Witchcraft and Judaism

This is excellent and I'm so proud to be a Jew! Thanks for posting this!

Thankou Rabbi Ahron for this article I think this stament;.."In those instances where holy people have used forces above nature, they've always emphasized the fact that the miracles thus generated only demonstrated God's omnipotence to override natural phenomena...." Speaks the whole truth in a nutshell

I am glad this article points out the problem of dividing people into being of G-d or being of the Devil. Because people change, unfortunately, our perception of them do not change so fast. This could be the original sin in the book of Genesis. The choice of knowing what is good and what is evil. Thus really trying to play G-d, the Judge.

What is the Jewish view of Humsas and "blue evil eye" hangings and the like? They are popular, particularly among the Sephardim, but this article suggests they might be improper What is the Jewish view of those objects? What if they contain on then prayers like the prayer for the home? .Does that make a difference? Thank you.

The statements in the article regarding belief in witchcraft and the occult are neither required by Torah or Judaism. The Rambam, for example, sharply condemned the belief in astrology, though many rabbis in the Talmud believed in it. The proper attitude towards witchcraft is no being has such supernatural powers, because, as Rabbi Chanina stated in Sanhedrein "Ein Od Milvado" , there is no power other than God. The condemnation of witchcraft in the Torah is not because it is effective, it is because belief and practice of witchcraft is a form of Avodah Zarah, idolatry, that there are other powers in the universe that can thwart God's will or are beside God. One does not have to believe in superstition to be an Orthodox Jew.

The Torah is incredibly careful with words. It would not forbid us from using something if that something didn't exist - and that alone shows that witchcraft is not superstition, but real. While we in the "modern" world have pretty much relegated witchcraft to mere superstition, there are areas of the world where it is alive and well. Someone very close to me devoted many years to studying witchdoctors in Africa, following their training and observing the often harrowing results - include murder by distance - and this doubting scientist was forced to conclude that witchcraft is indeed, all too real.

1. You made the Rambam argue with the Sages of the Talmud. This is a big misunderstanding of the Rambam and his Mishneh Torah. While the Rambam is certainly a formidable scholar, his statements need to be assessed in the context in which he wrote, and whether other Rishonim agree or disagree. The Mishneh Torah has hundreds of pages of commentary on his works. It is simply mistaken to argue a case for the Rambam that is at odds with explicit Gemaras. 2. The Talmud is on the surface contradictory. At once instance, the Gemara explicity acknowledges the occult, astrology and even suggests that children born under certain signs have a particular mazel. The Talmud then concludes: "Ein Mazel be'Yisroel" Yisroel is not within the gamut of "Mazel" In the very next Gemara the Talmud discusses a case of Rebbi Akiva and astrologers. Many Rishonim learn this peshuto - and it is codified in the Ramo as such. It is a complex discussion. Your comments lack the depth and subtlety inherrant in the words of the Sages. 3. It seems from the Tanakh that Avodah Zara is effective (if it wasn't, why on earth would people do it), QED - if the occult and magic is Avodah Zara it must work, as there would be no reason to do it! This is brought among several Rishonim. 4. You have specific queries that are beyond the scope of this forum and article. You need to seek an Orthodox Rabbi, knowledgable in this area for guidance. Your critique of the article falls short, and the main premise remains correct in its approach.

It's ALL God. This entire Creation including atheists, agnostics, mystics, spirituaists, saints and sinners. It's a singing Creation that deeply involves the aleph bet. Let there be light! Since the Entire Story is scripted by a Divine Hand so also the realization of a Divine Promise. The KEYS are in the words.

Can someone provide the source of the quote from Nachmanides? Thank you

Lead pouring has been promoted in a leading Haredi magazine as a means of getting rid of an ayin hora. This seems to have originated from a goyish practice, followed in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, of pouring lead into water on the new year to see what their fortune will be. Why is this a permissible practice for Jews? Is an ayin hora real?

Morality IS intrinsic to any authentic form of spirituality. And I understand that, for whatever reason(s), many Orthodox Rabbis love to pit the Torah and its mandates against virtually every other form of spirituality in the world. And to a great extent, rightly so, since the Torah IS the blueprint for the entire created world as we know it. The problem is, as with any system, everything is contingent upon the kavannah/intent with which the practitioners carry out the mandates (even the exception of "lo lishmah, ba lishmah requires some degree of proper intent). And therein lies the rub. The Children of Israel are in a current 2,000 year galut/exile because of "sinat chinum" -- causeless hatred -- which is CLEARLY a morality issue. And not only is it a morality (or lack thereof) issue, Hashem has demonstrated that full bore idol worship is more forgivable than sinat chinom! (70 years vs 2,000 years and counting). Furthermore, you have totally overgeneralized everything in your depiction of modern day witchcraft. There are many divergent groups (Wicca, The Old Religion, Paganism, Satanism, Black Magic, Voodo, etc.), and it's irresponsible to lump them all together. Because there ARE groups that clearly recognize a Supreme Being, yet find it preferable to focus on the male/female forces that rule nature instead. And while that's certainly foreign to the Jewish view of proper worship, I'm not entirely sure it's against the basic Noahide guidelines, especially when such groups focus on good deeds, tenets of morality (harm no one and no thing), exercising balance and moderation in all things, while still acknowledging and recognizing a Supreme Being. So while I think I understand your reason for posting this (i.e. to serve up a warning about a potentially dangerous religious practice as you see it and understand it), it strikes me as more alarmist and sensationalistic than truly well informed, however well-intended. B"H

