F i i z fi 4 ? 5 i t t i : ne JOSHUA TRACHTENBERG JEWISH MAGIC AND SUPERSTITION A Study in Folk Religion BEHRMAN’S JEWISH BOOK HOUSE PUBLISHERS, NEW YORK 1939ono. uae oxen of i i yb SAE aver ne ees ee be Deport ax Siuow TeachesFOREWORD 10 UsoeRsTaND & people—and trough it humankind —is to sei whole. "hie hs been a peel dificu tak where Jews are concerned, forthe vision of the world as ben ob> secured by dary binned spectacles. fon the one hand, Criso- logical and ant Semte prejaices have revealed only an infamous Iorde of blasphemers and parasites onthe other, ahistorical perspec: tie lnitd by Senptre a ileed an exalted and of props, hounded and pencevted ax prophets must be for thei von and tomer. Basen thee fo extremes which have alike doomed Jove t the aagplat of carers -a normal people, wily all the {atisand vives of humanity, has pursued its aera course through history, however abnormal wre the condons again which struggle. This i perhaps the greatest achievement of Jewry that in the face of an environment as perennially hose a any pple has ad to confront, it as sil maintained its balance, ie has re tained a normal member of the human family even to owg, Bong with ies pecalinr vires and fal, the common aberraGons of te human ace “The Jesh people didnot cease to ive and grow when the New ‘Testament as welten, The two thousand years since ave sen & steady expansan and development of fs iner ie. New scligious faneeps were advanced, the old were elaborate, and alae the tffrtas been tomate these something more ham éonceps to weave "hem into the pattern of dally He, so that the Jew might ive hit religion. ‘This Was the say misundessood "legalan” of Judaism But alongside ths oral development cere was onstan clabora> tion of what we may call "ol reliion”—ideas and practices that never met with the wholeherte approval ofthe religions leader, Tht which enjoyed sch wide poplar that they coud no Be los iether exuded from the eld of sligion. OF this sore were the Ines concerning demons and angel, and the many supestidous tages bated on ths lies which by more or low devious routes fctaly became a past of Jadaim, and on the periphery of the r= Heise the practicesof magi, which never broke eompltly with "he tenes of the faith, yet stretched them almost to the breaking wivi FOREWORD point Ie call hee “folk liga ie Because dey expresed the fommon aide ofthe people, as agaist the oa atitude ofthe Synagogue, to che universe. ‘The rabbis sought to eaiate thee practices, or at Test 10 team ter elensive fate Bt therefor met with cay inuiferensecesy and they were often obliged to aceard the elements this folk religion grading recognition and acceptance. "Det {sida aelshould a anitingy than eons beak the aw. In this spect Ge tory of Jews thought suns parallel with that of ll people. Everywhere dhe commen folk has ested 08 an Intellectual and petal plane alts own, andi oly inthe mest recent centuries that true scence and religion have made inroads in folk coneptions of the universe and brought them corer if tly ite to what we call out moder, rationalise viewpoint Ix ‘eis scholarship thi phase of folk religion and folk sence hat inen stely neglected. ‘The tendency has bon 10 lmpate to the Jewish people a a whole the ideas of 3 few advanced thinkers, t0 invesigne phiteophy and mystic and law the eulural and re Tigi erentons ofthe intellectual ditevaluabl tudes whi, how ‘er, provide no img nt the inne fe of the people themes, “rhs book fers a contribution to an understanding of folk Judi, the bef and practices that expesed mest eloquent ihe fot pyehe—of all de vagaries whic, coupled withthe is tore program of the Jewish Fath, made up the everyday religion of {he Jew prope. Imus be emphasaed, however if that should be recess that it dies bu hi ome phate of Judie, not alee tthe egimate phase the other bas ben described in many eam petent and sympathetic works. "The material here presented is culled from the Herature of Germanic Jewry (deeribed inthe Note About the Soares) —the Jewry of Gamany, Nother France, England, Avs, Poland Sakic contd ealleraly snd historically single community — ftom the eleventh centary evo dhe sixteenth Te swith reference to the period thatthe tein “edie” and "Midle Ages” are ‘employed throaghnst the book. The ealkral story of North Ero pean Jewry bean to unfold ony fa the former entry, ehough the ‘Commonly was i existence lng before, nd it retainer meee Spee through the sixteenth century, and considerably late fn some places. However, the year 1600, o theesbouts, as been sete Terminus ad que, for daring the sucreding tent the milled FOREWORD x Liane Kabbalah, emanating fom Safed introduced varity of ‘ew mysical cements and emphases, and ao at about his ime he fter of Jewih fe was sing toward the east where it came incrensingly under the influence ofthe Sve elures. Until about 1609 the North European community remained fail homogencos, nd Germanie ‘ut we mst perforce each beck to err pis fra complte presentation ofthe subject; the Bible, and predominantly the Tal Inodic and Geonc gation, exercised a profound and detrsining insenee spon medieval Jevish ie. Te would Bevan to ater tlaation of medial Jewish magic and sapenstion without a ‘coring due welghtto thc alderaoares frm which mich of derived (Htsould be noted thatthe Talmadie period i sally considered to have dined at about 500 ox. ; the Geonie extended thrh the fleveth century) And it may be added that the material ere presented stil pases a certain contemporancity. To quote Marvin Lowenthal, “Orthodox Jewry st the western word ows today is to a great extent the ha, when i bot the eatin, of German ‘eony" Ast of German Jewry inthe Middle Ages disdons the ‘rigin and sgifieance of many present-day practices ical superstition and magic have been thoroughly invest {ted by a number of scholars; the Talim period alo hasbeen farefully, i not so ftensivey, examined; the Geone period, unfor tunately ar reeved mich Tow atention. Ar for Northern Europe ‘uring the Midale Ager, ingle pioneering chapter, very remner= tive but nearly lite, in Moritz Gademan’s Gerchichle der Exiehungrecons nd der Cultur der ebendlindichen Juden ha hn tole. The present work, Tit, wl help to fl he ap ia ‘our understanding of the medieval Jor Tewry has bern divided into two large groups the Sephardic representing the elture of Southern Barope [Spain Nor Africa Italy, and Tate the counts ofthe eatery Mestersnesn), sd the dshtenasie, emanating fom the Germanic Ids and toy ee sting the mas of Jew in Barope and the America. The dine tion largely merical for fandarntlly they wese acne in he ‘adherence to common tadton sind lw, an there was a ace ‘rating interchange af ides and erature which Rep them ued Within de embracing fldeof Judie, But difrences are to be ‘ted, erences ultral tne which cently reflec hr ein zments The Jemy of the Mosier ands produced the lowering af* FOREWORD Jewish pilosophy and poeuy and scence and mysticimn, The Nosh produced Talmodists-~and a burgeoning superstion and. magic ‘Paroghout this book ran the thread of the remark in Seer Haid, “Aste Genes d,s do the Jews” The notion thatthe ghetto Jew of medieval Europe was completly shit off from the temper of his ge fabe. The people were im daly contact andthe ideas and ‘overnents that wept Europe invaded the gheto a well The Jews ‘were an integral part of medical Europe and thi culture reflected, ‘hin a measure fiafuencd, all de forees operative in the general ature of the peo. This was cpecially eo in Germany—and no- ‘where more ntably than in the fle beliefs that costae the ems Ione denominator between peoples Jewish sopentiion and. ‘magic represent anther view, from a hiderto unexpeited angle sf medieval Europe. Finally, [hope thatthe reader of ths hook wil fn in tse de eontbation to our knowlege of the istry of tought not ff Jove thought alone but of busman ought. For supertion and ‘magic are univer and uniform in thir manilestatons, and con- fate an important chapter In the progres of man's Mest thre ‘minor variations tht appeat hee and thee are but efletions of the Infinit variety and ingenuity ofthe human ind. Profesor Lymn ‘Thomibike has made an exhautive and rewarding sady of the Hory of Magic and Esperimental Science in medica Eatope 3 fone soe ofthe Htory of thought. T may expres the wis hat presen Book be regard a humble appendix to i Work “The read stention called tothe lt of Abbrevstion and Hebrew Tides and the Glosary of Hebrew Tem appended a the cud ofthe text, which may Talat he wseof his book ‘There remains the plesant dy of acknowledging many oligae tions, Tam greatly indebted to Proesors Salo W. Barun and Lynn “Thome of Columbia University and Profesor Louis Gimbarg ofthe Jewish Theological Seminary whe have read dhe manuscript Sand offered many helpful suggeons, My thanks are abo due to rofeuor Aleanter Marx andthe aff of the Jewish Theslogial ready ai in ulin the ih clleton af tains to Mr. Lass Margolis whom graciously asutnod the heavy burden f prepanng the nen: sn othe members of my eneresation Brith Shalom, of Eaton, Pennytvani, who provided tne withthe leisure to purse this work, and ensured it pulleaion. ‘Tomy wife belongs my deep sett she hes grester share a (Misbook than Teas ackaowiedge, ‘TABLE OF CONTENT! Peres 1, Toe Leorso Or Jewish Somemey oss. Th, Tite Taort Bax Tue Lars = - ‘ew Magic, The Maician = osbiden And Hetnitod de 1 Boe To Be Hee 1M, Tus Powsns Ov Bex. . ‘The Middle World» Temialgy » The, Gees, Oibereme «Attys Ard Punetons "Sowa Demons" “Feri” Demons IV. Max Axo Tite Dest ‘Mack = Crit «Spit Povesion » peabas And Seetaius ©The Ea Eye Words And Gunes V. Tue Semirs Or Tue Dea. VE. Tun Powsns Or Good... Deputy Angels + Atbutes And Functions VIL “Iv Tue Namen. ee ee ‘The Pteney OF The Name Abaca’ - The Gale = ips Rooiton Of Namestane The Niwes OF God: "Angel Names" Betowed Names VIN Tie Bane Be Macro. ‘The Word Of Gad» The Use Of The Word TX. Tuy Mactoan Paocrovaz oe TIncantatins « Nurben ~ The Magic Act» Sym. paths Bae “ X. Asoters fe 5002 Material Objecu . Gesm Waites Amuse Preparation Of Ale "lin Aod Mecuot ‘s 25 “ 6 & * 104 4 1324 ‘TABLE OF CONTENTS ‘NL Tice Wax Were Tree Sram = Religious Deters «Mie! Defensa © Suatgem pls Mariage And Desh [IL areas Aso Max - . 