The Secret of “Ben Porat Yosef”

THE DAILY MA’AMAR BY OUR REBBE RAV ELIEZER BERLAND SHLIT”A, COURTESY OF THE “HASHEM HU HAELOKIM” LEAFLET:

Yosef is called “Porat (fruitful)” and “Poter (interpreter [of dreams])” and “Tofer (one who stitches together),” the numerical value of AV SaG MaH BeN [the four expansions of the name Havayah] = 232.  KaMaG KaSA KaNA [the three expansion of the name Ekyeh] = 454 = “Poter” = “Porat” = “Tofer.”

For Yosef was a reincarnation of Chanoch, who stitched shoes, that over a course of 365 years he would stitch shoes for the Shechinah (Divine Presence).  And this is the secret of “I will toss my shoe on Edom” – they are the shoes of the Shechinah, [and] they are the heel of Leah which turned into the Keter (Crown) of Rachel.

Because the angel Mem-Tet became spiritually bound [in ibur] in Yosef, as is written “And he was a lad (na’ar) with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah” (Bereishit 37:2), and also about Mem-Tet it is written “I was a lad (na’ar), I also grew old, and I have not seen a righteous person abandoned and his offspring begging for bread” (Tehilim 37:25).

And the angel Mem-Tet said: “Let man be created,” and the rest of the angels said: “Let him not be created, because he will sin, lie, and make controversies and harm the peace.”  And the rest of the angels [who said] “Let man not be created” became spiritually bound within the brothers, and this was the main dispute between the brothers and Yosef; that Yosef, who is the angel Mem-Tet, was a guarantor for creating all mankind, and also [for] the sons of the maidservants [Bilhah and Zilpah].

And therefore “he was a lad [na’ar] with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah,” and he asserted to the brothers that they were not in the category of children of maidservants, because certainly Ya’akov had converted them – Bilhah and Zilpah, and they are kosher wives and not maidservants, and their children are kosher.  However, the brothers ruled like in the Rambam in [Sefer] Kinyan, Hilchot Avadim (Laws of Slaves) [chapter] 9, halachah 1: That a son who is born from a maidservant, it is permitted for the brothers to sell him, and it is a [legitimate] transaction of movable property for all purposes.

And therefore, the brothers travelled to Dotan, in order to sell Naftali who could skip from one side of the entire universe to the other, like he skipped from Hebron to Cairo round trip, and to sell him for even a billion dollars.  And they thought that Yosef had come to Dotan in order to foil their plan of selling Naftali, and so measure for measure for his disturbing them from selling Naftali, they sold him [Yosef] as a slave [in his place].

And this is what is written in “Nitzotzei Shimshon”: “OTO (him)” – as in “For God took him (OTO) – that it is said about Chanoch, that he is Met-Tet who became spiritually bound within Yosef, and this was the entire intention of Rashi about the word “OTO” – that Yosef is an ibur of Chanoch [that Chanoch is spiritually bound within Yosef – [that Chanoch is] the angel Mem-Tet, and this was the root of the dispute between Yosef and the brothers in the matter of the creation of the world.

TO DOWNLOAD THE ORIGINAL HEBREW, CLICK HERE

Protection from the Evil Eye: The Ben Porat Yosef Prayer

Because of Yosef’s immense spiritual stature and his connection to the highest angelic realms, he remains completely untouched by negative forces. This is the foundational secret behind why the ben porat yosef prayer is recited by Jews worldwide as a profound shield against the ayin hara (evil eye). When we invoke his name, we are tapping into a cosmic reality where jealousy and spiritual harm have no dominion.

The source of this practice lies in the blessing Ya’akov Avinu bestowed upon his son: “Ben porat Yosef, ben porat alei ayin” (Bereishit 49:22). The Talmudic Sages explain that the phrase “alei ayin” indicates that the descendants of Yosef are elevated above the grasp of the evil eye. Therefore, using this verse as a daily prayer draws down the exact same protective light that surrounded Yosef HaTzaddik amidst his brothers and in the depths of Egypt.

מורנו הרב (Moreinu HaRav) Rav Berland frequently emphasizes the importance of guarding oneself from the ayin hara through the power of the tzaddikim. Rav Berland teaches that when a person binds themselves to the true tzaddik, who embodies the pure attribute of Yosef (Yesod), they are automatically shielded from all harsh judgments. Reciting the ben porat yosef prayer is not merely a traditional charm; it is a powerful spiritual declaration that we are attaching our souls to the purity, humility, and invincibility of Yosef.

Practically, whenever a person feels vulnerable to the envious gaze of others, or when embarking on a new spiritual or material endeavor, they should recite this verse with deep intention. By uttering the ben porat yosef prayer, we connect our daily actions back to the angel Mem-Tet and the limitless spiritual realms. It seals our aura, ensuring that no external negativity can pierce our spiritual garments—the very shoes of the Shechinah that Yosef, in his root as Chanoch, so faithfully stitched together.