We begin the study of the work Zera Shimshon on Megillat Shir HaShirim. Before delving into the text itself, it is fitting to provide a brief overview of its author. It is written in holy works that before studying a book, one must know and become acquainted with its author, and the Chazon Ish writes that the Jewish people must know the heart of their sages - to know who the Torah scholar is from whom one receives Torah. One does not receive Torah from just anyone, and it is essential to know who he was and the nature of his greatness. We will first discuss the author of the Zera Shimshon and his era, then his works, and finally the unique segulah associated with studying his writings, which has sparked a major resurgence in studying this work over recent decades.
Who Was the Author of the Zera Shimshon?
The author of the Zera Shimshon is Rabbi Shimshon Chaim Nachmani, who lived between the years 5466 and 5539 (1706 - 1779), approximately seventy-three years, nearly three hundred years ago. He was an Italian Jewish rabbi and Torah author who served in the rabbinate in the communities of Modena, Siena, and Reggio Emilia in Italy. He was the grandson of Rabbi Yehudah Matzliach Padova, the rabbi of the Modena community.
His teachers were Rabbi Ephraim HaKohen in Modena, Rabbi Binyamin HaKohen Vitali in Reggio Emilia, and in Mantua the Kabbalists Rabbi David Finzi and Rabbi Aviad Sar-Shalom Bazila. These names mean little to us today because they were not widely popularized through works studied across Klal Yisrael, but mainly among Kabbalists, and are therefore less familiar to us.
Incidentally, this is an intriguing phenomenon seen repeatedly: when examining very famous Torah giants, one often finds in the approbations (haskamot) they received for their works that those granting the approbations were even greater than them - for one does not seek an approbation from someone of lesser stature - yet we do not know the signatories, while the author is famous. Anyone looking at the approbations printed in the works of the Chafetz Chaim will see that some of the rabbis who endorsed his works are unfamiliar today, whereas who does not know the Chafetz Chaim? This teaches us that enduring renown generally comes through the work that is published and spreads through the beit midrash: the Mishnah Berurah, Shemirat HaLashon, and the like. Through this, an author becomes renowned far beyond rabbis who were giants in their own right but did not leave behind spiritual treasures for posterity in the form of published works, and so remained less known to future generations.
His Greatness, Students, and Halachic Approach
Rabbi Shimshon Chaim was renowned as proficient in all areas of the Torah, both revealed and esoteric (nigleh and nistar). He taught many students, among them Rabbi Yisrael Binyamin Bassan, son of Rabbi Yeshayahu Bassan (the Mahari Bassan), as well as his nephew Rabbi David Zakkut, who was one of Italy's greatest rabbis and a famous Kabbalist. He served in rabbinical positions in several Italian cities, including Modena and Siena, and was the chief rabbi of the Jewish community of Reggio Emilia.
In halachah, he adopted a stringent approach. His view was that leniencies stem from the side of impurity, and he therefore tended toward stringency. Incidentally, this is the approach of the Kabbalists; the holy Arizal states that one whose soul inclines toward leniencies exhibits a sign that his soul is flawed. That is to say, when a person is told what the halachah is, and he immediately asks, "Wait, isn't there anyone who is lenient on this?" - regarding this, the Arizal said it is a sign that his soul is flawed. This does not mean that one is obligated to be stringent, but rather that one who adopts stringency demonstrates the purity of his soul, while one who constantly searches for leniencies reveals a flaw in his soul.
He also composed sacred poetry, and some of his poems were published by his students. Among other works, he composed a poem in honor of the wedding of the Ramchal.
"Zera Shimshon" - The Name That Reveals Everything
Here we arrive at the matter of the segulah. The Rav had an only son, who passed away during his lifetime. The Rav was thus left without name or remnant, and he therefore named his books as his legacy: Zera Shimshon ("The Seed of Shimshon") - I have no offspring, this is my seed; Toldot Shimshon ("The Generations of Shimshon") - I have no descendants, these are my offspring. And he promised that whoever studies his works will merit extraordinary blessings and salvations, as we will soon see in his own words.
