Powerful Prayer-Incantation Against Ayin Hara by Rabbi Shmelke of Nikolsburg

Powerful Prayer-Incantation Against Ayin Hara by Rabbi Shmelke of Nikolsburg

Rabbi Chizkiyahu Medini, in his sefer Sdei Chemed, cites the prayer-incantation against ayin hara of Rav Shmelke of Nikolsburg as a tried-and-tested remedy for the evil eye: “Although we are not currently permitted to use incantations invoking angels and celestial princes, as the ancients did, in any event, this incantation against ayin hara (“I adjure you, all forms of ayin hara”) is not an invocation of angels, and there is no concern regarding it. ...This incantation contains no invocation of angels (such as the incantation about three women standing atop a rock, which has been tried and proven effective against ayin hara, as well as other incantations of this kind), and no one will rise up against them. Nor does this involve violating the prohibition of darkei Emori, as stated in the Talmud: “Whatever a woman says for healing does not fall under darkei Emori.” Rashi and the Rosh explain it likewise, and the Ran writes the same. Maran the Beit Yosef ruled accordingly in Orach Chaim, siman 301. I conclude by noting that many poskim maintain that even an unknown incantation that brings healing is permitted. Likewise, incantations that are generally widespread among women are permitted.” (Sdei Chemed, “Collection of Laws” ה, siman 39)   Prayer-Incantation אָז יָשִׁיר יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶת הַשִּׁירָה הַזֹּאת עֲלִי בְאֵר עֱנוּ לָהּ בְּאֵר חֲפָרוּהָ שָׂרִים כָּרוּהָ נְדִיבֵי הָעָם בִּמְחֹקֵק בִּמִשְׁעֲנֹתָם וּמִמִּדְבָּר מַתָּנָה וּמִמַּתָּנָה נַחֲלִיאֵל וּמִנַּחֲלִיאֵל בָּמוֹת Az yashir Yisrael et ha-shirah ha-zot: “Ali ve'er, anu lah! Be'er, chafaruha sarim, karuha nedivei ha-am bimchokek, bi-mish'anotam; u-mi-midbar Matanah, u-mi-Matanah Nachali'el, u-mi-Nachali'el Bamot. (Then Israel sang this song: “Ascend, O well! Sing to it! The well dug by princes, excavated by the nobles of the people with the lawgiver and with their staffs! And from the wilderness to Matanah, from Matanah to Nachali'el, and from Nachali'el to Bamot.)   טרם שאמנה תשעה ישלח לו (לנקבה לה) רפואה שלימה מן השמים כשם שהרפאת יחזקיהו מלך יהודא מחליו כן תרפא את (פב"פ) מחולה עין הרע שלו (לנקבה שלה) Terem she-emneh tish'ah, yishlach lo/la (for a female: lah) refu'ah shelemah min ha-shamayim, ke-shem she-ripita Chizkiyahu, melekh Yehudah, me-cholyo, ken terape et (name, son/daughter of name of mother) me-choli ayin hara shelo/shelah (for a female). (Before you count nine, may He send him/her complete healing from Heaven. Just as You healed Chizkiyahu, King of Judah, from his illness, so may You heal (name), son/daughter of (mother’s name), from the illness of his/her ayin hara.) שָׁלֹשׁ נָשִׁים הָיוּ עוֹמְדוֹת עַל שֶׁן סֶלַע, אַחַת אוֹמֶרֶת חוֹלֶה וְאַחַת אוֹמֶרֶת אֵינוֹ חוֹלֶה וְאַחַת אוֹמֶרֶת אֵינוֹ חוֹלֶה וְלֹא תִּהְיֶה שׁוּם חֻלְשָׁה, אִם אָדָם זָכָר עָשָׂה לְךָ שׁוּם רָעָה, יפּל שְׂעַר רֹאשׁוֹ וּזְקָנוֹ, אִם אִשָּׁה עָשְׂתָה לְךָ שׁוּם רָעָה, יפּל לָהּ שְׁנִיהָ וְדַדֶיהָ. כְּשֵׁם שֶׁהַמַּיִם אֵין לָהֶם דֶּרֶךְ, וְדָגִים וּנְמָלָה אֵין לָהֶם כְּלָיוֹת, כָּךְ לֹא יִהְיֶה לִפְלוֹנִיוֹת בֶּן בַּת פְּלוֹנִית שׁוּם חֻלְשָׁה וְשׁוּם רָעָה וְשׁוּם הֶזֵק, וְאַל יִשְׁלֹט בּוֹ (לִנְקֵבָה: בָּהּ) שׁוּם הֶזֵק וְשׁוּם עַיִן הָרָע, כִּי מִזַרְעָא דְיוֹסֵף קָאָתֵי, שֶׁלֹא יִשְׁלֹט בּוֹ (לִנְקֵבָה: בָּהּ) שׁוּם עַיִן הָרָע, דִּכְתִיב: בֵּן פּרָת יוֹסֵף בֵּן פּרָת עֲלֵי־עָיִן בָּנוֹת צָעֲדָה עֲלֵי-שׁוּר Shalosh nashim hayu omdot al shen sela, achat omeret: “Choleh,” ve-achat omeret: “Eino choleh,” ve-achat omeret: “Eino choleh ve-lo tihyeh shum chulshah.” Im adam zachar asah lecha shum ra'ah, yipol se'ar rosho u-zekano. Im ishah astah lecha shum ra'ah, yiplu lah shinayim ve-dadeha. Ka-shem she-ha-mayim ein lahem derech, ve-dagim u-nemalah ein lahem kelayot, kach lo yihyeh li (name), ben/bat (mother’s name), shum chulshah ve-shum ra'ah ve-shum hezek, ve-al yishlot bo/va shum hezek ve-shum ayin hara, ki mi-zar'a de-Yosef ka'atei, she-lo yishlot bo/va (for a female) shum ayin hara, dikhtiv: “Ben porat Yosef, ben porat alei ayin, banot tsa'adah alei shur.” (Three women stood atop a rock: one says, “He will become ill”; another says, “He will not become ill”; and the third says, “He will not become ill, and there will be no illness.” (If a man has done you any harm, may the hair of his head and beard fall out. If a woman has done you any harm, may her teeth fall out and her breasts wither. Just as water has no fixed course, and fish and ants have no kidneys, so may there be no illness, evil, harm, or injury over (name), son/daughter of (mother’s name), and may no harm or ayin hara prevail over him/her, for he/she descends from the seed of Yosef, over whom no ayin hara prevails, as it is written: “A fruitful son is Yosef, a fruitful son by the fountain; daughters stride over the wall.”) (Bereishit 49:22) (From the trip to the kever of the tzadik Rabbi Shmelke mi-Nikolsburg – Ta'amei HaMinhagim, page תקס"ד)