In this extract from his 1899-1912 unfinished autobiographical novel, Shloyme Reb Khayims, Mendele Moykher Sforim, the “grandfather of Yiddish literature”, describes his mother, Sore making soul candles for Yom Kippur in a ritual known as ‘kneytlekh-leygn’ – wick laying. Elsewhere in the book, he also describes women in the shtetl measuring the cemetery.

This tkhine (Yiddish prayer or supplication) is a version of the famous tkhine for Yom Kippur candle making found in Sore Bas Toyvim’s popular collection ‘Shloyshe Sheorim’ – ‘Three Gates’ – a collection of tkhines for the three women’s mitsves (commandments). In this work for pious women, which also cites sections of the Zohar, wick-laying and by extension cemetery and grave measuring are portrayed as part of the women’s mitsve of kindling lights.Another version of this tkhine can be found on the open siddur project.

By adapting this popular tkhine, Mendele hints at the adaptable, improvisational character of yiddish tkhines. While tkhines for soul-candle making follow a formula – calling upon the zkhus (merit) of particular ancestors to support the living in their petitions to God –the particular ancestors drawn on, and the requests made can be altered depending on the needs of the living. Here Sore specifically requests protection against children being taken – in Yiddish ‘gekhapt’. This is a clear reference to the forced recruitment of Jewish children into the Russian army, which caused untold suffering to communities in 19th century Russia and features often in Mendele’s writings. She also specifically asks for forgiveness not just for Jews but for the whole world – which may well have been Mendele’s own innovation.

Mendele follows his description of his mother’s practice with an impassioned defense of women and female spiritual practice – indicating how these practices were viewed as superstition and silliness by other Jewish modernisers and maskilim – something that might prompt us to assume that they were somewhat heretical, and not seen as part of Judaism. In fact, as I have argued elsewhere, womens customs like soul candle making were criticized as part of a Jewish tradition that was seen as holding Jews back from modern progress. Mendele’s description of his well-educated, very religious mother, who also acted as a synagogue prayer leader, makes this one of many sources revealing that these rituals actually went hand-in-hand with the so-called “Big Tradition.”  

The Yiddish original can be found here and this extract begins at the very bottom of p. 36.

Note: My full translation of this text is due to be published elsewhere, so here I am including just the tkhine. For more information about tkhines, visit https://www.spontaneousprayer.com/

“Sore places the wicks” – from Mendele Moykher Sforim’s Shloyme Reb Khayims

Sore places the wicks. Women, neighbors with broken hearts, stand around her. She reads, prays aloud to them in a moving voice that comes deep from her heart:

“Raboyne ShelOylem – Master of the Universe – merciful God! May the candles which we will place in shul, for the sake of your Holy Name and the holy, pure souls, rouse the oves and imoes – the patriarchs and matriarchs – to entreat from their graves on our behalf, asking that no evil, no troubles, no suffering should befall us, and that our lights, and our husbands’ lights, and our children’s lights should not be extinguished before the time comes, God forbid.

As I place this thread for our father, Abraham, who you rescued from the fire in the limekiln, may you also cleanse us from sin in this way, so that our souls come to you free of guilt, pure as they first entered our bodies.

By the merit with which I place this thread for our mother, Sarah, may God blessed-be-He remember the virtue of her grief when her beloved son Yitskhok was led to be sacrificed. Let her be a good advocate for us,  that our own children should not be snatched from our homes, taken away from us and carried off far from us like stray sheep.

By the merit with which we place this thread for our father Yitskhok, may you take pity on us that we might be able to bring up our children and send them to learn with a rebbe, so that our children’s eyes may light up like this candle in the study of beloved toyre.

For the thread which we place for our father Yankev, who you saved from his enemies, standing by him in his times of need – so too may you save us from all despoilers and accusers, so that they cannot slander us and darken our name with invented wrongdoings and false accusations. May we and our husbands and our children receive a good judgement on the Day of Reckoning, May we, God-forbid, not be made widows and our children not orphans.

By the virtue of Shloyme, builder of the temple in Jerusalem who prayed that if a non-Jew, a stranger from another nation, came to the temple to entreat you, that this visitor’s prayers should also be accepted. By this virtue, Reboyne ShelOylem, may the gates of heaven not be locked before my prayer. May I be mentioned favorably with my husbandand with my children and with all good people in the New Year. Amen!”