New York – For the past few years, large ads have been running in virtually all the Jewish newspapers and big posters in shuls during the weeks of sefirah encouraging prospective donors to contribute “Chai Rotel” of drinks to visitors to Meron on Lag Ba’omer, the yahrtzeit of Reb Shimon Bar Yochai.
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the meaning of ‘Chai Rotel’ is to contribute 18 ‘rotels’ (a rotel is a liquid measure; 18 rotels equals 54 liters or about 13 gallons) of wine or drink to provide visitors to Meron with refreshment during their stay.
According to the Seifer ‘Tami Haminhugim ‘R’ Ben Zion Halberstam the second Bobover Rebbe, is alleged to have written to one of his acquaintances in 1912 “I heard from the holy sages of Eretz Yisrael that they have a kabbalah that barren women, G-d-forbid, should donate Chai Rotel on the yahrzeit of R’ Shimon bar Yochai.”
In a phone interview in Israel, Kabalist Rabbi Rav Ben-Tzion Mutzafi was asked about this ‘Minhug’ he said that its a senseless ‘minhug’ and he is not aware of any ‘mekor’ to it.
thank god, i was waiting for this moment to expose the b.s. self business of the two guys that become jobless, so they ride on peoples pocket to profit from rashbi
Rabbi Mutzafi said that he thinks that this “Minhug” is worthless b/c, as he said, he doesn’t know the “mekor” of it. With all due respect, this letter does indeed exist and it notes that it’s not a minhug but a sugla. Most people don’t talk when they don’t know about something. I guess Rabbi Mutzafi is above this rule.
The Bobover Ruv was a heilige yid. People have been helped by this for many years.
my cousin worked for chai rotel last year he couldn’t believe that they took peoples names & didn’t even write it down just took the money.as well as they own 100 apartments in uman & other places with this money,when he asked how can’t you write down the persons name they said be quiet,he quit imm.just because yidden nebach need yeshuus doesn mean this is the solution & have people pocket your money,promise money to a mokum torah a kollel support people who learn torah & you will bezrat hashem have a true yeshua aman kayn yehi rotzon
i heard that a few years ago when they were lighting the hadloch in front of stolin bais medriash that someone who need a yesuha donated chai rotel & b”h the next year his wife gave birth to a child so who ever wants to say that it is not true is a person who just wants to belittle a good minhug
pushet pshat-
Just b/c people take advantege of others, it doesn’t mean that it’s leaa of a sugla.
There are all kinds of people out there.
whats a difference? If its a segula and theres a chance that it might help…what do you have to lose by donating. You sure cant go wrong.
It’s amazing to me that so many naive people fall for all kinds of strange things – without verifying where the money is going to & wheather the cause is legitimate. But you really have to be naive to give money for supplying “drinks”
for people. I’m sure that there is plenty of water available at the local kiosk. And I can assure you that getting shikkur at Meron is no segulah for anything positive.
I think I’m starting an organization to bring Moshiach just send me money & I’ll daven in your name that Moshiach should come If enough people
show that they care enough by spending their money for this united cause “Tzipiso L’Yeshuah” that Moshiach should come then it’s a “segula” that he will be compelled to come.
Suggested amount 2 X Chai Rittel.
By the way in case you want to know where the money is going to for “Tzipiso L’Yeshuah” it is for building him a beautiful suitable mansion in Yerushalayim. How can he come if he doesn’t have a place to live ?
We need to show bitochon that he WILL come imminently by preparing his choshuvah home.
(I’m sure he won’t mind if I live in it meanwhile
on my visits to make sure that everything is clean & up to date & fully stocked.)
Anonymous-
Your sarcasm is noted. Not believing is easy. Try believing for once.
There are real suglas out there, and this is one of them. As with everything, you have to know with whom you are dealing with.
Be careful of sugulahs that require you to funnel your money to a couple of chevrah.
Maybe the segulah is for their pocket !
give to BMG Mir Poneves or any yeshiva BIG SEGULAH
Weather you believe or not, that’s ones personal opinion.
In America everything is judged by the size of the advertisement. If its advertised a lot, it must be good.
Sadly, this phenomenon has leaked into our community.
Hey, you know nothing about this segula for once.