5 "The Wonder OF Nava" FelkBilogy— Proc (ion Porgeing And Renee KUL Meseowe ose bongo ‘Magic And The Doctor + The Cates Of Discue ‘retmeat "Same Sovereign Remedie Herts XIV. Drensariox on e eterinisn 2 Fre Will” Onnse «The Prog. ‘uriedTreware = Trt By Ordsl XV. Drewes. ce ‘The Desa In Haman Asis ‘Where Dreams Gang Frm "Drea Faow Their ntepret Sent The Techngae Of Interpretation Dream Damaion Neawalsing Omaous Deas XVL Astnatoor fe ee Avresoos [Tur Fonwarion Or Masons Naxes ‘Apmis: IMs. Sefer Gematiaot Ox Grats Annareanioxs Axo Hemw Teast... Nores = Go ga9 Bunsoonarny A—A Nora Anovr Tite Sooners BHaannw Sooners, Paiste (C—Hrensw Sources Is Mave D—Moonix Lienarune « Guoseany Or Heusw Tents... ss Dor. Gou56 58 195, 208 290 240 260 255 289 an a 8 393 335 JEWISH MAGIC AND SUPERSTITION1 ‘THE LEGEND OF JEWISH SORCERY se anomalous pation ofthe Jew inthe modern word i but Intel veron of the fate that as dogged is Footsteps ver since he wandered forth amoag sange and hore peop In no time and place However, wax hi states and it Dlght—s0 manifestly ange sin meow Earope. Te cence of {hat nnigaencs layin ht mbiguow relationship to the Chistian feck it which beled his precios existence, onthe one had i Tuenced by all the abjcive forces which melded hs environmen, fon the ctr, shut ol fom that evironment by insurmountable wells of suspicion and animosiy, His wilful pesisence inhi ree ‘lows and cultural “difference” Srom the intolerant Chiisn i= Eaton of the day the dogmatic enmity fowere bythe Chur, hie ‘inority tat coupled with an effective economie empetiion with [inom Jewish neghbory al dhe combined terete a attude of fy and hated. Bot thee slone do not tl the whole ry we ‘nuit ade a forthe element nto the pyehoogial complex which Aletrminod the atiude af Chvstan toward Jew—an element which today has fost ts frce in the compeston of antiSeriti, but ‘which nthe Midle Age loomed very large. Fort contrite the {notion of fear, even of superior dread n a age when Supe Sion was the prevsng fh not alone ofthe mass but of many oftheir leades as wel, ‘Sorcery was very seal and teifyng phenomenon in thas days, and many medal Citas Tooked pon the Tew a the magh tian par exallnce, Thealegiance to Satan, attbuted to Jews with si lnsience that almest drowned owt ie tue impeatin, wan not Imerely aform of invective or retrie‘Satan war the uimatesurce ‘of magi, which operated nly by hie dinbolie wil and connivance CCaistian writers make fe quite dear thatthe the connecsian to Which they refer Secular and religous authorities took action tine snd agua aint the Jows expres on is coun, and the Toquig-2 JEWISH MAGIC AND SUPERSTITION tin occasionally vad fuel ofthe charge to ge around the Soviciom of ecdedatcal aw whe cle te Jor rm io ‘gma honing pounds? "The maser be wae quick to ee oppor fod by tus acuta nat ack upon the Jew feoqusty 10 towel te leveling ofthe charge fo ste sae tance: the {rile sobs pon Join gland ich overeced ‘Sey mor ovah commentiy sd tok a agi tl of marry, adie inci a¢ the coon of Richard Lin London oa Exeter grt, On that ocean a Ji degion Besing tsa lege of liane wan even rom he play pully ‘Scoued of having cme to at hc coeaninents over he nely ‘owned ing and wast upon bythe crowd the outbreak spread ‘api theagh th ye fan ook moe ha al yar {Depend itll tin ake tao oes Botehere? Sock ‘ateatons peter orbs degre wer he wal ovata lathe senso "The sikingfesture ofthe Chitin apprekeion of Jevih screy tha adel oto cesn see Jo, to had ‘Sou tty tr tos but ahr the ette pegs om mae. Gaeeqeny vey Innocent Jonsh at wich by te sang IN fo epen to fps was comidred 2d dave fot working mug agaist Crane ‘The tn f tong acd earth bend one afters fama Drought lage of sey in Patni the early yea ofthe tat entry, wich might have Ind ie consequence Rebs Ms bebe ad not fucceted in pruning the Lingo ste hanes carts {he pace of wating the hands on sung fom the eetery sroucd the ae aprons of sry aad prove some Hooly ‘So onerous id theese acosatons become tha the bbe ofthe dle Age fod acsnary faced ths step, no dsb 1 Sova pb opi —to pend anno hse asm Inthe (Cab the doduoming, though “many were olsen dcesrd {he ge for fae tat he Gents would ace them of cen” sso repro gin fs atin ther nance ee omped SThe mourn tof "indng the Red and "overt the ed npc ding the Mile Ages forthe eon. To Tare ‘na fr ofthese acetone le Jah soos ene {hehe fhe bowehold em he ite of arcing ot the even” ‘THE LEGEND OF JEWISH SORCERY 8 «nthe eve ofthe Pasoverin places omned in common with non- ‘ews during the Midte Age there was a nrong bt cee atin spend this ite aageter, yen indo “bean we ive Gentle serving out home” who waght spread he slr. In Proves owen ital caning he pbc oven in preparation for Paco bling ws neglced “becuse oe {Gee sspicion of ce” Which ie broke ot in fowsa Iowe owner dare expect ie mercy la th nb ft he wa 1 sovcrereking to cso Cindy sis punt was ommonly stanons wh ire‘ bo the te wee Aherlore woul tolerant abou lt of the pdb to tout its on he Sabath an on the Day of Aton. Ate ight danger heat hs potibion ad, “or thsi aa ean death, sce ey aceme nd pense a” We tad of ‘lamb, saghtered in flllment ofa ul obligation, which was ut up and buried sce insects“ that the mater May ot Beome known and they sy, e wat done for magical ends’ "= To such measure wee Jows diver by fear of arog the mepicions of hc chor. Jews were stoned as sorceres. But it neat fie knowledge of uman nature t Believe thatthe vay vice beeame 2 vie hon Christan themsele ad nest f= Be expert mag ca the Side If Jews were magicians, thle every actA har then hr ‘agi devon could aid as Well as har. Rliae be Mow of ‘ieana in the thiecath cetuy, tll tht once when Be was Regenburg owes hada, va Gene who had sack pone in he iy fal dangerous ordered a Jew tt ha hve some of swine or he woul! surly de; and gave this Jew pession to send ir the wine (llough i we betty) i onder to pve rouble though there were some wh dangeed and frtade ik” Apparent Jewish wine paved ect eling powers perhaps ‘i Gentle had in mind wine that had been Bled by Jews. Te ‘would be inereting to Kom how effective the cre was but R sae ‘ati anes no fare 3 mcziza (a isl inscription attached to the doops) essako an abject spon, nd theme Sng of die. That ie was regula magia deve by Chris we Ino, for 4 ‘enhentry weer admonished vender toa a mee Lr dor even when hey np hase one by 2 non Jew, spite the fac that che llrd might acne ther of earcery. Ta4 JEWISH MAGIC AND SUPERSTITION deed the Jews inthe Rhineland had o cover ove thee meteor, ssa thinesnth-cenary writer complained, “the Chrsans oof talc and to annoy uy sek nies into the mecuah openings and ‘atup the pavchmeat” Out of mac ao dout—but the magical ‘pateof the mugah must hae lent pec fre to thee vndive= ‘nas Yet ejen Christians ia high places were aot averse to using {ese magia instruments themtelve. Toward the end ofthe four teenth entry the Bishop of Salsurg asked a Jew to give him & egos to atach tothe gate of his case, bt te rabbi author to whom thi Jew tarned fr advice rear to countenance 6 out ageoura proton of x ditinctivly regio symbol nthe fel of medicine in pardcular Was We reputed Jewkh magia sill called upon to perfor miracles According tthe popula ve, demons and magie were often responsible for disease, End medicine was Werefre the legate provnee of the sorcerer. ‘wish pica, hough by no means fre from the general super Sitios Etude, were among the foemestrepreentattes of x sie tle meskne in the Germanic lands ‘Ther wide knowledge of Tanguages the availablity of ArabioGreek medical works in Hebrew tratlton, the propensity for travel and sty abroad, thee fe ‘dom from the Church-onered superiion of mracious curs ‘eles and the lik, thee often conpzed to male of them mor eee {ve prattoners than thls aon-Jnchcompatiton. Paradoxically {heirbdentic raining, ach st Was, made them superior magicians In the popula view, a every tunphof medial sence enbanced {he Jers reputation for sore ‘This acount forthe popularity of Jewish doctors in Norther Buope thoughout Wis period, despite ingent Church prokbi- ‘ons constant reterated by popes and synods (Vienna 1207, Bisel "4gfset.)y and the caveat ofthe clergy that thse Jews woul tm ‘ek magic agains thee patent. But who wool rik his ie in the Ihands of an inferior Chvisian physician for the sake of theological oct when & powerfl Jewsh doctoramaecian could be called fn? In 57, when» Josh dacior was given penmision to race {nthe cy of Hal ip Swabia the ey epitomized the medieval lea potion in a public statements “Es se beer mit Chto [eotorbehy als per Judea-De. rit dem eafel gerund worden" Bat this pow preference was reserved fr whole moments; when the ee wat jne! the ministration of Satan were not rejected. For ‘hose who aeaterested theese is of Jewish plysclans pacing ‘THE LEGEND OF JEWISH SORCERY 5 Jn Norcher Europe during the Mile Ages. We know of mest of them only becawse their names have bean presaved ia Chrisian documents recording ther servic to Chvian rales and prelates, their eit or los of privilege, or the acaioal tage reward of tek clr Tor if che patio ved is fe when he called in a ‘ewidh doctr, that doctors riked hs when herd up Bs seeres Sndseto work. It his minisrations were succesful he wi magician fd might expect oe tested as suc, wth fear and respec and tive animonty; if he filed he was a magician, and cold expect to be called upon to pay promptly for his crime. ‘The fist Jewish physclan we har af nthe Wes was one Zedekish, court pian fo Emperor Chasis che Bald toward the cnt ofthe nth caturyy ‘agin, of course aswell sor beease?