Tikkun Atzvut ve-Dikaon – Rectification of Depression and Sadness

Tikkun Atzvut ve-Dikaon – Rectification of Depression and Sadness

During a trip to the Kivrei Tzadikim in Morocco organized by the Sila Tehillim group with Rav Israel Yakobov, a rare Tikkun was conducted—one highly recommended by the Mekubalim: Tikkun Atzvut ve-Dikaon (rectification of sadness and depression). The kever of the tzadik Rabbi Raphael ben Mordechai Ankawa—a great miracle-worker—was a fitting place for this little-known Tikkun. Tikkun means rectifying the damage that occurred in the world after the shattering of the vessels. Some rectifications must be carried out by a person through living according to the holy Torah and through prayer. In this way, the kelipot (negative forces) are deprived of the light they have seized. This Tikkun is performed with walnuts in their shells—“egoz ha-mele”. The shell is also called a “kelipah” in Hebrew. By breaking the shell, we symbolically break the kelipot (negative forces) that cut a person off from the Divine light and thereby give rise to despair, sadness, and depression. Why a walnut? In the Haggadah for Tu BiShvat, based on the book “Pri Etz Hadar”, which appears in the book “Chemdat Ha-Yamim”, it is stated that the walnut belongs to the world of Asiyah (the world of action): “I went down to the walnut garden to see the young shoots, to see whether the vine had blossomed, whether the pomegranates had bloomed.” (Shir HaShirim 6:11)   Tikkun Atzvut ve-Dikaon First, one should recite the pesukim from Tanakh: א֭וֹר זָרֻ֣עַ לַצַּדִּ֑יק וּֽלְיִשְׁרֵי־לֵ֥ב שִׂמְחָֽה 1. “Or zarua la-tzadik, u-le-yishrei lev simchah” – (Light is sown for the righteous, and joy for the upright in heart.) (Tehillim 97:11) וַאֲנִ֤י ׀ בְּחַסְדְּךָ֣ בָטַחְתִּי֮ יָ֤גֵ֥ל לִבִּ֗י בִּֽישׁוּעָ֫תֶ֥ךָ אָשִׁ֥ירָה לַיהוָ֑ה כִּ֖י גָמַ֣ל עָלָֽי׃ 2. “Va-ani be-chasdecha batachti, yagel libi bi-shu'atecha, ashira la-Adonai ki gamal alai” – (But I trust in Your kindness; my heart will rejoice in Your salvation. I will sing to the L-rd, for He has dealt kindly with me.) (Tehillim 13:6) תּֽוֹדִיעֵנִי֮ אֹ֤רַח חַ֫יִּ֥ים שֹׂ֣בַע שְׂ֭מָחוֹת אֶת־פָּנֶ֑יךָ נְעִמ֖וֹת בִּימִינְךָ֣ נֶֽצַח׃ 3. “Todi'eni orach chayim, sova semachot et panecha, ne'imot bi-yemincha netzach” – (You will make known to me the path of life; fullness of joy is in Your presence, delight is at Your right hand forever.) (Tehillim 16:11)  אָגִ֥ילָה וְאֶשְׂמְחָ֗ה בְּחַ֫סְדֶּ֥ךָ אֲשֶׁ֣ר רָ֭אִיתָ אֶת־עָנְיִ֑י יָ֝דַ֗עְתָּ בְּצָר֥וֹת נַפְשִֽׁי׃ 4. “Agilah ve-esmecha be-chasdecha, asher ra'ita et anyi, yad ata be-tzarot nafshi” – (I will rejoice and be glad in Your kindness, for You have seen my affliction; You have known the troubles of my soul.) (Tehillim 31:8) וְ֭נַפְשִׁי תָּגִ֣יל בַּיהוָ֑ה תָּ֝שִׂישׂ בִּישׁוּעָתֽוֹ׃ 5. “Ve-nafshi tagel ba-Adonai, tasis bi-shu'ato” – (And my soul will rejoice in the