BSD I am elated that someone wrote about it. I did not believe in such till very recently. But the reality is if the Torah tells us about them, they are real, no matter how much you can lull yourself into denying it. These forces are sometimes utilized by people who have somehow stumbled on them or are incarnated souls whose families have some of the secret incantations to manipulate them. However I have learnt much of how to overcome witchcraft. 1) Darkness is only an absence of spiritual light - i.e. even the tiniest candle can extinguish the greatest darkness. Soul searching helps: One can utter David's prayer 'Of unperceived faults cleanse me'. 2. Praise and thanksgiving -blessings and certain prayers help against any who have mastered to employ those forces for their own agenda. 3) Since H'S is Echad, nothing and no one can operate or function outside the Will of The Creator. (H'S Hu Elokeinu, ein od milvado) i.e. the witch is only an agent for some Divine decree. One needs to examine what gave rise to the infliction that one suffers, and to remind you, Repentance, prayer, and charity avert the evil decree. Because if one has suffered at the hands of anyone, it first had to be authorised by G-d. The reality is that G-d tells us 'this is what you will find in The Land, tells us not to practice such', and much of what King David wrote teaches us secrets of how to overcome these, and lastly, this is for our benefit, because not only will we overcome them, little by little, but in the process we will totally drive them out, B'H! Ultimately, encountering witchcraft will lead us to teshuva, and as we draw closer to H'S, we will learn to use the tools that have been given us to draw the Divine Influence down, and draw the Spiritual light into our life, our home, our family, our neighbourhood, our city, our land.....and those who practice the occult very quickly move away, because spiritual light causes them more pain than the darkness they employ.

Well said, Moshe.

Morality is rooted in our essential attitude towards God. Adam was immoral because he chose to follow his own wisdom. Esau was immoral because he held a poor attitude towards his holy birthright. Immorality, being a form of rejection of that which is holy or the imposition of self rule, will lead to deeper erosions in the relationship between the one who chooses such a path and our God who desires only to re-establish a holy relationship. But, if someone insists on having their way, God allows them their choice. The Jews were exiled partially because they worshipped the gods and goddesses of the east, so God sent them to the east to make it more convenient. In other words God turns men over to their own desires and what men desire most comes upon them. The ancient priests of Israel used to perform exorcisms. I have personally seen demons beng cast out of people in the nations and it is real. Invaribaly, these people who had demons were involved in a dark religion. Anyway thanks for the article, the subject deserves a book. Please let me know when it is published.

There are a number underlying philosophical problems in this problem. One to think about is that the author defines morality as spirituality and spirituality is morality. So the problem here is that we are in a paradox that both spirituality and morality rely on another for being sufficiently true. If A then B and if B then A. This is contradictory to logic. I think logic and mathematics is the language of the universe and if God is the "creator" of the language of the universe and If (proposition) spirituality is morality contradicts logic then the same proposition also contradicts the language of God. Furthermore, if we define spirituality as morality, then the next question to ask is what is morality? Moral demands. Then what is moral demands? The second problem is we have one concept defining another concept, and then this concept defines another concept and so we are defining a concept based on another concept. Thus, there is a homunculus fallacy. It is not clear what we mean by spirituality and it cannot mean that spirituality is moral demands because then we have no clear and distinct definition between the two concepts. Also, if witchcraft, magic etc. are all powers of God, and if you are using these powers to heal I really do not see anything ethically wrong about this. How different is it then what use do in this day an age, technology, acupuncture, meditation, these are all forces of God. I think there is a lot of misinterpretation by interpreters (Rabbi's) but then again I don't blame them we are only human and finite and we are ALL very limited (not perfect) in truly understanding ourselves, nature and God.

It is commendable that you try to understand the world, and that you try to use formal logic, in order to minimize wrong thinking. But any fan of logic should become aware of the famous works of Kurt Godel ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_G%C3%B6del ) to realise that even logic has its limitations in trying to explain the universe. Some things fall outside the logic system, which doesn't mean that those illogical conclusions are invalid.

