24 Shevat – A Special Prayer for Redemption from Sefer Zechariah
24 Shevat – A Special Prayer for Redemption from Sefer Zechariah
The Talmud, in tractate Sanhedrin, states: “Whoever recites a verse at its appointed time benefits the world, as it is written: ‘And speak a word in its time.’”It is also stated in the Tractate of Soferim (chapter 18, halakhah 1): “Whoever recites a verse at its appointed time elevates it, as though he were building a new altar and offering a sacrifice upon it.”Therefore, on the 24th of Shevat, it is good to recite the following verses in order to benefit the world. This will be considered as though we had built an altar and offered sacrifices upon it.Zechariah (1:7)בְּיוֹם עֶשְׂרִים וְאַרְבָּעָה לְעַשְׁתֵּי-עָשָׂר חֹדֶשׁ, הוּא-חֹדֶשׁ שְׁבָט, בִּשְׁנַת שְׁתַּיִם, לְדָרְיָוֶשׁ--הָיָה דְבַר-יְהוָה, אֶל-זְכַרְיָה בֶּן-בֶּרֶכְיָהוּ, בֶּן-עִדּוֹא הַנָּבִיא, לֵאמֹר. ח רָאִיתִי הַלַּיְלָה, וְהִנֵּה-אִישׁ רֹכֵב עַל-סוּס אָדֹם, וְהוּא עֹמֵד, בֵּין הַהֲדַסִּים אֲשֶׁר בַּמְּצֻלָה; וְאַחֲרָיו סוּסִים אֲדֻמִּים, שְׂרֻקִּים וּלְבָנִים. ט וָאֹמַר, מָה-אֵלֶּה אֲדֹנִי; וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלַי, הַמַּלְאָךְ הַדֹּבֵר בִּי, אֲנִי אַרְאֶךָּ, מָה-הֵמָּה אֵלֶּה. י וַיַּעַן, הָאִישׁ הָעֹמֵד בֵּין-הַהֲדַסִּים--וַיֹּאמַר: אֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר שָׁלַח יְהוָה, לְהִתְהַלֵּךְ בָּאָרֶץ. יא וַיַּעֲנוּ אֶת-מַלְאַךְ יְהוָה, הָעֹמֵד בֵּין הַהֲדַסִּים, וַיֹּאמְרוּ, הִתְהַלַּכְנוּ בָאָרֶץ; וְהִנֵּה כָל-הָאָרֶץ, יֹשֶׁבֶת וְשֹׁקָטֶת. יב וַיַּעַן מַלְאַךְ-יְהוָה, וַיֹּאמַר, יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת, עַד-מָתַי אַתָּה לֹא-תְרַחֵם אֶת-יְרוּשָׁלִַם וְאֵת עָרֵי יְהוּדָה--אֲשֶׁר זָעַמְתָּה, זֶה שִׁבְעִים שָׁנָה. יג וַיַּעַן יְהוָה, אֶת-הַמַּלְאָךְ הַדֹּבֵר בִּי--דְּבָרִים טוֹבִים: דְּבָרִים, נִחֻמִים. יד וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלַי, הַמַּלְאָךְ הַדֹּבֵר בִּי, קְרָא לֵאמֹר, כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת: קִנֵּאתִי לִירוּשָׁלִַם וּלְצִיּוֹן, קִנְאָה גְדוֹלָה. טו וְקֶצֶף גָּדוֹל אֲנִי קֹצֵף, עַל-הַגּוֹיִם הַשַּׁאֲנַנִּים, אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי קָצַפְתִּי מְּעָט, וְהֵמָּה עָזְרוּ לְרָעָה. טז לָכֵן כֹּה-אָמַר יְהוָה, שַׁבְתִּי לִירוּשָׁלִַם בְּרַחֲמִים--בֵּיתִי יִבָּנֶה בָּהּ, נְאֻם יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת; וקוה (וְקָו) יִנָּטֶה, עַל-יְרוּשָׁלִָם. יז עוֹד קְרָא לֵאמֹר, כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת, עוֹד תְּפוּצֶנָה עָרַי, מִטּוֹב; וְנִחַם יְהוָה עוֹד אֶת-צִיּוֹן, וּבָחַר עוֹד בִּירוּשָׁלִָם.TransliterationBe-yom esrim ve-arba'ah le-ashtei-asar chodesh, hu chodesh Shevat, bi-shnat shtayim le-Daryavesh, hayah devar-Adonai el-Zekharyah ben-Berekhyahu ben-Iddo ha-navi lemor.8. Ra'iti ha-laylah ve-hineh ish rokhev al sus adom ve-hu omed bein ha-hadasim asher ba-metsulah ve-acharav