Segula in the Merit of Rabbi Mattityahu ben Harash

Segula in the Merit of Rabbi Mattityahu ben Harash

Rabbi Mattityahu ben Harash was a Tanna of the third generation. He was born in Eretz Yisrael, but lived in Rome, where he headed a yeshivah. He was a holy tzadik, held up as an example in “Shmirat Einayim” (guarding one's eyes). This story happened to Rabbi Mattityahu ben Harash, who would always sit in the beit midrash and study Torah. The radiance of his face was like the radiance of the sun, and his appearance was like that of the angels, because he never raised his eyes, lest he look at women. One day, an angel of G-d looked at the tzadik and thought: “Could it be that this man does not sin?” Then the angel of G-d went and asked G-d: “What do You think of Rabbi Mattityahu ben Harash?” G-d replied: “He is a perfect tzadik.” Then the angel of G-d said: “Give me permission to put him to the test.” G-d said to the angel: “Go.” The angel of G-d appeared to the rabbi in the form of a beautiful woman, whose beauty was unrivaled in the world. When the tzadik saw her, he immediately turned away from the woman. The woman then quickly moved to the side toward which Rabbi Mattityahu had turned, and he again turned away from her. The tzadik then thought: “I am afraid that my Yetzer Hara will overcome me and cause me to sin.” What did the tzadik do? He called a student who was there with him and ordered him to bring red-hot nails. The student brought him the nails, and the tzadik blinded himself with them. When the angel of G-d saw this, he trembled and fell down. At that moment, the Holy One, blessed be He, called the angel Raphael, since he is responsible for healing, and said to him: “Go and heal Rabbi Mattityahu ben Harash.” The angel Raphael approached the rabbi and stood before him, but the rabbi asked: “Who are you?” The angel replied: “I am Raphael, an angel. The L-rd sent me to heal your eyes.” Rabbi Mattityahu replied: “Leave me alone. What has been done should remain as it is.” Raphael returned to the Holy One, blessed be He, and said: “Master of the Universe, this is how Mattityahu answered.” The L-rd said to him: “Return to him and tell him that I personally guarantee that the Yetzer Hara will have no power over him.” Immediately, Raphael went and healed Rabbi Mattityahu. (Midrash “Aseret HaDibrot,” 79–80) From this, our Sages teach: “Whoever is careful not to look at women will not be under the power of the Yetzer Hara.” The Arizal teaches that Rabbi Mattityahu ben Harash was the gilgul of a man named Palti ben Laish, to whom King Saul gave his daughter Michal, King David’s wife, because Saul mistakenly believed that their marriage was invalid and that his daughter was unmarried. Palti placed a sword between them in the bed and did not touch her. Nevertheless, he should not have kept her in his home; he should have told King Saul that he did not want to marry her because of her questionable status. Although King Saul was a Torah scholar and Palti Laish was obligated to treat him with respect, it is said: “When the desecration of the Name of the Almighty is involved, one does not show respect to a rabbi.” Furthermore, although Palti did not touch Michal, he nevertheless derived some pleasure from looking at something that did not belong to him, since she sat and lay beside him. He therefore had to rectify this, and was reincarnated as Rabbi Mattityahu ben Harash. When Satan sought to entice him, he resisted and did not even wish to look at the beautiful woman. Both Rabbi Mattityahu ben Harash and Palti ben Laish were sparks of the soul of the righteous Yosef, the son of the patriarch Yaakov. Segula: Light 18 candles in the merit of Rabbi Mattityahu ben Harash, recite Tehillim 86 eighteen times, and ask for whatever you need—it is guaranteed that, be'ezrat Hashem, you will merit miracles. May the merit of the great Tanna and tzadik Rabbi Mattityahu ben Harash protect our people!   The Mekubalim believe that the Tanna Rabbi Mattityahu ben Harash was the gilgul of Yosef HaTzadik, the son of the patriarch Yaakov, and that he also excelled in “Shmirat Einayim” (guarding one's eyes). His teachings are mentioned in “Pirkei Avot” 4:15: “Be the first to greet everyone you meet on the street,” and “It is better to be the tail of a lion than the head of a fox.”   (from the book “Ahavat Chaim” by Chacham Menachem Menashe on Shemot, Midrash “Yalkut Shimoni,” Vayechi 161)