I agree with the idea that critical thought plays an essential role in religious life/experience, but I think your critique of the article based on formal logic is superficial. I think it's a good idea when discussing a text to cite the portion of the text you are referring to; this doesn't just help the reader, it would help you as well. If you had cited the text you would not have been able to make your argument, because the author - in the text - never defines spirituality and morality in terms of one another. Here's the text: "For us, the litmus test of "spirituality" is morality. Any form of "spirituality" that makes no moral demands on a human being, that does not seek to bring him closer to God, or bring out the Divine potential of man, is bogus or evil spirituality." The author explicitly relates morality as a "litmus test" for spirituality. In other words morality evaluates spirituality in the same way that a litmus test doesn't define a substance, it evaluates a quality of it; a thermometer measures your body temperature, it doesn't offer any definition of essence. Furthermore, the end of this quote alludes to "evil spirituality." By linking spirituality to the possibility of evil, the author can be seen as having resisted a conflation of spirituality with morality, as evil morality is an incoherent concept (we talk about evil as immoral, a lack of morality). While not explicit, the author does seem to offer a conception of morality in describing its absence as that "which does not seek to bring him closer to God, or bring out the Divine potential of man." The author links morality to connection with God and this relationship/criteria is what determines whether spirituality is positive. As a corollary, it would seem the spiritual dimension mirrors the physical world: is physical action/engagement good or bad? To the extent that it fosters a connection to the Divine it's good and to the extent that it distances it's bad. It's the same litmus test

It is never said that Spirituality is always equivalent to Morality, but that Spirituality may lead to Morality but not necessarily. Morality is solely decided by God, hence we have a concept of Objective Morality, to believe in a Subjective Morality is an absurdity that can't be rationalized and thus you either have Objective morality or no morality. The issue isn't in the action necessarily of using powers from we will say "another realm" (though we can't be certain that the powers prescribed by God prophets weren't endowed to them in other ways under Gods ability). The issue is how the person who harnesses those powers directs their affects. If a man heals someone and then claims he did it by his own power, or by the power of another God he is committing a sin. You see time and time again men of God who always give their accomplishments to God. If you use the power of God to do good in this world, then give him credit. If you fail to give him credit it is as if you ingratiated yourself with someone elses wealth. If you use the power of God to do evil deeds or selfish deeds then you are obviously not a righteous person. There is a lot of scripture to back up the claim that any glorification of self is a sin, and abhorrent. And as they say, power corrupts, how easy is it to wield the powers of God and then claim them as your own. There should be no attempt made to take power from God without his permission or endowment. If God blesses you with a gift to use it for his purpose, then so be it. But it seems obvious that the prohibition against witchcraft, etc is in response to those people who attempt to bend the rules of the natural world without directing their attention towards God. Which really is the whole point of this stint we have here on Earth, to direct our attentions toward God like any good spouse would.

Evil is real, but it is only from a human perspective. Since G-d is the source of good and evil, then all things are "good" in His perspective. But when we experience harsh judgment, that is for us "evil." You seem to have trouble with the concept of punishment.

Evil cannot be real unless there are supernatural beings that are against God, in rebellion, working against him. Otherwise there would be no reason to test. If the Devil only works for God, then what happens to those who fail the tests?

Good but missing clarity about such movements as spiritualism & spiritual healing [- including Reiki -] which tend to have a very moral structure but still don't necessarily attach themselves to G-d.

Excellent article and very timely. I am printing it so I can pass it around to all of my friends and family. Please continue to speak out on subjects such as this.

I think you are missing the big picture when God bans witchcraft on pain of death. You are trying to rely on a spiritual force other than God. That is idolatry - in direct opposition to commandment #1 and #2. When you come to that point, (s)he has already made a conscious decision not to rely on God or worship God. The bronze snake is a specific mathod that God used to demonstrate His salvation and is not any kind of sorcery, witchcraft, or magic. I don't think the theory of additional layer than nauture is very plausible. I have to disagree with Nachmanides on this one.

Dear Sirs,

The power that Bilham had cannot be associated with Avodah Zara. It was a power given to him by Hashem which Bilham could use for good or evil. Avoda Zara is something completely different, as in that case the power was believed to be resident in the object of Avoda Zara, whereas Bilham acknowledged that he could only do what Hashem would let him do. Asheros are considered Avodah Zara. Bilham, although a sone Israel, was given profetical powers by Hashem to applacate any objection from non Jews that if a man of the greatness of Moses would be given to them, they would do tschuva. They got Bilham.
Bilham had some powers that were even not given to Moses, such as the timing
and the advise to offer Sacrifices at the mount of Zofim. This indicates that, had it not been for Hashem's desire to keep Am Israel, they would have been destroyed by Bilham. These powers are not Avodah Zara, as they were directly delegated to Bilham, who knew the source of the power.

A clearly articulated message.

This is an excellent article. I would like to bring up some other info too. There are many mystical societies like the Rosicrucians who stress purity and morality along with the study of mysticism. In their otology, they believe that things which most consider "occult" are really metaphysical and have no basis in the "spirit world". Things like telekinesis are merely not understood, but not necessesarily "spiritual".

