Rav Mordechai Eliyahu (a”h) tells us that in a holy Sefer called, “Pri Etz Hadar,” the minhag of the mekubalim is to prepare 4 plates that consist of different varieties of fruits – preferably 4-10 fruits on each plate (not a must).
First Plate: Should consist of fruits that you can eat both the fruit and the peel.
For example: grapes, figs, apples, pears, berries, guyava, etc. We make the following berachah: “Yehi ratzon, she’nihiyeh yafim mi’bachutz ve’yafim mi’bifnim. She’yihiyeh tochi ke’bari.”
Second Plate: Should consist of fruits where the outside is eaten but the inside is thrown away.
For Example: Olives, Dates, Peaches, plum, cherry, mango, etc.
We make the following berachah: “Yehi ratzon, she’nizkeh lehotzi mi’tocheinu et kol ha’devarim she’ein bahem tzorech; kegon – sinah, kinah, atzvut, tacharut, tinah.”
Third Plate: Should consist of fruits that the outside is thrown away but the inside is eaten.
For Example: Pineapple, rimon, walnuts, almonds, pistachios, Pumela, grapefruit, orange, Kiwi, coconut etc.
We make the following berachah: “Yehi ratzon, she’nireh et ha’tov ve’hametikut bechol adam, kolel be’atzmi. Ve’she’nizkeh ladun kol echad le’kaf zechut, ve’lo lirot bo eizeshehu klipah chalilah.”
Fourth Plate: Should consist of the shivat ha’minim –
For example: Wheat, barley, gefen, te’enah (fig), rimon, olives, dates. It is enough to merely look at the various minim. It is not a must to eat them.
Chitah: Ask for peacefulness.
Chitah is a segulah for using your sechel appropriately; for binah, for understanding, and for success in your learning. It’s also a time where you can ask for parnasah. From the chitah, we make bread which is our livelihood and sustenance.
Barley: Ask for shalom bayit.
An isha sotah would bring a korban of a certain amount of barley to her husband as an appeasement for the accusation. And then, she was zocheh to give birth to a boy (ben zachar).
Gefen (Grapes): You can use wine, grape juice, raisins, grape leaves.
Gefen is a segulah for a zivug. It’s not for naught that we sing the words, “Invei ha’gefen be’invei ha’gefen” at a wedding…
Gefen also represents reproduction, just as it states: “Eshtecha ke’gefen poriyah.” Ask for children.
Figs: Ask for patience.
When figs grow, there’s no designated time when they all become ripe and ready for the picking. You have to have the patience to go out and check the trees and each time, take a little at a time, as the tree continues to produce the figs. For this you need patience.
Rimon: The rimon has the color of our lips. Eating a rimon is a segulah to guard our mouth from speaking lashon hara and divrei rechilut.
Olives: You can use olives or olive oil.
Just as the grape leaves don’t fall off the tree, we should ask that our children should never fall too far from our tree. // Eating olives or tasting olive oil is a segulah for children that will be tzadikim…
It’s also a segulah to have a good reputation; to have a shem tov. As it states: Tov shemen, mi’shemen tov.”
In addition, olive oil is a segulah for a good memory – even though eating too many olives creates forgetfulness.
Dates: It’s a segulah for greatness and success.
When a date grows on the tree, its heart faces the heavens. We ask, that ה' should help us be like the date. As we proceed in our avodat kodesh, our heart should always be directed towards HKBH.
In addition, the date is a segulah for health and recovery. The Gemara of Yoma tells us that whoever was sick with an eye infection or diseases, they would feed him the honey of the date tree. Why? Because “Devash me’ir eynav shel adam.”
