Kabbalah Ma'asit
Encyclopedia
Practical Kabbalah in historical Judaism
, is a branch of the Jewish mystical tradition
that concerns the use of magic
. It was considered permitted
White Magic
by its practitioners, reserved for the elite, who could separate its spiritual source from Kelipot realms of evil if performed in holiness
and purity. The concern of overstepping Judaism's strong prohibitions of impure magic ensured it remained a minor tradition in Jewish history
. Its teachings include the use of Divine
and angelic
names for amulet
s and incantation
s. Kabbalah Ma'asit is mentioned in historical texts, but most Kabbalists have taught that the use of it is forbidden. It is contrasted with the mainstream tradition in Kabbalah of Kabbalah Iyunit ("Contemplative Kabbalah"), that seeks to explain the nature of God and the nature of existence through theosophical study
and meditative techniques
.
According to Gershom Scholem
, many of the teachings of practical Kabbalah predate and are independent of the theoretical Kabbalah which is usually associated with the term:
, Halacha (Jewish law) forbids divination
and other forms of soothsaying, and the Talmud
lists many persistent yet condemned divining practices. The very frequency with which divination is mentioned is taken as an indication that it was widely practiced in the folk religion
of ancient Israel, and a limited number of forms of divination were generally accepted within all of Israelite society, the most common being oneiromancy
or divination by dream
s. Other magical practices of Judaic folk religion
which became part of practical Kabbalah date from Talmud
ic times and include the making of amulet
s and other folk remedies using the esoteric names of angels.
(literally "the Pious of Germany") was the possibility of the creation of life through magical means. They used the word "golem
" (literally, shapeless or lifeless matter) to refer to an hypothetical homunculus
given life by mean of the magical invocation
of Divine names. This interest inspired an entire cycle of legend
revolving around the golem which continued into the 18th century. The identification of the ancient Sefer Yetzirah
, concerning the creative force of the Hebrew letters, as the means to create a golem was derived from interpretation of two statements in the Babylonian Talmud Tractate Sanhedrin
. One relates that the Sage Rava
created a person; in the second, two other Sages were studying "the laws of "creation" and created a "triple calf" that they ate for a celebration.
and magical
elements of Kabbalah, dividing it into speculative theosophical Kabbalah
(Kabbalah Iyyunit) with its meditative traditions
, and theurgic practical Kabbalah (Kabbalah Ma'asit), had occurred by the beginning of the 14th century. Many traditional speculative Kabbalists disapproved of practical Kabbalah, including Abraham Abulafia
, who strongly condemned it. While the great majority of historical Kabbalistic involvement, writing and development concerns the theosophical Kabbalah, the majority of practical Kabbalaistic writings were never published.
One important tradition of practical Kabbalah thrived in Spain during the second half of the 15th century, before the Alhambra Decree
. The main text of the tradition was called Sepher ha-Mashiv. The practitioners of this tradition were described by Moshe Idel as "interested in demonology and the use of coercive incantations to summon demons, angels, and even God" in order to hasten the Messianic Age. Joseph Della Reina's (1418–1472) failure with his students in this, was considered a warning by later Kabbalists of the potential perils of involvement with Kabbalistic practice.
, who opposed Kabbalah Ma'asit and forbade his students from writing amulets and using other techniques of practical Kabbalah, evolved a form of exorcism
which effectively transferred techniques from practical to speculative Kabbalah. While this led to the displacement of magical formulas and rites by contemplative exercises, the old forms of practical Kabbalah continued to exert broad appeal. Luria's position as the central teacher of modern Kabbalah, the foundation for later Hasidism, gives his proscription authoritative force. He taught that in our generations, without the Temple in Jerusalem
and its ashes of the Red Heifer
to purify, the pursuit of the realm of practical Kabbalah by a person with an impure body is very detrimental.
abilities. Among recorded figures from early-modern times were Elijah Ba'al Shem of Chelm
(1550–1583) and the Baal Shem of London (1708–1782). Yisrael Baal Shem Tov began his activity as a traditional Baal Shem, before founding Hasidism. While the association of the Maharal of Prague (1520–1609) with the creation of a Golem
only emmerged in later times, contemporary tradition records Elijah Baal Shem as creating a Golem. The Sabbatean mystical heresies of Sabbatai Zevi
(1626–1676) and Jacob Frank
(1726–1791) led to the 1750s accusion of Jonathan Eybeschutz
by Jacob Emden
of being a secret Sabbatean. It was chiefly based on the interpretation of some amulets prepared by Eybeschutz, in which Emden saw Sabbatean allusions. The leader of Mitnagdic Lithuanian Judaism, the Vilna Gaon
(1720–1797), related that in his youth he had attempted to make a Golem, but stopped when he perceived a spirit of impurity involved.
