A growing trend in recent years of placing handwritten notes with personal requests inside or beneath the Chanukah menorah—particularly on Zos Chanukah—is coming under sharp criticism from rabbinic figures, who say the practice has no source, no tradition, and no basis in Torah.
The practice, widely circulated each year on social media and various websites, claims that one should write a note beginning with the verse “Min hameitzar karasi Kah, anani bamerchav Kah,” add one’s name and mother’s name, list personal requests, and then place the note in the menorah after the candles go out. According to the claim, the note is left there until the following Chanukah, when it is opened to see whether the requests were fulfilled.
Rabbinic authorities say the so-called segulah is entirely fabricated.
Rav Chaim Fuchs, head of the Segulas Emes Institute, addressed the phenomenon this week, calling the practice “nonsensical” and stressing that it has no connection to authentic Jewish tradition. He said the idea was invented only in recent years and falsely presented as a spiritual tool. “If a person asks Hashem sincerely, Hashem can answer,” he said, emphasizing that the power lies in tefillah itself, not in placing slips of paper in ritual objects.
Concerns have grown as variations of the practice have emerged, including suggestions to place notes in Pesach utensils after the Yom Tov or even inside the oil cups of the menorah from night to night. Rabbinic figures warn that such trends risk shifting people’s faith away from tefillah and toward superstition, creating the impression that salvation comes from a mechanical act rather than a relationship with Hashem.
Years ago, Rav Reuven Zakaim, head of the Zichron Yaakov Beis Medrash for Halachah and Dayanus, wrote a detailed critique of the practice. He said he researched the matter extensively and found no mention of such a segulah in any authoritative sefer, nor any record of it being taught or endorsed by recognized Torah leaders. “It is entirely new,” he wrote, adding that it was unheard of throughout Jewish history, even dating back to the miracle of the oil itself.
Rav Zakaim acknowledged that while there may not be a formal halachic prohibition against placing a note in a menorah, the practice should not be attributed any spiritual significance. He warned against confusing the essentials of avodas Hashem with practices that lack any authentic source. He cited the irony noted by earlier gedolim that if mitzvos themselves were written up as segulos, people might be more meticulous in observing them.
The issue was also addressed this past week by writer Reb Dovid Daman in the Hebrew Mishpacha magazine. He expressed sympathy for those who followed the practice last year and were left disappointed when their hopes were not realized. Rather than doubling down on an invented ritual, he urged readers to replace it with meaningful tefillah, suggesting the recitation of the entire Sefer Tehillim on Zos Chanukah.
“I don’t promise salvations,” he wrote. “By Hashem, no one stands with a stopwatch. But Tehillim—especially the full sefer recited without interruption—is always a powerful and holy segulah. Tefillos do not return empty.”
Daman said the trend highlights how quickly unfounded practices can spread, especially among people searching desperately for yeshuah. He recounted being offered yet another “new segulah” this year involving placing a request note inside a cup of oil, calling it further proof that such ideas proliferate without restraint.
{Matzav.com}
What if one wraps the said paper with bakoshos around a rusty key, and inserts it in a chalah, then uses the chalah for lechem mishne throughout the year, and burns it with chometz on the following erev Pesach? That has to count for something, right?
It should a major machlokes whether the key and the paper are to be removed prior to incineration, or not.
I hate to say it a lot of the “things” people do are the same.
It’s like saying that Zos Chanuak can Poiel what tzadikim can on Rosh Hashana.
Come on now
Not Rosh Hashana, but neila of Yom Kippur.
Wasn’t every Segula new at some point?
Does any Segula really work?
Has there been a meta study for proof?
I personally put a note under my jelly donut and it really helps!
Maybe “וימאן” should make a over-produced video about this.
No need to knock a wonderful organization that is helping thousands in their growth of yiras shomayim, including myself!
It would seem to be the same idea as a kvitel by the kosel…ohel…ribnitzer….they may be copying this minhag….it may inspire more people to daven.
