Kosher Kameyos

Rav Avraham of Olynov had the custom of giving out kameyos (amulets) for blessing, protection and salvation to those in need. Many other tzaddikim of the generation were very upset with him for doing so. They assumed that the power of those amulets to bring refuos and yeshuos came from Divine Names or other means of which they disapproved.

Some who had epilepsy, the falling sickness as it was once known, had been healed by Rav Avraham's kameyos, so the tzaddikim asked them to present the amulets for inspection. When the amulets were brought before them and opened, they found that, rather than Divine Names or other Kabbalistic incantations, they contained only scrawled Hebrew letters such as ארח ארש ארי. The rabbanim were visibly relieved. “Those are simply shorthand for the names of the Tannaim that he mentioned while studying Gemara on that day.”

They explained that ארח ארש ארי stood for Amar Rav Chisda, Amar Rav Sheshes, Amar Rav Yochanon. They regretted ever having doubted Rav Avraham or suspected him of wrongdoing.