, rejected concern with practical Kabbalistic methods. This was manifested in the personal life of Hasidism's founder, the Baal Shem Tov (1698–1760), in his move from Baal Shem
, a traditionally accepted form of practical healer between Practical Kabbalah and external manifestations of Kabbalah, to the prototype of first Hasidic leader
. While a Baal Shem, he used amulets. After beginning the new mystical path of Hasidism, the Ba'al Shem Tov never wrote the Names of God, only his own name in amulets, Yisrael ben Sara or Yisrael ben Eliezer. This was his ultimate amulet. A traditional story relates that on one early occasion, the Baal Shem Tov resorted to practical Kabbalistic names of God, to cross a river and save his life. Afterward, he regretted this, even though he had used it in holiness. He knew that his repentance was accepted when later, he found himself again in a similar situation. This time he did not use practical Kabbalah to perform the miracle, but instead used only faith to achieve the same result. Hasidic thought teaches that its internalised mysticism enables the soul to affect the world through its essential
connection to God, rather than Divine manifestations
of Kabbalah.
Despite the prohibition against divination of the future, there is no prohibition against understanding the past nor coming to a greater understanding of present and future situations through inspiration gained by the Kabbalah (a subtle distinction and one often hard to delineate). The appeal to occult
power outside the monotheist deity for divination
purpose is unacceptable in Judaism, but at the same time it is held that the righteous have access to occult knowledge. Such knowledge can come through dream
s and incubation
(inducing clairvoyant
dreams), metoscopy (reading faces, lines on the face, or auras
emanating from the face), ibburim and maggidim
(spirit possession), and/or various methods of scrying
.
The Midrash
and Talmud
are replete with the use of names of God
and incantation
s that are claimed to effect supernatural
or theurgic
results. Most post-Talmudic rabbinical literature seeks to curb the use of any or most of these formulae, termed Kabbalah Ma'asit ("practical Kabbalah"). There are various arguments for this; one stated by the Medieval Rabbi Yaakov ben Moshe Levi Moelin
is that the person using it may lack the required grounding, and the ritual
would be ineffective.
Yet the interest in these rituals of power continued largely unabated until recently. The Talmud mentions the use of charms for healing, and a wide range of magical cures were sanctioned by rabbis. It was ruled that any practice actually producing a cure was not to be considered superstitious and there has been the widespread practice of medicinal amulet
s, and folk remedies (segullot) in Jewish societies across time and geography.
Texts:
Judaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, is a branch of the Jewish mystical tradition
Kabbalah
Kabbalah/Kabala is a discipline and school of thought concerned with the esoteric aspect of Rabbinic Judaism. It was systematized in 11th-13th century Hachmei Provence and Spain, and again after the Expulsion from Spain, in 16th century Ottoman Palestine...
that concerns the use of magic
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
. It was considered permitted
613 mitzvot
The 613 commandments is a numbering of the statements and principles of law, ethics, and spiritual practice contained in the Torah or Five Books of Moses...
White Magic
White Magic
White Magic may refer to:* White magic, healing or "good," as opposed to Black magic; see also magic * White Magic , an American rock band* White Magic , album by Swedish musician ceo...
by its practitioners, reserved for the elite, who could separate its spiritual source from Kelipot realms of evil if performed in holiness
Q-D-Š
Q-D-Š is a common triconsonantal Semitic root form used in various ancient and modern languages since at least the 3rd millennium BCE. The meanings expressed by this root are "Holy", "Sacred", "Divine Power", "To Set Apart", and "Sanctuary"...
and purity. The concern of overstepping Judaism's strong prohibitions of impure magic ensured it remained a minor tradition in Jewish history
Jewish history
Jewish history is the history of the Jews, their religion and culture, as it developed and interacted with other peoples, religions and cultures. Since Jewish history is over 4000 years long and includes hundreds of different populations, any treatment can only be provided in broad strokes...
