Nearly everyone has seen the red string. If not on Madonna's wrist, then on Demi Moore or Ashton Kutcher's. Or on half the people walking around Manhattan.
What does it mean?
One of the items required for building the Mishkan, the portable Tabernacle that accompanied the Jewish people in the desert, was red thread (Exodus 26:1). The red dye came from a type of worm, teaching that even the lowly worm has a role in God's dwelling place. From here, the red thread worn on the wrist was meant to remind us to gain inspiration from God and keep our egos in check.
Unfortunately, as with so many things, the meaning of the red thread has been corrupted. Instead of a reminder to bring us back down to earth when get a bit full of ourselves, it has turned into a charm, a protective shield. A little red thread can supposedly protect us from sickness, theft, accident. It can find us a job, a spouse, a baby.
So all you need to do is take a lot of red thread, wrap it around Rachel's Tomb a few times, recite some blessings, and voila -- a magical talisman. Which is a blatant violation of Torah, and miles away from its original intent.
On Your Doorposts
Similarly, the mezuzah has also become imbued with special powers, according to some people. The commandment to place the words of God "upon your doorpost," is a literal reminder to us. "Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One" is our daily affirmation of belief in one God, our statement of faith that God rules the world, and our commitment to follow the laws that God gave us.
Yet somehow, the mezuzah has been reduced to a good luck charm, protecting us from evil spirits. Think mezuzah as rabbit's foot (which has never been very lucky for the rabbit). Some wear a mezuzah as a pendant on a necklace, and others place a mezuzah on the dashboard of their car. While this may be a nice display of Jewish identity, it is not at all related to the specific injunction to "put these words on the doorpost of your house."
In Guide for the Perplexed, Maimonides specifically includes the use of amulets and charms in his definition of idolatry. Imbuing these items with these special "powers" dilutes the true source of any power, which is God. There are plenty of people with red strings who have problems. And yes, there are many stories of people who have an injury or illness, put on a red string, and find that their injury heals. Of course, it's not a coincidence, but neither should we believe that the red string magically healed them.
All these symbols are reminders that everything comes from God.
Jews don't knock on wood, and don't throw salt over our shoulder. Okay, we should not walk under a ladder -- but that's a safety issue! So feel free to let a black cat walk across your path. Wear a red string if you wish, to remind you of our matriarch Rachel and her holiness, or to remind you to be humble.
Make sure the mezuzah on your doorframe is kosher, because if it's not, you're not fulfilling the mitzvah of "place these words on your doorpost." Touch your mezuzah when you pass it as a reminder that the words of God are a guide for how we should live our lives. Wear your chamsa as a reminder to not be boastful, so you shouldn't cause others to be jealous. Use it as a reminder to not give others the "evil eye," to not be resentful of the success of others, to not covet what others have.
That's what all these symbols are -- reminders that everything comes from God. Any protection, any success, any blessings, even any failures -- it all comes from One Source. With these symbols, it's what they invoke within is that is the greatest power of all.
(15) emma, April 21, 2012 6:32 AM
subconscious assurance
I am happy to hear this. I think people should know that unwavering faith in God works better than amulets and charms
(14) LYONE, October 23, 2011 3:56 PM
YES
Thank you for this article. You have expressed my thoughts on this matter exactly! Good luck charms are for the birds! All things are in the hands of Hashem at all times--and luck has nothing to do with it.
(13) David, December 15, 2010 7:26 PM
I wear my star of David to remind me my connection to Jewish people and Jerusalem , not to mention that it makes me feel like I belong , and that is to HaShem.the Mezuza is to acknowledge that G-d is with me in my coming and going. I also wear a ring and a bracelet with the star of David . what else can I say
(12) May, October 21, 2008 9:19 AM
I do wear the red thread, only to remind myself that it has come from Israel and I am connected to the holy land, nothing more and nothing else, I wear Khi as a pendant, to remind others of my Jewish Faith and again the connection to land of Israel, and nothing else
(11) Yael, October 6, 2008 1:47 PM
I hope people really read this article.....
I wear my red bracelet to remind me of the weeping that Racheal did for the children of Israel. I really identify with her and when I made my trip ro Israel I made sure I brought back a piece of her memory and the memory of my visit to her.
(10) Dvirah, October 6, 2008 11:04 AM
Reply to Mark Jacobi, 21/09/08
A mezzuah on the door will not keep away "evil spirits" if the person living in the house creates them him/herself by rude behavior and foul lanuage. They will come back to haunt him/her!
(9) Pleasant Jaymz, September 29, 2008 4:19 PM
Thank you for putting things to rights.
