The Tefillah for the Tikkun of Fruit Please, God, who makes, forms, creates, and emanates supernal worlds and created their likeness on the earth below, according to their supernal form and character. “All of them You made with wisdom,”57Ps. 104:24.supernal [forms] above and lower [forms] below, to join together the tent so as to be one.58Exodus 36:18, a reference to building the mishkan in the midbar (wilderness), implying that the whole Creation is a mishkan or holy sanctuary for divinity. David Seidenberg, Kabbalah and Ecology: God’s Image in the More-Than-Human World (Cambridge 2015), pp.212-213. You caused trees and grass to grow from the earth, according to the structure and character of [the forms] above, so that human beings might gain wisdom and understanding through them, and thus grasp the hidden [forms]. You appointed your holy angels over them as agents to oversee their growing. And you caused shefa and the power of your supernal qualities to flow upon them.
“The earth is sated from the fruit of Your work,”61Ps. 104:13. so one may “eat of its fruit and be sated by its bounty.“62Paraphrase of Jer. 2:7. From [the fruit], every living soul is enlivened through the spiritual power that is in them, [which is] the fruit of the mouth of your holy angels who guard its fruit.
“Its fruit is food and its leaves a source of healing.“64Ezek. 47:12. So on this day, the beginning of Your deeds concerning [the trees’] budding and renewal, “a person will earn with its fruit…,”65Song of Songs 8:11. “producing fruit after its kind.“66Gen. 1:11. For so the days of budding will be full for the fruit of the supernal tree, “the tree of life which is in the midst of the garden“67Gen. 2:9. and it makes fruit above.
May it be Your will YHVH our God and God of our ancestors, that through the sacred power of our eating fruit, which we are now eating and blessing, while reflecting on the secret of their supernal roots upon which they depend, their supernal sap will be aroused,68The words “יתעוררו שרפיהן” were not included in the versiont that Miles Krassen translated. (Our girsah is a derivative of the 1731 Vienna printing of Pri Ets Hadar in Sefer Ḥemdat Yamim.) Many thanks to R’ David Seidenberg for noting the variation in this girsah. He further writes, “שרף pronounced saraf means angel, while s’raf sap — in the case of sap it is cognate to syrup — and so the Hebrew could mean either one (knowing the style of the author, it probably is intended to mean both).” so that shefa , favor, blessing, and bounty be bestowed upon them. May the angels appointed over them also be filled by the powerful shefa of their glory, may it return and cause them to grow a second time, from the beginning of the year and until its end, for bounty and blessing, for good life and peace.
And fulfill for us the word which you promised us through Malachi, Your seer, “And I will banish the devourer from among you and he will not destroy the fruit of your earth and the vine of your field will not miscarry, says YHVH Tsevaot.“69Mal. 3:11. [‘YHVH Tsevaot‘ here replaces Rabbi Krassen’s translation ‘Lord of Hosts’. — Aharon Varady] Look down from your sacred dwelling place in heaven and bless us this year with bounty and blessing.
“You will make him a source of blessings forever, you will cause him to rejoice in the joy of Your countenance,”70Ps. 21:7. “And the earth will bestow its harvest and the tree of the field will yield its fruit.“71Lev. 26:4.
The blessing of goodness will come upon them, that its fruits will be blessed within us. Whether one eats a lot or a little, the health of his body will also be blessed. “There YHVH commanded blessing, eternal life.“72Ps. 133:3.
And may the splendid power of the blessings [said] while eating the fruit illuminate the source of blessings, Tsaddik, the Life of the Worlds, and let the rainbow appear, proudly rejoicing in its colors.73Cf. Shabbat 28a, where it describes the tachash — the animals whose skins were used to make the tabernacle/ohel of the mishkan. Here again, the author equates Creation with the mishkan, and the rainbow becomes the covering of the sacred ohel or sanctuary that is the Earth. –Rabbi David Seidenberg From there, may shefa , favor, and compassion be bestowed upon us, to pardon and forgive the iniquities and misdeeds that we committed and sinned. We violated the covenant and damaged the fruit of Tsaddik, the Life of the Worlds, and caused the rains of its beneficence to be withheld, so that all the sources [of shefa ] were harmed. Now let everything return to its original might “and let His bow remain taut.“74Gen. 49:24. “For You, YHVH , bless the Tsaddik, favor crowns him like a shield.“75Ps. 5:13.