susim adumim serukim u-levanim.9. Va-omar mah-eleh adoni va-yomer elai ha-malakh ha-dover bi ani ar'ekha mah-hemah eleh.10. Va-ya'an ha-ish ha-omed bein ha-hadasim va-yomer eleh asher shalakh Adonai le-hit'haleikh ba-aretz.11. Va-ya'anu et-malakh Adonai ha-omed bein ha-hadasim va-yomru hit'halkhnu va-aretz ve-hineh kol ha-aretz yoshevet ve-shoketet.12. Va-ya'an malakh-Adonai va-yomer Adonai Tzevaot ad-matai ata lo terakhem et Yerushalayim ve-et arei Yehudah asher za'amta ze shiv'im shanah.13. Va-ya'an Adonai et ha-malakh ha-dover bi devarim tovim devarim nikhumim.14. Va-yomer elai ha-malakh ha-dover bi kera lemor koh amar Adonai Tzevaot kineiti le-Yerushalayim u-le-Tziyon kin'ah gedolah.15. Ve-ketsef gadol ani kotsef al ha-goyim ha-sha'ananim asher ani katzafti me'at ve-hemah azru le-ra'ah.16. Lakhen koh-amar Adonai shavti le-Yerushalayim be-rahamim beiti yibaneh vah ne'um Adonai Tzevaot ve-kav yinateh al-Yerushalayim.17. Od kera lemor koh amar Adonai Tzevaot od tefutsenah arai mi-tov ve-nikham Adonai od et Tziyon u-vakhar od bi-Yerushalayim.Translation(7) On the twenty-fourth day of the eleventh month, which is the month of Shevat, in the second year of Darius, the word of the L-rd came to Zechariah son of Berechiah, son of Iddo the prophet, saying: (8) I saw a vision that night: behold, a man riding a red horse, and he was standing among the myrtle trees in the ravine; and behind him were red, chestnut, and white horses. (9) And I said: What are these? And the angel speaking with me said: I will show you what these are. (10) And the man standing among the myrtle trees answered and said: These are the ones whom the L-rd has sent to patrol the earth. (11) And they answered the angel of the L-rd standing among the myrtle trees and said: We have patrolled the earth, and behold, the whole earth is tranquil and at rest. (12) And the angel of the L-rd answered and said: L-rd of Hosts, how long will You withhold Your compassion from Jerusalem and the cities of Judah, with which You have been angry these seventy years? (13) And the L-rd answered the angel speaking with me with good and comforting words. (14) And the angel speaking with me said: Proclaim, saying: Thus says the L-rd of Hosts: “I am jealous for Jerusalem and for Zion with a great jealousy. (15) And I am exceedingly angry with the complacent nations, for I was angry only a little, but they helped bring about disaster.” (16) Therefore, thus says the L-rd: I have returned to Jerusalem with compassion; My House shall be built there, declares the L-rd of Hosts, and a measuring line shall be stretched over Jerusalem. (17) Proclaim further, saying: Thus says the L-rd of Hosts: My cities shall yet overflow with prosperity, and the L-rd shall yet comfort Zion and shall yet choose Jerusalem.
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