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Yalkut Yosef (siman 79 in דין בשר האדם) discusses a minhag brought down by Mar'eh HaYeladim (מערכת ה' אות י) which says:

"it is a segulah for a woman to become pregnant [with a boy] if she takes from the foreskin of a baby [at a brit], dip it in honey, and swallow it".

Leaving aside the discussion of whether this is permissible or not (see the Yalkut Yosef, who struggles to find a side to be lenient, although there are technical reasons that few may say its allowed but certainly not desirable), does anyone know the original source for this minhag and the reasoning thereof?

mevaqesh
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bondonk
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  • related http://judaism.stackexchange.com/q/22632/759 – Double AA Aug 31 '16 at 14:09
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    The reasoning is to get pregnant, as you already noted. Are you asking how that works metaphysically? – Double AA Aug 31 '16 at 14:10
  • I assume an original source will come with a reason. Why not eat a cow's foreskin or fish eggs or animal testes for the same segula... Given that mareh hayeladim is early 20th century I'm sure theres and earlier source, also that (as quoted in yalkut yosef) he doesn't give a specific reason – bondonk Aug 31 '16 at 14:14
  • @bondonk Why do you assume that this is different form any other superstition? They just develop over time. It is generally unknown how they started. Are you just asking for an early source, or are you asking for a discussion of why it should work? – mevaqesh Aug 31 '16 at 15:20
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    I assume it did not involve a double blind clinical trial in which women consumed either real or fake orlot which was then correlated to fertility. – mevaqesh Aug 31 '16 at 15:29
  • It was pretty much only practiced in the non-learned, superstitious circles. See VaYitzbar Yosef Bar (vol. 4, end ch. 6) who was compelled to speak out against this practice because of a Mohel in Israel who suggested this “segula”. He cites the classic authorities who dealt with this “segula” and who strongly opposed it. Even R. Eliyahu Israel who seemed somewhat uncertain of its legitimacy was in no way advocating or permitting the practice but merely seeking halachic justification (or lack of) for consumption of the skin. In any event, it was not only North African rabbanim but Yemenite, – mevaqesh Aug 31 '16 at 15:31
  • Iraqi and many others as well who opposed it. Nevertheless see Shu”t Yeffeh Mareh (Pinchasi, #19) who is dochek to find halachic justification, yet he too strongly advises against it and other such type segulos. || From http://seforim.blogspot.com/2013/01/hakirah-metzitzah-and-more.html. – mevaqesh Aug 31 '16 at 15:31
  • Many such strange segulos are also based on the Mareh HaYeladim of which R. Benzion Aba Shaul believed people should not rely upon today (printed in intro. to Tamim Tiyeh from R. Hillel). – mevaqesh Aug 31 '16 at 15:46
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    This practice sounds a bit gross. Regardless, isn't human non-kosher? How can one eat any part of a human. – DanF Sep 02 '16 at 18:03
  • @DanF maybe this is why the mareh hayeladim suggests putting honey on it! For discussion of issue of eating human flesh (!) read the Yalkut Yosef cited above – bondonk Sep 03 '16 at 21:02

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This custom is is at least ~600 years old, as it is mentioned in a responsum by R. Solomon ben Simon Duran.

Shu"t HaRashbash siman 518

מכל מקום יצא לנו לפי זה איסור למה שנהגו לבלוע ערלת הזכרים שחותכין בעת המילה כדי להוליד הזכרים אבל לדעת התוספות שרי דהא לא מחלפי בבשר בהמה טמאה ולא גרע מדם דגים שכנסו דאית ביה קשקשיון דשרי משום דאית ביה היכרא והכא נמי הכי ומה שכתבתי די לכל מה שנסתפק לך לפי דעתי

He does not mention a reason for this custom, and he asserts that it is forbidden (though permitted according to Tosafos).

Alex
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