I think that there are many parallels in today's society for "occult"-like thinking, i.e. the medical society. People very often look to doctors as those people in King Chizkiahu's time looked at the snake. And what about how today's society looks at money? The fantasy world of Harry Potter is a lot less harmful for most because it's clearly fantasy. Medicine and Money, however, are looked to as magical, and that is more of a problem in daily life. Hashem sends the money and the healing, but we forget this and spend long hours at work thinking we will get more that way, or running from dr. to dr. thinking that they cure people. Hashem decides these things, and we forget. We have to go through the motions, but because we all go through the motions, this is more of an issue than occult.

What about the use of talismans, amulets, and good luck charms? Is their use allowed?

Thank You Thank You Thank You for
this article. When truth is presented
from Torah may G-d's Words speak
for themselves and then choose life.
G-d gave us so much information on
this subjuct so that we would not be
deceived by the occult, and it's subtle
ways. May we see Messiah come and the
world be content with Him and His ways.
I look forward to the day when Halloween and occult books are no longer the norm for our young. Bless Aish for their willingness to tell the truth!

The kind of "witchcraft" present in the Harry Potter novels is a harmless bit of fantasy. It is not any kind of agent of real devilry, other than the fact that Lord Voldemort is quite evil. But even he is not the agent of any darker force; he IS the dark force incarnate. Any great plot requires a great villain, and that's all he is. He is motivated not by hatred of God or a rejection of God, but by simple shallow ambition. One can say that Rowling's novels do not perform any particularly great good, but they certainly perform no evil. They are highly entertaining, they have inspired millions of children to take up the habit of reading, they present a compelling tale of courage against great odds - what's really so wrong with that?

I'm one of those rational people you mentioned, who tends to look to science for most answers. I spend a lot of time trying to balance my Judaism with my scientific and historical outlook. I don't see anything the least bit threatening to either from my interest in science fiction and fantasy.

I had hoped to read what can be done to aid an individual who has been "hexed" by a sorcerer.

for starters not all tea leaf readers and tarot card devotees believe in some higher "occult" power. most of it is for entertainment purposes. its not as if tarot cards are one step away from dancing naked around a bonfire.
and kids (as well as adults) enjoyment of stories that employee witchcraft, magic and other fantasy like worlds are also for simple entertainment and interest.
i can't think of something more boring than reading a book or watching a movie about the things that the masses do day in and day out. most people much rather bite into a mystery, a fantasy, a peek into a world that is not our own.
seeing sinister and anti-G-d messages in these entertainments is the product of paranoid minds that cannot seperate the real threat from the imaginary ones.
harry potter isn't the enemy. don't Jews have enough real threats and enemis to keep us occupied as it is without making up new ones?

Perhaps we should look deeper within ourself if we feel the need to justify and defend, such entertainment.

Some years ago I was a member of a magical order, which used ceremonial magic within a kabbalistic structure. The point of magic (briefly) is to achieve mastery over the self and the outer world to the degree where one becomes identified with god. The problem with it is that it turns my will into god's will so that I become god and so I end up deifying myself. This is in complete contrast with the Torah, where God is seen as infinitely higher and more powerful than created beings. We are called to accept the will of God and His commands: "make His will your will". Having left the path of magic and lived an observant life, I am very happy to say that I would rather be a talmid Torah, howver humble and ignorant, than a magician.

I have always felt that the world of nature that I experience in every day journeys, is more than just scenery, that there is something to the sentience that older cultures ascribed to it, some real feeling that there were sprites and spirits of woods and water for example. Reading this explanation that these qualities are
G_d given and can co exist with regular religious devotion, validates what I feel and is one of the most satisfying essays I've received in my year or so of subscribing to aish.

Your article reflects a non-Jewish fear of the so-called "occult." The Gemara is full of "occult" type occurences or remedies. To confuse these with Hollywood depictions of the spriritual, or with xtian hostility (in which Jews were killed as witches) ignores a large part of our tradition. For more, see "Magic of the Ordinary" by Rabbi Gerson Winkler.

HOW COULD YOU ASSUME THAT THOSE OF US THAT ARE ARTISTIC OR MORE SPIRITUAL ARE MORE PRONE TO TEA LEAVES AND PSYCHICS? I TRULY TAKE OFFENSE TO THAT. I FEEL MY ARTISTIC AND SPIRITUAL ABILITIES ALLOW ME TO SEE WHAT GOD HAS CREATED IN A MORE INTENSE WAY. YOUR GENERALIZATIONS HAVE ATTACHED A SIGMA TO WHAT I FEEL IS A BLESSING.

Beautiful and convincing article.. Thanks!