The Chida mentions him in his work Shem HaGedolim, writing that he heard he was proficient in practical Kabbalah (kabbalah ma'asit), and that he instructed that all his writings be buried with him in his grave. Apparently, this referred to his Kabbalistic manuscripts and not to his works of peshat that are accessible to all, since with Kabbalistic texts there is concern that people might take them and attempt to utilize practical Kabbalah. The Rav was buried in the city of Reggio Emilia in Italy, where he served in the rabbinate; thirty years later, his remains were transferred to another cemetery, and since then his resting place has been lost and remains unknown today.
His Sefarim
His works include: Toldot Shimshon on Tractate Avot, printed in Livorno in 5526 (1766); Zera Shimshon on the Five Books of the Torah and the Five Megillot, printed in Mantua in 5598; and Korban Ketoret, a collection of his liturgical poems, which was not printed in his lifetime aside from a lengthy kinah for Tisha B'Av. We begin the study of the Zera Shimshon on the Five Books of the Torah and the Five Megillot, opening with Shir HaShirim, which is one of the Five Megillot.
The Title Page from the First Edition
The work before us is Zera Shimshon HaMevo'ar, an elucidated edition designed to explain the words of the author of the Zera Shimshon and make them more accessible. After all, the author was a brilliant Torah sage who wrote some three hundred years ago, and his style is dense and requires elucidation. We will study the text at its foundation, as it is our custom to study the words as originally written rather than relying solely on commentaries, occasionally incorporating elucidations to clarify the matter.
And this is the text of the title page, transcribed from the first edition from the year 5598: 'Zera Shimshon, composed by the wondrous sage whose springs of wisdom spread outward, whose renown is known in the gates through his dissemination of Torah in the cities of Modena, Pisa, and Siena, and whose light of Torah currently shines in the holy community of Reggio - may God protect it. He is the author of the work Toldot Shimshon on Tractate Avot, who speaks words toward the Most High in his wisdom and upright, wholesome analytical depth, the great rabbi, our master and teacher, Rabbi Shimshon Chaim, son of the sage Rabbi Nachman Michael Nachmani, of blessed memory in the World to Come.'
From the Publisher's Foreword
The publisher begins: 'Let the heavens rejoice and the earth exult; may the soul and spirit of our master, Shimshon Chaim son of Rabbi Nachman Michael Nachmani, of blessed memory, rejoice and delight, that his lips may move in accordance with his wish and petition through the Torah insights he authored in his lifetime, so that they may be counted as children for him, as he wrote tearfully in the introduction to his book. And may those who study who are alive and well rejoice, fulfilling his wish and supplication' - namely, through our study of his works - 'and eagerly anticipating all of his blessings.' He adds that they published the work elucidated with a proper and fitting explanation accessible to all, to facilitate the study and comprehension of our master's words without obstacle or hindrance.
He relates the story of an organization called 'Mafteach Shel Banim' (Key of Children), which assists couples facing the painful trial of waiting for children (zera shel kayama). Through Divine Providence, they came to learn of the auspicious work Zera Shimshon. The one presenting the foreword is Rabbi Yisrael Silberberg, who recounts that this initiative was revived by his father, the venerable Torah scholar Rabbi Yitzchak Yosef Silberberg, one of the Roshei Yeshivah of Ohel Shimon Erlau, who strongly recommended publicizing to those awaiting salvation that they immerse themselves in the teachings of the author of Zera Shimshon and thereby merit his blessings and promises.
