Tiferet baḥurim (Beauty of Young Men)

Lord, if I have found favor in Your eyes, do not turn away from your servant (Genesis 18:3) and your handmaiden my spouse. May Your providence protect us on this night, which is a night of watchfulness for us [see Exodus 12:42]. You shall surely see that through holy speech, the marriage contract, and the betrothal, we have combined the tent to be one, with the help of the Temple of the single God. And now, since I have taken upon me [see Genesis 18:27] the duty that is incumbent upon me by the word of Your mouth: And he shall cling to his wife and they shall be one flesh (Genesis 2:24), to perform the first intercourse on my bed, to ascend to my wife, for the unity of the Holy One and the Shekhinah [divine presence], please Lord of hosts, give your servant a good sign, look down from Your holy abode from heaven (Deuteronomy 26:15), and with good and pure thoughts, doubled and redoubled, favor me and answer me with excellent ornaments (Ezekiel 16:7). Let me enter in the best manner and leave in the best manner, and when I come to my wife, let me not spill on the ground and thereby not give seed to finish my intercourse [see Genesis 38:9]. Preserve me like the pupil of an eye, in the shadow of Your wings conceal (Psalms 17:8) my strengths; from weariness and weakness guard and preserve them. Remove from upon me all damage, cause of damage, demons, and she-demons; keep them away, and with your great and holy Name, Almighty, King of the universe, overturn the forces above and below, those who oppose me and my wife, to prevent us doing what is incumbent upon us on this night. Likewise, all magic spells and enchantments and hatred and quarrels that the mind can think of and the mouth utter, that perhaps was done, or can be done, that was applied, or can be applied, whether from a man or from a woman, large or small, which was placed by one of the sons of our nation, or by one who is not from the sons of our nation, against us in general, and against any one of us in particular, remove, and release and cast in the depths of the sea [see Micah 7:19], all the thoughts and actions. Let them be broken and you shall stand, all of them shall wear out like clothing, may You change them like a garment and they will disperse.

And You, Your mercy shall not end, let them [the newlyweds] dwell with the sons of Your servant, may their seed be established before You; may there dwell in our fertility, love and brotherhood, peace and friendship, and good virtues [see y. Berakhot 33a]. Bless us with blessings of heaven above, blessings of the deep that crouch beneath, blessings of the breasts, and of the womb (Genesis 49:25). You shall surely give us, and from us a seed of blessing, from the Right Side, and from the world of the male, with grace, compassion, mercy, and with fear of God upon him through the holy soul, and with intelligence and will and a good mind for the Torah that Moses commanded to us as a heritage. Bless him with the blessings of Your mouth, and may we merit to live in unity of heart and body, and together unify Your holy Name. May the household of your servant be blessed, and the house of Israel who trusts in you, from now and forever, Amen, Amen, Amen, eternity, eternity, eternity, sela, sela, sela, forever, forever, forever. Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable (Psalms 19:15). Act for the sake of Your name, act for the sake of Your right hand, act for the sake of Your Torah, act for the sake of Your sanctity, act for the sake of Your many mercies and Your great lovingkindness; have mercy upon us and save me.