And may all the holy sparks which were dispersed by us or by our ancestors and [also] through the sin that Adam committed with the fruit of the tree now return to be included in the splendid power of the Tree of Life. May all evil be removed from them through the power of Your great name which emerges from the verse, “the power that he swallows, he vomits out.“76Job 20:15.
Therefore, swiftly cause the offshoot of Your servant David to flower and raise up its might through Your salvation. And the hand of YHVH is upon the whole world in its entirety.
“Instead of a briar, a cypress will arise, instead of the nettle, a myrtle will arise. And it will be a testimony for YHVH and an everlasting sign which will never be effaced.“77Isa. 55:13.
“Let abundant grain be in the land to the mountain top. Let its fruit tremble like [the cedars of] Lebanon and may the inhabitants of cities sprout like the land’s grass.“78Ps. 72:16.
“And you shall take from the first of the fruit of the earth“80Deut. 26:2. to bring first fruits before the altar of YHVH in praise and thanksgiving to YHVH, our God, and [it shall result in] great good for the house of Israel.
“The arid desert will be glad and the wilderness will rejoice and blossom like a rose, it shall greatly flower and also rejoice and be glad. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon. They will see the Glory of YHVH, the splendor of our God.”81Isa. 35:1-2.
אָנָּא הָאֵל, הָעוֹשֶׂה וְהַיּוֹצֵר וְהַבּוֹרֵא וְהַמַּאֲצִיל עוֹלָמוֹת עֶלְיוֹנִים, וּבְצוּרָתָם וּבְצִבְיוֹנָם בָּרָאתָ דוּגְמָתָן עַל הָאָרֶץ מִתַּחַת, כּוּלָם בְּחָכְמָה עָשִׂיתָ׃ עֶלְיוֹנִים לְמַעְלָה וְתַחְתּוֹנִים לְמַטָּה לְחַבֵּר אֶת הָאוֹהֶל לִהְיוֹת אֶחָד, וְאִילָנִין וּדְשָׁאִים מִן הָאֲדָמָה הִצְמַחְתָּ, בְּקוֹמָתָם וּבְצִבְיוֹנָם שֶׁל מַעְלָה, לְהוֹדִיעַ לִבְנֵי אָדָם חָכְמָה וּתְבוּנָה בָּהֵמָּה, לְהַשִּׂיג בַּנֶּעְלָמִים. וּפָקַדְתָּ עֲלֵיהֶם בְּמִשְׁמֶרֶת מַלְאָכֶיךָ הַקְּדוֹשִים הַמְּמוּנִּים וְהַמּוּשְׁטָרִים לְהַגְדִּילָם וּלְהַצְמִיחָן וְעָלֵימוֹ תִיטּוֹף שֶׁפַע וְכֹחַ מִדוֹתֶיךָ הָעֶלְיוֹנוֹת.
The Tefillah for the Tikkun of Fruit
Please, God, who makes, forms, creates, and emanates supernal worlds and created their likeness on the earth below, according to their supernal form and character. “All of them You made with wisdom,”57Ps. 104:24.supernal [forms] above and lower [forms] below, to join together the tent so as to be one.58Exodus 36:18, a reference to building the mishkan in the midbar (wilderness), implying that the whole Creation is a mishkan or holy sanctuary for divinity. David Seidenberg, Kabbalah and Ecology: God’s Image in the More-Than-Human World (Cambridge 2015), pp.212-213. You caused trees and grass to grow from the earth, according to the structure and character of [the forms] above, so that human beings might gain wisdom and understanding through them, and thus grasp the hidden [forms]. You appointed your holy angels over them as agents to oversee their growing. And you caused shefa and the power of your supernal qualities to flow upon them.
