The phenomenon of Segulos
has generated much passionate, well-intentioned discussion among people who are
sincerely committed to Torah ideals and practice. To deny the validity of Segulos is to deny the words of Chazal
who spoke and wrote about Segulos in very clear terms. In fact, it is the clarity of their words
which ought to serve as a guide when we seek to understand the rightful place
that Segulos have in our lives.
I recently came across a
series of Teshuvos written by the Rashba, which sheds a bright and beautiful
light on this topic. In his Teshuvos
(I:408,413,825, and Teshuvos HaMeyuchasos LeRamban 286) the Rashba defines what
Segulos are. He states that there are
physical objects which have clearly observable properties that can help in a
medicinal, healing, and prophylactic way.
Unlike most medicines, however, we do not know how or why these
particular objects work; we know only that
they work. And we know that they work
because we have observed their efficacy time and again through experience. The Rashba then gives a primary example of
a Segulah. He states that there can be
found in the world pieces of metal that “have the segulah of being able to
attract other pieces of metal to them through some type of force.” He explains that although we do not know at
all how this force works, it clearly does.
This is the paradigm for Segulos.
Just as it is a fact that magnets attract metal, even though we may not
know how or why, there are other objects that have different properties that
can be helpful to man.
Now it is clear from the
Rashba that the framework within which Segulos work is the framework of science
and nature; we simply are not privy to all of the workings of science and
nature. (A man who thinks that we have
reached the height of knowledge in science has reached little more than the
height of arrogance). What is equally
clear is that these Segulos do not work through some mystical, magical way
(mysterious yes, mystical no). In fact,
in juxtaposing Segulos with Darkei HaEmori (Gemara Shabbos 67a and Chullin
77b), Chazal are pointing to a critical factor in how we are to view Segulos
altogether. If we take the attitude
that empirically tested phenomena work through the principles of science
despite the fact that we do not understand these principles, then we are
relating properly to Segulos; if, however, we think that they are some type of
magical force, then we have dangerously crossed the border into a non-Torah
perspective. What emerges from all of
this is that for something to be a valid Segulah it must be empirically tested
and confirmed, and our attitude toward it must humbly remain within the
framework of nature, Hashgachah Kelalis.
It seems to me that there is
another area of Segulos to which Chazal allude as well, in the area of
Hashgachah Peratis. When Bnei Yisroel
were afflicted in the Midbar with poisonous serpents, Moshe was commanded to
make a Nachash and raise it up for all to see.
When they looked at the Nechash HaNechoshes, they were healed. Rashi (Bamidbar 21:8) cites the Mishnah from
Rosh HaShannah 29a that asks: Does a (copper) serpent really heal? The answer given is that when Bnei Yisroel
would look at it and thereby come to understand certain ideas, they would then
be healed by HaShem. Thus, the object
had no inherent power to heal; it was HaShem’s Hashgachah that healed, and this
Hashgachah was invoked solely because of the people’s proper thoughts. In fact, the Gemara (Berachos 10b and
Pesachim 56a) tells us that Chizkiyah destroyed the Nechash HaNechoshes and was
praised for his action. Bnei Yisroel
had attributed inherent powers to the Nechash HaNechoshes and had begun to
relate to it as an Avodah Zarah. The
lesson, I think, is that in an area of Segulah having to do with Hashgachah
Peratis, the Segulah must be identified directly and only through Nevuah, and
we must realize that its efficacy depends not upon any inherent power, but on
our proper hashkafah.
Yes, we do have a mesorah that includes Segulos; the world does have magnets. However, it is critical that we understand exactly what this mesorah means. It is part of our heritage of relating to HaShem as the Borei Olam through the divine and noble gift of our minds. Making a mistake in this area can have disastrous effects. As long as we are a nation that relates to HaShem properly, we can bask in the glory of a life of Truth; however, if we take noble ideas and relate to them improperly, we are in danger of violating our mission as a people, and, Heaven Forbid, of ceasing to deserve the praise “Ki lo nachash beYaakov velo kessem beYisroel, etc.” (Bamidbar 23:23). Please, please, dear reader, think carefully about these areas; there is much at stake.