—pyidan- He mated {he ype tothe end: acesed of potoning the Emperor 877, he no ‘doubt suffered the appropriste pnishment* Another fom which the ehare of sorcery tok war the earrent accusation again Jews during the Middle Ages of feeding posons {o their enemies. Not alone were physclans accused of pokoning ‘heir patients bu Jes in general were considered xpecialy adept inthis are Inthe Rhineland, in to90, we lem of Jews dealing in ‘aos rage and salve, an since he exotic ements the medieval ‘Pharmacopeia wee imported from the Bast, we may surmise that ‘uring period sch tee were part of the result in trae fof Jewish merchant. We hear rather often of Jos eae in ds ‘Hvoughout the Germanic nds But dry and pons were alma synonymous ter tothe medieval mind™aad fo the equation we ‘may add sorcery as well. "Pebning wa fora long ime cl ass dated with sorcery and magic. Mysterious deaths might be at te to the one o the other, and oth purported wo employ ocalt fad senstioal forces of nature, ‘The same word war tod inthe {Greck and inthe Latin lineage fr poison and sorcery, fr drug land piter or maga potion. The fact that men actually ere point supported the beet in the poebty of sorcery, and this ‘eit nm sznsltedexccsvecrefity fm pons which were thought ta aetata ditane rafter along lap ime. « Pope Iareredence was song ao the pity of wholes prising” ® ‘When. in r590, the Posh King Siiemund Aveusts demanded of ean TV (the Terble) that head Lthunnin Jews nto Resin for barnes pnpon by vite of former commercial tenes be teen the evo counties, Tea replied, “Te ot convenient alow6 JEWISH MAGIC AND SUPERSTITION Jews t come with thc goods to Rania since many evr frm them. For they import pobenout erie ino our realms. 2” tee wrote, if thy [We Jew) coud Kl wall they would gladly dows aye and oten do i especialy those who profes tobe phy ‘Gane They know all hati aown shout medicine in Germany ‘hy can eve pon toa man of which he wil die in a hour, on ten or treny pear; they thoroughly undertand thie ar.” IF there high pra hidden inthe words i ea holly watended, Tn ‘oG7 Church councils a¢ Breda and Vienna forbade Chisians to Toots from Jews for these were Hey to have been Pposoned-—a sump ofthe Lind of legion this Bebe occasioned. Tn the middle years of the fourteenth century thousands of Jems (Goi alto lepers) were masacted,aceustl f having pated whole ‘EiCimutder by posoning well. Such changes and maw peneeting preceded infact the Back Death, dating Boe, France (0 1920" “These accion gencal in character, stemmed logically form the view ofthe Jew ta sceter ‘They wore accompa by ober thargen which indicate tht he wae aceredted withthe mote pate tala le of mics sorcery. Dung the exely Cristian een tories the Church had een rocked by the eantroversy over the doc: tine of tranautnition, Bethe populse mind, drusing sabe ttc to the nd had riven righ othe main poi, accepting that dogma in fe furs Beraines. ‘The rle which th host, he ‘by of Chit, played in poplar seperstiion and magic throughout the Mid Ages was already evident a eae a8 the our century tat enre nara than thatthe Jews, magicians and ences of Chingy shouldbe charged With ubzing the wafer of the Echariin ther own sable ackemes? ‘The absurdity ofatbut- Ing to Jews an aceptance and uszation of this most n-Jeish of ‘dogmas newer occured to de aecuses. "The record is epee with Acconnt of mations ofthe het by Jews—and of courte the at tenant miracles and persecution. But diet attack upon the boy of es wae apparently too simple and gros a procedure to sty the erty Jews and they fequenty eared eo a moe recente ‘metho of wreaking ther enon pon the Chane and their Lord [Annvaly i wear to Beleve the reports they woud fashion fom ‘eas an itnage of the founder of Chitanty, and by thle magie at ‘Wait thro ths mage iy model and hs flowers the pans td erties they visted pon it "That fv Torn ofthe foe mage magic kxown and sed ‘THE LEGEND OF JEWISH SORCERY very By sticking pastor burning or ots tating tm iageat ones ena ttiesed tat ew be coed a epee nce in hs own body the efecto ach acto Citas id ot Instat to ipat othr Jewish ghee agent ret 10 this teciigue, sot ony ae weave sem wih ropes tothe By of {Ct but of thc Crisian conten st we In 1066, fr example the Jon of Trever wee sca of aing made wasn Image of BahopEbertard, whieh ater having apse by a pret hom they ad bib they barton Saath (1) neery {odd that he prom fel and de? ‘OF al the charger again the Jewish people the one that hat nope the ards tay snd he tot nor, sd hs pro: iced the ire conegucnt the stl sare action. Tea ear vero tet upo jes ta th everent of Chie {Ee blo atthe Posone acc. The subj of uch stay and inditely more polemics try ha ben consvely b> Tied, bu the te nate of the seerton has never been made sufitcaly clear The legend 2 we know ft hs experienced several ‘reaction Ta pitino he prac fone! pe ‘ion and of tides the Jw cee ‘One of the tort pervasive bl was inthe gent ity for ‘medicinal and magi pars ofthe sees ofthe han body “Medial magical of eps for ping to cel se hana ft human bos eatral, hands fee; medieval meine land a ‘ne of ts he medeament the Hon of man prety oa hat Bd een fey drum, or mental Blood "The nital murder uuaon was thera of trae bl “hereon cord atk oe aceon aginst» Jew, dating Sram the hienth entry of depoling a sean gl whom he wat ‘sito have drvaged of sme Bh which hited fo pat tot Image or medial we. This wat the mtv which war btved {oave prompted many asuaned ral smrden One ofthe St Imeealrefrees to thi aecsaion, sade by Thoma of Ca tip ely in thn cemty, tated the nee for Chris Mood {othe widepread Jewish sfison of hemorrhages (ome iter ne {Gants danse th may to hemor), which ul be eed flyby the spliton of the lod "he Jove a Pla Tle Natal) acumin 135 of murdering Sve cle, are fo ave ‘onto tht they id son oder to pri ter lod fr paras {thang Matthew Parts eoerpoay ssoon of the aged& — JBWISH MAGIC AND SUPERSTITION rucaion of Hugh af Lincoln by Jewsin 1255 ascribe to them the Invention of tng the boy's boweb fr dvintian- To hip a centy and a ballin May 1401 the cy counel of Freiburg (in Bees) teste to Duke Leal requtng the tral expulsion af the Jens Tum their, the foremase count agains them being that they Piodcally slaughtered Christian eld, for “all Jews eequve {trian blood forthe prolongation of ther ven” "he only Chie ‘ian statement on the isa murder charge again te Jes of Tyra ino explin thelr need ofthis blood on several grounds Fs they the Jews) were convinced by the Jugent of ther ancetore tat the hood of @ Crisian was a good remedy forthe alleiation ‘ofthe wound of crcumeison, Secondly they were of the opinion {hat this lod, pat into fod, every ees forthe awakening of ‘mutual love. "Thindly: they had Ascovered, ax men and. women ‘tno them suflered equal fom mensraatin, thatthe blo of 4 (Ghustan i specie medicine for i when unk. Fourthly that they bad an aiene but secret ordinance by which they ae onder ‘blgtion to shed Chratan blood in honor of God in daly scribes in sme sot or other” Ae late asthe begining of the chteenth ftetury i reported that in Poland and Garmany tale were ald Sd songs sung in the stents “how the Jews have murdered 9 eid, Sd sent the ood to one another in quills forthe use of this women peter Tels eident froma these instance that the ssicon of magic was Inn the accusition of eld murder, ‘There is no mention of the Passover of kneading the blood into the unexvened cakes, drake Ing i atthe Seder serve, al of which are late tefnemes. ‘The eon of thea accusations are meaningles uns viewed againt the Background of medieval sperston, A modem writer who hes rade a careful study of Chriaian magic and witcheraft, and ho prove himself ar eels and sopentiin iden athe period be amines express exactly the motieva ew, which i ie a well: [Joo were percent “not 20 much forthe ateerance of Hebrew ieremonie ari often geet and suppose, but forthe practice ‘tthe disk and hideoes tration of Hebrew mage. Closely = ese with thee ancient srcere are hore tl murders» =I any cases the evidence ie quite condsiv that the body, and espe {lly the lod f he victim, was ued for mail pparc” Mon faue Summer the witer af thee line, beever the "eidence™ itp Ita preeat-day Catholic ca 2 indy aceet the truth ‘THE LEGEND OF JEWISH SORCERY 4g of these accusation ofthe of Chri blod by Jews for magical Purposes how allcompeling this “evidence” mt ve bea for his Iedieval predeesors!* ‘Met ofthe charges levelled again the Jews tnt one or an cer of these categories. The supring Wing & thatthe specific frimes of sorery of which Jews stood aecised were in the td 99 Tiited in mature, Or peta hie snot surprising when econ sider that thee sceatione derived not fom observed sts of Jews but rom the general pcre of "worcee®” which the Church rte lt sorcery and the later tects pained a0 vil. Porto {he inception of the Inquson nthe thistcnth ent, exceses tuted to erery ad been punished by the scule authors Spy a6 cimizal acts When the Chutch undertook to samp fut orcry branded practioner as diilworsiping an Chien Sorerers and witches, brought before the bar af the Tagan, wereacesed of, and confsed othe adoration o Satan, the desert om the hort nc oer comeratd objets the arf of infant txnnbalim, the ke of human neseien, partial Blood and {tin Whi salves and potions, cecing the death ofthe nem Dy means of wanen images Dapized in thelr nam, psoas all the deta of what cme to be a sterestyped catalogue of cme ‘One cannot fll o otze espacial the constant recurence of the charge feild sasifie i these ta, and the importance of human ‘ood in che wits riual; these were apparently dhe mest isin suing cements nthe technique af the Sorcerer and the witch, 38 flaclred to popula view bythe campaign ofthe Church. We need Totseeal the famosa in 1440 ofthe Manat Giles de Ras ad and aodateof Joan of Are, at hich he was sewed ane convicted fof murdering several uneed hldren whose blood and bos he Employed for matical parpoes™ Tei these charges that determined the character of the srcery propaganda against the Jews “The Mile Ags inherited taditon of Jews morcery fo the ancient world, A