Just when I think things cannot get any worse in the arena of collecting Tzedaka, I get a 16 page full color brochure from Kupat Ha’ir with a very unique ‘pitch’. Why should this bother me anymore than the last one? Because this one truly hits below the belt. This one is selling Segulos to those young couples who are having fertility problems. A Segula is an act designed to get a specific desired result that is requested of God. By taking the steps exactly as outlined in the instructions, God will answer your prayers in the hoped for way.
Here is the Segula as designed by Rav Chaim Falagi, the Chernobyl Rebbe for childless couples:
Set aside 91 Perutos (a Perutah is a Talmudic term used to denote a given monetary system’s ‘dollar’). Then you add to it more Perutos until you hit $104. The number104 is twice the numerical value of the Hebrew word, “Ben” which means son. You then give that to a needy and humble Talmid Chacham.
This time they are preying on the misery of others in order to extract money for their cause. The majority of this brochure is an attempt to convince childless couples that after having tried all other methods of getting pregnant, then this one Segula will do the trick. They go on to cite numerous examples of how this Segula has worked for others in similar situations. This is the magic bullet that will give them children. Testimonial after testimonial tells us about desperate couples who have used this Segula and have had their prayers answered. What’s more they cite various endorsements by Gedolei Yisroel as giving their blessing to it!
This is enough to make me puke. Is this what the Torah world is being reduced to… the selling of Segulos? Is this how we get our prayers answered? Is this how we solve the problems of poverty?
“Having fertility problems?” “Not to worry.” “Send us your money.” “That will assure you that you will have children!” “And, by the way your money is going for a good cause, too.”
I am very skeptical about the veracity of the statements quoted in the name of some or our rabbinic leadership. I cannot believe that they actually believe that this is an appropriate method of raising funds …even for a cause which they believe in.
Certainly, the need is very great. I don’t deny that. According to another brochure I saw, from a charity called Keren Eretz Yisroel there are almost 38,000 families in desperate need of funds. In some cases the funds are so scarce that families often have to make a choice between paying an electric bill and putting food on the table. Desperate times indeed, for these Bnei Torah, many of whom even have working fathers. And though I have huge issues with respect to why the need is so great, I never the less would not want to see these mostly Ehrilche Jews suffer because of their being so horribly misguided by their rabbinic leadership. I therefore whole heartedly support charities that help these people out. But not through Kupat Ha’ir.
My issue as I have stated many times before is the system. They are victims of a system that virtually prevents them from getting the training needed to find decent jobs ...a system largely supported through the largess of State funds and through community charities ...a system that forbids them entry into the army so that they can then find work legitimately ...and a system where budget cuts forced a reduction of government subsidies to them. And that has now exacerbated the problem.
Yes, there will always be poor people who fall through the cracks and need our support in any case. This is what Tzedaka is all about. But… 38,000 families? That’s criminal. Yet nothing has changed in Israel. They cling to policies that perpetuate and expand poverty. Hence we have chaitable organizations that end up using tactics like Kupat Ha’ir.
But Kupat Ha’ir is not the only such charity. As I said there is Keren Eretz Yisroel. No mention of Segulos. No mention of Brachos. Just a pitch for the need at hand. The same type of Gadol is shown in the Brochure as supporting their good work. But it is all about the good work.
Kupat Ha’ir on the other hand is all about the Segula. The people running this organization are about as sleazy as you can get in my view. I don’t care how honorable their intentions are. I don’t care that all the money raised goes to their cause. The ends do not justify the means. They are preying on the misery of one set of Jews to alleviate the misery of another!
It is almost like the sleazy televangelist who is out there hawking cures for money. Oral Roberts comes to mind. For those too young to remember he used to ‘cure’ people through Jesus. He would place his hands on a blind or paralyzed person, say the word ‘heal’ a few times and suddenly the paralyzed person would drop his crutches and start walking. Or the blind person would suddenly regain his sight. His mission was noble too. He wanted to build a University. And he did. He sold cures in order to do so. And he was quite good at it. He ‘cured’ a lot of people with hysterical paralysis and blindness.
I’m not saying that a Segula designed by a Chasidic Rebbe is the same thing as the snake oil sold by Oral Roberts. God forbid. I’m sure the Chernobyl Rebbe who came up with this ‘remedy’ believed in its curative powers. And I’m sure all those testimonials are true.
But the folks at Kupat Ha’ir don’t talk about the ‘failures’. They only talk about the successes. I would be willing to bet that if a statistical analysis were done of the percentage of people who use this Segula getting pregnant because of it… versus those who get pregnant without it, there would be no statistical difference, with the possible exception of the placebo effect… we know how much psychology can play a role in pregnancies.
Yet Kupat Ha’ir cites many Gedolim who ‘endorse’ this Segula. I truly question the veracity of that claim. At best they have taken statements out of context and they use them as endorsements. And they speak only of successes as though this Segula was guaranteed to work. (Of course they never actually say so.)
Well if you buy into any of this, I too know a few humble Talmidei Chachamim who can use the money, so… send it to me. I will see that it gets into the right hands. Yes friends, if you’re having trouble getting pregnant, send me your money. And good luck! You’ll need it.