וְיַעֲשׂוּ פְּרִי תְבוּאָה וְכָל עֵץ פְּרִי עוֹשֶׂה פְּרִי לְמִינוֹ
“The fruit yielded a harvest,”59Paraphrase of Ps. 107:37. every “fruit tree producing fruit according to its kind.“60Gen. 1:11.
וּמִפְּרִי מַעֲשֶׂיךָ תִשְׂבַּע הָאָרֶץ, לֶאֱכוֹל מִפִּרְיָהּ וְלִשְׂבּועַ מִטּוּבָה. לְהַחֲיוֹת בָּהֶם נֶפֶשׁ כָּל חַי מִן הַכֹּחַ הָרוּחָנִי אֲשֶר בָּהֶן, מִפְּרִי פִי מַלְאָכֶיךָ הַקְּדוֹשִׁים הַנּוֹטְרִים אֶת פִּרְיוֹ וּמִמֶּנוּ פֶרְיְיךָ נִמְצָא,
“The earth is sated from the fruit of Your work,”61Ps. 104:13. so one may “eat of its fruit and be sated by its bounty.“62Paraphrase of Jer. 2:7. From [the fruit], every living soul is enlivened through the spiritual power that is in them, [which is] the fruit of the mouth of your holy angels who guard its fruit.
שְׂכַר פְּרִי הַבֶּטֶן לְהַחֲיוֹת וְלָזוּן אֶת הַגּוּף.
“From me your fruit is found,”63Hosea 14:9. the reward of children.
וְהָיָה פִּרְיוֹ לְמַאֲכָל וְעָלֵיהוּ לִתְרוּפָה. וְזֶה הַיּוֹם תְּחִילַּת מַעֲשֶׂיךָ לְהַחְנִיטָהּ וּלְחַדְּשָה, אִישׁ יָבִיא בְּפִרְיוֹ עוֹשֶׂה פְּרִי לְמִינֵהוּ כִּי כֵן יִמְלְאוּ יְמֵי הַחֲנוּטִים לְפֵירוֹת הָאִילָן הָעֶלְיוֹן, עֵץ הַחַיִּים אֲשֶׁר בְּתוֹךְ הַגָּן, וְעָשָׂה פְּרִי לְמָעְלָה.
“Its fruit is food and its leaves a source of healing.“64Ezek. 47:12. So on this day, the beginning of Your deeds concerning [the trees’] budding and renewal, “a person will earn with its fruit…,”65Song of Songs 8:11. “producing fruit after its kind.“66Gen. 1:11. For so the days of budding will be full for the fruit of the supernal tree, “the tree of life which is in the midst of the garden“67Gen. 2:9. and it makes fruit above.
וִיהִי רָצוֹן מִלְפָנֶיךָ יְיָ אֱלֹהֵינוּ וֵאלֹהֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ, שֶׁבְּכֹחַ סְגוּלַּת אֲכִילַת הַפֵּירוֹת שֶׁנֹּאכַל וּנְבָרֵךְ עֲלֵיהֶן עַתָּה וַאֲשֶׁר נֶהֱגֶה בְּסוֹד שׁוֹרְשֵהֶן יִתְעוֹרְרוּ שְׂרָפֵיהֶן הָעֶלְיוֹנִים אֲשֶר הֵמָּה תְּלוּיִים בָּם לְהַשְׁפִּיעַ עֲלֵיהֶן שֶׁפַע רָצוֹן בְּרָכָה וּנְדָבָה, וְגַם הַמְּמוּנִּים וְהַמֻּשְּטָרִים עֲלֵיהֶן יִתְמַלְּאוּ מֵעוֹז שֶׁפַע הדרן לָשׁוּב שֵׁנִית לְהַגְדִּילָם וּלְהַצְמִיחָם מֵרֵאשִׁית הַשָּׁנָה וְעַד אַחֲרִית הַשָּׁנָה לְטוֹבָה וְלִבְרָכָה לְחַיִּים טוֹבִים וּלְשָׁלוֹם.
