Tuesday, March 09, 2010

Latest segulah / yeshua -- get 1800 talmidei chachamim davening for you!

I got this latest nonsense via an advertisement delivered to my Inbox from the Yeshiva World:


You can check out their video here. And here is a video of Gedolim signing on to participate in this segulah, from what I can make out from the image, requesting the avreichim of this organization to do this. I guess to show that this idea has merit, and so that they can apply the force of Gadol-authorization to their ad campaign.

Rabbi Harry Maryles writes at Emes ve-Emunah:
Forty Talmidei Chacahm isn’t enough?

At the request of Kupat Ha'ir 40 Talmidei Chachamim Daven at the Kotel. This is a Segulah they thought up as a fundraiser. Story after story has been told about the success of those Teffilos. I get those glossy brochures often and I’ve read those stories. They are amazing. Infertility problems -cured. Need a Shiddach? Easy! Involved in a tax fraud and don’t want to be caught? No problem. These forty Talmidei Chachamim have a proven track record of success. They will pray for you – for a fee.

But for Aterest Shlomo - 40 Talmidei Chachamim is Bubkis!

Try 1800 Talmidei Chachamim! Oh my gosh! 1800! If forty can do all the above - can you imagine what 1800 can do?

Are you a Goses – gravely ill and about to die? Don’t worry. It’s a done deal. Donate money to Aterest Shlomo and ‘get in on the action!’ You will be back to normal in no time.

Internet use for purposes of seeing this video is permitted this one time as a Hora’as Shah. It is a onetime dispensation – Do not get carried away and stay online after viewing it. It can ruin the Segulah.

I wish this was a Purim Joke! But it’s not. If this Yeshiva is willing to make money this way, I truly question the values it teaches.

5 comments:

Jeremy said...

Does it offer a way to ensure that they're really talmidei chachamim? I mean, what if I pay for them to pray for me and then it turns out one is really an am haaretz? I might as well have just prayed for myself!

Hold on a second...pray for myself?

Devorah said...

The yeshiva must be desperate for money, that's the only reason they would stoop to this level. Maybe it's on the verge of closing down or something.

I'll pray for anyone, no charge, (that includes you Jeremy).

Izgad said...

I posted on this a few days ago. http://izgad.blogspot.com/2010/03/1800-rabbis-will-practice-their-magic.html

Shoshi Kaufman said...

Why all the antagonism? In my opinion, this is a worthy cause, to help these people who dedicate their live to Torah, and to help support their families. I believe their prayers are just a bonus, while the real gain is being part of the Torah learning of these scholars

joshwaxman said...

while it is indeed questionable whether people may cast themselves upon the tzibbur like this, in masses, and expect to be supported by tzedakka (see e.g. Berachot 35b: Said Abaye: Many have followed the advice of Ishmael, and it has worked well; others have followed R. Simeon b. Yohai and it has not been successful. Raba said to the Rabbis: I would ask you not to appear before me during Nisan and Tishri13 so that you may not be anxious about your food supply during the rest of the year. -- this wouldn't have been the case if the tzibbur was indeed expected to support all talmidei chachamim entirely, without their working one bit), that was not the point. i did not comment on that bit of it.

rather, it is the segulah-ization i oppose. the Torah is not supposed to be a kardom lachpor bah (see Pirkei Avos). and while we indeed support Torah scholars, this cheapens Torah into a commodity, instead of a treasure.

it also turns Torah study into superstition. judaism is being "ruined" by a bunch of people who turn every mitzvah into a segulah, and a superstition. hafrashas challah is a mitzvah. baking challah for shabbos is a way of preparing on Friday for shabbos, and a mitzvah. just as i would oppose selling crosses (admittedly an extreme) to support a Torah institution, a worthy cause, i would oppose the segulah-ization of Judaism and the ruining of our hashkafos in the pursuit of the same worthy cause.

kol tuv,
josh

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