All our tefilos should be answered for the good!
I’m tired of these fake ideas that fool innocent people. Rabbi Avigdor Miller Ztl when asked about the mekabbalim who take money from the public he jokingly referred to them as miksbalim who are Mekabel your money. You want a segulah to live long it won’t be a sugar cube from a mekubel. It will be what the gemorah says in Brochas to do marba sedra. That these crooks dont tell you. They tell you to give them your money and sprinkle some dust around or walk around your dining room table seven times. All kinds of nonsense. I recall years ago the talking fish and followed by the Israeli dibbuk. How every kid imitated the voice of the dibbuk. One of the messages the dibbuk said was to vote for Shas. What a joke. All along I realized the whole oilem was behind ng taken for a ride. Even The NY Times picked up the story of the talking fish and put it on front page. Now you know for sure it’s a fake.
I simply cannot understand the basis for degrading the placing
of a written Heavenly request under the Chanukah Menorah !
Is placing such a request in the Kosel Maaravi any more worthy ?
So what that it has been a custom so much longer than placing
such a note under the Chanukah Menorah which just now started ?
I wish whoever started that custom success in establishing it.
The idea is very emotionally appealing , especially as the lights are “קודש הם”. But thanks for the clarification.
What about Chanuka gifts, do they have a mekor in halacha?
Chanukah gelt, yes. It was meant to show hakaras hatov to Rebbeim and michanchim etc…Gifts/presents to family/cousins, no. That’s mamesh following the goyim and their lit up tree.
Some of my family members do not give their children Chanukah gifts only Chanukah gelt.
You all want segulas. Don’t talk during davening or leining. Learn Chumash rashi and do marba sedra. Going to a grave of a tzaddik is good but you have to go something instead of going to movies and traveling the world and displaying on instagram. You have to learn Torah on your level,daven with a minyan if your a man and do or support chesed. No loopholes. No shortcuts. Sugar cubes and garlic is for your food not for segulas. Open a Sefer. Sing zmeiris on shabbos with your family. Start having a relationship with Hakodesh Boruch Hu. That’s what mitzvohs are about.
Segulas are for losers.
Yes i know there are many people with serious health,financial and family problems. Sometimes because they are so desperate it’s like a person drowning holding on to a twig even though little twigs cant help. Of course some problems are self made but some we have no choice. You can try and choose a sin in law or daughter in law but you can’t choose your son or daughter. You try your best and you could be the greatest tzaddik but free choice is a gift every human has. And you will find great tzaddikim from not so good people and reverse as well. Health is up to us to a degree but then you can find people who are organic healthy foods and got seriously sick. And you find plenty of smart people struggling to make a living and not so smart people rolling in dough. So when people are desperate they will try anything and everybody. Parents with situations with their kids off the derech etc buy them pet dogs. People with health problems of all sorts will buy expensive oils,rocks and candles to sooty their nerves or pain. Sometimes they go to extremes and even in to questionable eastern health healings that may border on Avodah Zara. I once many years ago allowed this so called mekubel to use my home and I was curious how this worked. I saw a mother coming in a carriage with a child with cancer waiting three nights. Every day she would come but the guy in charge the gabai would only let in the rich semi religious guys with their Mercedes car first. I asked one of these sfardi rich guys what did the mekubel say. He said everything will be alright. Then I thought why didn’t this mekubel tell him to stop smoking. Or at least improve his ruchniyus. I started seeing a pattern of people in desperate situations trying everything. I realized it was all one big scam. A real rabbi who cares about his people should encourage them to learn Torah and set them up with a partner to learn as well. Just taking peoples money and really just scamming them is wrong. This so called mekubel saw a picture of me with certain famous rabbis so he ask me for thirty thousand dollars. I said to myself he has the wrong guy to scam.
It can’t hurt it makes you feel good it’s legal it’ll help me get through the week.