L-rd; it will exult in His salvation.) (Tehillim 35:9) תַּ֭שְׁמִיעֵנִי שָׂשׂ֣וֹן וְשִׂמְחָ֑ה תָּ֝גֵ֗לְנָה עֲצָמ֥וֹת דִּכִּֽיתָ׃ 6. “Tashmi'eni sason ve-simchah, tagelna atzamot dikita” – (Let me hear joy and gladness, and let the bones You crushed rejoice.) (Tehillim 51:10) שַׂבְּעֵ֣נוּ בַבֹּ֣קֶר חַסְדֶּ֑ךָ וּֽנְרַנְּנָ֥ה וְ֝נִשְׂמְחָ֗ה בְּכָל־יָמֵֽינוּ׃ 7. “Sav'enu va-boker chasdecha, u-neranenah ve-nismechah be-chol yameinu” – (Satisfy us in the morning with Your kindness, and we will sing and rejoice throughout all our days.) (Tehillim 90:14) יֶעֱרַ֣ב עָלָ֣יו שִׂיחִ֑י אָ֝נֹכִ֗י אֶשְׂמַ֥ח בַּיהוָֽה׃ 8. “Ye'erav alav sichi, anochi esmach ba-Adonai” – (May my meditation be pleasing to Him; I will rejoice in the L-rd.) (Tehillim 104:34) זֶה־הַ֭יּוֹם עָשָׂ֣ה יְהוָ֑ה נָגִ֖ילָה וְנִשְׂמְחָ֣ה בֽוֹ׃ 9. “Zeh ha-yom asah Adonai, nagilah ve-nismechah vo” – (This is the day the L-rd has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.) (Tehillim 118:24) וַאֲנִ֖י בַּיהוָ֣ה אֶעְל֑וֹזָה אָגִ֖ילָה בֵּאלֹהֵ֥י יִשְׁעִֽי: 10. “Va-ani ba-Adonai e'elozah, agilah be-Elohei yishi” – (But I will rejoice in the L-rd; I will exult in the G-d of my salvation.) (Habakkuk 3:18) ואמר ביום ההוא הנה אלהינו זה קוינו לו ויושיענו זה ה' קוינו לו נגילה ונשמחה בישועתו: 11. “Ve-amar ba-yom hahu: hinei Eloheinu zeh kivinu lo ve-yoshi'einu; zeh Adonai kivinu lo, nagilah ve-nismechah bi-shu'ato” – (And it will be said on that day: Behold, this is our G-d; we placed our hope in Him, and He will save us! This is the L-rd; we placed our hope in Him. Let us rejoice and be glad in His salvation.) (Isaiah 25:10) שׂ֧וֹשׂ אָשִׂ֣ישׂ בַּֽיהוָ֗ה תָּגֵ֤ל נַפְשִׁי֙ בֵּֽאלֹהַ֔י כִּ֤י הִלְבִּ֙ישַׁ֙נִי֙ בִּגְדֵי־יֶ֔שַׁע מְעִ֥יל צְדָקָ֖ה יְעָטָ֑נִי כֶּֽחָתָן֙ יְכַהֵ֣ן פְּאֵ֔ר וְכַכַּלָּ֖ה תַּעְדֶּ֥ה כֵלֶֽיהָ: 12. “Sos asis ba-Adonai, tagel nafshi be-Elohai, ki hilbishani bigdei yesha, me'il tzedakah ya'atani, ke-chat an yechahen pe'er, ve-kha-kallah ta'adeh kheleyha” – (I will greatly rejoice in the L-rd; my soul will exult in my G-d, for He has clothed me in garments of salvation and wrapped me in a robe of righteousness, like a bridegroom adorned with glory and like a bride who adorns herself with her jewels.)   Then, one should take 10 walnuts in their shells—corresponding to the 10 sefirot—break their shells, and with kavanah say: “Just as I break this kelipah (shell) in order to remove the fruit from it and bless it, so may the Holy One, blessed be He, break the kelipah (shell) of sadness, depression, and grief, and bless me and save me from them.” Now take the walnut kernels, recite the berachah: “Baruch Atah Adonai Eloheinu Melech ha-Olam Borei pri ha-etz”, and with kavanah for deliverance from all that is harmful, eat them.     (From the trip to the Kivrei Tzadikim in Morocco with Rav Israel Yakobov; the text of the Tikkun is based on the book “Orach Tzadikim,” Seder Ha-Tikkunim)