B"H
What can I add to your words? I can not add much. I hope and pray that mankind will one day wake from its' death, its' separation from the love of HaShem and His Light, HaTorah L'Chaim.
I once was a Christian. I had values and ethics very similar beliefs to Jewish ones. I thought I knew the Messiah in a personal relationship, etc., etc.
What I found was that I was guilty of hate, and worse, idolatry. I had caused the people of Israel harm and had no understanding of the words of the Nazarene. I was blinded by pagan tradition, etc., etc.
I went through a time of wrestlings as Yaacov had done. What I finally realized was that there is only one Higher power, His name is actually nameless except that which can be spoken with the heart & soul. I finally realized also that the deity of a man is not even what that man was actually teaching. He was talking as IF he were the Torah. Had his words in that kind of context been deified by the goyim instead of falsely applying their pagan theologies to those things, We would've seen the age of Moshiach a long long time ago. Deify the words of the Tzaddikim and you will see its' because they have been speaking the Torah of the Mighty one of Israel all along. Shalom!

There is no "quasi-spiritual". To say that there is, is to deny the idea that the Almighty is omnipotent. If sorcery can occur it occurs because G-d allows it if G-d ever wanted it not to occur he could stop it. Also we must remmember that the "psychics" of today, who claim to have been born with some sort of extra-sensory perception, assuming that they are not lying, have been given this talent by G-d.
Although we human beings are given free-will is I sincerely doubt that G-d would allow

Good article. It's amazing that so many people after reading it are still asking "what's wrong with occult, wicca, magic, etc?" Well, to put it simple, it's like cheating on an exam: trying to use shortcut instead performing your task. Occult, wicca, magic, etc. are so popular in America for the same reason as any other "quick fix" or "magic pill" - either for a soured relationship or for treating simptoms instead of the actual disease. G-d brings us to the world so we would work on our spiritual growth by controling our base desires and behave in all life situations according to His Torah, but we would prefer to resolve our problems with magic, "turn Arafat into a vegetable" and go back to our business as usual - watching TV, cheating our wifes and lying to our shareholders. But maybe Arafat our "wake-up call"?

"if you do not believe in evil, how do you explain Hitler? Do you believe he was an agent of God or of evil?" - great question! But of course, Hitler was not an agent - neither of G-d nor of evil. He was a human being - just like you and me, a human being created by G-d. But G-d created all of us with a free will, and Hitler used his free will to chose to do evil, evil was flowing out of him like mighty river into the world. There is no abstract evil in this world - it's always concrete, done by very concrete people - who chose in their clear mind to abandon G-d's path and try to elbow G-d out of this world. It is the mere existence of the Jews who chose to do what they are supposed to do, to "walk the walk", without using the shortcuts of the magic, that prevents Hitlers from suceeding:

"The struggle for world domination will be fought entirely between us – between Germans and Jews........
Providence has ordained that I should be the greatest liberator of humanity. I am freeing man from the restraints of an intelligence that has taken charge, from the dirty and degrading self-mortifications of a false vision known as conscience and morality, and from the demands of a freedom and personal independence which only a very few can bear..........
The Ten Commandments have lost their vitality. Conscience is a Jewish invention; it is a blemish, like circumcision..." Adolph Hitler.

This was truly a well written article, but I found it very disconcerting that it needed to be written in the first place. One sort of thinks that all the Pagan beliefs died off in Western Society some time ago. I personally thought that the beliefs in the doctrines of Science and evolution were the “idol worship” of our generation. Science is not just the understanding of the way nature and all things physical function (which is an intellectual pursuit) but the way the academics and proponders of various theories attempt to further us from the belief of a Devine being to have been able to create all we perceive. The thought is too restricting and mind boggling and doesn’t allow one to go beyond a certain limit (although they too must realize that they have a limit….what happened before the Big Bang and how was that material in existence anyways?!) With the development of various other theories and forms of worship one is attempting to shirk off the responsibility to obey G-d’s commandments and conform to a certain way of behavior and morality (besides obeying a code of laws). In other words if you don’t believe G-d exists then you have no responsibility to behave in any certain way besides the way you see fit. Responding to Anonymous 4/8/’01 , what makes you think that the Sun worshipers or moon worshipper’s were not peaceful and good people. Anyone who is awestruck with the greatness of the creation is obviously a thinking and even civilized person. People who worship anything in nature are missing the point. All the beauty around us was created in order to help us exist and cause us to be aware of the greatness of our Creator. To worship the servants of the King is not just foolishness (and missing the point) darn right ingratitude and even scornfulness! How would your Mother like if you patted the wash machine on the lid every time it did a load for you and not thank her? In the Mishnah a very seeming harsh statement is made: Whoever interrupts his/her learning and comments on a tree and says how pretty is this tree is a Mishchayev BeNofsho ( liable for his own soul ). Why ? because the whole purpose of creation is to bring us to a primitive awareness of G-d but the Torah is G-ds word and part and parcel of G-d-and to lose hold of that fact by announcing the beauty of Nature means you didn’t even get the point. You’ve missed the point. You’ve replaced the Divine understanding with the primitive-and thus forfeiting the Jews whole reason d’entre! (of course this doesn’t mean a Jew can’t stroll in the park and admire creation-but it’s the when he/she is doing it. Not in the middle of being in the “inner chamber’s of G-d world and communication with Him through learning or prayer).
As for David ben Rafael’s post; David the first half of your post sounded fine but you must know that Moshiach is not a security blanket concept. It is part and parcel with true Torah beliefs. Deny Moshiach or the need for him and you are denying the whole truth of the Torah. I would think that this concept would be as clear as the light of day in the times we live now. We occupy Israel and although there is not enough accord in the community every Jew shares a love for Israel. But being in a land and sharing that love has not saved us from the troubles we are not experiencing with the Bnei Ishmael. Neither is there any real hope of getting out of it using any worldly means. It’s not like fighting WWII where all you needed was a good army and good weapons and allot of man power. That won’t help here and every solution only brings with it even worse problems. Moshiach is meant to unify all Jews in service to G-d (not just as a group of people living in their own country) and teach us the ways to serve G-d and help us improve the entire Spiritual situation for the Jewish people and the world. There is no current leader who can do this and it would need a highly Spiritual person and special in all ways to unify our nation. The existence of Moshiach and his coming have been preprogrammed into the creation of the universe and thus essential for it’s survival. This is the will of G-d and nothing has changed since this concept has come into being (even though we now live in the 20th century with Pentium 4 computer’s and the possibility of Mach 8 transportation!

The article mentions people who are involved with "..Theirs is a world of tea-leaf readings, tarot cards, crystal balls and psychic predictions..". But what the people who seem to be born with a sixth sense, who do not try to delve into the dimension, but can't avoid it? The connection is thrust upon them.

How are they suppose to view themselves, and how are they suppose to act?

I was happy to see this article addressing witchcraft on your site. As a religious community I think it is important to tackle these issues. Today, especially in popular culture, witchcraft and occult practices are made to seem okay and even inviting to young people. Recently I went to a local bookstore and was appalled to see how many books in the childrens section were about teen witches, the history of wichcraft and other occult related titles. As a small child, I had brushes with this form of evil, through an older female babysitter of mine who owned a ouiji board and a Satanic bible. She also introduced me to a few "harmless" satanic games as well as astral projection, something that another commentator mentioned. If you have never experienced these things, I DO NOT recomend trying them, they fly in the face of G-d and are extreamly EVIL and we are told not to have anything to do with these things or the people who practice them. There is no room for grey area in this subject. I have experienced firsthand the absence of G-d in these practices. Make no mistake about it they are EVIL.

“Between God and this world of nature lies another bridge, which we shall call the "occult" or the quasi-spiritual.” Quasi-spiritual would infer that you view all of these things as childish, and imaginary. If you were to study and perform Astral Projection, you would *know* that there is a large piece of reality that Judaism, and the rest of the world, completely ignores.

For the record, Rambam (Maimonides) said that the occult is complete nonsense. It is evil and forbidden not because it works, but because it misleads people into thinking that there's a way "around" G-d.

One implication of the "supernatural" is that there are forces which are beyond our control and, therefore, over which we have no power. This, perhaps, is the result of a belief of a conflict between independant forces of good and evil, rather than a belief as expressed in the article. If, however, some such conflicts exist internally rather than externally, that is, within ourselves, we have the ability to influence at least some forces of good and evil. (Obviously, there are some matters over which we have no power, such as someone shooting another.) Where we do have such ability, it can be argued that this stems from man's creation where God left it to each of us, as individuals, to strive to perfecting ourselves. In addition, in opposition to those saying that we have no power to avoid the supernatural, we even can argue with God (Abraham, for example, did so) but, perhaps within confines, and produce a positive result.

Question, if you do not believe in evil, how do you explain Hitler? Do you believe he was an agent of God or of evil?

When I was in high school I became involved with a group of Wiccans who taught me a lot about their beliefs, etc. I was impressed, and considering becoming Wiccan, but the whole double deity thing always bugged me. The leader of the Wiccan group encouraged me to examine my own faith first. The more I looked into it, the more I realized that Judaism offered everything I wanted (and needed) and all the rationalizations I created (the god and goddess are really just two halves of a whole and things like that) were pointless.
My perception of Judaism had been shaped by what Christians said about G-d and how Christians thought Jews viewed G-d. In the absence of any Jewish education from my parents or others, I had missed out on the broad subjects and subtle thinking Judaism encompasses.
My point? If you are Jewish and have become or are considering becoming Wiccan, Buddhist, or any other religion, look deeper into your own people's past. There is a rich enough store of philosophy, spirituality, and practical common sense to make replacing it with anything else seem absurd. Other religions are fine and possibly just as valid-- for others. As Jewish people, though, we have been given a wonderful gift, crafted to our unique needs, that ought not be tossed aside lightly.
Thank you for the article. I know now that I never truly strayed into idol worship, and I am much relieved. :)

It should be obvious that magic tricks are just sleight of hand, and that occult practices are fraudulent.
Belief in the occult is simply foolishness. It should also be obvious that midrashim (haggatic stories) which seem to attribute supernatural powers to rabbis in the Talmud, must be interpreted as allegories. Latter-day tales that tell of rebbes that perform miracles are simply fiction. My two cents.

