More On Katnus & When Not To Use A Sick Person's Name

I wrote a post for Parshas Bamidbar, based on Degel Machane Ephraim, involving Reb Nachman Horedenker and katnus. I couldn't help but notice the Degel on Parshas Bahaloscha again involving Reb Nachman Horedenker and katnus. Below is also Torah from Reb Nachman Horedenker's grandson, Reb Nachman of Breslov, in connection with the Degel.

Reb Nachman Horedenker says that if someone is in a state of katnus, he can be lifted up by knowing that there are people in a state of gadlus. This is alluded to by the posuk (10:7) וּבְהַקְהִיל אֶת הַקָּהָל תִּתְקְעוּ וְלֹא תָרִיעוּ And when the assembly is gathered, sound a tekia and not a teruah. When the congregation is in achdus, together with love, like a tekia (which is one long sound as opposed to a teruah, which is a broken up sound) then even if an individual at times is in a state of katnus he can pull himself out of it by including himself in the congregation, which is in a state of gadlus.

The Degel Machane Ephraim writes further that the Toldos Yaakov Yosef says in the name of the Baal Shem Tov that when one falls into a state of katnus, it is to raise up those that have fallen from their level. As the posuk above says: "And when the assembly is gathered" - meaning the am, and the "fallen ones" are called am, then "sound a tekia and not a teruah", meaning, through togetherness and not divisiveness, you can gather together the people, by lifting them up from their low levels.

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The Degel Machane Ephraim says that when Miriam was sick, Moshe Rabbeinu said קֵל נָא רְפָא נָא לָהּ. Usually when one prays for a sick person the sick person's name and mother's name is mentioned, but here Moshe Rabbeinu didn't mention the names. There is an allusion to the names in the posuk, as רְפָא נָא is exactly the same gematria as מרים יוכבד, the sick one and her mother.

Reb Nachman of Breslov explains the reason why Moshe Rabbeinu alluded to the names is because when there are dinim (harsh judgements) on a sick person, mentioning the name of the person strenghtens the dinim on the person. Therefore, since there were dinim on Miriam, Moshe Rabbeinu alluded to the names through gematria, without mentioning them explicitally. (Likutei Mohoran 174)

Update

I asked Rabbi Chaim Kramer of the Breslov Research Institute, Breslov.org how to apply this practically; do we mention the sick person's name or not? Rabbi Kramer responded: "The custom is not to mention the name when by the bedside of the person who is sick. Away from the ill person we do mention the name and the mother's name."

Segulas For Good Children

This Thursday is Yom Kippur Koton, Erev Rosh Chodesh Sivan. There is a well known minhag to say a tefila for one’s children that they should go in the proper derech, on that day. The source for this is the Shlah HaKodosh (Mesechta Tamid, Ner Mitzva), where he says:

“There is an obligation to daven and ask from Hashem every need we have, at any time, because it all comes from Him. People should be especially careful to daven for their children to be “kosher” forever. My heart tells me that an auspicious time for this is Erev Rosh Chodesh of Sivan, because that is the month we received the Torah and we are called “children of Hashem our G-d. It is worthy for man and wife to fast and do teshuva.” (It is actually Yom Kippur Koton. Some daven a special Mincha with slichos, and some also fast a whole or half day and read Vayichal from a Sefer Torah, like on a Taanis Tzibur.)

The tefila the Shlah lists was written by Reb Shabsei Sofer of Premishla, a talmid of the Levush, and can be found here.

The Shlah says one should also have in mind their children by Birchas HaTorah (v’nihiye anachnu v’tzetzoeinu), Ahava Rabbah (v’sein bilibeinu) and Uva Litzion (l’maan lo nega lorik v’lo neled l’beholo)

Tanna Devei Eliyahu says one should constantly ask for mercy from Hashem that his children shouldn’t sin.

Sefer Chasidim says one should daven for their children and grandchildren.

Rabbeinu Yonah in Iggeres HaTeshuva says a woman should daven for her children, night, morning and afternoon, that they should fear Hashem and be successful in Torah. He says she should also do this while giving tzedaka and light Shabbos candles.

Many of the great tzadikim (from all segments, Sephardim, Ashkenazim, Litvish, Chassidish) said that all of the success of their children came about because they constantly davened and cried to Hashem for that their children should go in the proper derech.

Other Segulas For Good Children

There are many segulas for good children; I will list a few here.

It is brought down in many places that tznius is a great segula for good children. The Mishna Berura quotes the Gemara in Yoma that says a very modest woman name Kimchis, merited having many sons who became Kohanim Gedolim because of her great modesty.

Making sure that people who serve Hashem have parnasa is a segula that one’s children won’t be swayed to bad influences. (Sefer Hamidos)

R’ Yissachor Dov of Belz told someone whose son was straying a bit from the ways of his father, to bring guests into his house.

Serving meat at a Bris is a segula for the child to grow up properly. (Divrei Yechezkel)

See here for a segula to do after a child is born.