He continues and wonders: even though the holy author, who was not survived by children, pleaded that people study his work for the merit and elevation of his soul, and even added lavish blessings in full measure for those who do so, the work was not widely known or sought after as a source of segulah. One would have expected it to be universally renowned; evidently, however, the book was waiting for our generation - a generation seeking segulot - when a renewed awakening to study it took hold. 'And after search upon search, we found that which our soul loves: a magnificent work, replete and overflowing with homilies sweeter than fine gold and pearls, blossoms and flowers arranged upon the weekly Torah portions and the Five Megillot, blended with the words of Chazal in the Gemara and Midrashim and their early commentators, as well as the words of the holy Zohar and our masters the Kabbalists, uprooting mountains and grinding them together with incisive reasoning, skillfully resolving every difficult point, revealing an illuminating countenance in Torah, inspiring and kindling the heart with pleasant mussar, such that anyone who sees it proclaims, "Barkai!"' - an expression denoting radiance, splendor, and beauty.
Actual Salvations
The publisher recounts that they initially distributed the work among the members of their group - a fellowship of couples who gave one another strength through the prolonged wait for children - 'and with our own eyes we witnessed salvations, being blessed with enduring offspring among many friends of the group,' foremost among them their friend and partner, one of the leaders of 'Mafteach Shel Banim,' Rabbi Zechariah Davies, who merited salvation after establishing a regular study session in this auspicious work.
A story took place just recently along these lines. A dear individual, one of the sponsors of these sefarim who works actively for the cause, shared: 'I have a story from today that sends shivers down my spine.' A kabbalist and talmid chacham from Yeshivat Beit El - the yeshivah of Rabbi Nissim Peretz, of blessed memory - had been childless for fifteen years. Not only did he have no children, but he had visited every possible specialist, and they all told him: 'Not only do you not have children, you will never have children; naturally speaking, it is impossible for you to father a child.' He was told about this segulah of studying the sefer Zera Shimshon. He studied the sefer for a year, and a son was born to him on the very yahrzeit of the author of the Zera Shimshon. That very day, that same individual reached out with awe: 'I tell you with chills, today a son was born to him, after fifteen years during which the doctors insisted he would never have a child.'
From here we see that we do not live by their word, and one should not be alarmed by all sorts of doctors' declarations - that this one will live only halfway, or that one will die, and the like. Hashem is the One Who decrees life, and He is the One Who decrees viable offspring, livelihood, marriage matches, and all matters. "Permission was given to the physician to heal" - as the holy books write: permission was not given to the physician to cause despair. Therefore, one should not be perturbed by their words; we have a great God in Heaven, we trust in Him and pray to Him, and we also have wondrous segulot and great, holy tzaddikim who plead on our behalf.
Following this, they decided to publish and print the book. A well-known weekly Parashah leaflet was also launched under the name "Nifla'ot Shimshon", a Thursday night kollel was established for regular study of the book, and the work was printed in prestigious editions, accompanied by clear explanations and commentary.
Why an Elucidation Was Needed
The publisher continues: Once the book became widely accessible, many asked, "Who will show us good?", for studying it does not come easily - both because of its style of phrasing, which is unfamiliar to the general public, and because of the depth of its original insights and ideas, especially since his words are founded upon the teachings of Chazal and early authorities scattered throughout all parts of the Torah. He relies on the student to already know the foundations and sources of which he speaks; but one who studies and is unfamiliar needs someone to lay out the fundamentals before him. At times our master presents them with extreme brevity, thereby adding difficulty for learners who wish to taste the sweetness of his upright words and gather from his sweet fruits. Therefore, they created this work elucidating his teachings.
"We approach the holy ark in awe and reverence," he writes, "knowing the immense stature of his wisdom and understanding. He is fitting for his name, and his name is fitting for him, for he led several communities and yeshivot and raised many disciples; he uprooted mountains with his analytical depth and was great in his wondrous breadth of knowledge, as well as the intensity of his holiness and profound piety, to the point that our revered master the Chida testified about him that he was proficient in the deepest secrets and even in practical Kabbalah."