. Its teachings include the use of Divine
Names of God in Judaism
In Judaism, the name of God is more than a distinguishing title; it represents the Jewish conception of the divine nature, and of the relationship of God to the Jewish people and to the world. To demonstrate the sacredness of the names of God, and as a means of showing respect and reverence for...
and angelic
Jewish angelic hierarchy
Maimonides, in his Yad ha-Chazakah: Yesodei ha-Torah, counts ten ranks of angels in the Jewish angelic hierarchy, beginning from the highest:- Kabbalistic angelic hierarchy :...
names for amulet
Amulet
An amulet, similar to a talisman , is any object intended to bring good luck or protection to its owner.Potential amulets include gems, especially engraved gems, statues, coins, drawings, pendants, rings, plants and animals; even words said in certain occasions—for example: vade retro satana—, to...
s and incantation
Incantation
An incantation or enchantment is a charm or spell created using words. An incantation may take place during a ritual, either a hymn or prayer, and may invoke or praise a deity. In magic, occultism, witchcraft it may be used with the intention of casting a spell on an object or a person...
s. Kabbalah Ma'asit is mentioned in historical texts, but most Kabbalists have taught that the use of it is forbidden. It is contrasted with the mainstream tradition in Kabbalah of Kabbalah Iyunit ("Contemplative Kabbalah"), that seeks to explain the nature of God and the nature of existence through theosophical study
Kabbalah
Kabbalah/Kabala is a discipline and school of thought concerned with the esoteric aspect of Rabbinic Judaism. It was systematized in 11th-13th century Hachmei Provence and Spain, and again after the Expulsion from Spain, in 16th century Ottoman Palestine...
and meditative techniques
Jewish meditation
Jewish meditation can refer to several traditional practices of contemplation, ranging from visualization and intuitive methods, or forms of emotional insight in communitive prayer, to intellectual analysis of philosophical, ethical or mystical concepts...
.
According to Gershom Scholem
Gershom Scholem
Gerhard Scholem who, after his immigration from Germany to Palestine, changed his name to Gershom Scholem , was a German-born Israeli Jewish philosopher and historian, born and raised in Germany...
, many of the teachings of practical Kabbalah predate and are independent of the theoretical Kabbalah which is usually associated with the term:
Early forms
Within JudaismJudaism
Judaism ) is the "religion, philosophy, and way of life" of the Jewish people...
, Halacha (Jewish law) forbids divination
Divination
Divination is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic standardized process or ritual...
and other forms of soothsaying, and the Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
lists many persistent yet condemned divining practices. The very frequency with which divination is mentioned is taken as an indication that it was widely practiced in the folk religion
Folk religion
Folk religion consists of ethnic or regional religious customs under the umbrella of an organized religion, but outside of official doctrine and practices...
of ancient Israel, and a limited number of forms of divination were generally accepted within all of Israelite society, the most common being oneiromancy
Oneiromancy
Oneiromancy is a form of divination based upon dreams; it is a system of dream interpretation that uses dreams to predict the future.-Ancient Egyptian:...
or divination by dream
Dream
Dreams are successions of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. The content and purpose of dreams are not definitively understood, though they have been a topic of scientific speculation, philosophical intrigue and religious...
s. Other magical practices of Judaic folk religion
Folk religion
Folk religion consists of ethnic or regional religious customs under the umbrella of an organized religion, but outside of official doctrine and practices...
which became part of practical Kabbalah date from Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
ic times and include the making of amulet
Amulet
An amulet, similar to a talisman , is any object intended to bring good luck or protection to its owner.Potential amulets include gems, especially engraved gems, statues, coins, drawings, pendants, rings, plants and animals; even words said in certain occasions—for example: vade retro satana—, to...
s and other folk remedies using the esoteric names of angels.