Honestly, I have been baffled by the superstitious connections when people tell me about them, because I was always taught the religious reasons. I wear my mezuzzah around my neck without a scroll because I was taught that with this specific mezuzzah I AM THE SCROLL. (If you're gonna' talk the talk, you better walk the walk.) I post a beit mezzuzah on my doorposts because it helps me to remember in and out of my house how I should be acting with my fellow humans and the red string has never really made much sense to me, but thanks to you I now know why we as Jews would. Your common sense article has made you totally cool in my mind.
(8) Sarah, September 23, 2008 8:28 AM
I just like wearing the red thread and mezuza, because it gives me the connection to Jerusalem where they were bought and also a sense of connection to all the jews of all geneation, and if a miracle or blessing happens, so much the better.
(7) Mark Jacobi, September 21, 2008 10:21 PM
A quote from The Zohar
Great article and I agree with you that this Hollywood Kabbalah is trash and a lot of the practioners of this stuff aren't behaving morally but..... it says in the Holy Zohar, in Parshat Devorim it says, and I translate freely: "Come and see, that a person is required to inscribe the Holy Name upon the doorpost of his home. For every place that the Holy Name is found the bad spirits cannot be found there, and they are unable to act upon a person as the pasuk says: lo siuna alecha ru, When a person puts a Mezuzah on his door, and the Holy Name is inscribed within its letters, then the person is crowned with the Crown of his Master, and the bad spirits are unable to get close and therefore cannot be found there." The mezuzah protects like a helmet protects the head of the wearer.
(6) Menashe Kaltmann, September 21, 2008 10:06 PM
Some good points but one important point....
Some good comments, let me congratulate you. Just I have one question based Halachic not mystical religious sources. The Shulkan Aruch's classic commentator The Taz (Shulchan Aruch Yoreh Deah: 285) writes as follows: "Even though the Gemarah in Sotah says that all mitzvos (except for Torah) have the power to protect us only while we are actually engaged in doing them, yet the mitzvah of Mezuzah has the unique property and ability to protect us around the clock - even while we sleep." Also it states in the Bais Yosef (Tur Yoreh Deah: 285) tells us that the Mezuzah contains the power of open visible miracles. "The protection of the house is an open miracle in that the others who live in houses without Mezuzos are not protected and those who live in a house with Mezuzos are protected." How then can you say there is no actual Divine protection for a house/office/premise to those who affix a mezuzah to their door(S)? This is not supersition this is taken as a decree of Chazal - that Hashem affords protection to those who affix a mezuzah. One analogy I heard to describe this is the Mezuzah acts like a helmet if affords G-d's protection to those who affix it like wearing a helmet can save the wearer sometimes from harm.
(5) Ruth Fogelman, September 18, 2008 2:05 AM
Alissa, thank you for this much-needed article. In addition, I should like to point out that using words or names magically, such as a certain neo-hassidic sect does, is likewise forbidden by the Torah, and explicitly so by Maimonides. Let us not fall into the trap of such enthusiasm with its idol-worship overtones.
(4) Pamela Nagy, September 16, 2008 11:27 AM
Great Article!!!!
In all of my religious travels (albeit a bit limited) I have asked the origin of the red string and by far you have offered me the best explanation. Thank you! I just read your article to a few friends and we unanimously agreed - Great Article!!!
(3) Ronni, September 16, 2008 10:48 AM
Thank you!
Thank you for finally writing what I intuitively felt all these many years ever since as a young teenager when everyone else was being conned into buying those strings I stood firm. I always asked: "So, what happens if the string falls off, suddenly you're not protected anymore and the evil eye will be upon you?". Even more so we should not wear it now that the likes of Britney and Madonna are wearing it. It's one thing to wear it because it reminds you to be holy, another entirely because it's a fad and it's greatest proponents are some of the most immoral women on this planet.
(2) ruth housman, September 14, 2008 9:36 AM
symbolic meaning
This is a deep subject. I have written to a rabbi on line on another site about this. I honestly believe that it is the person and how they imbue the symbol with life that is important. For example, if I put up a mezzuzah and know that within, whether on blessed parchment of my own hand, are words that are about love, about loving with all my heart with all my soul and with all my might, that this IS following the "spirit" of the commandment and that this is what is required, but in love, and not by force. I do believe there are so many wayas to express love and that love for Divinity, does involve ALL creation, meaning also that those who are environmentally sensitive, are performing that mitzva. About the red thread. I believe if it's used as a connector to LOVE, to divinity, to history, to humility, then surely it's fine to carry a talisman. I guess I would agree with the sense of this article, that merely adorning oneself is not a protection against the bad in life. It's all a matter of intent and often we do not know the heart of those who wear these talismans or their personal pain and prayer. Yes, there are frivolous uses of symbols and there are also deep, heart felt ones, and we do not always, on the outside, know the human heart of the wearer. But Divinity knows everything.
(1) Elaine Hochman, September 14, 2008 8:11 AM
Very good article!
I enjoed the article because people get lost into meaning of things and concentrate only on the little objects. they say brings luck.