Learning Sefer Degel Machane Ephraim is a segula for good children. See A Simple Jew for the source. You can get a PDF of the sefer here.

Reb Nachman of Breslov says that if a boy comes to him before the age of 7, he will be saved from sin. (Chaye Mohoran/Tzadik) Reb Avrohom B'Reb Nachman Chazan says that this also applies these days, after Reb Nachman's passing. (Kochvey Ohr) Many people, even ones that aren't "Breslovers", take their sons to Uman at various times during the year, before they turn 7.

I've heard in the name of tzadikim that washing a childs hands, negel vaser, before the age of 3, even though not halachically required, is a segula for the child's yiras shomayim.

197 Years Ago On This Day

On Thursday, 5 Iyar 5570/1810, Reb Nachman of Breslov entered the city of Uman. This is the place where he wanted to be buried, alongside the tens of thousands of Jews who were killed al kiddush Hashem. Only a few months later his neshama left this world on the fourth day of Succos, 18 Tishrei.

Zchuso Yogen Aleinu V'al Kol Yisroel Amen

Iyar - Month Of Refuah - Segulas For Refuah & Sefiras HaOmer

(Will update if possible)

The letters of אייר stand for many different things. Here are a few:

א׳ני י׳י׳ ר׳ופאך

א׳ברהם י׳צחק י׳עקב ר׳בקה (בני יששכר) - One of the reasons why we learn Pirkei Avos during this period.

(ליקותי מוהר׳ן) אֹ׳יְבָי יָ׳שֻׁבו י׳ֵבֹשׁוּ רָ׳גַע - Interestingly enough Reb Nachman connects this posuk, from Tehilim 6, with a posuk from Tehilim 67, which is connected to Sefiras HaOmer.

Since Iyar is associated with healing we will list some segulas for refuah, in addition to other segulas associated with sefiras haomer.

Reb Pinchos of Koritz says that he rains that falls between Pesach and Shevuos is a great refuah for diseases that have no cure, rachmana litzlon. One should let the rain fall on their head and open their mouth to let the rain go straight in (some places say to the right side of the mouth). We are not sure whether he means one should swallow the water or not.

It is brought down in Tefilos HaMarshal quoting Rashi Yoshon that one should say the tefilah of Chizkiyahu, which he received from shomayim. This consists of Yeshaya 38:9-20. It was revealed to him that a sick person or someone who is in a time of suffering should read it and he will be saved from all harsh judgments.

The following is from Breslov Weekday Customs (P.62):

The Rebbe states that in "Vayevarekh Dovid," when one recites the phrase "u-tzeva'ahhashomayim Lekha mishtachavim . . . The heavenly hosts prostrate themselves unto You" (Nechemiah 9:6), it is a favorable time for one to add a personal prayer. According to Kitzur Likkutei Moharan I, 231: "[At this moment] one may pray for everything, for then all the angels prostrate themselves and render homage to G-d, may He be blessed. Therefore, it is good to entreat that HaShem command them to transmit whatever one needs. For example, if one needs healing, one should meditate that HaShem command [the angels] to invest the spiritual powers of healing into one's bread and water, etc."

Reb Chaim Vital says that the days of Sefiras Omer are mesugal for Tikun HaBris (Bnei Yisaschar)

It is brought down from many of the sforim hakedoshim that one should say Tehilim 67, in the form of a menorah. (If you have it written on parchment it is even better). It is mesugal for many things. It is also brought down that one should say it after the Kohanim say Birchas Kohanim (in places where they do this) or while the shliach tzibur is saying Birchas Kohanim.

Lag BaOmer has many segulas associated with it. There will be a separate post for Lag BaOmer. If you are interested in the segula of Chai Rotel see one of the links below.

http://www.rashbimeron.org/chairotel.php

http://www.baryochai.com/chai_rotel.html

Segula To Protect From Chometz

The following is the most unused (but best) method of chometz prevention:

I was saying Likutei Tefilos and came across the passage below. This is a good way to accomplish the first thing written in Segulas For Pesach, and it is perhaps the biggest segula to keep us away from chometz. After all the cleaning, preparations and chumros one may have to keep themselves from chometz on Pesash I realized that the on thing that most people don’t do is ask Hashem to protect them from chometz. We can only do so much and we need to ask Hashem for His help. When was the last time you heard someone do this? That’s the beauty of Likutei Tefilos, there are tefilos for every occasion, and if there isn’t one that you can find, Reb Nachman taught to open your mouth and daven in your own words for any and everything you need – nothing is too big or small to ask Hashem for. The tefila below can be found here on page 26. Other tefilos for Pesach are from page 25 and on.

“And help us, save us and protect us, with Your abundant compassion, from the slightest trace of chometz or leaven, so that we should not find, in our boundaries or in our domains, the slightest of the slightest amount of leaven or chometz, all the days of Pesach. For it is revealed and known before You, Master of the entire world, that it isn’t possible for flesh and blood themselves to be watchful from the slightest trace of chometz, if not through Your salvation and compassion.”

(Likutei Tefilos 2:37)