A segula (, pl. ''səḡulloṯ'') is a protective or benevolent

incantation An incantation, spell, charm, enchantment, or bewitchery is a magical formula intended to trigger a magical effect on a person or objects. The formula can be spoken, sung, or chanted. An incantation can also be performed during ceremonial ri ...

ritual A ritual is a repeated, structured sequence of actions or behaviors that alters the internal or external state of an individual, group, or environment, regardless of conscious understanding, emotional context, or symbolic meaning. Traditionally ...

Kabbalistic Kabbalah or Qabalah ( ; , ; ) is an esoteric method, discipline and school of thought in Jewish mysticism. It forms the foundation of mystical religious interpretations within Judaism. A traditional Kabbalist is called a Mekubbal (). Jewi ...

and

Talmud The Talmud (; ) is the central text of Rabbinic Judaism and the primary source of Jewish religious law (''halakha'') and Jewish theology. Until the advent of Haskalah#Effects, modernity, in nearly all Jewish communities, the Talmud was the cen ...

ic tradition.

Etymology

In medieval magic, "

sigil A sigil () is a type of symbol used in magic. The term usually refers to a pictorial signature of a spirit (such as an angel, demon, or deity). In modern usage, especially in the context of chaos magic, a sigil refers to a symbolic represen ...

" () was commonly used to refer to occult signs representing various angels and demons the practitioner might summon. In this context, the term sigil derives from the Latin '' sigillum'' "seal."

Maimonides Moses ben Maimon (1138–1204), commonly known as Maimonides (, ) and also referred to by the Hebrew acronym Rambam (), was a Sephardic rabbi and Jewish philosophy, philosopher who became one of the most prolific and influential Torah schola ...

strongly urges against writing sigils on the back of a ''

mezuzah A ''mezuzah'' ( "doorpost"; plural: ''mezuzot'') is a piece of parchment inscribed with specific Hebrew language, Hebrew verses from the Torah, which Jews affix in a small case to the doorposts of their homes. These verses are the Biblical pa ...

'', turning it into an amulet, in

Mishneh Torah The ''Mishneh Torah'' (), also known as ''Sefer Yad ha-Hazaka'' (), is a code of Rabbinic Jewish religious law (''halakha'') authored by Maimonides (Rabbi Moshe ben Maimon/Rambam). The ''Mishneh Torah'' was compiled between 1170 and 1180 CE ( ...

, "Laws of Tefilin and Mezuzzah", 5:4. ''Segula'' appears in the Hebrew Bible in Exodus 19:5 and Deuteronomy 7:6, where God refers to the Jewish nation as his ''segula'' (treasure). The root of this word,

segol Segol (modern , ; formerly , ''səḡôl'') is a Hebrew niqqud vowel sign that is represented by three dots forming an upside down equilateral triangle "ֶ ". As such, it resembles an upside down therefore sign (a because sign) underneat ...

, is the name of a Hebrew vowel-point represented by three dots. According to the

Chaim ibn Attar Chaim ibn Attar or Ḥayyim ben Moshe ibn Attar (, ; – 7 July 1743) also known as the Or ha-Ḥayyim after his popular commentary on the Torah, was a Talmudist and Kabbalist. He is arguably considered to be one of the most prominent Rabbis o ...

, a ''segula'' is "a charm that supersedes logic".

List of ''segulot''

Following is a list of popular or well-known segulot.

Fertility and childbirth

*Distributing '' chai rotel'' (about 54 liters) of drink at the

Tomb of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai The tomb of Shimon bar Yochai (), or Kever Rashbi (), on Mount Meron, Israel, Meron is the traditional burial place of the 2nd-century Tannaim, Mishnaic rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. A place of pilgrimage since the late 15th century, it is today the s ...

in Meron on

Lag BaOmer Lag BaOmer (, ''LaG Bāʿōmer''), also Lag B'Omer or Lag LaOmer, is a Judaism, Jewish religious holiday celebrated on the 33rd day of the Counting of the Omer, which occurs on the 18th day of the Hebrew calendar, Hebrew month of Iyar. Accordin ...

is considered a propitious remedy for infertility, as well as for helping a person find his mate or recover from serious illness *Acting as '' kvatterin'' "godmother" for a baby boy at his ''

brit milah The ''brit milah'' (, , ; "Covenant (religion), covenant of circumcision") or ''bris'' (, ) is Religion and circumcision, the ceremony of circumcision in Judaism and Samaritanism, during which the foreskin is surgically removed. According to t ...

'' is a ''segula'' for childless couples to have children of their own * Studying the works of the kabbalist Zera Shimshon *Eating an ''

etrog Etrog (, plural: ; Ashkenazi Hebrew: , plural: ) is the yellow citron (''Citrus medica'') used by Jews during the weeklong holiday of Sukkot as one of the four species. Together with the ''lulav'', ''hadass'', and ''Aravah (Sukkot), aravah'', th ...

