[Avodah] Segulos

[Prof. L. Levine]

The following is from The Institute for Dayanim

https://dinonline.org/category/articles/

Today, every Jewish bookstore sports a
new genre of Jewish literature – segula
collections. While some garner their
segulos from reputable sources, others mix
in charms and witchcraft. It is important
to discern which is authentic and which is
not.

Segulos, or auspicious actions, can be
divided into two classes. One includes
mitzvos which are known to be helpful
for specific things: the mitzva of shiluach
hakein (sending off a mother bird); saying
Amein Yehei Shmei Raba aloud; giving
tzedakah; forgiving wrongdoings; concentrating
on Birkas Hamazon, and others.
These mitzvos certainly carry eternal
reward. Furthermore, Chazal teach us that
they carry additional merit here in This
World.

The second class is those segulos that
make no sense, nor have any scientific
basis. Segulos such as such as wearing a
red string, placing salt in shoes, saying Na
Nach, not hanging a newborn’s clothing
out to dry at night, ensuring a bride has
something old, something new, something
borrowed, some-thing blue etc. do
nothing to bring one closer to Hashem.
Following these rules may be classified
as chukot hagoyim or darkei haEmori.
While they may be offered on occasion by
a Talmid Chacham for his own reasons,
dispensing them to the public in book
form is improper.

Professor Yitzchok Levine




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