hort of poplar magical works wa atetbuted to Sélomen and other fabled Jewish masters. Jena jibe that the Appin Way neared with frune-teling Fweses who would all Yyousny sort of deeam a cut price wat the kind of information that ‘vas bound to make and vlan itr mprenon, ad Bear a ruerois progeny ‘Then to, ftmuse be ome in rind, mee Christians ‘never had more than a very Imperfect acquaintance with the In-t@ JEWISH MAGIC AND SUPERSTITION age the elgion, the estan ofthe Jews who made ther home Smog them and what information concerning thr Jews neghe fom they id poss was at oflen ab nt incorrect and mideadng ews, comeqacal, remained an unknown and mysterious fol ‘Thee very strangeness was a suspicious element, and the weirdest eget about them found ready currency among «people vent bres cedalty aid the eras superstin. Nor did the miss td animosity which che ene background of medical Chrendom strc nit he Jews serve to louen the ele ofthe tanec. It end hardly ocason supe, then, hat otis dap a (Chinn nation (the rwsade agaist ery, inaugurated athe thie tecath centr) asetbeddabole rs to some of the hereteal sets ‘swell and too, may haveinuenced the popular vew), already {acred with the traditon of magic, was stibuted the entre it of otic practices pubiieed by the Church ae the nfl maria of Srcery. The ausations came in tine to be part of «patter which repeated ul ad nto. ‘Bat if mere varied haope id not enter the record, we may be cesta tha they exe the ind of the people. Celi the Jews weresuch tif magicians thi art was not nite, hey mast ibe scquained with al the more ual desces to which the ondinary sorcerer tured his hand. We hve evidence, if meager, tht this wit ‘evidence which pathetically discloses the Jewish ie ofthe mate fer, Lather recounts an aneedate ofa Jew who proffered to Count [Albrecht of Sony an eile sich would make him immune to Sil weapons of stack Albrecheforeed this Jew to take hit own tedicine: to tat the eeacy ofthe amet he hung it about ie ‘dinar neck and ran hm trough wih hs wor ‘custo parallel to ths ale indicates the tragic we to which thie septation for sorcery could be pad the tae nese which prompted such a use. During the Chasen pogroms of 1640 049 2 young Jewish gil of the city of Nemioy seas eared of by &.Gasack. refering fate of er vn chong, she ofered im 8 ‘ilar amulet "yon have no ath in me she sored him, et ity shoting at me. You cannot harm ine” Her eros captor rot doubting her word eed straight a hr ad she fl ded, forthe {actfcation of the Holy Name, apd to preserve Ber pity. May Goat have mercy om her soul” concen the pine chronicle of ne ofthe Hoodiat pages of Jewish history. 2. ‘THE TRUTH BEHIND THE LEGEND Jewisit pote HE LEnEND of the Jew at orerer supreme was of Gentle Taking, fashioned afer the Ite pater of the uptodate ‘thaumaturge, but Ike mast readymade fable i fed the ‘ruth one too cle. Fort Jews were not the mali sorcerers that CCrisisn animosity rae tem out to ey they sll posed an ancient and honorable tation of magic which had ben slcouly ‘ouahed uni in the Middle Age reached is highs sage of Adevdopment Slee from Chrstsn eyes by secrecy and the Deneve wall of suange tg and an even stranger mic ‘ocabulry snd method pecullr to sl, there foaled fn. Jewish ticles a male lore as extensive and potent ar any know to te nom. JJwih world, yet markedly diferent in character and technique "The Bibles! atone to the practic of mage indicate a wie spread acquaintance with te motif format an ery ime, bit this on hardly be called “Jewie” magic. Te was merely a reflection ofthe uperttions of the Canaanite, reinforeet by importation tom Babylonia and Bgypt. Even the Tale pero, eeacing to bout 500 cred not yee produce a ditinetve amalgamation of the vaso srs of teen tat le nt dopistng fn large rane the elec of Helle Gace agi, which It el Fafuenced Thu we find ensconced in the Hetrew lore bei nd practices emanating from the ttre Miterranean wool repre: Sentaves of ancent Babylon and Egypt need against Graco. ‘Roman specimen, newer Fayptan development entring by way of the Hellenistic recension, ochbing ith the Tatet Chale Alcuin, se exemplii in the Babylonian Gem. Not unl the Geoni ag, which suceeded the Talmaic, do we fd the beg ing ofa definitely Jew magic. Te wasn this pid that Jewish mystic, influenced toa conserabe deere by Gao tough12 JEWISH MAGIC AND SUPERSTITION took shape, though its oxgin undoubedy goes back to the arr “STneosphy hat always evinced a tong afnity for magi” wrote Prot, George Foot Moore Searching ost the secret pringy tf the universe te mystic brings to ight swecme and pisant {ruth wih his more pracal and brazen confidante fel promptly Knpeled to profane for ter own greater glory and might Geonic Imi opened the petals toa higher widont—and a more potent Iasi. Combined with the olde elect lone thie evolving thea Toned heuriantdy ia the Germanic land whiter fs most secret Inysesies were tantported and inautonely revealed to the gaze of Inia aad tyro alike. "Thie magic may propery be denominated "Tew"; for all ts more or low sucmiated frcgn cements, and is general sinaity to the Gna. Jewish system imperfectly known to onefews athe Are otori, i remained isnctive in ts base ftuphases To be sure the deal of magia practice are too hoary in universal to adnit of fundamental mediation. Only init ‘enc tone he nes ef by the whole can antem of magic fe inthe feo others its deal ae the Fngua franca of Spersition a this ence swe may characterize medieval Jewish track ms dtintvly Jewish” Tr frdamentls were indigenous But the intensification of eupesttonsimng noe that accom panied the attack ofthe Church upon sorcery Was not without is FEtuence tn ringing oft the latent potentialities of this Jewish rmycamatieal lores “Wie ese chiles dee sich auch?” ‘Gaiman owish marc attained is che proportions in the thir seca century, withthe school of Judah the Pos. At the same time any Dif ad pation, a Wella technical terms, were asin Ted rom French apd German fot, making a trong impresion without, however aMecting the esenial qualty of the Jewish octine? “Who was the Jewish magician? What sr of erin engaged in this pofeion if protesion war? We can dono beter, to ain oor fst pees of the erat than tongue int he character of its practioner "The orthodox pictur of the sorcerer dle some malevlent, daek creature, shunning the ways of men, haunting the black hoars ‘THE TRUTH BEHIND THE LEGEND 3, ofthe night, poring overs fl brews and infernal paraphera ‘nsoting with wei feghl spt oreve ploting mci! and lesan. Or the nigh-iding witch, aocite and cost of lemon een in ew satan egies bighting man and beast ad heb wih ere glance ander enh spel cannibal mu dees of innocet infant Sach ar the cones eat our wera ieatre and tadion have populate lat meee with cra, sere by the heey hunting Ingo, helped to faten this pcre upon the popular magia, tht the word ine tay cones up the fag Though there snot ge unequivocal report ofa profesional ewishocere or wien deinen Jew or Christan eid ine may safely asue tha some Jens dd nt heat oct the Accepted mode ‘The source inate that Jews were atest {uated with mets of inducing dase ad dehy of arosing {hd lng pain, of forcing people odo ther bing, of cpg ing demow for aviary an ther popes ‘The Bele exe, thong Jor at among Cans that eters paces the powet sf ering thee shapes and orn the wos a ayn the form ‘of wales or ares or donkey oe and of anon her tins iat sna We Sind accounts of the magica’ power to ‘ret hissoul fara pace thereto perform an etn, nd {hen retro hi comatoe ay The omen ete es that ‘agian (and thelr bewitched veins) may be recognized by the fixed immovable tare of thir eyeball and tht their power Te ‘main withthe ony so lng he feet ate in cma withthe around, are to be found fn owih wong so wl Inde, one ‘Fewish athe sugetet without sie that or is eso the only ‘ay to deal with sorcerers "suspend hem between henven and mse “Te popular notion of the witch, which was fn the making 2+ covly asthe leven century, Hewie elected in the Jewish ‘ourey bt the we of ch ea emi, Brose ad eri to de ‘beth wth sn sais indeteshemoJevsh viin f the concept. We read a tteentvceatiry works Of witches With ‘kvl air who fy abut st mgt, who foe on the ond ad {tof infos and ad, who sr acompanied sn ded hy lemon fain who ae animal ors fo cary ot hl ear ‘cs dg. Astory in Sefer esi ea epen of ores fond in ‘nw Jeni works aman was attacked by a eat which he fought off14 JEWISH MAGIG AND SUPERSTITION the ext day woman appeared, badly wounded, and aed him for bread andsaleosaveber if. In 1456 the German, Johann Harti, {old asia alo a cat which attacked acid and was driven of find stabbed by the tl father; a woman was ater found with a ‘wound inthe same place. Jacob Sprenger relate asa recent occu ence fn town in the dice of Strasbourg, hat a lsborer stacked by thre enormoss ety beat them off with a stick and was sane ‘quently serted on a charge of bray heating tree Inds of the Tet fais in torn. Menshe Ziyun a his commentary ob the Bible writen ia 1490, displayed his knowledge of the fll blown ‘witch decrne: “There ae men and women” he wots, “wb pot ‘ess demoni attributes; they smear her bodies witha sete al fd standy yo lke dhe eagle overseas and rivers and fread Took but they mus cur bee before unre; th igh ellos a predefined course from whi they cannot deviate. Anjone who ‘uespases upon their mecing place thay to suffer grave harm. “They transform themes int various animal an ino cae” ‘These ae typical deals ofthe medieval witelculs Menaseh b Tere favored the explanation that wither can change thei forme ‘beenuse Satin, whom they worship, “fashions around their Bodie the simulated forms of animal «the proof ls in dhe fac that ‘when the paws a pco-wlf ramped the witch or agian peace minus hands an fee.” His comment tat" i well ows {daca soverer and witches make s compact withthe demons sad ‘deliver ther souls vero ther” isthe ecto of redial sorcery” "Though thse Sess, taken over bol Tr Chrsan