The Rabbi Alfeya’s Segulah – 23rd day of Shevat

Hello and best regards. Unfortunately, recently there has been a custom of spreading  segulot without any responsibly, in a distorted way, because everyone who distributes adds and subtracts.

The source of the segulah is the will of the kabbalistic gaon of the rabbis of Aram Tzobah Rabbi Yaakov Chaim Yisrael (son of Sarah) Alfia (father of the well-known Rabbi Yitzchak Alfeya), who wrote: “Anyone who has studied with me whether in Israel or abroad, will learn ‘patach Eliyahu’ on the day of my ‘yartzait’ for the sake of my soul throughout his life, and expects the salvation of Hashem, which I will also pray before the Supreme God”.

We learn from his words a few things:

• • The segulah was said mainly to his students, not to every person. And while it is certainly possible for the same righteous man that even those who are not among his students should read “Petach Eliyahu” in the exaltation of his soul, but in this it can no longer be said that the righteous man promised to pray for him, although it is likely that the soul of the righteous will surely recognize a favor to anyone who does deeds in the exaltation of his soul, and will pray and recommend well to everyone.
  • And even to his students, he did not “promise” anything, but wrote that he will look forward to the salvation of G-d that his
  •  soul would pray to G-d for those students who had acted to exalt his soul by reading “Petah Eliyahu.”
  • In order to fulfill the words of the will, it is not enough to read “Petach Eliyahu” once on the day of his ‘Hilula’, but it is necessary to take it upon themselves to read “Petah Eliyahu” (in memory of the soul of the aforementioned tzadik) every year on the 23rd of Shevat, throughout life.
  • He did not write to light a candle. Of course, it is certainly recommended to light a candle, as every day a person dies, but this is not part of the request of the tzaddik zt”l.

• No matter of “one request” is mentioned, but the righteous wrote that he would pray for that person, and we would be for all salvation, even if the person did not pray for himself. And of course, if the person himself also prays to G-d, there is undoubtedly a very great benefit in this, but there is no need to make just one request, but to pray to G-d for all that he needs, for good and blessing.