Segulah LiMtzi’at Aveidah — The Prayer for Finding a Lost Object
This is a traditional Jewish segulah — a spiritually potent practice — recited when something has been lost. It combines a passage from the Midrash, an Aramaic invocation of God as the God of Rabbi Meir Ba'al HaNes ('the Miracle Worker'), and a pledge of tzedakah in the merit of that revered sage. The prayer is recited three times, accompanied by a charitable donation. Whether you are Jewish or simply someone who has lost something dear, you are welcome to bring this ancient words of trust before God.
A segulah for finding a lost object: recite the following Midrash three times, and give tzedakah for the elevation of the soul of Rabbi Meir Ba'al HaNes.
Rabbi Binyamin said: All the world is as though blind,
until the Holy One, blessed be He, gives light to their eyes.
From this verse: And God opened her eyes,
and she went and filled the skin with water.
God of Meir, answer me! God of Meir, answer me! God of Meir, answer me!
In the merit of the tzedakah I pledge for the elevation of the soul of Rabbi Meir Ba'al HaNes —
may his merit shield us,
that I may find the lost object I have lost.
Segulah limtzi'at aveidah, lomar sheloshah pe'amim hamidrash veelitet tzedakah lizchut nishmat Rabbi Meir Ba'al HaNes.
Amar Rabbi Binyamin: Kol ha'olam bechezkat sumim,
ad shehaKadosh Baruch Hu me'ir et eineihem.
Min hacha, vayifkach Elohim et eineiha,
vateilech vatimale et hachamat.
Elaha deMeir aneini, Elaha deMeir aneini, Elaha deMeir aneini,
bizchut hatzedakah she'ani noded le'ilui nishmat Rabbi Meir Ba'al HaNes —
zechuto tagen aleinu,
limtzo et ha'aveidah she'abadeti.
Common Questions
Rabbi Meir was one of the great Talmudic sages of the second century CE, a student of Rabbi Akiva. The title 'Ba'al HaNes' — 'Master of the Miracle' — was attached to him based on Talmudic accounts of miracles associated with his name. His tomb in Tiberias, on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, has been a site of pilgrimage and prayer for centuries, and charitable funds bearing his name have long supported Jewish communities in the Land of Israel.
The passage is attributed to Rabbi Binyamin and teaches that all people are, in a sense, like the blind — unable to find their way — until God opens their eyes. The proof-text cited is from Genesis 21:19, where God opens the eyes of Hagar in the desert, and she suddenly sees a well of water she had not seen before. This image of sudden, divinely granted sight gives the prayer its emotional core: we are not searching alone.
A segulah (plural: segulot) in Jewish tradition refers to a spiritually auspicious act, prayer, or practice believed to draw divine help in a particular area of life. It is not magic in the sense of manipulating hidden forces through technique; rather, it is a form of heightened, intentional prayer combined with virtuous action — here, giving to charity. The pledge of tzedakah in honor of a righteous person's soul is itself a meaningful act of faith, not a formula.
In Jewish tradition, giving tzedakah — righteous charity — in honor of the soul of a departed sage is believed to be a spiritual merit that can unlock divine assistance. The idea is that the virtue of the righteous person, combined with the living person's generosity, creates an auspicious channel for prayer. This practice reflects the Jewish belief in the ongoing connection between the living and the souls of the righteous.
Jewish tradition does not specify a fixed amount for this practice; even a small, sincere donation is considered meaningful. Many people give to a charity associated with Rabbi Meir Ba'al HaNes, which traditionally supports poor Jewish communities in Israel, but any worthy cause may be appropriate. The sincerity of the intention matters more than the size of the gift.
There is no halachic (Jewish legal) prohibition against a non-Jewish person reciting this prayer sincerely. The prayer's core plea — that God would open our eyes and help us find what is lost — is a universal human cry, and God is addressed as the universal Creator. That said, the prayer is rooted in specifically Jewish tradition: it invokes a Jewish sage, quotes a Jewish Midrash, and asks for merit through tzedakah in his name. A non-Jewish reader is warmly welcome to pray these words, while understanding they are entering a distinctly Jewish spiritual framework.