Segulot for Shavuot by Rabbanit Yemima Mizrachi
1) Prepare a variety of delicacies. Shavuot is the festival of bread, as it is said: “Without flour, there is no Torah.” Flour represents care and effort, meaning that Torah study requires great dedication and effort.
2) Bake a challah made of four parts (braids), symbolizing the acquisition of knowledge in the four dimensions of Torah: Peshat, Remez, Derash, and Sod. Alternatively, bake the challah in the shape of a ladder with seven rungs, symbolizing the seven weeks of the Omer.
3) Give children sweets in honor of the giving of the Torah.
4) Decorate the home with flowers: “Those planted in the house of the L-rd shall flourish in the courtyards of our G-d.” (Tehillim 92:14)
Through this, His children engaged in Torah study, and their descendants likewise remained attached to the Almighty.
5) On Shavuot, wear beautiful, clean, and festive clothing.
6) Under no circumstances should one become angry, argue, or become upset on Shavuot.
The children should be blessed in the morning while they are still asleep, covering the child’s head with a blanket, symbolizing that Hashem covered Mount Sinai with the Clouds of Glory when the Torah was given.
7) During the reading of the Ten Commandments in the synagogue, pray for health and healing (refuah shleimah). At the moment the Ten Commandments are read, healing descends into our world. Pray for the healing of body and soul.
8) It is essential to hear the reading of the Ten Commandments in the synagogue from the Torah scroll. This is a segula for all circumstances.
9) Pray to find a worthy spouse (zivug).
9) Pray that your children will grow to become Torah scholars who revere the Almighty, and that they will join their lives with Torah scholars and with worthy, modest, G-d-fearing girls from our nation.
A segula from “Bnei Yissachar” is to speak as much Divrei Torah as possible. One should also pray for this when lighting the festival candles.
10) After the meal, pray for shalom bayit in the family, for love and understanding.
11) Men should remain awake all night and study Torah. Women are exempt from this, but every woman should recite Tehillim until she falls asleep, commemorating the fact that King David departed from this world on this day. After reciting Tehillim, say: “Yehi ratzon” for the five sections of Tehillim, corresponding to the five books of the Torah, which descend into every home on this day: Bereishit, Shemot, Vayikra, Bamidbar, and Devarim. It is a great segula to recite the entire book of Tehillim. Those who cannot do so should recite as much as they can until they fall asleep. At that moment, pray and make requests.
12) Send young children to recite the prayers of Tikkun Leil Shavuot with their father. Whoever remains awake on the night before Shavuot has all the bad and forbidden things they saw during the year erased, forgiven, and annulled. Whoever remains awake throughout the night of Shavuot is promised that they will not die during that year—the promise applies to men because of their Torah study during the night, and to women because of their recitation of Tehillim.
(Translated by Ila Tova Schlisser)