And he adds: Go and learn from the lofty praises written about him by his uncle, his mother's brother, in his approbation to the book Toldot Shimshon, regarding his greatness in Torah and piety. Among his words he wrote: "A master in wisdom, whose wisdom cries out in the street" (in the manner of "Wisdom cries aloud in the open"), "a master in Torah, and for his Torah the distant isles yearn" - eager to hear his Torah, "a master in prophecy" - for a sage is superior to a prophet, "these are his mighty acts, and he shall be called holy with every manner of sanctity, and he shall be called Kiddusha Rabba" - meaning a great holy man, a poetic play on the morning Shabbat Kiddush, "his praise is in the congregation of the pious, his attribute is that of a man of God, adorned with noble traits in action and study; he magnifies his Torah and glorifies it, exalted, raised up, and towering ever higher, bearing and producing fruit, becoming a mighty cedar, 'from him is the cornerstone, from him the peg'" - meaning that everything depends on him.
And here one must reflect: all these words of praise were uttered by his uncle three hundred years ago. This was not like our day, when the pen flows very freely with praise and accolades; rather, this was a generation that weighed their words meticulously and did not write things merely for poetic flourish.
And our master himself testified concerning the purpose of his Torah insights, as he wrote in his ethical will: "My deepest thought is that I do not want any eulogy sermon," I do not want under any circumstances any other praise, except that I had a good will to teach, a good will to benefit the public, and a good will to innovate true insights - and that is all; beyond this, write no praises about me. Concerning this, the publisher remarks: Our intellect is too limited to comprehend, and how can we come after the king and claim to have grasped the depth of his intention and all that he intended to incorporate in his commentary? Rather, we did as much as was within our grasp, attempting to explain his words.
The Author's Blessings and Promises
Let us turn now to the blessing and promise of the author, Rabbeinu Shimshon Chaim Nachmani, in his plea and supplication in the introduction to his books. These are quotations of his words: "For the sake of my brothers, my companions, and my disciples, let them carry my name upon their lips, and may my name be remembered for good in their mouths after my death, as with ten expressions of prayer I plead before them, and may the Master of reward repay in the best manner, with long life and abundant sustenance to those who perform kind deeds." Ten expressions of prayer - Chazal teach that there are ten expressions of prayer: pleading, praying, crying out, and the like. With these he pleads before us, praying that the Master of reward repay with long life and abundant sustenance those who perform good deeds of kindness.
And elsewhere he requests: "As I plead before them with ten expressions of prayer to select the choice portion of these novel insights that finds favor in their eyes, and especially after my death, for their study will revive my spirit, delight my soul, and merit my neshamah; and it shall be considered righteousness for them, and their righteousness shall endure forever, to eat in this world and be satisfied in the World to Come, and the Master of reward will pay in this merit a good reward to those who perform true lovingkindness, with the finest of three: children, life, and sustenance." That is to say: from what you study in my books, I promise you both in this world and in the World to Come. "Bemutav telata" ("the finest of three") is a poetic phrase, borrowing from the legal expression "bemutav telata amina", and his meaning here is that they will merit three things: children, life, and sustenance.
And yet another place where the Rav wrote on this matter: "Now, my brothers, companions, loved ones, and acquaintances, the seed blessed of Hashem - do you not possess seed? Light is sown for tzaddikim like you; please, I beg of you, sow for yourselves charity and reap according to true lovingkindness, for great is the measure of the repayment of grace and kindness and abundant peace from Heaven, and your eyes shall see children and grandchildren like olive shoots around your table, wise and discerning, and houses filled with all good things." Here we have a promise of children, a promise of livelihood: "Both wealth and honor will never cease from your descendants, until there is fulfilled in you: 'They shall see the glory of Hashem, the splendor of our God,' and He will raise a banner to the nations and gather the dispersed seed of Israel speedily in our days, Amen."
