Prayer for a Brit Milah – a Segula During an Infant’s Crying

Prayer for a Brit Milah – a Segula During an Infant’s Crying

One day at the "Yodei Binah" Yeshivah, beautiful cards containing a prayer were handed out at a Brit Milah. I asked what prayer it was, and was told that it is a segula to recite while an infant cries during a Brit Milah. The book Rabbi Yaakov Chaim Tzemach’s «Zer Zahav» («Golden Crown») speaks of the power of a child’s crying after the circumcision. Two verses from Tehillim allude to this: «...for the L-rd has heard the voice of my weeping. The L-rd has heard my supplication; the L-rd will accept my prayer». (Tehillim 6:9–10) «The voice of my weeping» refers to the infant’s crying after the circumcision, and it has the power to rise on high without being harmed by the kelipot. A person’s prayer, when joined to this crying, will be accepted. This segula is also cited in the books «Brit Avot» («Covenant of the Fathers») and «Olelo­t Ephraim» («The Infants of Ephraim»). Rabbi Eliyahu Gutmacher, a Kabbalist and miracle-worker who was a student of the great Rabbi Akiva Eger, writes in his Perush on Shabbat (130a) that during the Brit, at the moment when the circumcised child cries, it is an Et Ratzon—a time when prayers ascend directly to Heaven. A person who comes to the circumcision and wishes to make use of this segula is advised to quietly recite the prayer when the child cries after the foreskin has been circumcised. Prayer During an Infant’s Crying at a Brit Milah [The prayer should be recited quietly, and one should ask for personal needs while the infant cries.] תפילה בעת בכי הנימול יְהִי רָצוֹן מִלְּפָנֶיךָ ה' אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ שֶׁנִּהְיֶה אֲנַחְנוּ וּבְנֵי בֵּיתֵנוּ בְּרִיאִים וַחֲזָקִים בְּפַרְנָסָה וְהַצְלָחָה, שָׁלוֹם וְכָל טוּב, לְעָבְדְּךָ בְּאֱמֶת וְבשִׂמְחָה. וְתכלל תְּפִילָּתִי עִם בְּכִיַית הַיֶּלֶד, וִיְקוּיָם בִּי הַפָּסוּק "שָׁמַע י-י תְּחִנָּתִי, י-י תְּפִלָּתִי יִקָּח". וִיְמַלֵּא ה' יִתְבָּרֵךְ כָּל מִשְׁאָלוֹת לְבָבֵנוּ לְטוֹבָה. אָמֵן. Yehi ratzon milfanecha Ad-nai Eloheinu ve-Elohei avoteinu shenihyeh anachnu u-vnei veiteinu bri’im va-chazakim be-parnasah ve-hatzlachah, shalom ve-chol tuv, le-ovdecha be-emet u-ve-simchah. Ve-tikallel tefilati im bechiyat ha-yeled, viykuyam bi ha-pasuk: «Shama Ad-nai techinati, Ad-nai tefilati yikach». (Tehillim 6:10) Ve-yemalei Ad-nai yitbarech kol mishalot levaveinu le-tovah. Amen». Translation: May it be Your will, L-rd, my G-d and the G-d of my fathers, that I and the members of my household be healthy and strong, blessed with sustenance and success, peace and every good thing, so that we may serve You in truth and with awe, love, and joy. May my prayer be joined with the infant’s crying, and may the words of the verse be fulfilled in me: «The L-rd has heard my supplication; the L-rd will accept my prayer.» May the Blessed L-rd fulfill all the requests of my heart for the good. Amen and amen.   Tehillim 6 should then be recited א לַמְנַצֵּ֣חַ בִּ֭נְגִינוֹת עַֽל־הַשְּׁמִינִ֗ית מִזְמ֥וֹר לְדָוִֽד׃ ב יְֽהוָ֗ה אַל־בְּאַפְּךָ֥ תוֹכִיחֵ֑נִי וְֽאַל־בַּחֲמָתְךָ֥ תְיַסְּרֵֽנִי׃ ג חָנֵּ֥נִי יְהוָה֮ כִּ֤י אֻמְלַ֫ל אָ֥נִי רְפָאֵ֥נִי יְהוָ֑ה כִּ֖י נִבְהֲל֣וּ עֲצָמָֽי׃ ד וְ֭נַפְשִׁי נִבְהֲלָ֣ה מְאֹ֑ד ואת [וְאַתָּ֥ה] יְ֝הוָ֗ה עַד־מָתָֽי׃ ה שׁוּבָ֣ה יְ֭הוָה חַלְּצָ֣ה נַפְשִׁ֑י ה֝וֹשִׁיעֵ֗נִי לְמַ֣עַן חַסְדֶּֽךָ׃ ו כִּ֤י אֵ֣ין בַּמָּ֣וֶת זִכְרֶ֑ךָ בִּ֝שְׁא֗וֹל מִ֣י יֽוֹדֶה־לָּֽךְ׃ ז יָגַ֤עְתִּי ׀ בְּֽאַנְחָתִ֗י אַשְׂחֶ֣ה בְכָל־לַ֭יְלָה מִטָּתִ֑י בְּ֝דִמְעָתִ֗י עַרְשִׂ֥י אַמְסֶֽה׃ ח עָֽשְׁשָׁ֣ה מִכַּ֣עַס עֵינִ֑י עָֽ֝תְקָ֗ה בְּכָל־צוֹרְרָֽי׃ ט ס֣וּרוּ מִ֭מֶּנִּי כָּל־פֹּ֣עֲלֵי אָ֑וֶן כִּֽי־שָׁמַ֥ע יְ֝הוָ֗ה ק֣וֹל בִּכְיִֽי׃ י שָׁמַ֣ע יְ֭הוָה תְּחִנָּתִ֑י יְ֝הוָ֗ה תְּֽפִלָּתִ֥י יִקָּֽח׃ יא יֵבֹ֤שׁוּ ׀ וְיִבָּהֲל֣וּ מְ֭אֹד כָּל־אֹיְבָ֑י יָ֝שֻׁ֗בוּ יֵבֹ֥שׁוּ רָֽגַע׃ Transliteration

