Rabbi Moshe Zacuto of Mantua - Ramaz

Rabbi Moshe ben Mordechai Zacuto of Mantua - Ramaz Yahrzeit - 16 Tishrei Resting place - Mantua, Italy Rabbi Moshe ben Mordechai Zacuto served as rabbi and Rosh Yeshiva of the Jewish community of Mantua, as well as of the Sephardic community of Venice, and is considered one of the greatest kabbalists of the 17th century. He disseminated the works of Rabbi Chaim Vital on Lurianic Kabbalah, along with the prayer customs based on them. The Ramaz came from anusim - refugees from Portugal who had fled to Amsterdam - and was the great-grandson of the historian and astronomer Rabbi Avraham Zacuto. He studied at the Etz Chaim beit midrash of the Amsterdam community, founded by Rabbi Menashe ben Israel, and studied at the yeshiva of Rabbi Shaul Morteira during the period when Baruch Spinoza studied there as well. To study Kabbalah, he moved to the city of Poznan in Poland, where he studied under Rabbi Yitzchak of Poznan, a disciple of Rabbi Sheftel, son of the Shelah HaKadosh. In 1645 he emigrated to Italy and studied Kabbalah in the city of Verona with Rabbi Binyamin HaLevi, a disciple of Rabbi Chaim Vital who had come to Italy in 1659. The Ramaz came to Venice at the request of the city's chief rabbi, Rabbi Azariah Figo, to take his place, where he worked as a proofreader of books, and at the suggestion of his students he moved to Mantua in 1673, where he founded a yeshiva and had a large circle of students, and also served as city rabbi with an annual salary of 300 ducats. At his yeshiva, the rabbi established a copying operation for the writings of the Arizal, from which the Arizal's teachings spread throughout Europe. The rabbi reviewed all the writings of the Arizal's students and concluded that the only manuscripts from which one should study the Arizal's Torah were those of Rabbi Chaim Vital, which he called "pure grain," stating that "it is entirely acceptable that this came from the mouth of the teacher." His descendants live today in Italy and Israel, mainly in Netanya and Jerusalem. Streets in Tel Aviv and Be'er Sheva are named after him. It is said that in his youth he learned Latin, and then decided to forget the language, for which he fasted for 40 days and nights. He had a tremendous influence on the Ramchal, who married his granddaughter. Works: The sefer "Igrot HaRamaz" addresses questions concerning the writings of the Arizal. At the end of the book is written "Alef Alefin" - a petition of a thousand words, all of which begin with the letter alef; The sefer "Shorshei HaShemot" (Roots of the Names); The sefer "Kol HaRamaz" - a commentary on the "Shisha Sidrei Mishnah," on the commentary of Rabbi Ovadiah of Bartenura, and on Tosafot Yom Tov.   Segulot of the Ramaz Tehillim 87 This psalm has the power to give answers to our questions. In the 6th verse is encoded the Name במה - one of the 72 Names of the Almighty. יְֽהֹוָ֗ה יִ֭סְפֹּר בִּכְת֣וֹב עַמִּ֑ים זֶ֖ה יֻלַּד־שָׁ֣ם סֶֽלָה׃ - "Ado-nai yispor bichtov amim, zeh yulad sham, selah" - (The L-rd will count, when He registers the peoples: "This one was born there!" Selah). In the book "Shorshei HaShemot" (Roots of the Names), Rabbi Moshe Zacuto - the Ramaz, notes that the gematria of the Name במה is 47 - the same as the gematria of the phrase "ki tov" - (that it is good). But there is also an angel named "Ki Tov," whose task is to help one receive answers to one's questions. If a person has questions in Torah study, or in life, and does not know how to act, it is good to recite this Tehillim, focus one's kavanah on the Name במה, and ask in one's own words: "Ribono Shel Olam, give me an answer to my question, help me understand how to act correctly, or why all this is happening to me, be-zchut of the Holy Name במה [do not pronounce it - only look at it with kavanah] - answer me." Tehillim 90 In the verse: "Vihi no'am Ado-nai Eloheinu aleinu, uma'aseh yadeinu konenah aleinu, uma'aseh yadeinu koneneihu" - עָלֵ֑ינוּ וּֽמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יָ֝דֵ֗ינוּ –– the final letters (sofei tevot) form the Name והו - one of the 72 Names. Rabbi Moshe Zacuto explains in the sefer "Shorshei HaShemot" that all blessing in the world descends through the Name והו from Heaven by the power of the Beit HaMikdash (even in our time, when there is no Temple), and this power grants us heavenly assistance to succeed in mitzvot and in all our endeavors, through the power of these two Holy Names.   Tehillim 1 A segula: recite Tehillim 1 to stop bleeding; (Rav Moshe Zacuto, "Shorshei HaShemot")   Tehillim 51 The Ramaz's segula for annulling judgments and harsh decrees - "she'elat bahakitz" (a waking question) It is known that Mordechai HaYehudi, in a dire situation, upon learning of a decree against the Jews, prayed to the Almighty, then went out into the street and asked three boys what they had learned that day in cheder. The first boy answered: – "Al tira mipachad pit'om u'mishoat resha'im ki tavo" – (Do not fear sudden terror, nor the ruin of the wicked when it comes); The second boy answered: – "Utzu etzah ve'tufar, dabru davar ve'lo yakum, ki imanu El" - (The enemies of Israel devise plots, but they will be foiled; they conspire together, but it will not come to pass - for G-d is with us); The third boy answered: – "Ve'ad zikna ani hu, ve'ad seivah ani esbol, ani asiti va'ani esa, va'ani esbol va'amalet" – (Even to old age I remain the same, and I will be patient with the people of Israel; I made them, and I will carry them, and I will be patient, and I will save them). Later, these verses from the "she'elat bahakitz" - became a Sephardic custom, passed down through a chain of tradition from Rabbi Moshe Zacuto. These lines, recited three times (chazakah) - are a segula for annulling the worst and harshest decrees.   A prayer with the segula of gazing at the Heavens, from the Gaon HaYanuka https://silatehilim.com/молитва-гаон-а-янука-ле-йешуа-гдола-ве/