Medieval Hasidei Ashkenaz and the Sefer Yetzirah
In the 13th century, one problem which intrigued the Chassidei AshkenazChassidei Ashkenaz
The Chassidei Ashkenaz was a Jewish movement in the 12th century and 13th century founded by Rabbi Judah the Pious of Regensburg, Germany and several other German Jews members of the Lehr family and the Kalonymus family.Rabbi Judah was born in Speyer, Germany in 1150 during a time of persecution...
(literally "the Pious of Germany") was the possibility of the creation of life through magical means. They used the word "golem
Golem
In Jewish folklore, a golem is an animated anthropomorphic being, created entirely from inanimate matter. The word was used to mean an amorphous, unformed material in Psalms and medieval writing....
" (literally, shapeless or lifeless matter) to refer to an hypothetical homunculus
Homunculus
Homunculus is a term used, generally, in various fields of study to refer to any representation of a human being. Historically, it referred specifically to the concept of a miniature though fully formed human body, for example, in the studies of alchemy and preformationism...
given life by mean of the magical invocation
Invocation
An invocation may take the form of:*Supplication or prayer.*A form of possession.*Command or conjuration.*Self-identification with certain spirits....
of Divine names. This interest inspired an entire cycle of legend
Legend
A legend is a narrative of human actions that are perceived both by teller and listeners to take place within human history and to possess certain qualities that give the tale verisimilitude...
revolving around the golem which continued into the 18th century. The identification of the ancient Sefer Yetzirah
Sefer Yetzirah
Sefer Yetzirah is the title of the earliest extant book on Jewish esotericism, although some early commentators treated it as a treatise on mathematical and linguistic theory as opposed to Kabbalah...
, concerning the creative force of the Hebrew letters, as the means to create a golem was derived from interpretation of two statements in the Babylonian Talmud Tractate Sanhedrin
Sanhedrin (Talmud)
Sanhedrin is one of ten tractates of Seder Nezikin . It originally formed one tractate with Makkot, which also deals with criminal law...
. One relates that the Sage Rava
Rava (amora)
For the third generation Amora sage of Babylon, with a similar name, see: Joseph b. Hama .Abba ben Joseph bar Ḥama, who is exclusively referred to in the Talmud by the name Rava , was a Jewish Talmudist who lived in Babylonia, known as an amora, born in 270. He is one of the most often-cited Rabbis...
created a person; in the second, two other Sages were studying "the laws of "creation" and created a "triple calf" that they ate for a celebration.
Medieval separation of Conceptual and Practical Kabbalah
The separation of the mysticalMysticism
Mysticism is the knowledge of, and especially the personal experience of, states of consciousness, i.e. levels of being, beyond normal human perception, including experience and even communion with a supreme being.-Classical origins:...
and magical
Magic (paranormal)
Magic is the claimed art of manipulating aspects of reality either by supernatural means or through knowledge of occult laws unknown to science. It is in contrast to science, in that science does not accept anything not subject to either direct or indirect observation, and subject to logical...
elements of Kabbalah, dividing it into speculative theosophical Kabbalah
Kabbalah
Kabbalah/Kabala is a discipline and school of thought concerned with the esoteric aspect of Rabbinic Judaism. It was systematized in 11th-13th century Hachmei Provence and Spain, and again after the Expulsion from Spain, in 16th century Ottoman Palestine...
(Kabbalah Iyyunit) with its meditative traditions
Jewish meditation
Jewish meditation can refer to several traditional practices of contemplation, ranging from visualization and intuitive methods, or forms of emotional insight in communitive prayer, to intellectual analysis of philosophical, ethical or mystical concepts...
, and theurgic practical Kabbalah (Kabbalah Ma'asit), had occurred by the beginning of the 14th century. Many traditional speculative Kabbalists disapproved of practical Kabbalah, including Abraham Abulafia
Abraham Abulafia
Abraham ben Samuel Abulafia , the founder of the school of "Prophetic Kabbalah", was born in Zaragoza, Spain, in 1240, and died sometime after 1291, in Comino, Maltese archipelago.-Early life and travels:...
, who strongly condemned it. While the great majority of historical Kabbalistic involvement, writing and development concerns the theosophical Kabbalah, the majority of practical Kabbalaistic writings were never published.
