Tehillim against the kelipah “Ish Hamasim”

Tehillim against the kelipah “Ish Hamasim”

Over 120 years ago Ben Ish Chai (may his merit protect us), in his book “Ben Ish Chai Drashot” on the weekly Torah portion “Ki Teitzei”, wrote that in Heaven there is a kelipah—the most powerful and dangerous of all kelipot—called “Ish Hamasim” (a man of violence). He teaches that if the Jewish people wish to overcome this kelipah, it is not enough to study Torah—we must recite Tehillim. Why? Tehillim are also known as Zemirot (songs and melodies). Ben Ish Chai frequently employs a Kabbalistic method of analyzing words, according to which, if the letters of one word precede the letters of another word in alphabetical order, the former word dominates; conversely, if the letters of a given word follow those of another word alphabetically, it is weaker in power. Ben Ish Chai explains that if we take the letters of the word זמר “zemer” (song, melody) and see which letters follow them, we find the letters .ח.נ.ש —that is, the letters forming the word נחש “nachash” (serpent), the one who caused the first sin in the world, the source of all negative forces: ז-ח מ-נ ר-ש This hints that the power of Tehillim (zemirot) surpasses the power of the “nachash”; Tehillim can overcome and destroy the negative influence of the “nachash.” Moreover, Ben Ish Chai explains that the letters that follow those of the word “nachash” are ס.ט.ת.: נ-ס ח-ט ש-ת The gematria of these letters, ס.ט.ת., is 469, which is equal to the gematria of the phrase איש חמסים “Ish Hamasim” (a man of violence). This further demonstrates that the power of Tehillim surpasses all negative forces—even the most powerful kelipah, which Am Yisrael is confronting today.   (Based on a lecture by Rabbi Yisrael Yakovov, “How to Defeat Hamas”)