And, about your concern where the money is going to. Hey, do you realize that the major organizations (i.e. Tzidkas Hurashbi, Ohel Hurashbi, etc.) Charge you only $72. for the whole Chai Ruttlel? Now that is essentially the cost pice for the beverages, so your concerns about where the money goes to, if the cause is chas V’sholom not worthy, all that goes out the window….
I asked 1 askan about their purpose of doing this, since there is no Hachnasa to them, he told me it is basically meant just to help other people who are needy of a yeshua.
Now, if you still have issues, that will expose you for what you really are…
The best segulah for anything is to learn more torah do more mitzvos do teshuvah & daven more.
There are no quick fixes & it may even be questionable if some of these “segulas” don’t fall into the catagory of “Lo Senuchshu”
Make sure to ask your Rov before rushing to do the segulah of the day especially if it involves
buying things from & giving money to the peddler
of the segulah.
Be careful of people that say “Not beliving is easy – Try believing for once”
listen guys, if you want you can go to miron yourself on lag baomer & distribute the chai rotel yourself. the first time i was there i couldn’t understand why every time i turned around i bumped into someone trying to hand me a cup of grape juice. so i can tell you firsthand there’s a ton of chai rotel being legitimately being distributed there, although i cannot vouch for the authenticity of any particular organazation.
“Charge you only $72. for the whole Chai Ruttlel?” – “Now that is essentially the cost pice for the beverages”
Very interesting – now let’s say you collect
$100,000-$200,000 (maybe ALOT more who knows)
how much do you really spend on the beverages ?
Maybe just maybe there is “some” leftover money
maybe even enough that “they own 100 apartments in uman & other places with this money” see above “pushet pshat” 12:22PM he seems to have an inside scoop. I will admit that I really don’t know but it certainly sounds fishy to me & I would do some chakirahs before allocating my
limited discretionary tzedukah money to this “cause”.
Anonymous-
If you are saying that you don’t believe in this segulah b/c you don’t think it’s authentic, ok. But to make fun of segulahs in general, is like making fun of the torah. There are MANY things you do that are part of on segulahs. From the way you davan to marriage, to the cemetery.
“Not beliving is easy – Try believing for once”
Donate to Vaad HoRabonim (another fraud)
I believe that segulahs like miraculous Maysehs of Rebbes maybe true & could happen.
But if it involves shelling out money for the “possible” segulah instead of giving this money to a legitimate tzedakah or mosod hatorah that is 100% a mitzvah & therefore a real segulah I would be playing Russian roulette with my tzedukah money & that is not a good idea.
Anyhow, I think the best thing is to ask your Rov or Rosh Yeshiva if this is a good idea.
Guess what 99% of them will say.
The only thing that “frum” people know how to do is rip off people.
Another chilul hashem. Will this ever stop?
Rabbi Eli Teitelbaum spoke about this BS many times but nobody listens. People like being stupid with their hard earned money.
If you lose money due to stupidity please do not come crying in our shuls and start collecting.
was anyone of you ever in Meron on lag b’omer? did you see how many thousands and thousands of gallons of all sorts of beverages are being distributed there free of any charge? and how about the meals snacks and sandwiches? it all costs big fortunes. but, of course you have the privilege to know whom you’re giving it to, the person or people should be trustworthy.
Since all these thousands people traveling to Meron are aniyim & can’t bring along or buy food
or drinks there (with money & support some kiosk trying to make an honest living) let’s also supply free transportation & lodging for all that want to go there. And why should anyone from Chutz L’Aretz be deprived, we should subsidize Rittel flights from America etc as well.
Dont knock it till youve been to meron! Sure there are kiosks and they are first class ganovim!
Its at least 3 hours to meron by bus! Then you need to take a shuttle / walk and the shuttle is jammed packed! and with all the fires its hot! Now try squeezing into the rashbi’s kever.. you’ll nearly faint and come out shvitzing your tuches off.
Shleping 1 bottle of water is feasible but what if you need 2?
The point isnt for people to make money either by the chai rottel or by selling.
Its a segulah for which people want to participate ZEHU!
I have a great idea how about if the people going to Meron would buy vouchers for food & drink at a reasonable price & then redeem them there I’m sure there would be plenty of young entrepenurs that would be happy to provide this
service & make a few extra shekel. This way no money is wasted on travel to USA & throughout & fancy color brochures & who knows how many thousands of wasted man hours & overhead $$$$ on this segulah enterprise. You know what I mean ?