One important tradition of practical Kabbalah thrived in Spain during the second half of the 15th century, before the Alhambra Decree
Alhambra decree
The Alhambra Decree was an edict issued on 31 March 1492 by the joint Catholic Monarchs of Spain ordering the expulsion of Jews from the Kingdom of Spain and its territories and possessions by 31 July of that year.The edict was formally revoked on 16 December 1968, following the Second...
. The main text of the tradition was called Sepher ha-Mashiv. The practitioners of this tradition were described by Moshe Idel as "interested in demonology and the use of coercive incantations to summon demons, angels, and even God" in order to hasten the Messianic Age. Joseph Della Reina's (1418–1472) failure with his students in this, was considered a warning by later Kabbalists of the potential perils of involvement with Kabbalistic practice.
Ban of Safed Kabbalistic Renaissance
In the 16th century Isaac LuriaIsaac Luria
Isaac Luria , also called Yitzhak Ben Shlomo Ashkenazi acronym "The Ari" "Ari-Hakadosh", or "Arizal", meaning "The Lion", was a foremost rabbi and Jewish mystic in the community of Safed in the Galilee region of Ottoman Palestine...
, who opposed Kabbalah Ma'asit and forbade his students from writing amulets and using other techniques of practical Kabbalah, evolved a form of exorcism
Exorcism
Exorcism is the religious practice of evicting demons or other spiritual entities from a person or place which they are believed to have possessed...
which effectively transferred techniques from practical to speculative Kabbalah. While this led to the displacement of magical formulas and rites by contemplative exercises, the old forms of practical Kabbalah continued to exert broad appeal. Luria's position as the central teacher of modern Kabbalah, the foundation for later Hasidism, gives his proscription authoritative force. He taught that in our generations, without the Temple in Jerusalem
Temple in Jerusalem
The Temple in Jerusalem or Holy Temple , refers to one of a series of structures which were historically located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem, the current site of the Dome of the Rock. Historically, these successive temples stood at this location and functioned as the centre of...
and its ashes of the Red Heifer
Red heifer
The red heifer or red cow was a sacrifice in the Hebrew Bible the ashes of which are used for the ritual purification of an ancient Israelite who had come into contact with a corpse.- Hebrew Bible :...
to purify, the pursuit of the realm of practical Kabbalah by a person with an impure body is very detrimental.
Early modern Baalei Shem and other developments
The traditional role of the Baal Shem involved accepted methods between borderline practical and meditative Kabbalah, such as amulets and psychicParapsychology
The term parapsychology was coined in or around 1889 by philosopher Max Dessoir, and originates from para meaning "alongside", and psychology. The term was adopted by J.B. Rhine in the 1930s as a replacement for the term psychical research...
abilities. Among recorded figures from early-modern times were Elijah Ba'al Shem of Chelm
Elijah Ba'al Shem of Chelm
Elijah Ba'al Shem was a Polish rabbi who studied under Rabbi Solomon Luria and later became the Chief Rabbi of Chełm. He was a co-signer of the Agunah laws and, according to legend, used the powers of Kabbalah to create a Golem creature. Many legends surround his life in regards to this creation...
(1550–1583) and the Baal Shem of London (1708–1782). Yisrael Baal Shem Tov began his activity as a traditional Baal Shem, before founding Hasidism. While the association of the Maharal of Prague (1520–1609) with the creation of a Golem
Golem
In Jewish folklore, a golem is an animated anthropomorphic being, created entirely from inanimate matter. The word was used to mean an amorphous, unformed material in Psalms and medieval writing....
only emmerged in later times, contemporary tradition records Elijah Baal Shem as creating a Golem. The Sabbatean mystical heresies of Sabbatai Zevi
Sabbatai Zevi
Sabbatai Zevi, , was a Sephardic Rabbi and kabbalist who claimed to be the long-awaited Jewish Messiah. He was the founder of the Jewish Sabbatean movement...
(1626–1676) and Jacob Frank
Jacob Frank
Jacob Frank was an 18th century Jewish religious leader who claimed to be the reincarnation of the self-proclaimed messiah Sabbatai Zevi and also of the biblical patriarch Jacob...
