Meditations from the ARI for the 3 Weeks Period
The 3 Weeks Meditations from the ARI
Some people say the Amida (a Jewish prayer) 3 times a day. Other people do these meditations just once per day outside of a formal prayer. Which method you use is up to you. If your normal practice is to say the Amida then utilize the meditations within the saying of the Amida. If your normal practice is to not say the Amida then utilize these meditations at least once per day. Feel free to utilize them 3 times a day as well.
The meditations consist of 5 components. The first 3 meditations veil/conceal the Name of God called the Tetragramaton by using a less strong Name of God. The other two are more direct Kavenah (intentions) that cause us to veil our desire for oneself alone and transform it into a desire to receive in order to share.
The First Meditation is done in the Amida at the First Blessing. "Magen Avraham". When one sees the Tetragramaton - יהוה one transforms/veils that name by visualizing each letter as one letter to the "right". So it becomes - טדהד . Outside of the Amida one sees the Tetragramaton as one letter to the Right - טדהד .See below for the 5 specific meditations to scan.
The Second Meditation is done in the Amida at the Second Blessing. "Mechayeh HaMaitim". When one sees the Tetragramaton - יהוה one transforms/veils that name by visualizing each letter as one letter to the "left". So it becomes - כוזו . Outside of the Amida one sees the Tetragramaton as one letter to the Left - כוזו . See below for the 5 specific meditations to scan.
The Third Meditation is done in the Amida at the Third Blessing. "HaAle HaKadosh". When one sees the Tetragramaton - יהוה one transforms/veils that name by visualizing each letter as a ATBASH substitution which is thought of as one letter to the "Center". So it becomes - מצפץ . Outside of the Amida one sees the Tetragramaton as one letter to the Center (this is called an ATBASH substitution - מצפץ. See below for the 5 specific meditations to scan.
Explanation of Letter substitutions above
Letter to the Right: Aleph becomes Taf; Bet becomes Aleph; Gimel becomes Bet; Dalet becomes Gimel; etc.
Letter to the Left: Aleph becomes Bet; Bet becomes Gimel; Gimel becomes Dalet; Dalet becomes Hay; etc.
Letter to the "Center" or ATBASH: Aleph becomes Taf; Bet becomes Shin; Gimel becomes Resh; Dalet becomes Koof; etc. The First letter is substitued for the last letter. The second letter is substitued for the second to the last letter. The third letter is substituted for the third from the last letter. The fourth letter is substituted for the fourth from the last letter. etc.
The Fourth Meditation is done in the Amida at the word Retzay - רצה in the first of the last three Blessings. This word Retzay means Desire. It has the same letters as Tzarah - צרה which means Trouble or Distress. When one considers that a desire during this 3 week period usually will manifest as a trouble or distressing situation, one can transform Troubles into an Opportunity by rearrangeing the Hebrew letters from צרה Trouble into רצה Desire to receive in order to share. Outside of the Amida one sees the transformation from צרה Trouble into Desire which is an opportunity רצה . See below for the 5 specific meditations to scan.
There are also Gematria kavenot for the 4th meditation. The Name of God Elohim when spelled out has a Gematria of 295 which is the same as Retzay and Tzarah. Elohim is a name dealing with judgment. The Gematria of the letter shin when spelled out שין is 360. When one takes Retzay (desire) and adds the name Adonai אדני which is 65 to the 295 than one gets 360. 360 is the spelled out Shin and also represents balance since the Shin is made from 3 Vav's which represent the 3 column system of Kabbalah. With this Gematria we bring balance to our desires and change the desire to receive for one self alone into the desire to receive in order to share. This is the essence of balance. Also the Gematria of the 3 veiled/concealed Names of God (טדהד כוזו מצפץ ) is 361 which represents the fully spelled out Shin plus the Colel.
The Fifth Meditation is done in the Amida at the Next Blessing at the words Sim Shalom. The Gematria of these 2 words is 726. When one connects to one Shin (balance) = 360; therefore 2 Shins (balance in the 2 columns (right and left) = 720. When one adds the 6 names of God ( טדהד כוזו מצפץ אלהים אדני יהוה ), the Gematria is 726. Essentially when one says/uilizes these meditations and Kavenot one is connecting to two Shins and bringing Peace to this period of negativity represented by the 3 Weeks period between the 17th of Tammuz and the 9th of Av. Outside of the Amida one utilizes the same meditation around Sim Shalom שום שלום. Utilizing all of these Names of God to bring Peace and balane into this period.See below for the 5 specific meditations to scan.
This completes the special meditations from the ARI when said in the Amidah (Standing Prayer).
Below are the 5 meditations to be scanned if one does not utilize the Amidah each day.
Meditation 1
,יהוה = טדהד
Meditation 2
,יהוה = כוזו
Meditation 3
יהוה = מצפץ
Meditation 4
,רצה = desire; same letters in different order צרה =trouble; change troubles into opportunities
Gematria of Retzai (desire) is 295 = Elohim spelled out (אלף למד יוד הי מם ) + Adonai ( אדני 65 )
Shin = 360 when spelled out שין . Shin represents balance which is what is needed during this period.
Meditation 5
,שים שלום = Sim Shalom = Bring Peace through balance from the 2 Shins.
The Gematria of 2 Shins is 720. The Gematria of Sim Shalom is 726. There are 6 names of God used during these meditations. Therefore the 2 words Sim Shalom are = to the 2 Shins plus the 6 Names of God.
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