The segulah of Hoshea ben Beeri / Bari

Hello & Greetings!

First I will note that in the sources of this segulah was brought specifically for the “sick”, in order to merit a healing, but in fact today the custom of making the meal has spread to other salvation purposes, such as parnasah, shiduch, etc. – and there is also a reference to this, and praise to hashem. Many testify that salvation is seen in all areas.

Well, the details of the segulah are as follows:

These two verses will say: ““וכִי יֹאמְרוּ אֲלֵיכֶם דִּרְשׁוּ אֶל הָאֹבוֹת וְאֶל הַיִּדְּעֹנִים הַמְצַפְצְפִים וְהַמַּהְגִּים הֲלוֹא עַם אֶל אֱלֹהָיו יִדְרֹשׁ בְּעַד הַחַיִּים אֶל הַמֵּתִים. לְתוֹרָה וְלִתְעוּדָה אִם לֹא יֹאמְרוּ כַּדָּבָר הַזֶּה אֲשֶׁר אֵין לוֹ שָׁחַר”.  (These verses were spoken by the prophet Bari, but appear in the Book of Isaiah).

Then he will say out loud with his mouth that if he has any salvation, then without a vow on Tuesday (i.e., Tuesday of the week), after which he will give a meal to the Torah scholars for the elevation of the prophet’s soul. But which prophet should be discussed? Since in the earlier sources it is mentioned that the meal should be for the elevation of the soul of the prophet “Bari” (father of the prophet Hosea).  Later sources however state “Hoshea ben Bari,” as is customary today, the ‘Devari Yatziv’ writes that both versions are true (as elaborated on all of this below in the sources). Therefore, it seems most appropriate to say that there will be a meal for the soul of the prophet Bari and his son Hoshea ben Bari.

And these details should be paid attention to:

• It is preferable for the sick person himself (or the person that needs the salvation) to recite the verses and commit giving the meal, but it is also beneficial for others to commit themselves to him.

• The meal should be specifically for a sin-fearing  Torah scholar (and in the sources I will explain that such a meal is indeed beneficial for salvation, not for the elevation of the soul of Hoshea ben Bari, and all the more so for the elevation of the soul of the righteous, in which case the right of the righteous also helps).

• The meal should be on Tuesday, which falls immediately after you see the salvation [although I heard from the Gaon rabbi Yitzhak Cohen, the Rabbi of the neighborhood of ‘Shemuel hanavi’, who recommended that the meal is done in advance, even before the salvation, and also did so the the Dushinskaya Chassidim when their rabbi was ill (as quoted in the book ‘kavah Ner Yisrael’, p. 10), and in the sources I wrote that the meal should be done after the salvation, And Rabbi David Ovadia, zt”l, wrote in his book Berov segulot. Value of Segulah, to do the meal both before and after].

• The meal should be a “thanksgiving meal,” meaning that the meal is to thank hashem for the salvation. And he will say out loud with his mouth that this thanksgiving meal is for the elevation of the soul of Bari and Hoshea ben Bari.

• I have seen customs that during the meal everyone will recite the two verses (in the Book of Isaiah) that we mentioned above, But in the sources there is no mention of this, but as stated, whoever receives to give the meal, he will recite the verses before taking it upon himself. (And in the Book ‘Ayala sheluch’, wrote that the verses should be said immediately after taking it upon himself, but the main thing is to say the same before taking the segulah upon himself).

Of course, one should not think that the prophet Bari or his son Hoshea are bringing the salvation, God forbid, but because of them hashem will be blessed that His name gives salvation.

Tips to enhance the segulah of the Hoshea ben Bari meal:

• The yartzait of the prophet Hoshea ben Bari is the 7th day of Sivan, and therefore this day is very capable of committing (without a vow) to give the meal (although, as mentioned, it is possible that the main segulah is the elevation of the soul of Bari, hoahea’s father).

• And according to what will be explained in the sources below in the name of the Gaon Divrei Yatziv z”l, it turns out that it is possible to sadden the segulah by praying to hashem to have mercy on the people of Israel, and to speak about merits of the people of Israel, because by doing so he will adhere to the segulahs of Bari and Hoshea his son, and therefore will be able to do more for his salvation in what he receives for the elevation of their souls.

• When reading these two verses, he will instill in his heart the content of the verses, namely that we rely only on hashem, and even if we rely on doctors, it is only through effort, but we know that it is hashem who sends salvation.

• Our friend Rabbi Asher zonnenfeld Shlita (Rosh Kollel Hari Fishel) in his book Sha’arei Osher ch. 16 wrote to recommend that while committing to the meal of Hoshea ben Bari, he should also say without a vow” נשמת כל חי” (because in any case the meal will be before ten), and this attaches a segulah to his segulah.

Sources click here: