CBM
Member
Hi Rival,
I’m no expert but I do think that within Judaism there are definitely different understandings.
Where Maimonides says magic etc is not real, most medieval Jewish authorities were of the opinion that it is.
Most Orthodox Jews I know tend to be more rationally minded and dismissive of the woo-woo. But it’s not relevant to practice, so it kind of doesn’t make a difference religiously whether or not someone believes these things are real.
There are also many laws (Halacha) which take bad spirits and demons into account, so for the most part that would have been accepted as a reality in Talmudic times. I can’t remember where, but there is a source somewhere that says that although demons are real as a general rule they do not mess with people anymore.
As far as my amateur understanding goes, there are 3 things I would address:
1: Manipulating spiritual forces/ energies (or consulting with someone who does) to your benefit runs contrary to ״תמים תהיה עם הי אלקך״ - You should be simple/ pure. Basically, to trust God is running the show, has your best interests in mind and turn to Him in prayer or with good deeds if you want to change things.
Practicing witchcraft/ magic or consulting with a sorcerer breeds a culture where God is forgotten in favor of people attempting to play God themselves. (And while at it, they get to be called “spiritual” too.)
I don’t know if it matters whether or not someone believes the manipulation is supernatural or not.
2. Negative spiritual forces vs positive spiritual forces.
As a Jew, I believe God is the source of everything and any kind of force, whether it manifests as good or evil, is working as an agent of God.
That being said, negative spiritual forces are definitely considered real. Impurity (tumah) also factors into Halacha a lot, and although that may not be the energy you have in mind, it’s another example of negative spiritual energy. Additionally, impure forces are said to be created when a person sins. (I’m sorry, I don’t remember the source for that offhand.)
3. Finally, even great people are cautioned strongly when it comes to practical Kabbalah. Even a stray impure thought can taint the origin of the energy being channeled, created or whatever it is.
There are different ways to go about handling the spiritual- from a place of purity or impurity.
And depending on that it’ll either be called a miracle or black magic.
To reiterate, coming from a pure place primarily means having pure intentions for the sake of God and being a pure vessel - a holy person of good character who fears God etc. doing whatever their doing fully within the context of Halacha.
I’m no expert but I do think that within Judaism there are definitely different understandings.
Where Maimonides says magic etc is not real, most medieval Jewish authorities were of the opinion that it is.
Most Orthodox Jews I know tend to be more rationally minded and dismissive of the woo-woo. But it’s not relevant to practice, so it kind of doesn’t make a difference religiously whether or not someone believes these things are real.
There are also many laws (Halacha) which take bad spirits and demons into account, so for the most part that would have been accepted as a reality in Talmudic times. I can’t remember where, but there is a source somewhere that says that although demons are real as a general rule they do not mess with people anymore.
As far as my amateur understanding goes, there are 3 things I would address:
1: Manipulating spiritual forces/ energies (or consulting with someone who does) to your benefit runs contrary to ״תמים תהיה עם הי אלקך״ - You should be simple/ pure. Basically, to trust God is running the show, has your best interests in mind and turn to Him in prayer or with good deeds if you want to change things.
Practicing witchcraft/ magic or consulting with a sorcerer breeds a culture where God is forgotten in favor of people attempting to play God themselves. (And while at it, they get to be called “spiritual” too.)
I don’t know if it matters whether or not someone believes the manipulation is supernatural or not.
2. Negative spiritual forces vs positive spiritual forces.
As a Jew, I believe God is the source of everything and any kind of force, whether it manifests as good or evil, is working as an agent of God.
That being said, negative spiritual forces are definitely considered real. Impurity (tumah) also factors into Halacha a lot, and although that may not be the energy you have in mind, it’s another example of negative spiritual energy. Additionally, impure forces are said to be created when a person sins. (I’m sorry, I don’t remember the source for that offhand.)
3. Finally, even great people are cautioned strongly when it comes to practical Kabbalah. Even a stray impure thought can taint the origin of the energy being channeled, created or whatever it is.
There are different ways to go about handling the spiritual- from a place of purity or impurity.
And depending on that it’ll either be called a miracle or black magic.
To reiterate, coming from a pure place primarily means having pure intentions for the sake of God and being a pure vessel - a holy person of good character who fears God etc. doing whatever their doing fully within the context of Halacha.