superti- on, occu fom time to ime ia Jewish works most wet make dear that they have not Jews iat mind when they advance than “There are men and wornen” who do thee things but not Jews specially. Yet some writers wee prepared to admit that Jews 10, ‘ight be engaged in such atten the pecentor prays for ase witch, ene should not rexpond "Amen; certain womnen ares Dected of cannibalism» warning of the punhment that will be Ieted out for sich crimes should be pronounced sehen they are presen inthesyagoguey when neti who has eaten cen ‘ing bored one shold laerve whether her mouth op, for i is she wil pee inher vamp port for ahcr yea let ‘sstopped ip with earth Thee eemarks ply thot Tews comm ‘ter omposted the presence of witches hee mide ‘Butts of te Hebrew sures, a of Ue factors that infu ‘THE TRUTH BEHIND THE LEGEND 15 aced he development of Chitin magi, create the conviction that {spite ofthe with andthe orcrer was a exsle patton the ‘maa stem of Jewish wadion, chat the Jewish nagican was of a ter sort altogether. For ane thing, the Irate paints Jewish Imagic ands practiner in aly dierent col. Bat eve more teling isthe fact hat the pec charaterinies atte Yo Euro= pean magi effectively prevented the enrolment of the Jew init fecvce, while the avalaiity of an equally potent yot soxpetable ‘Jewsh echriqu rendered it wmneeenary tn tr cewber, "Jews were ab nto excluded from the medieval Testcraity of sorcerers and witches becuse ther were commonly branded 38 members of hertieal anti-Christian set In thir organized form {he witchcults employed varius blasphemous bueesqsr of Chreh tes in thei otal, Dasher to which sorcerer were alo ‘addicted, and which in themselves were accreted with magical poteney. ‘These could have no meaning for Jews. Further, edierl titers and sorcery were bated pen a perverted. warship of Satan, according to popular beef, and individual warlocks were apposed cena to acer the sieainy ofthe Power of Fil sid t operat trough an appeal to his id. Jewish magi, tothe fontearyy functioned within the Famework of the Jewish rein, ‘eke naturally excladat any such suoclaton, el ofan wit the archopponest of Gos. ‘This repted ceil feature of Ero ea mae from which deed i petal character, wat esizly Foreign tthe Jesh ment, not only on thealgiea! ground, but ‘ten more on falls, fr the figure of Satan a8 ne pee Sonat was vey aint amostnonextnt, in Jesh fluor. ‘The fate Hiratre doesnot dicloe a singe instanceof magical act ‘which depended upon subison to the Jovi insell or his inter ‘en, for exeeuton, “The primary principle of medieval Jewish magic wos an ine lige rellznce upon the Powers of Good, which were invoked by Ealing upon ther names, the haly Names of God sod His angel ‘This ingle dependence upon names for every variety of eet ob ated ror toll the other maga acts with whic the non Feith Iraen has falar "The tagilan who could produce ‘wonders bythe tere uence of a for words ad no need of the ‘levine "ine of his non-Jewish elleague. Tew the absence ‘of thetanie clement and the se ofthese name that the empl Tent of Goss cll servants hich stamped Jew mage with16 JEWISH MAGIC AND SUPERSTITION 2 evry from mae charac for he ang cont SESS cy oto cand ad th cose the ‘Source er th th god Edd ceed end Te UE inne ope Jah mag ey hn TRrWbARL Ee lg pete it et soning ee Seanteigin se Ci cp Mag at pr Sane Ae Chay snd honed ow yt Ingo ot Secu ar gl at ue nacht tthe Ce baci owes ania oe a ead ot th Chr wih on pcs dain i Jonah Sto duly Ul pd noe aye fm Ge fl candng Sat teense ky ety senting aden tah Seg pin ay we all the gla ‘ied cine ond Gobo ow “Tere wero oe deviate he gover re, Denon aswel nh vss eed up te fv Site ti woe del dha and prea bee, su anya he semper me ee ed iy fw lim wih he vction of i ut ee cre ne Chat and mt he try pre an thingy 2d ‘tr ted oprove ete eee: Te pres Pew ie Walls made op oes Chan nog io Se edn crc the Jv tery 08 pn or {Sven senda rnd pet Sel Tow t tet toro quain: Who we Jesh sagidindAscrig tana: Joan on, wich washer Sy scm te se Aes wen re ratty poe ‘pmol of he maghal nt Yay however hs tm ay snc! ave en ha cy magi pop ow soy ‘Shey te ees red a ot oe “Manse precy yee hn ih sheer pind pro oi te Wane tae rowley thoerh wes Jonh ae ered oss ‘eco ween fr lied cls erat tao ibtldnew and Arai wich of then faker ts ep mera tel rom wc ty were red ly wots adi a tat women wre she pars ofthe fc of pion at ws ty ho Prop te Mee sa um tie pparinael ‘THE TRUTH BEHIND THE LEGEND «7 ea chat they wer he fountaiabead of al thre Houck recipes sd emis ad whispered charms wth which medieval Jewry wat laguedor saved, Inti reapet they were undoubtedly core, Tor eared abi id not hestate to sit athe fe of sien one ‘when pain inthe or ead gave them no rest std many of he Dresciptions setae bythe poplar literature make a Bow of a nowiedgment to womankind” We must regard women, he, a the follrmagcans eal of wound, preibis of loves but no sene “witches” Jewish women never ttined a importance ‘magi at all commessurate withthe prominence of thr ter the witheals| ‘Nor was Jowish magic the exclusive sil ofthe “nagican—it is haart ert even that there were such peopl 8 magn by profesion. One may define the Jewish magician a scholar by ‘secon, a practioner ofthe myealeagieal ars by vocation Every mate, propery tained, old practice magle a a sdein. Indeed, the dangess of invoking the epnis widout an adequate education in mysticism were frequent stesed and the posesor ff etre traditions and writings was erly counseled to hep ‘hem hidden from the comme gles, tt they be mie and to asthe on only to «west let Pay mel and magic! ore was suceflly guarded by 8 lnited oral amnion, The secret lore of the Garman soo) founded bythe Kalonynide, who remove tothe Rhinland fem, Tee in dhe teh centry, wan iat writen down i he ete by theflowes of Judah the Pou, mong whom Eleazar of Worms wer outstanding bth forks pote pen and the depth of i earn Ing Jew ife had tare more and more inward as reaions with the Christan world grew more eificly nd intensive study ofthe ‘alma had become sma scl nla put. "The rout wes that religion, sled by an exhave emphasis pon Trirspsing tecnica i iterpreton and olvervance of the Ta nally ure ts causal Bondy, as has often happened, and sovaht fe and estate ott nthe cos gree ld of theno- by Ths ner eed ws the prime incentive forthe popularization ‘tryst doce that began at thi ge concureny a Germany ‘nd in Spain, But the German Kebbalch never atined the theo: ee pho a Spanish cuter ae id xt mach "Avword about the Kablloh and its reation to thesubjectnater18 JEWISH MAGIC AND SUPERSTITION ofthis book: Properly usd the eran nots the var theosophicl ‘sem elaborate in Souther Europe during the Middle Aes on the bas of ance tration. "The sciled German Kabbalah, scaly a lsd or “pice” doing, had inimical ie Fel tion to thisytem, beng rather shot ved excursion fom he main line din the eit space ofa centary twas overwhelmed and lot inte imticaces of the grater doce. ‘Two broad Iypes of ahs bela have been diingushd in Jewish eradon, the "heorel™ (Kabbalah “Iyusit), which i the Rabbatah and the “practical” (dabbalh Alfani), which erealy'« mismomer, forthe magical pratce that ie denoted had Ile enough to o ith Kabbalah, even [ies purest form, te invocation of mes, and moved father and farther away ast embod a hodgepodge of sncent and medieval wish and forcgn elements. Whe Kablalite thamslvs limited ihe tem to namesnvocatin,n poplar wae it was genetic forthe ‘entire corp of Jesh magic” ‘The Germans leking in philosophical waning, exerted all the rcter infloence om the practical Kabbalah aswell as on cette Impact,” Thee school eee the inner sgnieance and higher Imyatcal values of Hebrew worde and letere gong t the extent ‘of counting the words inthe pryeronk wo that none might all ut br be aered-and thereof karronah, 2 profoxnd eoncenteation tion these inne vale, in bringing to fiom hee mal prom et Here we have the heart of the teaching concern magical names, which, while adumbrated inthe Tamed and developed in the Geonie period, reached it choles and chest weing inthe ‘doctrine f thi schoo. What was pt in wring became the con ton propery ofall who Could read~-and many who did not under ‘and prnened to be abet perform miraculous deeds by the bald Fepetiion of what was written, The common fte of poparztions bef ds asia learning the would-be experts Nourched,oiv= (us ofthe iter censure of the truly lend. So we may ay that tery Jew whose desire led him thither exayed a Hite mage in a ‘sual way. Butt war generally eeeagnived tat only «minor por: tion ofthe mystic lre had found fr way int bon; mich a 2 remained privat, jeslowly gearded property. The keeps of this treme were the seat migiians of the Midile Agen the publ imaginton at Feast notBeease they were magicians, which anunaveadable paradow, bt Benue they were the supreme ma tersof the fearing of which magie war an inedentlofthoct ‘This THE TRUTH BEHIND THE LEGEND 1g 4 why suk gars a Saft of Judah the Pou, ua Se eur of Wer Ear Rtn of Mane a he aly and even ch nota Rh idk soa Ran, Yl of Pais nd spp Nc a Ree ‘ened for het Teleco an atin the eso thereat mince weer fe prele 1. isthe parndo, and the generally legals approach to the subject, which mate medical Jewish dcons of ape soa profitable. The metieal writ sought thew cet the Tal Mudie ie and adhered tothe abbinc caleatn, t's ite en it ws escaay ob. Ae a seul the generic ee Uta pple to the mage sr ihe and las se in 2 dha ew, smetines to red the condonnatry veel of the teint law books, and agin to deg the Tes reprehensible feniemperary fom. "The purpose of the mica craton fan the magic art we mt earn mind, wasnt td thers, ‘but to determine the degee of gut stad Yo ther, n acurd anc with Talo awe In stlorty ws etal eal ps iyo hang ty he Tai sd stints were aly pete verbatim, shedding Bde no Tihtapom the eure vaste sa orm “The Mible had pronounced an engulfed condeaaion of sere, The Tal, wie mtsning tis fundamental ead psued is casomaryfuncio of caving