May it be Your will YHVH our God and God of our ancestors, that through the sacred power of our eating fruit, which we are now eating and blessing, while reflecting on the secret of their supernal roots upon which they depend, their supernal sap will be aroused,68The words “יתעוררו שרפיהן” were not included in the versiont that Miles Krassen translated. (Our girsah is a derivative of the 1731 Vienna printing of Pri Ets Hadar in Sefer Ḥemdat Yamim.) Many thanks to R’ David Seidenberg for noting the variation in this girsah. He further writes, “שרף pronounced saraf means angel, while s’raf sap — in the case of sap it is cognate to syrup — and so the Hebrew could mean either one (knowing the style of the author, it probably is intended to mean both).” so that shefa , favor, blessing, and bounty be bestowed upon them. May the angels appointed over them also be filled by the powerful shefa of their glory, may it return and cause them to grow a second time, from the beginning of the year and until its end, for bounty and blessing, for good life and peace.
וְקיֵּים לָנוּ אֶת הַדָּבָר שֶהִבְטַחְתָּנוּ עַל יְדֵי מַלְאָכִי חוֹזָךְ וְגָעֲרְתִּי לָכֶם בָּאוֹכֵל וְלֹא יַשְׁחִית לָכֶם אֶת פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה וְלֺא תְשַׁכֵּל לָכֶם הַגֶּפֶן בַּשַׂדֶה אָמַר יְיָ צְבָאוֹת הַשְׁקִיפָה מִמְּעוֹן קָדְשְׁךָ מִן הַשָׁמַיִם וּבָרֵךְ עָלֵינוּ אֶת הַשָׁנָה הַזֹּאת לְטוֹבָה וְלִבְרָכָה
And fulfill for us the word which you promised us through Malachi, Your seer, “And I will banish the devourer from among you and he will not destroy the fruit of your earth and the vine of your field will not miscarry, says YHVH Tsevaot.“69Mal. 3:11. [‘YHVH Tsevaot‘ here replaces Rabbi Krassen’s translation ‘Lord of Hosts’. — Aharon Varady] Look down from your sacred dwelling place in heaven and bless us this year with bounty and blessing.
תְשִׁיתֵהוּ בְרָכוֹת לָעַד תְּחַדֵּהוּ בְשִׂמְחָה אֶת פָּנֶיךָ וְנָתְנָה הָאָרֶץ יְבוּלָהּ וְעֵץ הַשָׂדֶה יִתֵּן פִּרְיוֹ
“You will make him a source of blessings forever, you will cause him to rejoice in the joy of Your countenance,”70Ps. 21:7. “And the earth will bestow its harvest and the tree of the field will yield its fruit.“71Lev. 26:4.
וְעֲלֵיהֶם תָּבֹא בִּרְכַּת טוֹב לְהִתְבָּרֵךְ פֵּירוֹתֶיהָ בְּמֵעֵינוּ אֶחָד הַמַּרְבֶּה וְאֶחָד הַמַּמְעִיט גַּם בְּרָכוֹת יַעְטֶה בִבְרִיאוּת הַגּוּף שָם יְצַוֶּה ה׳ אֶת הַבְּרָכָה חַיִּים עַד הָעוֹלָם
The blessing of goodness will come upon them, that its fruits will be blessed within us. Whether one eats a lot or a little, the health of his body will also be blessed. “There YHVH commanded blessing, eternal life.“72Ps. 133:3.
