The Secret of 104: Gematria, Kabbalah, and the Inner Meaning of Rabbi Chaim Palagi zy"a’s Segulah for Erev Shavuot

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Why specifically 104? The question every owner of “Moed LeKol Chai” answers

When Rabbi Chaim Palagi zy"a instructs us to set aside “Tza (91) prutot and complete it to the measure of twice Ben (52)” — a total of 104 — this is not a random number. Every word in the segulah, every single prutah, is a precise kabbalistic calculation. Let’s dive deeper.

The Name Ben — one of the four Names of HaKadosh Baruch Hu

In the Torah of sod, four primary Names of Hashem correspond to four upper sefirot: the Name Av (72) to Chochmah, the Name Sag (63) to Binah, the Name Mah (45) to Zeir Anpin (Tiferet), and the Name Ben (52) to Sefirat Malkhut — which is the holy Shechinah, Knesset Yisrael. The gematria of “Ben” is 52 (ב=2, ן=50 — in full spelling Ben). This Name expresses the portion of Knesset Yisrael in the upper worlds: it is the channel that receives the shefa (divine flow) from the three sefirot above it and passes it into this world.

Twice Ben — Ben male and Ben female

Rabbi Chaim Palagi instructs: 52 × 2 = 104. Two Ben. Why doubled? The answer: in every zivug, in every birth, in every revelation of shefa (divine flow) — there must be a unification of “male and female.” There is an upper Ben of Zeir Anpin when it unites with the lower Ben of Nukva (the Shechinah). Twice Ben expresses the completeness of this unification. And therefore the segulah helps specifically those who are “hoping for children” — because the birth of a son in this world is the reflection of the unification of the upper Ben. And so too with zivug: every zivug in this world is an echo of the zivug of Ben.

Tza (91) prutot — unifying the Tetragrammaton and Adnut

Why do we begin with 91 prutot (Tza (91)) and only afterward complete it to 104? The answer is known to all mekubalim: 91 = the Tetragrammaton (26) + Adnut (65). This is the central kabbalistic unification — the unification of the Names of HaKadosh Baruch Hu. Each time a person fulfills a mitzvah with kavanah, he unites Y-H-V-H with A-D-N-Y. The first Tza (91) prutot create this unification. Completing it to 104 (= 91 + 13, where 13 = “Echad”) adds the oneness of the first: “Hashem is One.”

104 = preparation for Matan Torah

Why specifically Erev Shavuot? Because Shavuot is the day of Matan Torah, the day when Hashem is revealed to Am Yisrael. To receive the Torah, one needs a fitting vessel — and this vessel is built through tikkun of pgam habrit (Yesod), the Sin of the Golden Calf (the foundation of the public), and the sin of Adam HaRishon (the foundation of creation). The segulah of 104 repairs precisely these three foundations. Erev Shavuot = the final hour of preparation for receiving the Torah. And as Chazal said, “you shall sanctify yourselves” — the three days before Matan Torah were days of preparation, the vessel able to receive the revelation.

Additional gematriot of 104

• “Dikdek” (ד=4, ק=100) — to say that one must be meticulous in mitzvot, and then merits all the blessings.
• “Matzok” (מ=40, צ=90, ו=6, ק=100... another option) — from 104 it also hints to drawing out the shefa (divine flow) from the straits of troubles.
• “Gan Eden” + 1 (Gan=53, Eden=124, but there are different hints) — teaches that the segulah opens for a person the gates of Gan Eden.

Many gematriot, but one message: 104 is a number of opening gates — gates of birth, gates of zivug, gates of parnassah, and especially — gates of Geulah (Redemption).

Additional background on the segulah and the instruction of the great talmidei chachamim of our teacher the Rav Rav Berland shlit"a to fulfill it this year through Shuvu Banim — appears inthe opening article of the series.

Fulfill the segulah this year — and receive Torah מתוך purity

Now that you know the kabbalistic secret behind the segulah, you can fulfill it with the proper kavanah. Every prutah you give, every shekel of the 104 — is a tremendous spiritual act that prepares you for kabbalat haTorah this year. When you stand at Matan Torah 5786, you can intend: the merit of Rabbi Chaim Palagi zy"a and the merit of this segulah — should stand for me, to draw HaKadosh Baruch Hu close to my heart, and to draw my heart close to His Torah.

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May it be His will

that the merit of the tzaddik Rabbi Chaim Palagi zy"a, and the merit of the secrets of Torah hidden within the 104 segulah, stand for all of Klal Yisrael on Erev Shavuot 5786 — to receive the Torah מתוך purity, love, and awe, and to soon see with our own eyes the complete Geulah, amen.