The owners of Segulas Rashbi are knows to be very pious and trustworthy people, their money goes for the children of the big Tzakid reb Cheskele Mertz zt”l, who sit and learn, and you can read on their website countless stories of people who saw great yeshuos and were helped tremendously.
I didn’t comment on the segula but on the people who take your money & promise they will daven for you or distribute chai rotel for you DONT TRUST THEM i know how they operate from an insider its sad,if you want the segula & belive in it send someone you know or go yourself &distribute it.last year I was there with my family before shkiah around 6.00pm & I had to hold my son on my shoulder for over a hour we were desperitly looking for drinks & couldn’t find any next to the tzion only on our way down did we find a bit to drink,for the amount of money collected all over the wrold & the ads all over the papers it was beyond shocking to me a my family,wishing everyone a lectiga lag baomer
Oh Ok so the (bulk of) the money does not go for beverages but rather to support bnei torah well if that’s indeed true then if it is an efficient tzedakah (meaning that vast majority of the funds (not just a token amount to be yoitzeh) go to the cause not to “overhead” v’hameivin yovin) then it’s indeed a worthy cause as any other torah supporting enetrprise.
I would however be curious since this is a supposed segulah from the heilige Bobbever, if one asked the current Bobever Rebe (either one)
wheather it is a greater sugula to give $72 to Bobever Yeshiva/Bais Hamedresh/Kollel or to Chai Rittel what his response would be.
from what i understand from reading the clip of the sefer it is only after they will have the yeshua that one pays for what he promised to bring, please correct me if i am wrong.
my rebbe once told me dont speculate to much if its a good cause before giving someone tzedaka you dont want to be speculated when you daven for parnasah
Did your rebbe also tell you not to speculate too much before you give (substantial) money for some obscure beverage suglah ?
How about speculating a little ?
This segulah (no not a minhag as some write) comes from a letter the heiligeh Kedushas Zion (Reb Benzion Halberstam of Bobov) wrote to one of his chasidim that needed a yeshuah.
Unfortunatrely people have made a business out of it.
But for someone to say that this segulah doesn’t have a mekor, is simply wrong. If he wants to know the mekor I’ll be more than glad to show it to him.
its terrible to call the Vaad Harabonim a fraud.
They help many people.
What a disgrace
THIS SEGULA IS NOT LIKE MANY OTHERS.
I personally know of people who have been mispallel for a yeshua and then saying that IF THIS REQUEST IS FULFILLED, NEXT YEAR I WILL DONATE CHAI ROTEL.
To me that sounds like a win/win situation. I am not telling anyone to do it, but rather be mivarer if and how it is soppose to be done!
To Pushet Pshat. I am apalled by your accusation. I was also there last year, and there were numerous stations situated inside and outside the tziyon where all one needed to do was push the lever and there was a choice of several flavors of soft-drink flowing freely. And, shamefully, I did not participate in chai rotel, as I should have. These drink stations literally saved my life in the unbearable heat. I think it was Tzidkas Rashbi who provided it.
Anon. 1:03PM What about his (“Moshiach’s) “Temporary Quarters” in Monsey?!
Last I heard, the Central A/C unit gave out, and needs to be replaced (by an energy efficient one)
and the wiring [&plumbing] need an upgrade [badly]!
THE ONLY THING YOU ARE DOING IS MAKING POEPLE THINK THAT THERE ARE NO GOOD ORGANIZATIONS AND THE PEOPLE THAT NEED THEM WILL LOOSE OUT. FIND ONE EXTRA PENNY SPENT BY RCCS, MEKIMI AND PLENTY OTHERS
i am telling you again this two brother are clowns and this is their privet b.s. business . only 10% of it is for your drinking water if you lucky to get it. their is built in sinks with colored water or coffee and milk from other donating 24h.but if you are fine by giving parnasa for this guys so be it, but ask for a legal receipt that you can show the i.r.s. for deduction otherwise it is a easy scam
YOU NEED TO BE VERY CAREFUL WITH THIS CHAI ROTTEL THING. IF YOU DAVEN TO A RABBI SHIMON BEN YOCHAI INSTEAD OF TO HASHEM, YOU HAVE MADE RABBI SHIMOND BEN YOCHAI INTO AN AVODA ZORA. YES. YOU CAN MAKE EVEN A TZADIK INTO AN AVODA ZORA LIKE YAAKOV OVINU DID NOT WANT TO BE BERRIED IN MITZRAIM AND DANIEL WAS WARRIED THAT THEY WOULD MAKE HIM INTO AN AVODA ZORA. YES AND AVODA ZORA CAN WORK.