and ching ew low and obroke up tela ctgey of ery nto sal vis easing varying dees of ge Two ain pe of Ferien magie were dsingied at which produce deers Iie mate fc, by meat of “the performace of a "ad {hat which only atest uch an at ons ec (aad sinaym,"eptring the yeh") 3, aa fre ose de Soe hy he ge pen iting td fGen ie thet asian ‘The pratsones ofthe eye mite ‘iia pent of death; the mond core bt pu «eis thi kindt mas “permite from the at" inaed {hese fie Lawsof Craton, em which want interred {9nty he yal snes of God snd he ange Sosa the dtinton betwen the Sitti fom cer20 JEWISH MAGIC AND SUPERSTITION and preci and was hardly wadertod by the medieval witers_As Hh of Mets wrote “I questioned my Yeacer about this bat the give me no susacior ep.” They spoke often of frien “agi nthe narow and che Talmud sense of the psform Gera an acy “aking hold of Ug ad manipulating i” of te ‘Pfommance of “endantmenta” Yt this prctied "magi" dd ‘Ettincde te other fra: te “invocation of sgen”the vox tn of demons and the employment of ao” whieh they Fe avd stdsin dso tthe let more seeps, ad by sme, ‘Sprealy permited anderen employed. Aout the permis of ‘ping anc snd ng there war no queso, forthe alad fd lefalued ter we, butte invoeton of demons was gencraly ‘omiered kes prazevorty. Johan b Mhullam wrote: "TRE todiersdifer with regard to denen vocation. Ramah [Mee be ‘Todos Halen Abul wrote that shoul be categorized fore biden age and ome of the ober urs agree with Rim But si ‘her comer pcmcia now Bongng tothe eatery Sf magic act” Re Else of Mets el that invoking the demons {odo enc’ wl pernted fom fhe oust for what ference & there tween invoking demons oranges?» «An action may not be chartered tmagie lew cons of taking tld of tng ‘nd manipalating i, that iit he performance of a ded an incon that does ot nce an inca of pty but ke ing demons i permite eb iio Te evident that medial ‘tories regarded the cteory of “maya altogether distinct tn ferent fom the ober, at corrects, but know of ealy ne clesrent statement ofthe pnp of ference, by. Moses Teele. The counerflttypeof magic bo appeared often i the i ceaions™ Tt provided » convenient dg to gt around the egal ‘ices cat a hal of repecaiity about he earent fort, wwe effects were deesibd ax ht real ata but entry soy Burton ton wa ot quite ano forthe Tai explana: fin tht Har agi the work of mons soe sroved ange tnd aamesmag off the ight-of-way. Tn shor, the Talmud asl eon plague the ffs meal ois to ng thea nto ‘elton wth contemporary procedures. ey fo a practical sand ‘ait they suceedel in tetivlyexcung from the proeibed Traci" the forme cxrene among Teva? ‘Mowe teres rings us clr to an undentaning of what the ‘THE TRUTH BEHIND THE LEGEND ar forbidden “agi” was. “The oto the rail] a are hes hewrote, “God; sone and satire From God comes» =e oriole the hese eet by ao te hy aes the ene rot maybe ited by aarloy by which man tan Tralee, ak itn nee episod thepowerof the war andthe likey mara elements depends he ftctvenc of the varios typeof gi al whch om in Inga ot the inner store of ting wesc am expert may pee form dees strange in spperance. ‘Thin sasiesiom 90 defiive fer fer net onl he enone on™ of mages Us incsien of astloy, however, which ean wel know in Tal ‘i times bu id ne ern te ental dacs of sags ‘gic ofthe place of that wlnc pra ad the va tory arts etry meal magi Bu es hs it eatery ha forrom tw parlry hee ‘The oner nature of tings” one wy of doing the most prinive and wierpresd sje of Imac ey el iveraly eld tht al hag are endowed tr orca ites and pomery, thet they pase mataly ym Pater apathetic qultes and that x poset ep op Rapa cnet om the parr tothe ene and down an fam the general to he paren by the Spe manipltion of tttural objec, which the eet frm Unt ag kek Fra, shige prac of ptve peopl, clad hem Ander wo ead, honeopatbi inate sl oatagon “bth branches” he wate “naycomveleny be comprehend under theeeneral nam of spate mae sce both aoume ha thingy fconeach ther st dance thigh a setretsmpsty™ And ‘esa This in che sympathetenorac exerted on ach the Uy prnon orthingr st ditaneis of he ennt of magic? Ts lara of mate hat wth he aban of ee thought and he eogntn fa pce wor tends ove ce {ptt and to depend ineariny up the pt forces of Ton forint he ane soheies ett face nest patie thnt sacked of ees heathen in and prominet roo thse was the petormanee ofan ae hon 0 fue fetal which was for them the fare "ng" tn Be pe Ee enh Their ppeton ws to a ener, bt 0 UNspancta date? orm thee of ages ame, and xen demons ng an apes othe eupematrlSed 8 enon22 JEWISH MAGIC AND SUPERSTITION ofthe supremacy of God was admited past che Barer on aller: Shee but the int type was igorosly excluded. Ke wan thi tine fon which the moses) write ened and voiced negative, wil fut fully comprehending i forthe ancient biter strogae against “late” had Tong since een won, nd the dnc had Tas es force. Medial Josh magic depended alas eaisely for i sue cess upon the spits and names; sympathetic devios persed 8 we Sal Se, butch le was regarded as secondary and incidental to ‘at of tei theaogcally moe acceptable succor Here we hate ‘tikingdlerence between Jewish and Chrian tage nthe Midale Age. Wie the ater fay eeogninsd and employed the forall forces inherent in nator, redpes employing thew forces ‘Sippe into Jewish practice bythe backdoor, 0 Co speak, gabe sons fe iocatons of the spirit world. [Now we can understand why such categories at good and bad, ‘white and black magic are forcgn to Jewish ought. These dine tions are conceme with the purpoe ofthe magi act, while Jew scusion centered around the method, and the egal ate to wand it To not mean, of eure that rabbi had no interest in the {nds toward which marie was parted, that a “ken” technique ‘ould be used criminally with their apprcbation. ‘They often posed dispproval of even the legally recognized metho jot ‘ecause they might he Rarmfully applied, and suenuccy objected to placing mysiral information a the hand of people who wee ot to he raved with it Bue the scholaly and pious character of the student of mics and the esentally religious nature of Jew tragic easured a minimam of mise ofthis lore ‘There wa never !ny question thatthe immoral practice of magic wae ac count anced by Judai and therefore the disson could eetain on & Tegal plane. However, Jews were acquainted with thi prevailing non-Jews dasieato, as indicated by the efot of Menaben ‘ivaniand oer tontrpet the word ncromaney: "Nigra [sa canbination of two word, wigr (Hebrew) “gathered wgeer, collected ike water that bas been stored up, and menct, the name ‘of the incense chat magicians bum tothe demon; but ¥ have heard nother explanation, that mire means lack? and this why the Germans eal it Sckararatunet” Ar an example of wiptomencia Iecited “thoe who offer ip her perm tothe peo dons with sppropsateineematons" ‘THE TRUTH BEHIND THE LEGEND ag, “The popular atiude toward magic and sspersiton, leaving aside the legate approach recall an incident that orate perfec. Ateacheraf mine cut fora tally was suddenly confronted ‘with a black at fom which he shied away neously. One of his Stidems observing thy wit hin, "Youve not realy afi of black cat, Profesor!” "No," he replied indignandy, “of eoue L Aon'tbeeveinsuch nonsense, Bus tire’ oharm i bing caret” might have been quoting Sfer Hasidin:" "One shoud not be leven superions, bu si it best to be heel of dem." This (gale skeptic wat the farthet advance Ioward the modern {int on the pat of the religious authors; the mass if we my jig fom the innamerabe sspertions that were cau hon fred ook that qualfetin armel toca ‘The Geile overpowered ven the moet atonal ictined ‘ofthe rabbis The Jowty of Southern Europe owned several daring ‘piss who uncompromisngly stigmatized magic and supesiion 2 oly” and "untud,” but inthe Germanic lands none dared go to far, though few singled out one or anther phase of magic for ‘heir Contemp, oe proved themselves fee of ene or anor super ‘Son by thir ston, The authori, whose religous conctions fd pecion obliged them to voice at leat hallbearted disapproval, ‘ould dono more han thresten the practitioners ef magie with dis lex. They would be panied for tha act whether by the iis ‘whom they ad momentary enlaved, of by the wrath of God. ‘According to sine, twas the prevalence of spention and mae ‘among the Jove that delayed the redemption of Irae fom eile ‘One opinion a ies “Ifyou ece a Jee who apestataed nether be ‘aus of love nor throgh ompulin, you may now that he ot his arene engaged in soreery "=" Sometanen the rabbis sought 10 ‘ounterae the nluce of radionaly recived ehigacs Dy aa ng that they were no Inger apa, oe ee own hat mate ‘aris from place to place apd from tne tone” oon the round {ae the requisite il Rad heen lat Often they Ged to sofen the impacto pesos practices by reinterpretation, by injecting re- leious menting into them” Bot the vabdty of spertion snd ‘magic was universally accepted and the very Fit who deprecated ther were often oiged to condone them sb. Moreover no matter24 JBWISH MAGIC AND SUPERSTITION how violently they condemned popular misapplication of mystical teachings thy were obliged to adn that he“ ermated” categories tl mageeptcally the ovortion of godly and angelic name when pte by adele whose luring and pty could not be dove, tere in consonance with the eelgioe tacts of uals and could tot be denied. Te was ths acknowledgment th undrly the fat Ineoassency of religious opinion; the eames nae one side the tent its ete hulk could o lager be exlided, One ean ary blame the maoes for their unbetatig aceptance of te truth ad power of magic. Whatever faith in a all-powerful God say bave rupht them to the contrary, the common people belived fa the ‘might ofthe magician an ston swe of bth “If ‘with Sorcerer he as brought hie death ohms. tion to supestiian and magic of the German picts and mystice ‘became a byword inthe south of Europes seandalied tore than ‘one pious Spanish Jewish writer” Yet weet a these ne recognition of «profound