(1726–1791) led to the 1750s accusion of Jonathan Eybeschutz
Jonathan Eybeschutz
Jonathan Eybeschutz , was a Talmudist, Halachist, Kabbalist, holding positions as Dayan of Prague, and later as Rabbi of the "Three Communities": Altona, Hamburg and Wandsbek. With Jacob Emden, he is well known as a protagonist in the Emden-Eybeschütz Controversy.-Biography:Eybeschütz's father was...
by Jacob Emden
Jacob Emden
Jacob Emden also known as Ya'avetz, , was a leading German rabbi and talmudist who championed Orthodox Judaism in the face of the growing influence of the Sabbatean movement...
of being a secret Sabbatean. It was chiefly based on the interpretation of some amulets prepared by Eybeschutz, in which Emden saw Sabbatean allusions. The leader of Mitnagdic Lithuanian Judaism, the Vilna Gaon
Vilna Gaon
Elijah ben Shlomo Zalman Kramer, known as the Vilna Gaon or Elijah of Vilna and simply by his Hebrew acronym Gra or Elijah Ben Solomon, , was a Talmudist, halachist, kabbalist, and the foremost leader of non-hasidic Jewry of the past few centuries...
(1720–1797), related that in his youth he had attempted to make a Golem, but stopped when he perceived a spirit of impurity involved.
Miracles through Deveikut by the Hasidic Tzadik
In Hasidism, the displacement of practical Kabbalah by conceptual and meditative trends gained much further emphasis. The Hasidic project to psychologically internalise Kabbalah in Deveikut and adherence to the TzadikTzadik
Tzadik/Zadik/Sadiq is a title given to personalities in Jewish tradition considered righteous, such as Biblical figures and later spiritual masters. The root of the word ṣadiq, is ṣ-d-q , which means "justice" or "righteousness", also the root of Tzedakah...
, rejected concern with practical Kabbalistic methods. This was manifested in the personal life of Hasidism's founder, the Baal Shem Tov (1698–1760), in his move from Baal Shem
Baal Shem
The traditional Baal Shem healer and exorcist used Kabbalistic methods in sanctity. Nistarim mystical brotherhoods sought wider outreach, from which Hasidism emerged...
, a traditionally accepted form of practical healer between Practical Kabbalah and external manifestations of Kabbalah, to the prototype of first Hasidic leader
Rebbe
Rebbe , which means master, teacher, or mentor, is a Yiddish word derived from the Hebrew word Rabbi. It often refers to the leader of a Hasidic Jewish movement...
. While a Baal Shem, he used amulets. After beginning the new mystical path of Hasidism, the Ba'al Shem Tov never wrote the Names of God, only his own name in amulets, Yisrael ben Sara or Yisrael ben Eliezer. This was his ultimate amulet. A traditional story relates that on one early occasion, the Baal Shem Tov resorted to practical Kabbalistic names of God, to cross a river and save his life. Afterward, he regretted this, even though he had used it in holiness. He knew that his repentance was accepted when later, he found himself again in a similar situation. This time he did not use practical Kabbalah to perform the miracle, but instead used only faith to achieve the same result. Hasidic thought teaches that its internalised mysticism enables the soul to affect the world through its essential
Atzmus
Atzmus/Atzmut meaning "essence", is the descriptive term referred to in Kabbalah, and explored in Hasidic thought, for the Divine essence....
connection to God, rather than Divine manifestations
Ohr
Ohr is a central Kabbalistic term in the Jewish mystical tradition. The analogy of physical light is used as a way of describing metaphysical Divine emanations...
of Kabbalah.
Methods
Despite the prohibition against divination of the future, there is no prohibition against understanding the past nor coming to a greater understanding of present and future situations through inspiration gained by the Kabbalah (a subtle distinction and one often hard to delineate). The appeal to occult
Occult
The word occult comes from the Latin word occultus , referring to "knowledge of the hidden". In the medical sense it is used to refer to a structure or process that is hidden, e.g...
power outside the monotheist deity for divination
Divination
Divination is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic standardized process or ritual...
purpose is unacceptable in Judaism, but at the same time it is held that the righteous have access to occult knowledge. Such knowledge can come through dream
Dream
Dreams are successions of images, ideas, emotions, and sensations that occur involuntarily in the mind during certain stages of sleep. The content and purpose of dreams are not definitively understood, though they have been a topic of scientific speculation, philosophical intrigue and religious...
s and incubation
Incubation (ritual)
Incubation is the religious practice of sleeping in a sacred area with the intention of experiencing a divinely inspired dream or cure. Incubation was practised by many ancient cultures...
