Talmudic discourse 9 (Judaism, astrology, mozel tov, and mysticism)

 

 Shalom Y'all:


Rav Abrams: Magic is important in Judaism.

 

Rav Segal: By the definition of magic as sorcery it doesn't belong in the tenets of Judaism. Let us agree to call it mysticism or in some cases even 'sleight of hand.'

 

 Rav Abrams: Anyone who doesn't think so is sadly
misinformed.

 

Rav Segal: We are disagreeing on semantics, not on practical usage. I am misinformed on many things, and have an open mind. If G!d is omniscient, how much knowledge is left there for me? So, I plead ignorance. Basically G!d wants me be to be happy joyous and free. So, I am not sad when I find that I need to learn something or discard an old thought and substitute a new one.

 

Rav Abrams:  Please check out Joseph Naveh and Shaul Shaked's Magic
Spells and Formulae:  Aramaic Incantations of Late Antiquity or
Scholastic Magic:  Ritual and Revelation in Early Jewish Mysticism by
Michael D. Swartz.How about Aaron's flowering rod?  If that's not magic, I don't know
what is.  Or Moses' hands being held up during the battle, how about
that? This reminds me of the time we toured Beit Alpha synagogue (5th c.
C.E.) in Israel.  The guide carefully described the panel of the
Akeidah and that of the Temple symbols.  When I asked about the
astrological panel (the largest by far) he said, "Oh, that's just
decoration."  Please.

 

Rav Segal: I too was at the Beit Alpha ancient synagogue on Lake Kenneret.

 

The Zodiac signs were not there for decoration and of course, Rabbi Abrams you knew your guide was misguiding.

 

 Judaism survived because of its methods of synchronicity, taking something from a religion before it, and using it, but giving it a Judaic spin.

 

Astrology was a major influence in Babylon and the rabbis did not shy away from it. Since this is a Talmudic class, Rabbi Johanan mentions it in, and in a negative vein, in the Babylonian Talmud (Shabbat 156a): "Israel is immune from planetary influence," basing his view on the verse in Jeremiah 10:2, "Thus said the Lord, learn not the way of the nations and be not dismayed at the signs of the heavens."

 

However, the zodiac is  mentioned in the Talmud and  in Jewish sources in Sefer Yezirah (the earliest extant Hebrew text of systematic, speculative thought, with discussions of a distinctively mystical nature; written sometime between the 3rd and 6th centuries), where the names given to the 12 signs are direct Hebrew translations of the Latin names. A later publication, the Yalkut Shimoni (best known and most comprehensive anthology of midrashim, dating somewhere around the 12th-13th century) associates the 12 signs of the zodiac with the 12 tribes of Israel. In a medieval Midrash on the festivals of the year (Pesikta Rabbati), a passage occurs which explains the names of the signs homiletically in accordance with Jewish history.

Although around the 15th century we find the zodiac signs illustrating hymns related to the Prayer for Rain recited on Shemini Azeret, these hymns were excluded from most modern mahzorim (special holiday prayer books.) Today, the only Jewish context where we find the signs of the zodiac is in calendars.

Chronology was a chief consideration in the study of astronomy among the Jews; sacred time was based upon the cycles of the Sun and the Moon. The Talmud identified the twelve constellations of the zodiac with the twelve months of the Hebrew calendar.  The correspondence of the constellations with their names in Hebrew and the months is as follows:

1. Aries - aleh - Nissan With this ram being identified as the Pascal lamb.
2. Taurus - Shor - Iyar
3. Gemini - Teomim - Sivan
4. Cancer - Saron - Tammuz
5. Leo - Ari - Av
6. Virgo - Betulah - Elul
7. Libra - Moznayim - Tishrei With the scale being identified with G!d's judging us on Yom Kippur.
8. Scorpio - 'Arab - Cheshvan
9. Sagittarius - asshat - Kislev
10. Capricorn - Gedi - Tevet
11. Aquarius - D'li - Shevat
12. Pisces - Dagim - Adar

The first three are in the East, the second three in the South, the third three in the West, and the last three in the North; and all are attendant on the sun. According to one account, in the first three months (spring) the Sun travels in the south, in order to melt the snow; in the fourth through sixth months (summer) it travels directly above the earth, in order to ripen the fruit; in the seventh through ninth months (autumn) it travels above the sea, in order to absorb the waters; and in the last three months (winter) it travels over the desert, in order that the grain may not dry up and wither.

