Is it a False Segulah?

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    by Rabbi Yair Hoffman for 5TJT.com

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    This Segulah was sent to me by a friend.

    Supposedly, the author of the Yismach Yisroel lived in the time of a mageifah.  When asked what to do, he responded, “If anyone just looks at my face he will saved from the epidemic.”  The tale continues that everyone that looked at his face was not subject to the illness.  Indeed, even gentiles flocked to see his countenance.

    This author doubts the authenticity of the story.

    First of all, how do we know that some overanxious chasid did not make up this story?  The tale even goes beyond Moshe Rabbeinu.  Moshe Rabbeinu’s visage did not cut it.  In the parsha of the serpents, one had to look at the Nachshon and even then the person had to do Teshuvah.  This story does not have Teshuvah with it.  Even Yom Kippur is only mechaper with Teshuvah.

    Secondly, there is no mention of this story in the Chassidisha Seforim that this author has seen.

    Thirdly, the picture does not at all look like the author of the Yismach Yisroel.  In fact, it kind of looks like the Vilna Gaon.

    And finally, there are spelling errors in this.

    Now that we have come to this conclusion, it is more likely that some pranking litvak came up with this entire thing.

    Rav Yerachmiel Yisroel Yitzchok Dancyger (1853–1910), was the second Rebbe of Alechsander Chassidim.  he was more famous than his father, the original Rebbe.  He had a large chassidus and printed the Yismach Yisrael hagaddah (Hebrew: “Israel will Rejoice”) in 1911, which he wrote together with his brother, Reb Shmuel Tzvi (1840–1923), who later became the third Alechsander and authored the Tiferes Shmuel.

    Readers confirmed that the story and picture is of the Yismach Moshe.  The Sefer Tehilah l’Moshe explains that people that saw his picture – did Teshuvah on account of his hadras panim.  In this author’s opinion, one may only believe this version of the story.

    Let us keep in mind that if a Mageifah comes, it is from Hashem and it is for a reason.  The idea of looking at something and being forgiven without Teshuvah is foreign to Torah-true Yiddishkeit.  It smacks of another religion.  Let us not jump so fast to believe this segulah.
    The author can be reached at [email protected]

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    30 Comments
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    Educated Archy
    Educated Archy
    3 years ago

    We do know R Akiva Eiger lived during a cholera magfia. The antidote at the time as to social distance. Rabbi Akiva Eiger Zt’l said we should make minyanim and just spread it , stagger etc. so people remain social distanced. CVS to say no minyan.

    Once we discuss magfia history this is worth noting

    monsey516
    monsey516
    3 years ago

    u r right this is not the yismach yisroel. and one more thing u forgot that it was once a mageife in klal yisroel in the midbar and moshe rabeini sent aharon hakohen with ketoires and stopped the mageife look what rashi says overthere

    A b
    A b
    3 years ago

    The story was with the Yismach Moshe and the picture is of him not the yismach yisroel

    Anshel
    Anshel
    3 years ago

    This is correct. We need to point out problematic issues in hashkafa.

    Joe Litvak
    Joe Litvak
    3 years ago

    How dare you blame it on a pranking Litvak? You have no idea who wrote the “prank,” or if it is a prank at all, but that’s besides the point.
    It is lashon hora to malign a community. Please apologize to me and to all Litvaks, as well as to anyone else insulted by the article. EDITOR: Rabbi Hoffman apologizes – Litvaks make a nafka mina.

    Moshe
    Moshe
    3 years ago

    that story and picture is with the ישמח משה Rabbi Moshe Teitelbaum

    anonymous
    anonymous
    3 years ago

    Is Rabbi Hoffman related to Yismach Moshe ?? What do you mean we should believe the version you order us to believe ?

    chain klan
    chain klan
    3 years ago

    As a litvak I have little faith in Chasidishe Maisos, however I beg to differ with Rabbi Hofman as to nature of a segula. It is not a Kapara which would definitly apply only along with teshuva. Salvation from any specific problem, is possible without kapara by mercy of hashem, ans that is segulos apply.

    monseyqueenspartzuf
    monseyqueenspartzuf
    3 years ago

    like i commented earlier, which was not posted, we need more rabanim spending time on important pieces like this, like whether a story is true or not. It is is shanda that there are stories in klal yisrael, gasp, especially if they could or could not be true! gasp!
    Discussing halacha lmaaseh is nice, or perhaps chinuch, or how to be shomer shabbos, but they dont hold a candle to stories! keeping halacha in business is overrated, id rather just blame the litvaks for stuff.

    I heard a story about a big chassidishe rebbe, he was so large, that he was ALSO a litvak. Rabibi Hoffman may have trouble discerning if he was in fact a rebbe, but rumor has it, that the litvak in him tricked the chusid in him.

    Yehuda Goldstein
    Yehuda Goldstein
    3 years ago

    This story was told by the Bobover Rebbe R Naftuly Halberstam. It is recorded on tape. As such, o wouldn’t dismiss it so quickly

    monsey516
    monsey516
    3 years ago

    btw its not called nachson rather nechash nechoishes

    litvak
    litvak
    3 years ago

    How did this idiotic “kosher style” voodoo ever come into our Jewish lives??!!

    The authentic Jewish response to mageifa and all other misfortunes is self-examination to discover what in our behavior requires teshuva and to do teshuva sincerely.

    Anything else is just plain voodoo idolatry.

    John doe
    John doe
    3 years ago

    The satmer rav reb yoelish used to say that all segulas are good until 9AM Monday morning

    Harry
    Harry
    3 years ago

    Why does anyone think this “segula” is any more fake than any other “segula”? They are all a load of make-belief designed as comfort food for the psychologically weak.

    Yankel der ganif
    Yankel der ganif
    3 years ago

    Tammim Tehiyeh La’Hashem don’t believe in segulos just keep the torah.

    Voice of Reason
    Voice of Reason
    3 years ago

    There are real segulos. They are written about and honestly quoted from reliable Gedolei Yisroel. But we are living in interesting times. In today’s era, we are apt to fall prey to “get rich quick” schemes. They are all over the place, and have penetrated our neighborhoods, as well. There is such a thing as Avodas Hashem, where we are gifted with an instruction manual that guides us in how to live. It is composed of 613 mitzvos, plus Torah She’bal Peh and mitzvos d’rabonon. The only segulo addressed in the Torah is והייתם לי סגולה מכל העמים.

    So if someone can tell you of a trick to bring about a particular effect without the painstaking process of cheshbon hanefesh, teshuvah, mitzvos and maasim tovim, it is a version of get rich quick. The pages of all our media, print, and cyber, are replete with promises of all sorts of things, capitalizing on segulos, many with a price tag to support their organization with tzedokoh donations. Some number of talmidei chachomim will daven for so many days at the kever of so-and-so, just send money.

    Have we forgotten about our obligation to get closer to HKB”H via Avodas Hashem? What about our own tefilos? What about our own tikun hamidos? What about our own teshuvah? It sounds comical to portray our media flashing an ad come the month of Elul from organizations offering for a donation to have someone serve as your proxy to do teshuvah. But in today’s market, that’s not quite so bizarre.

    Rabbi Kolakowski
    Rabbi Kolakowski
    3 years ago

    I heard a version of the story where the Rebbe in the end never remembered saying such a thing and was wondering why people were looking at him.