(inducing clairvoyant
Clairvoyance
The term clairvoyance is used to refer to the ability to gain information about an object, person, location or physical event through means other than the known human senses, a form of extra-sensory perception...
dreams), metoscopy (reading faces, lines on the face, or auras
Aura (paranormal)
In parapsychology and many forms of spiritual practice, an aura is a field of subtle, luminous radiation surrounding a person or object . The depiction of such an aura often connotes a person of particular power or holiness. Sometimes, however, it is said that all living things and all objects...
emanating from the face), ibburim and maggidim
Magid (Jewish mysticism)
Magid is a term describing the Jewish reception acts of God, an angel or soul of a saint who died, revealed by righteous living mystical experience, a dream or a daydream, usually result from using magical means. Magid Torah reveals a person, usually in the Kabbalah, and tells him about future...
(spirit possession), and/or various methods of scrying
Scrying
Scrying is a magic practice that involves seeing things psychically in a medium, usually for purposes of obtaining spiritual visions and less often for purposes of divination or fortune-telling. The most common media used are reflective, translucent, or luminescent substances such as crystals,...
.
The Midrash
Midrash
The Hebrew term Midrash is a homiletic method of biblical exegesis. The term also refers to the whole compilation of homiletic teachings on the Bible....
and Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
are replete with the use of names of God
Names of God in Judaism
In Judaism, the name of God is more than a distinguishing title; it represents the Jewish conception of the divine nature, and of the relationship of God to the Jewish people and to the world. To demonstrate the sacredness of the names of God, and as a means of showing respect and reverence for...
and incantation
Incantation
An incantation or enchantment is a charm or spell created using words. An incantation may take place during a ritual, either a hymn or prayer, and may invoke or praise a deity. In magic, occultism, witchcraft it may be used with the intention of casting a spell on an object or a person...
s that are claimed to effect supernatural
Supernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
or theurgic
Theurgy
Theurgy describes the practice of rituals, sometimes seen as magical in nature, performed with the intention of invoking the action or evoking the presence of one or more gods, especially with the goal of uniting with the divine, achieving henosis, and perfecting oneself.- Definitions :*Proclus...
results. Most post-Talmudic rabbinical literature seeks to curb the use of any or most of these formulae, termed Kabbalah Ma'asit ("practical Kabbalah"). There are various arguments for this; one stated by the Medieval Rabbi Yaakov ben Moshe Levi Moelin
Yaakov ben Moshe Levi Moelin
Jacob b. Moses Moelin was a Talmudist and posek best known for his codification of the customs of the German Jews. He is also known as Maharil - the Hebrew acronym for "Our Teacher, the Rabbi, Yaakov Levi" - as well as Mahari Segal or Mahari Moelin...
is that the person using it may lack the required grounding, and the ritual
Ritual
A ritual is a set of actions, performed mainly for their symbolic value. It may be prescribed by a religion or by the traditions of a community. The term usually excludes actions which are arbitrarily chosen by the performers....
would be ineffective.
Yet the interest in these rituals of power continued largely unabated until recently. The Talmud mentions the use of charms for healing, and a wide range of magical cures were sanctioned by rabbis. It was ruled that any practice actually producing a cure was not to be considered superstitious and there has been the widespread practice of medicinal amulet
Amulet
An amulet, similar to a talisman , is any object intended to bring good luck or protection to its owner.Potential amulets include gems, especially engraved gems, statues, coins, drawings, pendants, rings, plants and animals; even words said in certain occasions—for example: vade retro satana—, to...
s, and folk remedies (segullot) in Jewish societies across time and geography.
See also
- Witchcraft and divination in the Hebrew Bible
- Kedushah-HolinessQ-D-ŠQ-D-Š is a common triconsonantal Semitic root form used in various ancient and modern languages since at least the 3rd millennium BCE. The meanings expressed by this root are "Holy", "Sacred", "Divine Power", "To Set Apart", and "Sanctuary"...