to anon 12:58 who wrote about buying at a kiosk, obviously u were never in miron if you say that 1/2 a million people could buy at a kiosk thats an half hour walk from the kever. and to LB who wrote that 18 rottle costs $72, you gotta check your prices. three case7 of pepsi dont cost more then 60 shekels. thats about 10-15 dollors for chai rottle…
Thank you 11:03. Absolutely correct. People are so desperate they make a god out of Tzaddikim which is apikorsus. Go and daven at Kivrei Tzadikim to be Mispallel, but don’t make them into a god. That’s only Hashem’s department.
I’m not knocing it chas veshalom but for the amount of $ given to them its a hair of athread that they spend on chai rotel
Did you guys really read the Tamei Haminhogim ?
Read it again……
He writes that he heard from “PEOPLE” (not SAGES) in Eretz Yisroel about this Segulah.
Then he adds that “IF (only if) this will work, they agree to pay (donate) the Chai Rotel.
This whole thing is a Yerushalmi Buba Meiseh, like the rest of their Con Art stuff.
I just bought a sefer on Chai rotel lifee shitas haChazon Ish zt”l.
The segula of the Holy Kedushas Tzion, Rabbi Benzion Halberstam zt”l, is that one should promise to give chai rotel AFTER he had the yeshua. No where is it mentioned to give chai rotel before the yeshua.
I donated $18, then I read this article and asked them to refund my money. Fortunately, my transaction did not go through anyway.
The thing that bothers me is all the advertisements – if they can afford all the ads. then they are making good money from this.
Whether or not they are legitimate, I do not know, however I’m sick of being scammed by frum Jews… if you’re scamming people – you are not a FRUM Jew. Hashem is watching everything you do.
im part of one of these organization, all i know is that every year if u wanna beleive it or not we just end up with a DEBIT! we just continue to do it for the only reason cuz we c lots of people being helped by the segula (& im part of them bh!) we never tell people that reb shimon is the one that can help u! we say bzchus reb shimon shld u b helped! that means tzadid gozer & hashem is mkiam! I myself was there last year & saw all whats going on! people were rescued by getting this water! its boiling hot & by just walking a few stops ur water that u did bring along is nothing worth anymore! these ppl that talk against these organizations r just ppl that r afraid that there somene out there making money!! chai rotel is a true & tried sgulah for many many years! if not there werent b so many ppl going to reb shimon! just knocking down all these wonderful ppl that r trying to help others is a shame! let u b the one trying it & being helped & then ull talk diffrrently.. & for u Devory u may be sure! this is absalutely no scam! & im really delighted that u say that hashem sees everything we do cuz this is what i want! hashem shld look down on his yiddisha kinder & c how much ppl can give away from themselves for other ppl!! noone is forced to try & to donate but its definetly not a segula to knock down other ppl! may we all be blessed with whatever we need BZCHUS REB SHIMON!
sorry meant to say with a debt!
# pushet pshat Says:
comments – arrow my cousin worked for chai rotel last year he couldn’t believe that they took peoples names & didn’t even write it down just took the money.as well as they own 100 apartments in uman & other places with this money,when he asked how can’t you write down the persons name they said be quiet,he quit imm.just because yidden nebach need yeshuus doesn mean this is the solution & have people pocket your money,promise money to a mokum torah a kollel support people who learn torah & you will bezrat hashem have a true yeshua aman kayn yehi rotzon
05-18-2008 – 12:22 PM
TIPPISH!!!
The people serving drinks, or drinking don’t have to keep in mind who’s zechus it is. You donate the Chai Rotel, and have in mind who you want it to be a zechus for. When you put money in the R’ Meir Ba’al HaNes pushka, YOU have in mind who it’s a zechus for. NOT the receipents of the money. GET A LIFE!!
# Anonymous Says:
comments – arrow The segula of the Holy Kedushas Tzion, Rabbi Benzion Halberstam zt”l, is that one should promise to give chai rotel AFTER he had the yeshua. No where is it mentioned to give chai rotel before the yeshua.
05-19-2008 – 7:13 AM
To avoid any confusion give before and after. It can’t hurt!