Near the kever of Ovadiah Ha-Navi is a little-known holy site—the kever of Nachman Hatuf, known as “Nevuat Ha-Yeled”—the child-prophet who lived approximately 1,147 years ago. He was born to a couple who had remained childless for many years, although his father, Rabbi Pinchas, was a Ba'al Ha-Mofet who helped everyone around him. As soon as the child was born, he stood on his feet, bowed to his mother, and began revealing hidden secrets about the structure of the Merkavah. His father passed his hand over the infant’s mouth, and the child became mute. Then, after his wife pleaded with him for a long time, Reb Pinchas blessed his son again, and Nachman’s power of speech returned. He spoke of five prophecies in the Aramaic language and of the Geulah. He uttered prophetic words encompassing the entire history of our world, all the way until the coming of Mashiach. After completing the recitation of the prophecy, he died at the age of 12 in that very place. This is the origin of his nickname Hatuf (Katufo)—“interrupted” (taken by death). His prophecy is recorded in the book “Nevuat Ha-Yeled” (The Prophecy of the Child).
One day, Yanuka Nachman Hatuf appeared in a dream to a great sage and revealed to him the secret of Psalm 145.
He explained that Psalm 145 contains exactly 150 words—corresponding to the 150 chapters of Tehillim. King David invested the meaning of each of the 150 psalms into one of the letters of Tehillim 145, thereby imbuing it with extraordinary power.
He revealed that the 638 letters of this psalm have a gematria equal to the sum of the gematriot of the names of the Patriarchs—Avraham (248), Yitzchak (208), and Yaakov (182). By reciting this Tehillim, one can draw upon the zechut of the Avot.
Nachman Hatuf advised first reciting the pasuk from Tehillim 84:5, whose first three words contain exactly 13 letters, corresponding to the 13 Sha'arei Rachamim (Gates of Mercy):אַ֭שְׁרֵי יוֹשְׁבֵ֣י בֵיתֶ֑ךָ ע֝֗וֹד יְֽהַלְל֥וּךָ סֶּֽלָה׃
—“Ashrei yoshvei veitecha”—(fortunate is the one who dwells in Your Temple).
May the zechut of the young tzadik protect Am Yisrael! Kever Nachman Hatuf Nachman Chatufa
