Kvitel

This article refers to the prayer note; for the card game see Kvitlech . A girl places a kvitel between the stones of the Western Wall in Jerusalem. Kvitel ( , "little note," plural קוויטלך, kvitlach ), also spelled kvittel , is a note containing a petitionary prayer, such as a general request for health, wealth or success, or a specific request for a wedding match, prosperity in business, etc. The term originated in the Hasidic courts of Europe, where a Hasid would bring a kvitel to his Rebbe , inscribed with his name and, occasionally, his request, in order to receive the Rebbe's blessing. The Hasid would include with his kvitel a pidyon (redemption) — a sum of money which the Rebbe would use either for the upkeep of his own court or to distribute as charity to the poor. Kvitlach are often placed on the grave of a Rebbe or tzadik , with the hope that the soul of the deceased will pray for the petitioner in the upper worlds. It is also a centuries-old tradition for Jews and non-Jews alike to place kvitlach between the stones of the Western Wall in Jerusalem as personal petitions to God. In its plain sense, the word kvitel refers to any kind of note. In this respect, it is used in a greeting between Jews on Hoshana Rabbah , the seventh day of the holiday of Sukkot . The Zohar says that while the judgment for the new year is closed on Yom Kippur , it is not "sealed" until the end of Sukkot, during which time one can still repent. Consequently, the blessing which Jews give each other on Hoshana Rabbah — פתקא טבא ( piska tava ), which in Yiddish translates as " A guten kvitel ", or "A good note" — is a wish that the verdict will be positive.

This article refers to the prayer note; for the card game see Kvitlech . The graves of Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn (right) and Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson (left), the sixth and seventh Lubavitcher Rebbes , are piled with kvitelach left by visitors. Kvitel ( , "little note"; plural קוויטלך, Kvitelach ) refers to a practice developed by Hasidic Judaism in which a Hasid (a follower of Hasidic Judaism) writes a note with a petitionary prayer and gives it to a Rebbe (Hasidic Jewish leader) in order to receive the latter's blessing. This prayer may be a general request for health, livelihood, or success, or a specific request such as recovery from illness, the ability to bear children, a wedding match, etc. The writing, giving and reading of a kvitel is treated very seriously by Hasid and Rebbe alike, and is executed according to specific protocols. Because of their inherent sanctity, kvitelach may not be thrown away after use; they are either burned or buried. The practice of giving kvitelach continues today in all the Hasidic courts. Kvitelach are also placed on the graves of Rebbes and tzadikim (plural of "tzadik," or Jewish holy man) with the hope that the soul of the deceased will intercede for the petitioner in Heaven . It is a centuries-old custom for Jews to place kvitelach containing personal prayers to God between the stones of the Western Wall in Jerusalem . This practice has been also adopted by Christian pilgrims and foreign dignitaries as well. More than a million prayer notes are placed in the Western Wall each year. Hasidism: The movement and its masters .

Prayer note in Judaism Not to be confused with the card game Kvitlech . The graves of Rabbi Yosef Yitzchok Schneersohn (right) and Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson (left), the sixth and seventh Lubavitcher Rebbes , are piled with kvitelach left by visitors. Kvitel or Kvitl ( Yiddish : קוויטל kvitl , "little note"; plural: קוויטלעך kvitlekh , kvitels, kvitelech, kvitelach / kvitls, kvitlech, kvitlach ) refers to a practice developed by Hasidic Judaism in which a Hasid (a follower of Hasidic Judaism) writes a note with a petitionary prayer and gives it to a Rebbe (Hasidic Jewish leader) in order to receive the latter's blessing. This prayer may be a general request for health, livelihood, or success, or a specific request such as recovery from illness, the ability to bear children, a wedding match, etc. The writing, giving and reading of a kvitel is treated very seriously by Hasid and Rebbe alike, and is executed according to specific protocols. Because of their inherent sanctity, kvitelach may not be thrown away after use; they are either burned or buried. The practice of giving kvitelach continues today in all the Hasidic courts. Kvitelach are also placed on the graves of Rebbes and tzadikim (plural of "tzadik," or Jewish holy man) with the hope that the soul of the deceased will intercede for the petitioner in Heaven . It is a centuries-old custom for Jews to place kvitelach containing personal prayers to God between the stones of the Western Wall in Jerusalem . This practice has been also adopted by Christian pilgrims and foreign dignitaries as well. More than a million prayer notes are placed in the Western Wall each year. Hasidism: The movement and its masters . Jewish Magic and Superstition . An observant visitor to the tomb of Simon bar Yoḥai, for instance, at Meron, Palestine, will discern a host of written entreaties for the saint's aid heaped about his sepulchre.