“Patach Eliyahu” — Prayer at Ayelet HaShachar, a Segula for Prayers to Be Accepted

“Patach Eliyahu” at Ayelet HaShachar — a Segula for Prayers to Be Accepted

“Patach Eliyahu” is an excerpt from Tikkunei Zohar (Tikkunim, fol. 17a). According to the Sephardic nusach, it is recited every morning before Shacharit. According to the Edot HaMizrach nusach, it is recited before Mincha and Maariv. Chasidim read it every Friday before Mincha as preparation for Shabbat. The Mekubalim consider it a good custom to recite “Patach Eliyahu” before every tefillah (Shacharit, Mincha, and Maariv), as is practiced in Israeli yeshivot. Rabbeinu Chida writes in his sefer “Moreh BaEtzba”, and it is also brought in “Re’ach HaTov”: “Through the study of the Zohar HaKadosh, tefillot will be accepted, and everyone will witness wondrous miracles.” Rabbi Moshe Zacuto writes: “Through the power of studying the “Zohar HaKadosh”, a person can transcend his nature and reveal miracles.” Rabbi Yaakov Abuhatzeira taught in his sefer “Bigdei HaSerad” that every Jew is obligated to ask for knowledge of the secrets of the Torah, because without this, tefillot cannot ascend. The power of simply reading the “Zohar HaKadosh” is so great that even without understanding a single word, a person can still achieve the same result as through studying it. (Etz Or HaZohar) “No eye has ever seen it, except Yours, O Most High.” Why Patach Eliyahu Through “Patach Eliyahu”, a person can purify his neshamah and elevate his merits to very high levels, as the Arizal says. By reciting this tefillah, he sanctifies his neshamah and begins to understand the ways of the L-rd. “Patach Eliyahu” describes how shefa (the abundance from Heaven) descends to us through the Sefirot and seeks to connect us with the kabbalistic form of tefillah, which consists of changing one’s character and one’s relationship with the L-rd. The Kabbalists explain that the L-rd loves us, wants to bestow goodness upon us, and that everything the L-rd sends us is for the best. When a Jew approaches tefillah with the understanding that the L-rd does not change and that a Jew cannot change Him, and that everything Hashem does flows from love, the Jew can reach the level of asking the L-rd to change him, so that he can see the situation as it truly is—as an expression of the L-rd’s love. Then shefa will be poured upon the person who prays in this way, and troubles will recede. It is important to know that we are a vessel, a kli, that receives the shefa (abundance) of the Light of Ein Sof, which the L-rd constantly sends us through the Sefirot. The Sefirot are like channels that the L-rd opens in accordance with the state we are in. Studying the Zohar nullifies all the terrible decrees and suffering that we have experienced and that we continue to endure. (Tikkunei HaZohar, Tikkun 30) Segula Chazal teach that reciting this prayer before dawn—at Ayelet HaShachar—is a great segula for a person’s tefillot to be accepted. (Moreh BaEtzba) Even during the Holocaust, many Jews recited “Patach Eliyahu” by heart every day before dawn, and those who prayed in this way survived. (Sefer Edut BeYaakov) In just a few minutes, by reciting these tefillot, one can replace all evil decrees with good ones, and merits with rewards, as testified by the verse: Without studying the “Zohar HaKadosh” before dawn, there is no guarantee that the prayers will be accepted. One who recites “Patach Eliyahu” before dawn will also receive the reward of the mitzvah of Limud HaTorah with the Zohar HaKadosh: one hour of study on a weekday is equivalent to 100,000 years of regular study, and is equivalent to 100,000,000 years of study on Shabbat. (Sefer Kisei Melech, Re’ach HaTov, Orchot Tzadikim, Avot DeRabbi Natan) Sipur Once, “Noam Elimelech,” Rabbi Elimelech of Lizhensk, found himself in a city suffering from a terrible plague. He fasted for three days in an attempt to stop the plague and annul the decree from Heaven. When he eventually lost consciousness from hunger, the Maggid of Mezeritch, his Rebbe, appeared to him in a vision. “Noam Elimelech” asked his Rebbe why such a terrible situation had arisen and why so many people were dying from the plague. The Maggid replied that he could not see clearly at that moment and therefore needed to ascend to higher spiritual worlds. After some time, the Maggid returned and said that everything was fine. “Noam Elimelech” was puzzled: “I don’t understand. Everything is clearly not fine here.” The Maggid paused and, after thinking for a moment, replied: “In the World of Truth, we see the full picture of what the L-rd has planned—how He loves us and how this plague is actually part of a much greater plan. But from your perspective, in the midst of the situation, it does not look very good.” Then “Noam Elimelech” awoke from his dream, now a changed person, realizing that something more profound was taking place, even though he did not understand it. Having realized this, he began to dance, and within a few minutes the entire community began dancing and rejoicing, and the Heavenly decree was annulled. All this happened because he had changed. It is important to know that we are a vessel, a kli, that receives the shefa (abundance) of the Light of Ein Sof, which the L-rd constantly sends us through the Sefirot. The Sefirot are like channels that the L-rd opens in accordance with the state we are in. From this we can see what happened to Noam Elimelech. When he shifted his consciousness from katnut (smallness) to gadlut (greatness), the shefa descending upon him changed from a lower to a higher level. Thus, his simcha and emunah saved the community. Studying the Zohar HaKadosh nullifies all the terrible decrees and suffering that we have experienced and that we continue to endure. (Tikkunei HaZohar, Tikkun 30)   (Translation by silatehilim.com — source: https://www.shoresh.org.il/members/hidush/fileshidush/45532278/patah%20english.pdf)