Special request for Tu B’Shvat
From the Ben Ish Chai’s Leshon Chachamim (Tongue of the Sages)
Tu B’Shvat is the Rosh Hashanah of the trees, and so it’s a good and proper practice to say on that day during Shacharit these Pesukim (verses) and request.
And it’s known that there’s a Kabbalah/received custom from the Ashkenazi sages of blessed memory (like the Bnei Issachar) that one needs to ask on Tu B’Shvat especially for an Etrog, that it should be brought to a Jew, a good and beautiful Etrog for Sukkot.
Verses:
“And God said may the earth sprout vegetation and greenery and produce from the seed fruit trees that produce fruits of its kind that it’s offspring should be on the land, and so it was.”
“And the land brought forth greenery that sprouted trees according to its seed and fruit trees that produce fruits of its kind and God saw that it was good.”
Requests:
Please Hashem, bring salvation on this day for the sake of the trees, for it’s Rosh Hashanah.
Please Hashem, bring success on this day for the sake of the trees, for it’s Rosh Hashanah.
Please Hashem, bring prosperity on this day for the sake of the trees, for it’s Rosh Hashanah.
Please Hashem, bring good on this day for the sake of the trees, for it’s Rosh Hashanah.
Please Hashem, bring blessing on this day for the sake of the trees, for it’s Rosh Hashanah.
O God (אל) please, protect this year from thistle and thorns, and bless the olive oil and the olives.
O God (אל) please, bring satiating rain for the desolation of the wilderness, and bless grapes, figs and pomegranates.
O God (אל) please, elevate the assembly of cultivated saplings, and bless the walnuts, dates and apples.
O God (אל) please, maybe your charity not be withheld, and bless the carob, crustiminus and peach.
O God (אל) please, liberate the congregation that desire you, and bless the strawberry, the walnut and the etrog.
And may it be your will, Hashem, our God, and God of our forefathers, that you bless every tree of the Etrog to bring forth fruits in their season, and produce good Etrogim, beautiful and special, free from all blemish. And may no lichen come to them, so they should be perfect, and have no lack, not even bitting off their edge and that they should be found for us and to all Israel, wherever they may be, to fulfil with them the Mitzvah of taking up the Lulav on Sukkot which should come to us in good life and peace, as you have commanded us in your Torah through your servant Moshe: “And you shall take to yourselves on the first day the fruit of the Etz Hadar (Etrog), palm fronds (Lulav), thick tree branch (Hadas) and willow twig (Aravot).
May it be your will before you Hashem, our God and God of our forefathers, that you help us and assist us to fulfil the Mitzvah of taking up the Lulav, Hadas, Arava and Etrog properly in its due time on the festival of Sukkot that it should come to us in good life and peace, with happiness and good heart, and bring to us a beautiful Etrog, elegant, clean, whole, fit and according to Halacha.
And may it be your will Hashem, our God and God of our forefathers that you should bless every type of tree that it shoul bring forth its fruit in large quantity, fat and good. And bless the grape trees that it should produce many grapes, fat and good, so that there will be wine coming out from them, found in abundance to all of Yisrael, to fulfil the Mitzvot of Kiddush and Havdala on Shabbatot and Yamim Tovim. And that it shoul be fulfilled in us and in all of Yisrael our brothers the scripture which is written:
“Go eat happily your bread and drink your wine with a good heart because your deeds already found favor with God.”
“I have come to my garden, my sister [another term for] my bride, I have plucked my myrrh and spice, [eaten my honey and honeycomb], drunk my wine and my milk. Eat, my dear friends, drinkand be drunken, my beloved ones!”
May the speech of my mouth and intentions of my heart be favorable before you Hashem my Rock and Redeemer!
This article was written and published in the zechut of all Emuna Builder Partners. May they have complete emuna and continue in spreading emuna!