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There is minhag for pregnant women to bite the pitum of the Esrog on Hoshana Rabbah, as a segula for easy birth.
Does anyone know the reason and source.
Also the Yehi Ratzon to be said with it.
Thanks
The Munkatcher Rebbe Ztzl, Minchas Elozor, in his sefer of minhagim says, in paragraph 796, that the minhag of biting off the pitom has no source in halacho or tradition and should not be done at all. He also says that this minhag was written in the sefer Matoh Efraim but in an older edition it was not found.
In Matoh Efraim printed in 1920 in Warsaw in siman 660 seif 6 it says that the minhag is for pregnant women to bite off the pitom. The reason he says is because there is a shitoh in Chazal that the fruit of the Eitz Hadas was an esrog. Therefore to so to speak atone for that sin that Chava the 1st woman did, a woman bites off the pitom to show that she isn’t happy with what Chava did. So Chava’s punishment of labor pains will be alleviated for her. In Matoh Efraim printed in 1842 in Warsaw it does not appear. In a print of 1923 of KleinVardein it also does not appear.
It’s a segulah, NOT a minhag. The segulah is to have a GIRL and has nothing to do with an easy childbirth. Bas techilah siman yafe lebanim, guarantees you three children minimum over the course of life. So, it’s worth the try!
There is NO Yehi Ratzon, you can add your own heartfelt tefillah that all should go well. It’s like the Yehi Ratzon to have a raise in salary on Rosh Hashanah night!!
Biting the pitum? Feh! Yuck!
Hoshana Raba, being the seventh day of succos, is still succos, so the esrog should still be huktzeh l’mitzva, and thus asur for hana’a. I’ve heard of biting it off (though never with any source) as a segula for having a boy, but after yom tov, not on hoshana raba. Any thoughts on this?
This is too funny. I’ve always heard that biting off the pitum is a Segulah for beautiful children. Pregnant or not.
(Maybe we should all try it this year and we’ll end the Shidduch crisis!! ;-))
Before all of you keep on shooting off and saying complete nonsense that has no source in any sefer,here is the exact language of the Matoh Efraim in the 1920 printing that I mentiobned above:
No where is it mentioned that she will have beautiful children or a boy or a girl.
The word segula is never used although I would think that it should be called a segula. Keep in mind again, although the later printing mentions this minhag, earlier printings don’t have it at all. The Munkatcher Rebbe mentions that clearly, that this is a new “minhag” that has no real source in any halacho seforim or minhag seforim. He clearly calls it a minhag shtus. In general, before you say something here, do some research and don’t blabble nonsense.
theprof1 wrote
“””The Munkatcher Rebbe Ztzl, Minchas Elozor, in his sefer of minhagim says, in paragraph 796,”””
are you referring to Darkei Chaim V’Shalom ??? That sefer was not authored ny the Munkatser Rav ZYA but by a Gabai after the rav’s petira. Another sefer? name please.
Want a great “segula” for an easy, healthy childbirth for mother and child???
More teshuva, more tefila, more tzedaka.
Those acts are more effective than any pitom, kamaiya, or red string.
In Sefer Taamei Haminhogim in simon 815 at the bottom in kuntres achron it says: the minhag is to take the esrog and preserve it with sugar as a jam with esrog slices or pieces. This esrog preserve is then eaten on Tu B’Shvat which is Rosh Hashono for trees. It also says that it’s a minhag to give some esrog to a pregnant woman to ensure that she have an easy labor and delivery. Taamei Haminhagim brings this from sefer Orchos Chaim simon 664 in the name of sefer Yafah LeLev. The “minhag” of biting the pitom is not mentioned by Taamei Haminhagim at all. Anything else I can do for you?
Segulah for a girl? Mrs BP bit, and only produced boys. But they are beautiful, and one is extremely senesitite and caring, so maybe it worked afterall!
I thought its a minhag for shalom bayis
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