- Kelipot-Impure realms
- Names of God in JudaismNames of God in JudaismIn Judaism, the name of God is more than a distinguishing title; it represents the Jewish conception of the divine nature, and of the relationship of God to the Jewish people and to the world. To demonstrate the sacredness of the names of God, and as a means of showing respect and reverence for...
- Jewish angelic hierarchyJewish angelic hierarchyMaimonides, in his Yad ha-Chazakah: Yesodei ha-Torah, counts ten ranks of angels in the Jewish angelic hierarchy, beginning from the highest:- Kabbalistic angelic hierarchy :...
- AmuletAmuletAn amulet, similar to a talisman , is any object intended to bring good luck or protection to its owner.Potential amulets include gems, especially engraved gems, statues, coins, drawings, pendants, rings, plants and animals; even words said in certain occasions—for example: vade retro satana—, to...
- IncantationIncantationAn incantation or enchantment is a charm or spell created using words. An incantation may take place during a ritual, either a hymn or prayer, and may invoke or praise a deity. In magic, occultism, witchcraft it may be used with the intention of casting a spell on an object or a person...
- SigilSigil (magic)A sigil is a symbol created for a specific magical purpose. A sigil is usually made up of a complex combination of several specific symbols or geometric figures, each with a specific meaning or intent.- Name and origin :...
- Baal ShemBaal ShemThe traditional Baal Shem healer and exorcist used Kabbalistic methods in sanctity. Nistarim mystical brotherhoods sought wider outreach, from which Hasidism emerged...
- GolemGolemIn Jewish folklore, a golem is an animated anthropomorphic being, created entirely from inanimate matter. The word was used to mean an amorphous, unformed material in Psalms and medieval writing....
Texts:
- Sefer YetzirahSefer YetzirahSefer Yetzirah is the title of the earliest extant book on Jewish esotericism, although some early commentators treated it as a treatise on mathematical and linguistic theory as opposed to Kabbalah...
- Sefer Raziel HaMalakhSefer Raziel HaMalakhSefer Raziel HaMalakh, , is a medieval Kabbalistic grimoire, primarily written in Hebrew and Aramaic, but surviving also in Latin translation, as Liber Razielis Archangeli, in a 13th century manuscript produced under Alfonso X.-Textual history:The book cannot be shown to predate the 13th century,...
- Sepher Ha-RazimSepher Ha-RazimThe Sepher Ha-Razim is a Kabbalistic text supposedly given to Noah by the angel Raziel, and passed down throughout Biblical history to Solomon, for whom it was a great source of his wisdom, and purported magical powers. Note that this is a different book than the Sefer Raziel HaMalach, which was...
Further reading
- Dan, Joseph. Kabbalah: A Very Short Introduction. Oxford University Press US, 2006. ISBN 0195300343.
- Mirecki, PaulPaul MireckiPaul Mirecki is Bible scholar and associate professor of religious studies at the University of Kansas and the faculty advisor for the Society of Open-Minded Atheists and Agnostics student organization. He was chairman of the department until he stepped aside on December 7, 2005.Mirecki earned a Th.D...
& Meyer, Marvin W.Marvin MeyerMarvin Meyer is a scholar of religion and a tenured professor at Chapman University, in Orange, California.He is the Griset Professor of Bible and Christian Studies at Chapman University and Director of the Albert Schweitzer Institute. He is also Director of the Coptic Magical Texts Project of the...
(eds.). Magic and Ritual in the Ancient World. Brill, 1995. ISBN 9004104062. - Sherwin, Byron L. The Golem Legend: Origins and Implications. University Press of America, 1985. ISBN 0819144029.
- Trachtenberg, Joshua. "The Folk Element in Judaism" in The Journal of ReligionThe Journal of ReligionThe Journal of Religion is an academic journal published by the University of Chicago Press founded in 1882 as The American Journal of Theology. The journal "embraces all areas of theology as well as other types of religious studies ."...
, Vol. 22, No. 2 (Apr., 1942), pp. 173–186. ISSN 0022-4189.