The HaChalban’s Segula on Yom Kippur, to be recited after each recitation of the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy
The mekubal Rabbi Chaim Avishalom ben Ezra Cohen-Perachia – “the HaChalban” – one of the 36 hidden tzadikim and a member of a secret circle of Kabbalist artisans (details here), conveyed a very rare and exalted prayer for Yom Kippur in the name of Rabbeinu Or HaChaim HaKadosh. He said that whoever recites the “Shlosh Esrei Middot” (the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy) prayer of Or HaChaim HaKadosh during the Yom Kippur prayer is considered as having recited the midnight prayer תיקון חצות “Tikkun Chatzot” throughout the entire year. This is an incredible promise, for תיקון חצות – Tikkun Chatzot – is one of the most exalted and difficult prayers to perform, yet Or HaChaim HaKadosh provides a spiritual “key” in his prayer that makes it possible to substitute for it. אמר הרב חיים כהן (החלבן) זצ"ל שכל האומר תפילה אור החיים הקדוש אחרי י"ג מידות בכל פעם נחשב כאילו אמר תיקון חצות כל השנה תפילת אור החיים הקדוש יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ אָבִינוּ מַלְכֵּנוּ, אֱלֹקֵינוּ, יְדִידוּת אוֹר נַפְשֵׁינוּ, רוּחֵנוּ וּנְשָׁמָתֵינוּ, לְמַעַן בְּרִיתְךָ אֲשֶׁר כָּרַתָּ לִשְׁלֹשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה מִדּוֹת, שֶׁאֵינָן חוֹזוֹרוֹת רֵיקָם מִלְּפָנֶיךָ. זְכוֹר אַהֲבָתֵינוּ וְחִיבָתֵינוּ, וְהָשֵׁב שְׁכִינָתְךָ לְבֵית קָדְשֵׁנוּ, וְתַחְזֹר לְהִשְׁתַּעֲשֵׁעַ בָּנוּ כִּימֵי קֶדֶם. כִּי קָשָׁה פְרִידָתְךָ מִמֶּנּוּ, כִּפְרִידַת נַפְשֵׁינוּ מִגּוּפֵינוּ. הָמוּ מֵעֵינוּ, וְכָלְתָה נַפְשֵׁנוּ אֶל גְּאֻלַּת שְׁכִינָתֶךָ, וְאֶל מְעוֹן קָדְשֶׁיךָ, וּלְרָצוֹנְךָ ה׳ נִכְסַפְנוּ. הִנֵּנוּ מִתְחַנְּנִים וּבוֹכִים לְפָנֶיךָ, ה׳ אָב הָרַחֲמָן עַל גָּלוּת הַשְּׁכִינָה, הוֹשִׁיעָה ה׳ שְׁכִינָתֶךָ, וְדַבֵּק נַפְשֵׁינוּ בְּאַהֲבָתְךָ הַנְּעִימָה וְהָעֲרֵבָה, עַל נַפְשֵׁינוּ, רוּחֵנוּ, וּנְשָׁמוֹתֵינוּ, וְיֵעֹל מַלְכֵּנוּ בְּהֵיכָלֶיה בִּמְהֵרָה בְיָמֵינוּ, אָמֵן, כֵּן יְהִי רָצוֹן!The Prayer of Or HaChaim HaKadosh
Yehi ratzon milfanecha Avinu Malkeinu Eloheinu, yedidut or nafsheinu, rucheinu ve-nishmoteinu, lema’an britcha asher karata le-Shlosh Esrei Middot she-einan chozrot reikam milfanecha. Zechor ahavateinu ve-chibateinu, ve-hashev Shechinatecha le-beit kodsheinu, ve-tachazor lehishtasha’a banu ki-yemei kedem, ki kasha peridat’cha mimenu ki-fridat nafsheinu mi-gufeinu. Hamu me-eineinu ve-chalta nafsheinu el ge’ulat Shechinatecha ve-el me’on kodshecha, ve-lirtzonecha Adonai nichsafnu. Hinenu mit’chanenim u-vochim lefanecha, Adonai Av HaRachaman, al galut ha-Shechinah. Hoshia Adonai Shechinatecha, ve-dabek nafsheinu be-ahavatecha ha-ne’imah, ve-ha-arevah al nafsheinu, rucheinu ve-nishmoteinu, ve-ya’ol Malkeinu be-heichalei bi-mherah be-yameinu, amen, ken yehi ratzon!Translation
May it be Your will, our Father, our King, our G-d,
the beloved Light of our soul, our spirit, and our souls,
for the sake of the covenant You made with the Thirteen Attributes of Mercy,
which never return empty-handed before You.
Remember our love and our devotion,
and return Your Shechinah to our Holy Temple,
and once again rejoice with us, as in days of old.
For painful is Your separation from us, like the separation of the soul from the body.
From our mouths and from the depths of our being, our souls cry out
for the redemption of Your Shechinah, for Your holy dwelling place,
and for Your will, O L-rd, we yearn.
Here we are, beseeching and weeping before You,
O L-rd, Merciful Father, over the exile of the Shechinah.
Save, O L-rd, Your Shechinah,
and cleave our souls to Your sweet and pleasant love,
and make it pleasing to our souls, our spirit, and our essence,
and may our King rejoice in His palaces.
(From the Yom Kippur prayer at the Bnei Yissaschar Yeshivah, under the direction of the Gaon Yaniv Assouri, Hadera)
