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The following is <font size=3>from
<a href="http://www.stevens.edu/golem/llevine/hamodia/segulos.pdf" eudora="autourl">
http://www.stevens.edu/golem/llevine/hamodia/segulos.pdf</a> This
article appeared some time ago in the Hamodia. <br><br>
This is a big file, so it will some time to download. <br><br>
The Mezhbuzher Rav, Harav Avraham Yehoshua Heshel Bick, <i>shlita</i>
:<br><br>
[<i>Segulos</i> ] are nothing more than <i>bubbe maasos</i>, <i>eitzas
yetzer hara </i>that<br>
give people a license to spend money way beyond their means and then
ask<br>
for a <i>yeshuah. </i>All these formulae saying <i>Shir Hashirim
</i>forty times, <i>Tehillim<br>
HaChida, </i>etc. are methods used by the <i>yetzer hara </i>to take
from us the little<br>
[spirituality] we have left.<br><br>
Prayer, on the other hand, is not a <i>segulah</i> ; prayer is a way of
communicating with the <i>Ribbono<br>
shel Olam</i>. When we use <i>segulos </i>to get what we want, it’s as if
we are stealing something from Him,<br>
something that is not rightfully ours. It reminds me of today’s Chinese
auctions at charitable events.<br>
Whereas women used to give charity without ulterior motives, they have
now replaced their <i>mitzvos<br>
with Chinese auctions. <br><br>
</i>Now here is a man who speaks my language!!!!<br>
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