Segulot for the Yahrzeit of Rachel Imeinu

Segulot for the Yahrzeit of Rachel Imeinu

The prayer is called “tefillah,” meaning “connection, unity.” Rachel Imeinu said in the Torah: “Naftulei Elokim niftalti” - (with G-dly bonds I have bound myself). (Bereishit, 30:8)

From this we learn what prayer should be. For this is the entire inner essence of prayer: connection and unity with Ha-Kadosh Baruch Hu.

It is well known that the Gaon of Brisk mainly visited Meron and the grave of Rachel Imeinu. Yet it was specifically at Rachel’s grave that he said: “This is a place of tefillah”.

- Prayer at the kever of Rachel Imeinu

- The Yanuka Gaon’s prayer for awakening the merit of Rachel Imeinu

Prayer of the Yanuka Gaon to Awaken the Merit of Rachel Imenu

The gematria of the names Bilaam and Balak is 274, as is the gematria of the names Rachel and Leah—also 274;

בִּלְעָם/ Bilaam and בָּלָק / Balak;

רָחֵל / Rachel and לֵאָה / Leah;

The word “eder” עדר (the flock of Israel) also equals 274;

This concept is mentioned in the following verse of the Torah: “Then the chiefs of Edom will be dismayed; the mighty men of Moab, trembling (רעד / ra’ad), will be seized with fear; all the inhabitants of Canaan will melt away.” (Shemot 15:15)

Moab wages war against Israel using both spiritual and physical weapons. Since Balak and Bilaam have the same gematria as the word עדר “eder”, their punishment comes through the letters of the word “trembling”—רעד “ra’ad”. (Agra de-Kala 179b)

From this we learn that the names of the Matriarchs Rachel and Leah have the power to neutralize the forces of evil, sorcery, curses, and impurity represented by Bilaam and Balak.

David HaMelech encoded the names of the two Matriarchs from whom Bnei Yisrael descended in the very first psalm. In Judaism, there is a principle that the entire potential of any undertaking, project, and so forth is contained in its beginning. Thus, David HaMelech establishes the matrix of the Jewish people’s happiness, connected with the power of the two Matriarchs.

Tehillim 1

אַ֥שְֽׁרֵי־הָאִ֗ישׁ אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹ֥א הָלַךְ֮ בַּעֲצַ֪ת רְשָׁ֫עִ֥ים וּבְדֶ֣רֶךְ חַ֭טָּאִים לֹ֥א עָמָ֑ד

– “Ashrei ha-ish asher lo halach ba’atzat resha’im u’v’derech chata’im lo amad” – (Fortunate is the person who has not followed the counsel of the wicked, nor stood on the path of sinners).

The final letters of the words “ha-ish asher lo” (fortunate is the person who has not)—read in reverse order—form the name לֵאָה – Leah, while the initial letters of the words “resha’im chata’im lo” (on the path of sinners, nor) form, in direct order, the name רָחֵל – Rachel.

Tehillim 31:6

בְּיָדְך אַפְקִיד רוּחִי פָּדִיתָ אוֹתִי יְהוָה—אֵל אֱמֶת בְּיָדְך

– “Beyadcha afkid ruchi, padita oti Ado-nai El emet” – (Into Your hand I entrust my spirit; You redeem me, L-rd, G-d of truth).

The great Mekubal, a scholar of the soul, Rabbi Yehuda Petaya, likewise reveals in his book “Minchat Yehuda” where the names of Rachel Imeinu and Leah Imeinu are concealed in Tehillim.

בְּיָדְך – (Into Your hand) – has the same gematria as the name Leah—לאה 36;

אַפְקִיד רוּחִי (I entrust my spirit)—the final two letters of these words, י ד, form the reduced gematria of the name Rachel—רחל 239 (whose digits total 14).

The 11th of Cheshvan is the 41st day, and 41 is the gematria of the word אם—“mother.”

The 11th of Cheshvan is the day of the Jewish mother. One should pray for children.

When Rachel continually weeps over the exile of her children, the Jewish people, the Almighty comforts her with the words: “Restrain your voice from weeping and your eyes from tears, for there is a reward for your deeds... your children will return to their borders.”

On the literal level, “return to their border” refers to the return of the Jewish people to the Land of Israel.

On a deeper level, however, it refers to our people’s return to their spiritual roots—to the faith of their forefathers, to teshuvah. The gematria of the word “border” גבול is exactly the same as that of the word “mother” אם—41.

6. Tikkun Chatzot—the time for prayer with Rachel

Tikkun Chatzot consists of two parts: Tikkun Rachel and Tikkun Leah.

Leah represents Geulah, while Rachel represents Galut.

Tikkun Leah corresponds to David (of the tribe of Yehudah, a descendant of Leah)—Mashiach, while Tikkun Rachel corresponds to Yosef (a descendant of Rachel).

David HaMelech instituted Tikkun Chatzot: “Chatzot laila akum le-hodot Lach”—(At midnight I rise to thank You). (Tehillim 119:62)

Tikkun Leah is the thanksgiving section of Tikkun Chatzot, and it is specifically this that David refers to when he says that he rises at midnight to thank the Almighty.

Tikkun Rachel is the mourning section—for Yosef wept on Binyamin’s necks (in the plural), and Rashi explains that Yosef wept over the two Batei HaMikdash that would stand in Binyamin’s portion. Our Sages teach us that “The Gates of Tears are never locked.”

In the midnight prayer of Tikkun Chatzot, in “Tikkun Rachel,” one should have the kavanah that the name “Rachel” (רָחֵל) equals 238, which is 2 × 119.

119 is the gematria of the Hebrew word “tear” (דִמְעָה).

7. Parnassah and Rachel