I actually laughed out loud, seriously, when I read this article. The article is about the success of a ridiculous new segulah that "has become popular in the haredi sector in recent years".
The story reported is that two yeshiva bochurim who have been having an unsuccessful time in the shidduch market went a while back to Rav Chaim Kanievsky to get his bracha for their success in finding their respective soul mates.
So far so good. No problem.
Then they decided to perform a segulah that "has become popular in the haredi sector in recent years". The segulah being that removing the schach from the sukka of the gedolei ha'dor is a segulah for finding your zivug.
That is the point of the article at which I laughed out loud. Ridiculous. They just make these things up and turn them into radition.
Anyways, they asked Rav Chaim Kanievsky for his permission to allow them to remove the schach from his sukka. He agreed to their request and they got to work. I hope he was just playing along and snickering at them, since he needed the schach removed anyway, rather than actually encouraging the stupidity.
After the schach was removed, they went in, Rav Kanievsky gave them his bracha.
Last week one of the two boys came back to Rav Kanievsky in tears informing him that he had found his zivug. Now they are waiting for word from the second boy.
It's a miracle! They are calling it a "mofes", an amazing wondrous occurrence by Rav Kanievsky. I am not sure what they are referring to - if it is the bracha he gave, he does that all the time and I am sure there are plenty of people who have gone to him for brachas and feel his bracha helped them see success. If it is the "segulah" they performed, he did not do any mofes, but the segulah was successful. Anybody able to explain?
If they would have just donated to....the zivugim would have come sooner.
ReplyDeleteI promise that anyone who takes my garbage out and brings the empty cans back on the morrow for the year will eventually get married. Any takers?
ReplyDeleteI promise than anyone who gives me a shekel a day for 100 years straight will live a long life.
ReplyDeleteI'm sorry, but calling it a "mofes" when someone gets engages is just mean and insulting. Just say "mazel tov" and shut up about how surprised you are that the guy managed to get engaged.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure that taking down the s'chach of a gadol is a special segulah, but clearly:
ReplyDelete1. Doing a mitzvah so that you merit a certain outcome is found in the Gemara (this coin for tzedaka so that my son should be well) so if they did whatever it was as a segulah it could work.
2. Their emunas chachomim in R' Chaim could also earn them a yeshua, as we find that the Isha HaShunamis believed in Elisha and her son was brought back to life.
3. It is clear that cynicism and ridicule like that of the posters and commenters here also has a basis in the Chumash, as we find people kibbitzed that Yitzchak was not Avraham's son, but Avimelech's.