paycho- legal rth far in advance ofthe spit of the ae "Supetions ca harm only the who heed them” Te require more courage land depiction than the NGdle Ager ould ay enim to ortho we fan bast even today, for that mater) to be free of the yoke that ‘upetion and magic ade upon the redlous maces. ‘The mat Fil gathered in hs book i the most telling evidence ofthe nade ‘quay of mere proseritin to coustvallgnorance and the ind Mio bales Ta the mcceding chapters we sal examin isthe bes con- ‘ceming the spit word (Chapters II-VD), which were fundamental to upenton and mati, an the power erbd to whit we may Adcignate as the marie word, marcy the names of Gost aad the fnges, and the word of God enrned in Scipite (Chapters VII VII, which were the mast potent tots of asic. Chapters IX- XIII contain a description of the varioo elements that constituted the actual practic of matic incuding » dscusion of medic ‘The eonluing chapter (NIV-XVI} ane devoted fo a examine tion of the dvinatory ae, among the mow poplar of magical 3 ‘THE POWERS OF EVIL. re bass of Jewih magic ay the ble in avast, tering "lle word world neither ofthe es nor aiogeher snd exclave of the aps Demor and ange, to be counted nly ta myriad populated tha ord; hough thee intemedacy {he powers of mage were oh int operation. ‘The rat fre ‘qunty employed terns for magic were hasiba'at malackie and Ieskba at shedim, invocation and conjersion of angel and demons. ‘The peculiar be of the angels heavenly countztparts of all earthly Dhewmeng, aswell the det senan and eisai of God, "set o Hise rendered powesfl indeed the man who peswesed fhe secret of bending then to his wll The dons onthe ether hand nvsted with al the ersme poten that sal primi, ‘nie fllimaginatin could conjure up, were equally capable ‘making the fame an forte of thove who could exre a magic power ove hem. “Talmudic Jewry owned a highly daborted demonology, dir Aingshing bedven dames aad even individuals with wealth of ei concn the atrand pra of the i Te de ‘nents grew natrally oot of the ete poplar imagination, con ‘incest was ofthe ely of the apt weed and fried by & "eh aon dean larg fom the fluores of Bey aed Bebyon find Pern. This lore served a dol nec ie convyed the power of eel snd at the same eof ifproteton. Bur he rabbis were ienealy oppo to demonmagi, and dong They were not <0 ‘Sere wiht a with simatic (some ofthe mot dae fished Tatmode authori temseves ha courte oat es), Shey frequent exprewed thee song disapproval, sen in the iit Ager Cow ain were read fo perme ut the ancient ‘Sete agai a method which fetidden Dut ot punish 526 JEWISH MAGIC AND SUPERSTITION by death had taken ft. The intention ofthe religious pit that had proceded trough the intervening centri proJuced. a ela thatthe demons had no proper place within Fudan, though they ould note ousted and Ue widespread fear of them pes “Trae wth he “spits of undeannce,” as they were often cal, ‘was repugnant to the Jew, who regarded them ss ninical ot lone To making, bot tothe prt of the religou fe. The rest eve tpment of amemagis onthe other hand, crowded out the eee form, Favoeation of demon therefore, occupied a very minor pos tion in nee Jewish magic. The domons were employed let ‘selusney in divination, Jewish demenniogy, consequently, experienced He inner de elopment during the Middle Age, but cing dose to its early orm and new departures were mainly borings frm French and German sources, which ail an indication tat the estima ‘ion of demons in magic ha depreciated, Inert inthe evil wis “entered mainly bo the msleolent naire and implacable en ‘my toward man, and Bence about the ned and the Bot methods of Protection agains hem avd a murmur of doubt do we hear of the xitence and reat of the ell pitts. The TalodieHteraar, buch the dggadie folklore and the Hlacha, acepted ther presence a6 axiomatic! ‘We may realy understand then, how it that inthe Middle Ages = people fod on this Iterstre no longer quetoned. The Kab- bala indeed, accorded the demons an itera re in a cxemic dig in which the rit and the let are the oppeing eases of pure and inpare power ling the world and ding fe Between the Holy One and His Adverary. In all of medieval Jewry thee were fee ho mised thelr voles agaist th supertidon. Some Karis vigor reputed such belies snd character them ss"merly humas inugnings” Maimonides and Top Bera took 3 Siniaty Soong stand, But these were czens af southern, Moham tmedan land Nota wordt thi effet do we bear in the north of rope, Our erate ake ther ae mh fr raid the ‘Talmni, Certain works apetlly frm the stl of Jud the Pos, revel thr aries an alm every’ page. Rash repestad {he Midrash comment that "every Beng thing” represented nthe tk included even the demon I we re to believe Mees of Tachau, Tho Bara paid deal for ‘THE POWERS OF EVIL 7 his hardiood in denying the extence of demons, “Tn Lara wrote his book” he says "OY a suey there are no demons in the word!" «Verily he ered this matter, fr they were ever Hs de. | an indeed they theralss prove th enstence to him have beard Srom the people of Zant [England where he died, ‘that once whan he was traveling through a forest he came Upon a large band of Back dogs who gliredat his baleflly; undoubtedly these were demons. When he ha finally passed through thelr mids In fl secu il and evertuly he de ofthat ines.” This inc dent was appareniy evidence enough fe R Moses though we may ‘question whee, iit occurred, it sufced to eanince the doughty Tn ers ‘Menasch b, Iriel weting in the mide of the seventecat century, mined up the thought of the Middle Ages when, alter dlemonteating to i own satsfacton that demos do et, by eal ing into service proofs a the threefold bas of train, reason, fn the senues he ce Tong ist of appropriate paages fom Jews Ish iterstre, snd coneladed, "The opinion ofa Jews seo: Eethat the Biblical reference to spits are tobe taken Btrally” He Fihly brushed ade the Maineoidean arctures agaist such super tons with the famine sbjetion that thee author had Been reduced” by she plilesophe’s predilection for the testimony of reason and experienc, tothe Gamage of hi piety and faith neve Tadon Menaseh b.stael was expresing not his own opinion Dut the jadgment of Jewish fab 1 may not be amis if before we prover to a consideration of the features of his demvonology, we devote afew ln to the nomen latae employed fn our feature. The tras mos frequently met ‘with are tho’ made fara in the ancient Herta ofthe Jews Dracck rom a rot which mean “to darnge, deoy"; shed, an tcure word which occurs inthe Bide Inthe plural and which fn the Talmudic erate neque the exch see of “ern” fd rach, epi.” ellen rash rh, “ev spin * These words ‘werent a all diferentsted ino period, hough rather academic temp was at times made to dtu among thet on the Dass ‘of Talmudic statement, In general, however, these three tems20 JEWISH MAGIC AND SUPERSTITION twee used indiscriminately In a generic sense, and were often em ployed interchangesbly nine porgrapa. An effort schema Jaton which produced a Ita ten estgoric of demons to balance similar angel ist, introduced seven ndional terms, which found Fie place i che general Iterature. One of them, however iin regarded asthe pliral of Lilt, “nightdemons." ed ia the Take Ind, ccc ey often, sometimes ae it” may aso mention here the melache fabbol, “angele (or de- mons} of destructian.” who made thee inl appearance fn the ‘Talmud, and who were not aben fom the medieval ene. Tie ‘anes end with the Teter ge, we age informed The face thatthe tts ofthe daly synagogue servic, the eighten benediction the prayer Tozer Or, and the grace after mele do not contain his le fer, waited ax proof tht prayer eres a protection agsinet thee Aletoying angle "The Lartanie Kabbalah brought into common cueeny an old Dut Bile sed term, lip, orginally “ely ik, kin” 3 orca singin the eater mystical works and in the Zor the word rarely ‘appeared in our iterate. Is Lutanie poplariton, meted ia the writings of the famous Pash mystia sinh Horenite (1555 1630}, mavked the bevinang of a new development in Jew emonolngy whichis oti the scope of hs sy "These raonal tems were wed enly to designate the general ‘phenomenon. eis of interest oingire why none of them segue 2 specialized seme in our ped, to single ont thoe diferetated Almonte type which people the folklore of all nations. The ex planatinit nt fartoscrk. "The Hebrew of the Bible ad the provers Ive fastar to mest ews, ws not the vernsealars no il the ‘Talmud, which o strongly ele enish Ie prove Jewry with spoken tongue. Words Hed from thee sources entered int the veyday language ofthe pope, ee sae, but thelr very antiqsty tnd tradtionl meanings made i dificult sqeene them nt nee ‘olds They sufficed ae generic term, but to designate the spel the dieretited, the peclly contemporary, the, Jew tured to the veemanlar forthe nomencltie. Specie types of de ‘mons vere not wanting ia medical Jens flor, Bu they 89 peared under thir non Hebraic nares, words borrowed fom the {German and the French Thisintereting subject sheding 9 mreh Tish upon the question of non-Jewish iniuence on Jewish ble and superstition, wl be preety considered ‘THE POWERS OF EVIL 29 ‘The mumber of demons ia the world was prodigious. One Chie tian census cite them ab somentat more than oe foreach enon on earth. Our sour spurn such camservaive figure; th hmber is uncountable, the simple unt employed i Sleing 1 (hem so salle than the myriad? The queion ofthe org ofthis demonic horde matrly ag tated the meal mind Tyas of ope inte othe Jos for ins word skogethr fetid os ne by the Crestor of al gy the demons alone have no recrded body the ne chapter ef {Genes rent coneeing them. Time tadison, howe provided the cle which wa followed io the MidleAge On the fine Sabbath eve x tlght, a God was puting the Gating touches to His pret work of cretion, He turned His hand tothe Construction of te bigs, who, though included in the plan of things a they were ob, might well be for ast He had not pro- {remedbeyod