What can you say to today's teenagers who consult tarot cards, ouija boards.etc because they "don't believe in a magic giant in the sky"? What are they saying they actually DO believe in?

What’s the difference between sorcery and Kabbalah? I was told that when the Rabbis of the Talmud performed super-natural acts such as creating a living calf out of clay, this was only after a process of perfecting themselves as Tzadaikim and studying Torah for many years. They performed these acts with God’s permission. Sorcery, on the other hand, is trying to tap into these same forces without God’s permission. If you like, gate-crashing God’s world! Many so-called Kabbalists that say that one can study Kabbalah, divorced from Torah and even without belief in God, are not Kabbalists at all. They are sorcerers!

This was an interesting article. Now if you could do the same with what angels did or do now and if there is an afterlife are these people angels or were angels always angels or both

Dear Aish Rabbis,
As you are reading the attraction to Wicca and the occult is rampant, especially amongst the youth. This is very disconcerting. After such a clear and conconsise article somehow many still have the impression these other religions are "good", "sanctioned as OK" within Judaism. Just a reminder to the commenters: G-d calls playing with such things an "abomination" and the author does a wonderful job sharing this point. DON'T PLAY WITH THIS STUFF.

The witchcraft in itself is like spitting in God's face. We know that there is a spiritual world around us. But God specifically tells us not to put anything before him. If we want something supernatural to happen, ask God for it. By going to some other form of power (such as witchcraft) we are saying to God that we don't think that He can solve our problems/needs so we will take it upon ourselves. It is a lack of faith in God.

The deity is NOT a genie to be brought forth by rubbing a bottle. The intelligence that designed the human nervous system, that created atoms and solar systems is not a simplistic "mystical" entity to be manipulated. Witchcraft, sorcery and Judaism do not go together. And remember Judaism is the ONLY religion that does not worship a human being, living or dead. The whole concept of "Moshiach" is what kept us from Israel for millenia. We need no "Moshiach" -- we need only obey the laws of the Torah. Not an interpretation of the laws -- the literal statement. The creator is a master of the simple declarative sentence, "DO This..." "Don't do that..." We must stop adding to his laws as well as subtracting from them. When the creator appointed the Levites and the sons of Aharon, he left no margin for elitism in Jewish society. We need no kings and we need no moshiach. We have Israel and we have the one deity. Now all we have to do is unify our community -- for the purpose of the laws is surely to bring harmony to the community. When we act as one, no power on earth can stand against us.

I think this should be required reading in all temple and synagogue Sunday schools throughout the world. Kids can get into trouble with their fascination of the Occult.....and can be dangerous....just look at Columbine High School.
Parents need to be aware of this Jewish perspective on the occult and witchcraft.
Bravo!! excellent article.

While Torah is very specific regarding witches and idol worship, I am afraid that your explanation seeks to simplify the issue by combining three very different practices - witchcraft, idolatry, and magic(k). Torah is replete with examples of each and its position is quite clear regarding each - when taken in the specific context in which it is presented.

Idolatry is anathma to Jewish practice and I exclude that from this response.
However, contemporary Wiccans practice presents a very peaceful, and non-threatening pagan relegion steeped in a respect for other humans and for nature and natural events. Magic(k)borrows heavily from the Kabbalah and other mystical Jewish mainstays. Intent in magic(k) as well as in Judiasm is important. A knife can do good or do evil. It all depends on who holds the weapon and how it is wielded.

I believe that lumping them together does each a disservice and further clouds a full understanding of biblical intent on three very significant religious and historical philosophies.

i had to do a project on what witchcraft and Jews had to do with each other thanx for the help. Laura

I am a Jewish teen girl. I am not Wiccan, nor any other similar Pagan religion, but I am very interested in it and a few of my personal beliefs about the world and life are represented by Wicca. Wicca is modern form of witchcraft, but that term is largely misunderstood. Just because someone is a "witch" does not mean they are evil, and it does not mean that they worship Satan. (That's actually the religion called Satanism, although there ARE some Satanists who believe in Satan as an idea or force, not the actual "devil.") Wicca, and other similar religions, are VERY peaceful nature religions. They do believe that the world is full of positive energy that can be shaped with spells (much like a prayer in other religions, like Judiasm) and that there is a God and a Goddess, representing the masculine AND feminine aspects of the world. Some WIccans believe in the God and the Goddess in a more literal sense than others. The code of ethics in Wicca is very clear: And it harm none, do what ye will. I think it is terrible that so many people make judgements about Wicca, and many other things in daily lives, before we really know anything about them.