'' or ''etrog''

preserves Fruit preserves are preparations of fruits whose main preserving agent is sugar and sometimes acid, often stored in glass jars and used as a condiment or spread. There are many varieties of fruit preserves globally, distinguished by the meth ...

facilitates an easy childbirth *Drinking from the waters of the spring of

Sataf Sataf (Arabic: صطاف, Hebrew: סטף) was a Palestinian village in the Jerusalem Subdistrict depopulated during the 1948 Arab–Israeli War. It was located 10 km west of Jerusalem, with Sorek Valley (Arabic: Wadi as-Sarar) bordering to th ...

in Israel across from the

Monastery of Saint John in the Wilderness The Monastery of Saint John in the Wilderness is a Franciscan Catholic monastery built next to a spring on a wooded slope just north of Even Sapir, Israel, and across the valley from Sataf. It is located a short distance from Ein Karem, the tradi ...

prevents a

breech birth A breech birth is when a baby is born bottom first instead of Cephalic presentation, head first, as is normal. Around 3–5% of pregnant women at term (37–40 weeks pregnant) have a breech baby. Due to their higher than average rate of possible ...

Protection from harm

*Wearing a red string cut from a longer length that has been wound around

Rachel's Tomb Rachel's Tomb ( ''Qǝbūrat Rāḥēl''; Modern ''Qever Raḥel;'' ''Qabr Rāḥīl'') is a site revered as the burial place of the Biblical matriarch Rachel. The site is also referred to as the Bilal bin Rabah mosque (). The tomb is held in ...

is an ancient tradition that protects the wearer from danger The only classic source which does mention the red thread expressly forbids its use, saying that tying a red thread on one’s fingers is an idolatrous practice (''darkei emori''). *Giving

tzedakah ''Tzedakah'' ( ''ṣədāqā'', ) is a Hebrew word meaning "righteousness", but commonly used to signify ''charity''. This concept of "charity" differs from the modern Western understanding of "charity". The latter is typically understood as ...

(charity money) to a traveler to donate when he arrives at his destination helps protect the traveler from harm *Concentrating on the phrase "There is none but Him od () shields a person from danger

Marriage

*Praying at the Tomb of Jonathan ben Uzziel in

Amuka, Israel Amuka () is a community settlement about 6 km northeast of Safed in the Upper Galilee in northern Israel. It belongs to the Merom HaGalil Regional Council. In it had a population of . History An ancient site in a valley 1 km north of t ...

is considered propitious for finding one’s spouse within the coming year *Praying at the

Western Wall The Western Wall (; ; Ashkenazi Hebrew pronunciation: ''HaKosel HaMa'arovi'') is an ancient retaining wall of the built-up hill known to Jews and Christians as the Temple Mount of Jerusalem. Its most famous section, known by the same name ...

for 40 consecutive days is considered a ''segula'' for finding one’s spouse *Holding the jewelry of a bride while she is escorted to her

chuppah A ''chuppah'' (, ) is a canopy under which a Judaism, Jewish couple stand during their Jewish wedding, wedding ceremony. It consists of a cloth or sheet, sometimes a tallit, stretched or supported over four poles, or sometimes manually held u ...

is a ''segula'' for finding a spouse

Other

* Buying a burial plot is a segula for a long life *Placing a pigeon on a person’s navel is efficacious for curing

jaundice Jaundice, also known as icterus, is a yellowish or, less frequently, greenish pigmentation of the skin and sclera due to high bilirubin levels. Jaundice in adults is typically a sign indicating the presence of underlying diseases involving ...

*Giving ''tzedaka'' in the merit of

Rabbi Meir Rabbi Meir () was a Jewish sage who lived in the time of the Mishnah. He was one of the Tannaim of the fourth generation (139–163), and a disciple of Rabbi Akiva. He is the second most frequently mentioned sage in the Mishnah and is mentioned ...

is a ''segula'' for finding a lost object *Buying a new knife for

Rosh Hashanah Rosh Hashanah (, , ) is the New Year in Judaism. The Hebrew Bible, biblical name for this holiday is Yom Teruah (, , ). It is the first of the High Holy Days (, , 'Days of Awe"), as specified by Leviticus 23:23–25, that occur in the late summe ...

is a propitious remedy for livelihood *One can hang a special note around the neck of a chicken and use it to identify a thief

References

{{Reflist

External links

Spiritual Tips (Segulah) – spiritual solutions – Index of topicsWhat Are Segulos and How Do They Work?
Kabbalistic words and phrases Hebrew words and phrases in the Hebrew Bible Talmud concepts and terminology