L'Alafim

"L'Alafim" is the ninth Tikkun of the thirteen Tikkunim of the beard of Arich Anpin, which channels influence from the aspect of "Notzer Chesed" (of Abba) to the "mazal nakeh" of Imma. It corresponds to the "al sheloshim" in Ze'ir Anpin and to "v'tashlich bimtzulot yam kol chatotam" (and You will cast all their sins into the depths of the sea) in the thirteen attributes mentioned by the prophet Michah.

Its Essence

Its essence is the aspect of inner light. The first eight Tikkunim are in the aspect of encompassing light, and therefore they are the root of the eight princes of man. The Tikkun of "L'Alafim" is in the aspect of "a'alfcha chochma, a'alfcha binah" (I will teach you wisdom, I will teach you understanding), as Abba and Imma draw from the two mazalot of Arich Anpin, and this drawing is in the aspect of inner light. Therefore, the shape of the letter Alef is a Yud above, a Yud below, and a Vav in the middle, because the inner drawing is through contraction.

In Chassidic Thought

The Zohar states that there is chesed and there is chesed, which are "rav chesed" and "notzer chesed." This means that "notzer chesed" is the kindness that Hashem does through the tzaddikim, and this is "notzer chesed l'alafim," meaning that the Holy One, blessed be He, preserves kindness for the tzaddikim who are called "alafim," representing the "alef" of wisdom and the "alef" of understanding. But the "rav chesed" that the Holy One, blessed be He, does for His own sake for the existence of the world, as His way is to do good to His creations, is a great and abundant kindness to increase His kindness with His creations. And "notzer chesed" is that He contracts His Shechinah and illuminates the worlds according to the capacity of the receivers, like an eagle that stirs its nest, touching and not touching, and the light arrives and does not arrive, for otherwise the worlds would be nullified from their existence due to the brightness of the lights, and would return to nothingness. This is "the world is built on kindness." And regarding the kindness that comes through the awakening of the tzaddikim, it is said "Bereishit" (In the beginning), for the sake of Israel who are called "reishit" (first), and they are the tzaddikim who are called Israel, as is known.

However, it is said "for Israel is a youth and I love him," and it is said "for Jacob is small," meaning that the main glory that is glorified in Israel is if one holds himself in the attribute of humility and makes himself small like a child and a youth, as it is written "as water reflects face to face." And if he makes himself small and does not consider himself as anything, then, so to speak, Hashem also contracts His Shechinah and rests upon him. This is like a parable of a father who has a small and very beloved son. When the father wants to play with his small beloved son to have pleasure, the father does not speak to him according to his great and broad intellect, because the son cannot receive and understand it. Rather, because of the great [intense love he has for his beloved son], he contracts his great [and broad] intellect to no end, and speaks with his son according to his short and small intellect. This the son can grasp, and he responds to his father according to his intellect, and his father has great pleasure from this. And this is perhaps hinted at in the Tikkunim "rakia" and "nitzotz." Meaning, the father's intellect is like the "rakia" (firmament) which is an intellect that expands and is very broad, and when he contracts his intellect to match the intellect of the small son, it becomes from "rakia" to "nitzotz" (spark). Therefore, in the kamatz vowel, the spark is under the firmament.

And all this is if the person makes himself small as mentioned. But if "what is he considered" and he considers himself as something, and does not have the attribute of humility, then "as water reflects face to face," also the Holy One, blessed be He, so to speak, does not contract His Shechinah, and due to the great brightness of the light, he becomes nullified. Even if he is a tzaddik, he is like a candle before a torch, and his light is nullified and his actions are of no benefit.

Its Influence

In the book "Pri Etz Chaim," it is explained that this Tikkun brings down the influence of will from the Name 72 to the Name 45, which is called "the Name of Havayah of Alefs," and as its name - "Notzer Chesed L'Alafim." And this is its language: "And know that the 13 Tikkunim of the beard are 3 Havayot, in which there are 12 letters, and they correspond to 12 Tikkunim of the beard, and the mazal that includes all of them is the 13th. And 3 times Havayah equals 78, the gematria of 'mazala,' to indicate that everything is included in the mazal. And if we are precise with the letters of 'notzer,' they are 'ratzon' (will) in reverse, because on the forehead is the will of supreme kindness, and below in the beard it turns to 'notzer,' and it is the 8th Tikkun that comes out from the supreme will on the forehead, and surrounds the beard. And since it is the binah of keter, we find in the initials of 'notzer chesed l'alafim' - 'nachal,' because it is 'nachal kedumim' (ancient stream), and it is the 'notzer chesed l'alafim,' this is the supreme 'notzer chesed,' to bring it down below, because supreme chesed is Havayah of Yuds, gematria of 'chesed,' and it descends below from there to Havayah of Alefs through it, and this is 'l'alafim'."

In another place, the Arizal adds that this name is special for the time of the footsteps of Moshiach, the last two thousand years of the world, and this is his language: "Notzer chesed l'alafim. Behold, the Name 45 in its square has six thousand, which is the secret of the six thousand years the world exists, which are the six extremities of Ze'ir Anpin that is called world, as it is written (Psalms 89:3) 'I said, the world is built on kindness,' because the building of the world begins from chesed. And behold, Imma Ila'ah, the preserver of chesed and keeping it for the last thousands, because the first ones have from themselves, and the middle ones which are of Torah are not necessary, but the last two thousand of the days of Moshiach in which we are in exile, for these Imma preserves the chesed. And 'notzer' has the gematria of 'ratzon' (will), because thought is in Abba and will is in Imma, also the initials of 'notzer 'chesed 'l'alafim, is 'nachal,' which is Imma, etc."

In Reciting Tashlich

The Arizal writes that one should have in mind during the recitation of Tashlich this Tikkun that indicates the sweetening of judgments at their root. After the Arizal explains that in saying "yichbosh avonoteinu" which corresponds to the Tikkun of "notzer chesed," one should intend to draw the Name 72 to the Name Ehyeh of Hehins with the letters that have the gematria of 151, he continues and details the intention of the words "v'tashlich..." which corresponds to the attribute of "l'alafim":

"You should intend when saying 'v'tashlich bimtzulot yam kol chatotam' (and You will cast into the depths of the sea all their sins), that these are the kelipot (shells/husks) in sin, and He doesn't cast them away, but subdues them, therefore it says 'chatotam' (their sins) not directly, and it doesn't say 'chatoteinu' (our sins), because the intention is to cast away the kelipot in sin, and with this He will subdue our sins, and cast that kelipah into the depths of the sea. And because there is no sin and kelipah that doesn't have within it a spark of holiness through sin, therefore when you reach 'v'nakeh,' the 13th mazal, which is Ehyeh of Yuds that equals 161 like the gematria of 'alafim,' and like the gematria of Elohim Adonai as mentioned above, behold then you should intend in 'v'nakeh' which is 161 as mentioned above, and the language of 'v'nakeh' is the language of cleaning silver from lead, and it is what clarifies and cleans holiness from within the kelipah. And so you need to intend, also when saying 'v'tashlich bimtzulot yam kol chatotam,' intend that you cast all sin and all accusers into the depths of the upper sea, therefore it is good to say it at the seashore, or a well of living water, or a flowing spring as mentioned above, and shake the hems of the garments when saying 'v'tashlich bimtzulot yam, etc.'"