1. Lamnatzéach binginot al ha-sheminit, mizmor le-David.
2. Ad-nai, al be-apecha tochicheni, ve-al ba-chamatecha teyasreni.
3. Choneini Ad-nai, ki umlal ani; refaeni Ad-nai, ki nivhalu atzamai.
4. Ve-nafshi nivhalah me’od, ve-atah Ad-nai, ad matai.
5. Shuvah Ad-nai, chaletzah nafshi; hoshi’eni le-ma’an chasdecha.
6. Ki ein ba-mavet zichrecha; bi-Sheol mi yodeh lach.
7. Yagati be-anchati; ascheh ve-chol laila mitati; be-dim’ati arsi amseh.
8. Asheshah mi-ka’as eini; atkah be-chol tzorerai.
9. Suru mimeni kol po’alei aven, ki shama Ad-nai kol bichyi.
10. Shama Ad-nai techinati; Ad-nai tefilati yikach.
11. Yevoshu ve-yibahalu me’od kol oyvai; yashuvu yevoshu raga.

Translation (1) For the conductor: with instrumental music; on the eighth; a psalm of David. (2) O L-rd, do not rebuke me in Your anger, nor chastise me in Your wrath. (3) Have mercy on me, O L-rd, for I am faint; heal me, O L-rd, for my bones tremble. (4) My soul, too, is greatly shaken. (5) And You, O L-rd—how long? Return, O L-rd; save my soul; deliver me for the sake of Your kindness. (6) For there is no remembrance of You in death (I cannot openly mention You); who will thank You in the grave? (7) I am weary from my sighing; every night I make my bed swim; I dissolve my couch in my tears. (8) My eye has wasted away from grief; it has grown dim because of all my foes. (9) Depart from me, all you evildoers, for the L-rd has heard the voice of my weeping. (10) The L-rd has heard my supplication; the L-rd will accept my prayer. (11) All my enemies will be ashamed and utterly terrified; they will retreat and be suddenly ashamed. (Yodei Binah Yeshivah for "silatehilim.com" – translation and transliteration by Alexander Tzvi Sypkov)