lanu mimcha Ado-nai Eloheinu shnei tzivuim, katavta be-Toratcha 'pru u-rvu', ve-katavta be-Toratcha 'Ve-limadtem otam et bneichem', ve-ha-kavanah bi-shteihem achat, ki lo la-tohu barata ki im lashevet, ve-li-chvodcha barata yatzarta af asita, kdei she-nihiyeh anachnu ve-tze'etza'einu ve-tze'etza'ei kol amcha beit Yisrael yodei Shmecha ve-lomdei Toratecha. U-vechen avo eleicha Ado-nai Melech malchei ha-mlachim, ve-apil techinati, ve-einai lecha teluyot ad she-techaneni ve-tishma tefilati lehazmin li banim u-vanot ve-gam hem yifru ve-yirbu hem u-vneihem u-vnei vneihem ad sof kol ha-dorot le-tachlit she-hem va-ani kulanu ya'asku be-Toratcha ha-kdosha lilmod u-lelamed lishmor ve-la'asot u-lekayem kol divrei talmud Toratecha be-ahavah, ve-ha'er eineinu be-Toratecha ve-dabek libeinu be-mitzvotecha le-ahavah u-le-yirah et Shmecha. Avinu av ha-rachaman, ten le-chulanu chayim aruchim u-vruchim, mi kamocha av ha-rachamim zocher yetzurav le-chayim be-rachamim, zochreinu le-chayim nitzchi'im, kmo she-hitpalel Avraham avinu 'lu Yishmael yichyeh lefanecha' u-fershu rabboteinu zichronam livracha 'be-yiratecha'. Ki al ken, bati levakesh u-lechanen milefanecha she-yehei zari ve-zera zari ad olam zera kasher, ve-al yimatzei vi u-ve-zari u-ve-zera zari ad olam shum pasul va-shemetz, ach shalom ve-emet ve-tov ve-yashar be-einei Elohim u-ve-einei adam, ve-yihyu ba'alei Torah, marei Mikra, marei Mishnah, marei Talmud, marei raza, marei mitzvah, marei gomlei chasadim, marei midot trumiyot, ve-ya'avducha be-ahavah u-ve-yirah pnimit, ve-lo yirah chitzonit, ve-ten le-chol gviyah u-gviyah mehem dei machsorah be-kavod, ve-ten lahem beri'ut ve-chavod ve-ko'ach, ve-ten lahem komah ve-yofi ve-chen va-chesed, ve-yihyeh ahavah ve-achavah ve-shalom beineihem, ve-tazmin lahem zivugim hagunim mi-zera talmidei chachamim, mi-zera tzadikim, ve-gam zivugam yihyu kemotam ke-chol asher hitpalalti aleihem, ki zikaron echad oleh lechan u-lechan. Ata Ado-nai yode'a kol ta'alumot, u-lefanecha niglu matzpunei libi, ki kavanati be-chol eleh lema'an Shimcha ha-gadol ve-ha-kadosh u-lema'an Toratcha ha-kdosha, al ken aneni Ado-nai aneni ba'avur ha-avot ha-kdoshim Avraham Yitzchak ve-Ya'akov, u-viglalam toshia banim lihyot ha-anafim domim le-shorsham, u-va'avur David avdecha regel rvi'i ba-merkavah, ha-meshorer be-ruach kodshecha. Shir ha-ma'alot ashrei kol yerei Ado-nai ha-holech bi-drachav: yegia kapecha ki tochel ashrecha ve-tov lach: ishtecha ke-gefen poriyah be-yarketei veitecha banecha ki-shtilei zeitim saviv le-shulchanecha: hine chi chen yevorach gaver yerei Ado-nai: yevarechecha Ado-nai mi-Tziyon u-re'eh be-tuv Yerushalayim kol yemei chayecha: u-re'eh vanim levanecha shalom al Yisrael. Ana Ado-nai shomea tefilah yekuyam banu ha-pasuk va-ani zot briti otam amar Ado-nai ruchi asher alecha u-devarai asher samti be-ficha lo yamushu mi-ficha u-mi-pi zaracha u-mi-pi zera zaracha amar Ado-nai me-atah ve-ad olam. Yihyu le-ratzon imrei fi ve-hegyon libi lefanecha, Ado-nai tzuri ve-go'ali."   Translation "You, G-d, our L-rd, existed before the creation of the world, and You, our L-rd, remained unchanged after the creation of the world, and from eternity to eternity You are G-d. And You created Your world so that it would be known that You are G-d, through Your holy Torah, as our Sages, may their memory be blessed, said: 'In the beginning...' — for the sake of the Torah and for the sake of Israel. For they are Your people and Your heritage; You chose them from among the nations and gave them Your holy Torah, and drew them near to Your great name. And for the preservation of this world and for the preservation of the Torah, two commandments came to us from You, G-d, our L-rd: You wrote in Your Torah, 'Be fruitful and multiply,' and You