Rabbi Chaim Palagi zy"a — the “Moed LeKol Chai”
Rabbi Chaim Palagi zy"a (5548–5628, Izmir in Turkey) was among the greatest Sephardic rabbanim and sages of his generation—an immense posek across all areas of halachah and a holy kabbalist. He stood at the head of the Sephardic community in Izmir, served as a dayan, and authored dozens of works in halachah, aggadah, and derash. Among his well-known sefarim: “Chaim VeShalom,” “Kaf HaChaim,” and especially “Moed LeKol Chai” — the book of halachot and customs for the festivals of the year, in which the holy segula we are dealing with is found.
“And give them to a poor and humble talmid chacham” — the Erev Shavuot segula
The tzaddik Rabbi Chaim Palagi zy"a writes in his holy sefer “Moed LeKol Chai”:
“Erev Shavuot — he should set aside Tza (91) prutot and complete it to the measure of twice Ben (52). And give them to a poor and humble talmid chacham. And it is a tikkun for the sin of Adam HaRishon, for the Sin of the Golden Calf, and for pgam habrit. And it is a segula for those yearning for children and for hastening the Geulah (Redemption). It is a Torah mitzvah to give tzedakah, and especially on festivals, in order to gladden the hearts of the poor.”
Why specifically 104?
The number 104 is the gematria of twice the name “Ben (52)” (52 + 52 = 104) — one of the names of the Holy One, blessed be He, expressing the sefirah of Malchut, the Shechinah. Tza (91) prutot is the gematria of the Tetragrammaton (26) together with Adnut (65), expressing a supernal unification between the Holy One, blessed be He, and His Shechinah. This sum is not a dry coin—it is a precise spiritual tikkun, a kabbalistic calculation aimed at opening the channels of shefa (divine flow) on every level.
Three supernal tikkunim that the segula brings
- A tikkun for the sin of Adam HaRishon — the primal blemish that brought about all the descents that followed
- A tikkun for the Sin of the Golden Calf — the national blemish of the people of Israel at the time of receiving the Torah
- A tikkun for pgam habrit — the personal blemish that holds back the growth of spiritual and material shefa (divine flow)
And in the merit of these three tikkunim—the channel opens for salvations on every level: viable offspring, a worthy shidduch, parnassah with abundance, and above all—hastening the complete Geulah.
The tzaddik who spread the segula
Rabbi Chaim Palagi was born in Izmir in the year 5548 (1788) and passed away in the year 5628 (1868) — a great leader in Torah and deeds who merited to see tens of thousands of students. He authored his sefer “Moed LeKol Chai” during the years he served as head of the beit din and the final posek of Izmir. It is told of gedolei Yisrael from all circles who adopted the segula for themselves, and of those yearning for children and for a shidduch who merited an open salvation after fulfilling it. This year, the segula becomes alive and breathing in the courtyards of Shuvu Banim throughout the Land and the world.
Erev Shavuot 5786 — this year
Erev Shavuot will fall this year on Thursday, 5 Sivan 5786 (21 May 2026). This is the auspicious time to fulfill the segula. The leading talmidei of our teacher the HaGaon HaTzaddik Rav Eliezer Berland shlit"a instructed this year to fulfill the segula through "Shuvu Banim" — to support the avreichim of the holy community who learn Torah with mesirut nefesh מתוך poverty and true lowliness, literally in the aspect of “a poor and humble talmid chacham” as Rabbi Chaim Palagi zy"a wrote.
May it be His will
that the merit of the tzaddik Rabbi Chaim Palagi zy"a stand for you — that you all merit children who are talmidei chachamim, a worthy shidduch, parnassah with abundance, strong health, and the complete Geulah, swiftly and in the near time. Amen.