the faioning of ther souls, However when te bas fering Sabbath overtook Hin, and He war blige to eae Hla Takers to sancti the fit day of rt Sot thatthe demons have no odie bt sre comsited lyf spit* ‘Bat thi explanation didnot auice toil al doubly, and a ‘medieval rabbi ding the couse ofa nptatin witha renegade Je sponded an atersing esto hi theme There rene Yet another ester, nacemnte fr by te abinetheary and own to Joes der thir mJ nes (RJ ou die ‘tan, mentionelspeciclly he Tati and the je), which po Eitcd bot wal and boty. These viouly rege something tore han the eadnal explanation. Ths R Jel provided. He Ul a rabbinie legend to he eft hat during the 10 yeas after {he expan from Eden, when Adan was pare frm Exe, he had ‘hm wth foal emo wo be Hm denn nto Sccoumt for this corporeal group which the Talmudic rabbis dds none The spr whom we wa the ar ad fs are the chi- ‘reno Adaya an ead RJ ‘We mal al of sil another demonic ete, whose members vere rented afer dy tof the rao he me eet tena Di the grave Te not tote core to el some Soden Ihave that in the popular conception the prt ofthe dead roamed {he word a apes snd vampyre othe demon emgo JRWISH MAGIC AND SUPERSTITION ‘Oa the contrary, the spss of the dead were beleved to remain in ‘ose contac with the ving, retaining thera ars and often Derfonning spual service for their relatives and frends who sil ‘hated tis sth a Ue eh Provoationy tra might it them upto site back at their enemies Bt in general the deal were aot regarded as malevolent; rather were they seen a wl Taree shades Haunsag de graves which ster thelr bones The spits of the wicked, however, do became bona fe demons, and it [thoe that contanty replenish the demonic ranks So vious tree they belived to be tht special warnings were pote galt Them; wounds which hey fie ean Be cured by no human mean but thir healing retin the haps of God alone Tay add that ce ide, so feoqueal encountered in Cristian writing thatthe dea ae the gos ofthe heathen, i be found In medieval Jewish works ae well™ But ie played no part ithe opaar bel, Te-tould be noted, finaly, that inal this the demons, ei they were remained the erates of Cod sbjet to His will and spect of Hit dvi, and actly suervient to the angels" ‘We have here no dua; even the Kable mtican which divided the averse between to opposing fores of good and evi ‘id not oust God rom His pation of oveoedship. ‘The German fyi, smmared in a deep piety pecllar to themsles, dd not for a moment countenance any such here, and nowhere in the [erature of Northern Eusope do we finda sggeton ofthe auton- fmy of the deman weld. Th what gute were thee demons vsuied? Altogether inv ‘Beto men, though the more ate enya anal espond {othe presecr is oto be wondered 3 that the preva can ‘pon was ss vague and undefined ar thes ertares themslv "The rabbi of the Talmud had ong since pts eran monic atuiutes which remained constant dung the Middle ‘Ages "The demons, in acordance with thr eign, ae between lange and men, They have wins He the former, and mone aboot {rom one ent ofthe earth the ole, and Koow what wl cme to su; bute the ater, tey eat and dink, propagate hc And, nd ie." "They see but are themselves nvile™ In consequence ‘THE POWERS OF EVIL. at oftheir lack of bodies they cast no shadow: These characteris, whose Talmudic authority permitted no queionng, mete the con stant features of the medictal eongpion, A few new dete were added but they were not, Tam afay af much help in taking the il prs more realy recogni ‘Rosi, for one, attempted a degre of difereniaton on the ‘bas of several Talia remarta, Among the “various Kinds of ‘demons (mazikin,” he wrote, “sedi have bum forsale nd rik, ike men spi (rin) ane complete denoted a formes; iin, which are posessd of hutnan forms, lwo ave wings” The rabbinkevew, which was applied generally tothe ew tre demon word, presented ficubies tothe sia ind. A Be teenthcentury arity exayed an explanation af how it was that thee creatures of spit could smalate man in certin rrp Ther ‘iting and drinking i, according tomy nothing more than 9 ick ing or lapping wp offre wate, i, and ine. ‘het decease agai, isnot t0 be undentood in our mortal senses "when they iy up [from lack ofthese staining sistance) they retum to the pe ‘moral tate this i the manner of thelr death” But our auther’s ingenuity gave out in the matter of propsztin; ere he was enced to acer them physeal shapes: "When they copulate they are poe seed of bodies, but chey wil noe ante inthe prsence os thin dean, or of man.” "There tle more te sd about the appearance of thee el spit One source attributed to thee naw exsten heads halt! Male demons have hi on tee esd but the femles have note ‘This why Bone placed his hand om Ruth's head [when he awe to find hee at his fet. When be dkcovered tht she had ai [he ew hat this wat o dete) and asked Who art thou?” Det mons, however, may tempera astme phyrcl shapes There inthe flloe of the Mile Agey a ned ofall ines and all Places, no define and impasebe tne of demarcation between the ‘worlds of man, of ess, atl of spr. Angels and demons thay become men and animals men may be tussformed into eat or valves or hare, We have sleay bell th spins embodied inthe ins of doges Bons apprchendet a denn taking womans shipe, (A tnedievalTgend relates Ut 3 demon seick had Lid plane to ‘enter the body of a certs ious ab narod lf nt a hie hich the ral was expected to swallow with his Toad Their Sock of gis Was infinite. Many of the demons we encounter32 JBWISIE MAGIC AND SUPERSTITION fn medial trata ave conveniently maded themes in man or anime bodies, otha thy may fake i pearance in the lah The txt by air the oly ew we are afforded agaist {hein design and even here half the demon word mute Lie te angels the dinons have epecal pos and funcon: whe, for ina 2a bas sllered an attach the bands oe, ie ‘and ts fons Toever avon the place where the aac care, forthe denon posted thre swing ser oppor tip, Nev sou one pen the demoay who ae eertere iy lating the de and windows of house shy Tack pote fing sd gs ane prs lng wth the fonctions, ad {o impede he fem of movement to iit ther Caples are iso perce al ole fn door or window se Uns Cele tem to mone about fel ‘Demons freqientedsnibsbited plac, deserts and foress and feldy sow mule pace Pra pecaly were bleed to ‘etumed athe led peered sell ncantaon vk In eon of gun aac hae plac Te pre sion was frequent repeated by medieval autores but ECllme ta the cad tne ops ad weno andthe Inco fee, ta degre no raves {3 ana sages The explanation wa tat he pie of Tok ‘ies were ested ute ofthe ile. he lds where ties rive were ler to home thin the sete sen “The comin between demons andes was made serve fportt hygienic ends Bap wmeine led “pis a enceannes” and once Mntied by the name bat mach et Sen ented handy otra foo banded with than nod ‘nage the lives of the whe et uch food. Seen secon sicher a ual wang ofthe hands (which Sstoy or Inge te demon) wee enurted mot ioprtant song thee ‘was upon arg i the moming, for the nigh creates a spec epuisyto pit contamination, Even om Yom Ripp when no ‘isin ihe be perfomed, the hands meat be wed he tmoming. Tosching the eye cay nese and moth with swathed ands spel oer no down R wae fared tat the cl pi owl ener the hy thot hve oie (Pla go hg pe est Ta mbm chore iin peaking of infest, out ocala fe tore "sie the cme Fem the same) "he don of ‘annem ning the eye, euld enue o's plane thane 9 devantating flere pom the innocent pasty; igh een be ‘THE POWERS OF EVIL = hot of et mney nd aye metkis Pn tia emg Tt no eel er hme ase ately pe spp ee gt se See ia aren te amare eet oahecia ea an natn, Soe iia anatase pyaar re omy a arti Ou iy chads meg TiaR Tce ther ee Se aoe eee Sep are erage Scie way socal tlh Ss oe al csr geste Soe a em ret Tien sae ba ht em a ee eee mapa ae crete cn Prarie ties eco Steam ie Set eh ome satiate tetihercirareent tie lea ees ee Sota temic cs tal Sore Seba vereeoetns oie am mene Tin aetna Atmeger mek Seerevaciatnt te ee eatin ewes mr kid31 JEWISH MAGIC AND SUPERSTITION to Judah the Pious for counsel; the mystic should ceeed where Incline was powtrlos! He told her that nothing would bap ‘hee that ae orgetien ke a corp moldering ia te earth. Te ‘hr out hie prescaption he had her eilren place her in a eave ‘ind hem had armed tne, hited for this pare, make a madden lttack upon them so that they wetefghtded and ran away, ei plecly forcing the mother She sore out of the grave Be mm, and in short oer proved the eficcy of the remedy. The symbolic interent andrei freed her from the misertane hat ‘os ber Lt in whit had now booome her previous existence" ‘Datos comort inthe shade of tea, and in shadows cast by the moon. In fcr, cldren who are moos-stuck diay symptoms thse point defintely to the demanie source of dhe ies thet Shemating chile and fevers are due direst tothe fee thatthe lemons who inalit mocnshadows are compounded of re and ha Sefer Hasiinepots that upon certain tee there were to be noticed dps smnewhat like condle-drippings. When 2 man ished to atti tee down he was warned bya sage, "Beware that oud nt ring shout your own death! Don't even shake hatte! ori you anger them hey wil erainly do you harm. Ta this tee {he ia forestier” Nut ees in particular were tobe shunned 3s the meeting-placs of the spss Apel connection cite ako etwoen the torm-winds, tem ps whiny and the cll spits ‘The home of al inthe Forth, whic eed the source of alexi One iter even domi ‘ed the demons in Norway which to him wa the farhe edge a the nor "This alton universal belie inthe else ration be- teen dons an stor was expresed inthe dea at under and Ughering ae the bolt which the demons, aligned in two hostile ‘camps dacharge again ene another during arm. Certain men Ste peclaly sexptble to harm from thee Bly and can be tested nly by mage “jawisn” DEMONS ‘Our dscasion, devoted thus fr to the general aspets of med val Jewish demnolgy, does ot exkaurt the sect. Certain

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