וְעוֹז הֲדַר הַבְּרָכוֹת בַּאֲכִילַת הַפֵּירוֹת יִהְיוּ לִמְאוֹרוֹת בְמַעְיַין הַבְּרָכוֹת צַדִּיק חַי הָעוֹלָמִים וְנִרְאֲתָה הַקֶשֶׁת שָׂשׂ וּמִתְפָּאֵר בְּגוָֹונִים שֶׁלּוֹ וּמִשָּׂם יוּשְׁפַּע עָלֵינוּ שֶׁפַע רָצוֹן וְרַחֲמִים לִמְחוֹל וְלִסְלֹחַ מֵעֲוֹנוֹתֵינוּ וְאַשְׁמָתֵנוּ אֲשֶׁר נוֹאַלְנוּ וַאֲשֶר חָטָאנוּ. וְהָיִינוּ מַרְשִׁיעֵי בְרִית וּפגַמְנוּ בִפְרִי צַדִּי״ק חַי הַעוֹלמָיִם וּמַנַעְנוּ רְבִיבֵי הַשְׁפָּעֲתוֹ וְנִשְׁחָתוּ כָּל מְקוֹרוֹת וְיָשׁוּב עַתָּה הַכּל לְאֵיתָנוֹ הָרִאשׁוֹן וְתֵשֵׁב בְּאֵיתָן קַשְׁתּוֹ כִּי אַתָּה תְּבָרֵךְ צַדִּיק ה׳ כַּצִנָּה רָצוֹן תַּעְטְרֵהוּ׃
And may the splendid power of the blessings [said] while eating the fruit illuminate the source of blessings, Tsaddik, the Life of the Worlds, and let the rainbow appear, proudly rejoicing in its colors.73Cf. Shabbat 28a, where it describes the tachash — the animals whose skins were used to make the tabernacle/ohel of the mishkan. Here again, the author equates Creation with the mishkan, and the rainbow becomes the covering of the sacred ohel or sanctuary that is the Earth. –Rabbi David Seidenberg From there, may shefa , favor, and compassion be bestowed upon us, to pardon and forgive the iniquities and misdeeds that we committed and sinned. We violated the covenant and damaged the fruit of Tsaddik, the Life of the Worlds, and caused the rains of its beneficence to be withheld, so that all the sources [of shefa ] were harmed. Now let everything return to its original might “and let His bow remain taut.“74Gen. 49:24. “For You, YHVH , bless the Tsaddik, favor crowns him like a shield.“75Ps. 5:13.
וְכָל הַנִּצוֹצוֹת שֶׁנִּתְפַּזְּרוּ עַל יָדֵינוּ אוֹ עַל יְדֵי אֲבוֹתֵינוּ וּבְעָוֹן אָדָם הָרִאשׁוֹן אֲשֶר חָטָא בְפֵירוֹת הָאִילָן עַתָּה יָשׁוּבוּ לְהִתְכַּלֵּל בְּעוֹז הֲדַר עֵץ הַחַיִים וְיוּסַר מֵהֶם כָּל רַע בְּכֹחַ שִׁמְךָ הַגָּדוֹל הַיוֹצֵא מִפָּסוּק חַיִל בָּלַע וַיְקִיאֶנּוּ
And may all the holy sparks which were dispersed by us or by our ancestors and [also] through the sin that Adam committed with the fruit of the tree now return to be included in the splendid power of the Tree of Life. May all evil be removed from them through the power of Your great name which emerges from the verse, “the power that he swallows, he vomits out.“76Job 20:15.
וְיָשוּב הַכֹּל לְאֵיתָנוֹ הָרִאשׁוֹן וְלֹא יִדַּח מִמֶּנוּ נִידַּח כִּי אַתָּה ה׳ לְבַדֶּךָ מְקַבֵּץ נִדְחֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל.
And may everything return to its original might and not be rejected. For only You, YHVH, restore the dispersed of Israel.
וּבְכֵן אֶת צֶמַח דָּוִד עַבְדֶּךָ מְהֵרָה תַּצְמִיחַ וְקַרְנוֹ תָּרוּם בִּישׁוּעָתֶךָ וירום הודו ותנשא עַל כָּל הָעוֹלָם כּוּלּוֹ
Therefore, swiftly cause the offshoot of Your servant David to flower and raise up its might through Your salvation. And the hand of YHVH is upon the whole world in its entirety.
