davening at the Kotel for 40 consecutive days

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I do not know what the source for this is, but 40 has become a very popular number among segulah people.

On our local email list one can find regular postings looking for 40 women to "take challah" in someone's merit. Or 40 women to say Tehillim for someone sick.

There are advertisements for doing all sorts of things in groups or batches of 40 and they are declared to be segulahs for salvation and the like.

The one I have heard about the most, and I have no source for this either, but I think this is the original (at least I remember this one as being very accepted and old), going to daven 40 days straight at the Kotel.

There were always stories about someone looking to get married, after many unsuccessful years in the shidduch scene, would go 40 days to the Kotel to daven (not an easy task, even if you live in the Old City, let alone if you live anywhere else), and miraculously find his/her match right after. Or people who were davening for a child. Or for a sick person.

Now, if you want to go to the Kotel for 40 days straight to daven, but find it very difficult, as it is very difficult to keep up with, there are people who will do it for you. You can contact Western Wall Prayers and they will send someone to the kotel for 40 days to daven for what you need.

I particularly like about Western Wall Prayers that they try to explain what this is all about. They say straight out that this is not a rabbit's foot or a talisman of sorts. You too need to do work and prayer on your side and not just rely on their person. In the "How this Works" section, they explain the benefits of prayer, but I could not find the source for why 40 days... And, of course, they say they cannot offer any gaurantees, as they do not play God...

So they seem to be very straight.

If you go to their website, they have a section of success stories that is pretty interesting....And they even have some of their shlichim listed with pictures and bios...thought they say you cannot select any particular shliach, because it all depends on availability...

They seem to be very straight and thorough, so if you are looking for someone to go 40 days for you to the Kotel to daven, consider Western Wall Prayers....

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