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Rosh Chodesh Kavanot Print E-mail
Written by Moshe Tuvia Eliovson   

Rosh ChodeshThe letters of any 4 letter word, in this case: G-d's name of Rachameem/Mercy Y-H-V-H, can be permuted, meaning "scrambled" 12 different ways:

ABCD
ABDC
ACDB
ACBD
CABD
etc.

The Kabbalists teach us to meditate on verses whose words' first or last letters match the permutation for the given month.  Which permutation is for which month is a secret handed down by the masters of Sode, the secrets of the Torah and the 4th portion of PaRDeS

(Pshat - the 'plain' meaning of the text, e.g. chumash, Rashi, mishneh, gemara

Remez - hints such as those in the commentary of the Ba'al HaTurim

Derush - exposition such as that in the commentaries of the Alshich and

Sode - Kabbalah, for example, teachings from the Zohar, Sefer Yetzirah, the commentaries of the Ramban or the Ohr HaChaim)

The greater one's knowledge, the more depth to one's understanding of the verse selected, the order of the letters of HaShem's name in the given month's permutation and their relationship to the fundamental forces of Creation imbued and embedded in the month to come (which is a specific time of the year, just like a Moed like Sukkot or Pesach in a way, although not a holy day) can be a powerful, added source to one's kavanah while praying - which can be very handy - especially at the beginning of a new month.

In the middle blessing of the additional Rosh Chodesh Musaf prayer where you see G-d's name Y-H-V-H 'Blessed are You *Y-H-V-H* Our L-rd King of the Universe Who Sanctifies Israel and the Heads of the Months':

A) Don't say the name Y-H-V-H or its permutation; we still pronounce the name A-donai.

B) The mystical practice is to meditate on:
a) the corresponding permutation of the month
b) the meanings associated with the letters in that order
c) the meanings of the verse associated with the month's permutation

One can find information on these permutations in various texts of Chasidic masters, most notably Rav Tzadok HaCohen of Lublin's Pri Tzadik and the Noam Elimelech.  

These entires by Rav Simchah are priceless additions to the available literature/instructions on how to utilize the permutations to invoke the powers/potentials of the month on its Rosh Chodesh.  (For which I am eternally grateful.)  They are unique in focusing on the verses of the permutations to a high degree as well as for being in plain English - literally!

The full list of permutations can usually be found in Hebrew only Sefardic prayerbooks either right before the Musaf Rosh Chodesh prayer - or - underneath the blessing in the appropriate place in the middle of the prayer.

On Rosh Hashanah - which is also Rosh Chodesh Tishrei - Rav Simcha first taught me to meditate on the permutation in the blessing of Malchiyut.  This year (5770) Rebbe taught to meditate on the permutation while saying each of the three Rosh HaShanah core blessings: Malchiyut, Zichronot and Shofarot.

Interestingly, everyday we say the verse for Rosh Chodesh Nissan in the prayer Y'hee K'vod right before Ashrei.  To me, this is a daily infusion of a bit of Springtime and renewal (as Nissan is the month of Pesach).

May we blessed and safeguarded to utilize this knowledge to draw down G-d's Light for the ultimate benefit of ourselves and all Creation.
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