וְתַחַת הַנַּעֲצוּץ יַעֲלֶה בְּרוֹשׁ וְתַחַת הַסִּרְפָּד יַעֲלֶה הָדָס וְהָיָה לַה׳ לְשֵׁם לְאוֹת עוֹלָם לֹא יִכָּרֵת
“Instead of a briar, a cypress will arise, instead of the nettle, a myrtle will arise. And it will be a testimony for YHVH and an everlasting sign which will never be effaced.“77Isa. 55:13.
וִיהִי פִסַּת בַּר בָאָרֶץ בְּרֹאשׁ הָרִים יִרְעַשׁ כַּלְּבָנוּן פִּרְיוֹ וְיָצִיצוּ מֵעִיר כְּעֵשֶׂב הָאָרֶץ
“Let abundant grain be in the land to the mountain top. Let its fruit tremble like [the cedars of] Lebanon and may the inhabitants of cities sprout like the land’s grass.“78Ps. 72:16.
אָז יְרַנְּנוּ עֲצֵי הַיַעַר וְעֵץ הַשָּׂדֶה נָשָׂא עָנָף וְעָשָׂה פֶרִי דְבַר יוֹם בְּיוֹמוֹ.
“Then the trees of the forest will rejoice“79Ps. 96:12. and the tree of the field lift its branch and bear fruit daily.
וְלָקַחְתָּ מֵרֵאשִׁית כָּל פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה לְהָבִיא בִּכּוּרִים לִפְנֵי מִזְבֵּחַ ה׳ בְּהַלֵּל וְתוֹדוֹת לַה׳ אֱלֹהֵינוּ וְרַב טוּב לְבֵית יִשְׂרָאֵל
“And you shall take from the first of the fruit of the earth“80Deut. 26:2. to bring first fruits before the altar of YHVH in praise and thanksgiving to YHVH, our God, and [it shall result in] great good for the house of Israel.
יְשׂוּשׂוּם מִדְבָּר וְצִיָּה וְתָגֵל עֲרָבָה וְתִפְרַח כַּחֲבַצֶלֶת פָּרוֹחַ תִפְרַח וְתָגֵל אַף גִילָת וְרַנֵּן כְּבוֹד הַלְּבָנוֹן נִיתַּן לָהּ הֲדַר הַכַּרְמֶל וְהַשָׁרוֹן הֵמָּה יִרְאוּ כְּבוֹד ה׳ הֲדַר אֱלֹהֵינוּ
“The arid desert will be glad and the wilderness will rejoice and blossom like a rose, it shall greatly flower and also rejoice and be glad. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon. They will see the Glory of YHVH, the splendor of our God.”81Isa. 35:1-2.
בִּמְהֵרָה בְיָמֵינוּ אָמֵן
May it occur swiftly, in our days, amen.
עֲשֵׂה לְמַעַן שְׁמֶךָ עֲשֵׂה לְמַעַן חַסְדֶּךָ עֲשֵׂה לְמַעַן יְמִינֶךָ עֲשֵׂה לְמַעַן תּוֹרָתֶךָ.
Act for the sake of Your Name. Act for the sake of Your loving kindness. Act for the sake of Your right hand. Act for the sake of Your Torah.
יִֽהְי֥וּ לְרָצ֨וֹן ׀ אִמְרֵי־פִ֡י וְהֶגְי֣וֹן לִבִּ֣י לְפָנֶ֑יךָ יְ֝הוָ֗ה צוּרִ֥י וְגֹאֲלִֽי׃ (תהלים יט׃טו)
May the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart find favor before You, YHVH, my rock and my redeemer.82Psalms 19:15
וִיהִ֤י ׀ נֹ֤עַם אֲדֹנָ֥י אֱלֹהֵ֗ינוּ עָ֫לֵ֥ינוּ וּמַעֲשֵׂ֣ה יָ֭דֵינוּ כּוֹנְנָ֥ה עָלֵ֑ינוּ וּֽמַעֲשֵׂ֥ה יָ֝דֵ֗ינוּ כּוֹנְנֵֽהוּ׃ (תהלים צ׃יז)
“May the favor of the Lord, our God, be upon us, establish the work of our hands for us — yes, establish the work of our hands.“83Ps. 90:17.