wrote in Your Torah, 'and you shall teach them to your children.' And the intent of both is one: that You did not create [the world] for emptiness, but for habitation, and You created, formed, and made it for Your glory, so that we, our children, and the children of the children of all Your people, the House of Israel, would know Your name and study Your Torah. So I come before You, G-d, King of kings of kings, and I bring my supplication, and my eyes are fixed upon You until You are gracious to me and hear my prayer: to grant me sons and daughters, and that they too be fruitful and multiply, they and their children and their children's children until the end of all generations. So that they, and I, and all of us occupy ourselves with Your holy Torah, to learn and to teach, to keep and to do and to fulfill all the words of the teaching of Your Torah with love. And enlighten our eyes with Your Torah, and attach our hearts to Your commandments, to love and to fear Your name. Our Father, merciful Father, grant us all a long and blessed life. Who is like You, merciful Father, who mercifully remembers His creatures for life? Remember us and grant us life, as our father Abraham prayed: 'Oh, that Ishmael might live before You,' and our Sages, may their memory be blessed, interpreted: 'in fear of You.' And so I have come to ask and to plead before You that my seed and the seed of my seed be forever kosher seed. And let there be found in me, my descendants, and my descendants' descendants, forever, no blemish or disgrace — only peace and truth and good and upright in the eyes of G-d and in the eyes of man. And may they be masters of Torah: knowing Scripture, knowing Mishnah, knowing Talmud, knowing the hidden [wisdom], keeping the commandments, doing kindness, possessing lofty qualities, and may they serve You with love and inner awe — not outward, superficial awe. And give each of them what they need for a dignified life, and give them health, honor, and strength, and give them stature, beauty, grace, and kindness, and may there be love and brotherhood and peace among them. And send them a worthy match, from the seed of Torah scholars, from the seed of the righteous, and may they themselves be worthy spouses, as I have prayed for them, for I ask the same thing for both. You, G-d, know all secrets, and before You is revealed all that is hidden in my heart: that I ask You for all this for the sake of Your great and holy name and for the sake of Your holy Torah. Therefore answer me, G-d, answer me for the sake of the holy forefathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, and for their sake save the children, so that the branches may resemble their roots. And for the sake of David, Your servant, the fourth leg of the Divine Chariot, the singer inspired by Your holy spirit. A Song of Ascents. Happy is everyone who fears the L-rd, who walks in His ways. When you eat of the labor of your hands, happy are you and it shall be well with you. Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine within your house; your children like olive shoots around your table. Behold, thus shall the man who fears the L-rd be blessed. May the L-rd bless you from Zion, and may you see the goodness of Jerusalem all the days of your life. And may you see your children's children. Peace be upon Israel! Please, G-d, who hears prayer! May the verse be fulfilled in me: 'And this is My covenant with them, said the L-rd: My spirit that is upon you, and My words that I have placed in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants' descendants, says the L-rd, from now and forever.'   (From the book "Tehillim – Segulot," published by "Shorashim," p. 45; with gratitude to Zoya Chaya Tigay for the Hebrew text)