According to one conception, Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius face northward; Taurus, Virgo, and Capricornus westward; Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius southward; and Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces eastward. Some scholars identified the twelve signs of the zodiac with the twelve tribes.

The four solstices (the Te'ufot of Nissan, Tammuz, Tishrei, and Tevet) are often mentioned as determining the seasons of the year; and there are occasional references to the rising-place of the sun ('Er. 56a). Sometimes six seasons of the year are mentioned (Gen. R. xxxiv. 11), and reference is often made to the receptacle of the sun by means of which the heat of the orb is mitigated (Gen. R. vi. 6, and elsewhere). The Moon was also a part of the calendar: "The moon begins to shine on the 1st of the month; its light increases until the 15th, when the disk is full; from the 15th to the 30th it wanes; and on the 30th it is invisible" (Ex. R. xv. 26).

But with all of these, [and I can write pages upon pages about Talmudic Judaism and astrology], but will end it with our blessing of Mozel Tov, meaning "good constellations," and is a direct blessing of the pagan Babylonians our Talmudic rabbis lived among, Judaism always put the spin of the Divine, mystical if you will, but never magical (magi or magus meaning sorcery).

Regarding Aaron's flowering rod of Numbers 17;21: Let us review the text. Korach just staged a messy unsuccessful rebellion. More than 14 thousand Hebrews were smote. The rest were scared to death. And were still kvetching. And G!d says to Moses that every tribal leader should bring his rod, and leave it over night, and the rod that blossoms, will be the leader (spiritual) and the kvetching better stop or there will be more smoting. Aaron's rod represented Levi.

And these rods were kept over night. Unwatched. And Aaron's rod bloomed a bud with almonds. Magic? No, at best a work of G!D appointing Aaron and his descendants as priests. At worst, sleight of hand sticking a flower bud and an almond into symbolic phallic looking rod with bud (lingam) over night, signifying power.

Regarding Moses raising his hands in Exodus 17:11: ( Did I once read a Midrash of baby Moshe parting the milk in his cereal bowl by raising his hands?) Moses raises his arms and hands with Hur and Aaron's help and the Israelites do well in battle. When Moses arms get tired, and they drop, the Ameleks do well in battle. Magic? Watch any college Basketball game and see that coach out there running along side the foul line supporting his team. And then watch what happens if the coach is sitting on the bench, on his cell phone, not paying attention to his team. Its not magic, its human nature. Even so, Judaism assigns it to the Divine, as it is not the hands, but Moses's 'faithfully' praying to G!d until sunset. Further, so as to leave no doubt Who is control over our lives, Moses decries that "G!d is my miracle."

Freud's Totem and Taboo in discussing Judaism pre dates Schwartz's and Naveh's works. My thesis is NOT that mysticism, nor totems, nor incantations did NOT take place amongst our people, in the past or present (my friends ex-mother- in- law tied a red ribbon around my friend's ex-wife's underwear on their wedding day to keep the evil eye away, and  she tied a similar red ribbon around her baby grandniece's  crib to keep Lilith away and made an incantation as well to the  3 angels Sanvai, Sansanvai and Semanglof to bring Lilith back to the Red Sea and away from the child. She also slapped my friend's wife's face when she was a teen and had her first menstruation and planted a tree), but that it is either folk lore, not halakah, or given a Divine, not magical (i.e., sorcerer's) root.

Thank you for allowing me to post.

Rabbi Dr. Arthur Segal

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