This is very simple but very helpful to me to understand.I have been wondering about the new age practices and this article has help me to show this to the younger generation.They are very interested in the occolt.But I feel they are not getting enough spiritual help at home they are getting into something dangerous and need help to stay away from.Thank you this has helped alot.

In my experience, if one even mentions the word "occult" to a Christian, they give a dirty look and say it's the devil, not explaining anything. It seems as though none of them understand how to explain, they are so full of fear and judgement. Or, they deny its credence at all, as though it doesn't exist. Neither of these responses has been helpful to me, because I have always been moderate - aware that these forces exist, but wary of lending them too much attention. I have been waiting for an article like this for ages. Thank you for putting things in order for me, I hadn't thought I would find articles like this, especially on a site like this. Luckily for me, I came upon all of these things accidentally while looking up information on Jerusalem, where I just made a friend. This will be a site I frequent more often!

Discussing this topic was a refreshingly new experience.In this age of quest for a new spirituality too many get lost on the way.It is especially tragic if Jews are lured into questionable sects that make belief that they are in essence Jewish while beeing purely christian sects.
Aish like all other Jewish websites should continuously warn against missionary sects and uncover their lies.

I enjoyed the torah's view of witchcraft
Now I understand the meaning of the supernatural. Thankyou for explaining.

when commenting on artistic people who believe in a mystery underlying the universe, I take exception to these points: Many people who are spiritual seekers do indeed believe in God and avoid psychic phenonemena such as tea leaf reading and the like. Others are agnostic or atheist, though this would never be my choice, they live moral lives any how. I do agree if a fascination with that which is spiritual, not necessarily occult and not linked with God first and formost, there can be problems. People can be led astray. I myself was involved with Wicca and the like and moved away from it. Hear O, Israel the Lord is One. I live in accordance with Gods Will. That is the safest way to live for God knows us better than we know ourselves.

Your article entitled "Witchcraft & Judaism" was an accurate, yet, informative display of "internet spiritual warfare", (not unlike the confrontation Elijah had with the prophets of Baal). As a Cristian living in western civilization, I am aware of the constant bombardment Harry Potter and the Blair Witch Project tales, (both, which have undermined and misrepresented God's plan for individual creativity). Though these are potentially harmless "thrills of excitemtent" to the masses, I believe they do, nevertheless, plant seeds within young minds that slowly errode any future resistance to the attraction to the occult. God has given each of us a special gift called "imagination".Rightly used, it becomes a teaching tool in His hands. However, an imagination left unattended by morality, eventually becomes it's own idol. I enjoyed your article very much. Thankyou.

I am very pleased with your discussion of this topic. There are many Jews who were raised in a totally secular environment and who are identifying themselves now as either xtians (they erroneous think that the "miracles" that j. performed were his own power) or who have resorted to some form of atheism, agnosticism or paganism. Several Jews who are identifying themselves as pagans are posting on the Jewish Message Boards of various internet servers. Please continue to address various aspects of this topic. The general public unfortunately thinks that idol worship only means bowing down to a wood or stone statue.
Thank you!

This is a very intelligent, and yet accesible, explanation. I wish many contemporary churches could use such a forthright explnations for their youth.

I should probably first introduce myself. I am 37 years old, a mother--and Catholic. I first logged on to Aish at the invitation of my dearest friend, who is Jewish. Originally, I thought to have a better understanding of her beliefs, and find some common ground in our spiritual lives. What I have found in the various articles is a deepening appreciation for Judaism itself as the roots of my own faith. I have yet to find a story that does not enlighten my mind and uplight my soul. I find that there is much more in common in our two faiths than I ever realized--for me, a tremendous blessing.

Rabbi Ahron Lopiansky in this article has truly emphasized the Divine power exacted over the entire of the universe, and how no place is devoid of the Almighty's Presence. He has utilized this in order to distinguish the idolatrous magic of Near Eastern and some Western cults from the Divinely sanctioned powers endowed to the great men and women who have represented Judaism for millenia. Yasher Koach!

This article is excellent, and it helped me better understand Judaism's attitude toward witchcraft, the occult, and superstition. I must admit that I wish sometimes that it wasn't against the Torah. That way, a Jew could turn Yasir Arafat into a vegetable. Well, the Torah does have a better way. By practicing Torah and growing closer to G-d and to each other, we can make things better.

As ajew who is slowly returning Aish HaTorah and its techings are educating me every day. I am studying with two Rabbis and learning my way each day. Thank you for all you do to help people like me.