The Segulah Operates on Every Level
In fact, one should know that the segulah of studying the Zera Shimshon works across all areas, for whatever a person may request, and people have witnessed extraordinary salvations through it. Regarding finding a suitable match as well, there is a well-known and famous account: thirteen young men who learned Zera Shimshon on a regular basis, and within a single year, ten of them were engaged. Whoever wishes can look at the end of the book, in the section titled Gevurat Shimshon, where many stories are recounted - and this is only the tip of the iceberg, as accounts continue to multiply and spread regarding the immense and remarkable salvations brought about through the study of this work.
In our study, we must first and foremost intend to learn Torah simply because Hashem commanded us to do so. A person must realize that Torah study must be l'shem Shamayim (for the sake of Heaven) - we learn because this is what Hashem commanded. Yet this does not prevent the Holy One, blessed be He, from bestowing upon us an abundance of blessing as an outgrowth of that Torah study, and each person may silently pray and make their requests before Hashem, may He be blessed.
There is another crucial point, one which the author himself emphasizes: he never says, "I will give," but rather, "their righteousness will endure forever," "and the Master of recompense will repay on account of this," "and the Master of recompense will repay with the best" - the entire promise depends on the Master of recompense. Heaven forbid that anyone think he himself gives anything; rather, "I will pray for you just as I pray for my own children and offspring, since I have no other descendants, and through this, the Master of recompense is the One Who will repay." This is a foundational principle to always bear in mind, even when visiting the gravesites of tzaddikim: we do not pray to the tzaddik nor ask anything directly of the tzaddik, but rather we ask Hashem to act in the merit of the tzaddik, or we ask the tzaddik to intercede on our behalf. Under no circumstances should one say, "Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, save me!" nor "Author of the Zera Shimshon, save me!" Rather: "May Hashem save me in the merit of the segulah that the author promised to those who study his book."
The Poetic Style of the Introduction
Later in the book comes an introductory discourse (Hakdamat Milin) by the author. It is very lengthy, and not only lengthy, but written in exceptionally difficult language, so much so that modern publishers had to place a small letter next to almost every sentence with a footnote below to explain what the author is referring to. The reason is that earlier scholars, particularly the great sages of Italy and subsequent generations, and especially among Sephardic scholars, were accustomed to writing in melitzah - an ornate, poetic style woven from fragments of verses and rabbinic sayings. Only an accomplished Torah scholar and master of the texts can discern what the words allude to; anyone else will fail to grasp the meaning of the expression.
A brief example from the introduction illustrates this: "The foundation of the Torah and its glorious splendor treads uprightly upon the vault of heaven, clouds are a concealment to Him for a man whose way is hidden, with desire, with a kiss, with cleaving, who is diligent in study along the pathways of the river of knowledge, its end is wedged in the initial thought, to make Jacob level and the ridges into a valley, calling understanding a kin, to return truthful words his palate will utter," and so on. Every such clause is a quotation from elsewhere; in its original context it carries a specific meaning, while here it is woven in to express the author's own thought. It was common practice among earlier generations to write introductions in this style. However, the introduction here is very lengthy, and there is no need to dwell specifically on it; we will therefore bypass it and proceed directly to the study of the book itself, to its Torah insights.
In summary: Rabbi Shimshon Chaim Nachmani, author of the Zera Shimshon, was an Italian genius and Kabbalist from some three hundred years ago. Bereaved of his only son, he named his works after the offspring and legacy he did not leave behind. In his prefaces, he implores us with ten expressions of prayer to study his books and mention his name, promising that the Master of recompense will reward the learners with the best: children, life, and livelihood, and blessing in both this world and the World to Come. In our generation, this segulah has been rediscovered, and extraordinary salvations have been seen through it, both in having viable children and in finding matches, provided we always remember that the Giver is the Holy One, blessed be He, alone, and that the intent of our study is first and foremost for the sake of Heaven, because Hashem so commanded. From here, we begin the study of his Torah commentary on Megillat Shir HaShirim.