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Monday, January 11, 2010

A Dybbuk Story

This story is brought down in Hebrew in לב אליהו on Sefer Bereishit, pp. 28-31 by the students of R' Eliyahu Lopian Zt"l, compiled by R' Sholom Schwadron. The first person in the story, I believe, is R' Schwadron. I will translate it as best as possible.

Now, we will relate an amazing story, which also Maran [R' Lopian] was involved with, as we will see later, G-d willing. This story has an important foundational message and a great Mussar idea. I heard it from Moreinu VeRabbeinu Hagaon Hatzadik R' Eliyahu Hakohen Dushnitzer, Z"l, who was the Hebrew principal of the Lumza Yeshiva in Petah Tikva. I need to introduce a few items first.

It's known that Moreinu VeRabbeinu R' Dushnitzer was one of the 10 Kollel men who learned Seder Kodashim in Radin, where the Hafetz Hayim Ztvk"l sent them to exorcise a dybbuk from a woman who was brought to the Hafetz Hayim so save her... It's also known that R' Elhanan Wasserman would relate the story every Seudat Purim in front of the Benei Yeshiva, and would be lengthy with this for 2 hours. Therefore, when I got the chance once to ask [R' Dushnitzer] about the Dybbuk and asked him to tell me, he answered me "What will you get out of such a story? It's just a story... (I understood from his words that he didn't want to tell me because he would have had to tell me also what the Dybbuk said about him, as is known.) However, I will tell you a story similar to this that has a Mussar lesson."

This is what he told me:
"This story - you can and should tell publicly, and you can preface it by saying that I told this to you, exactly as I heard it from the known Gaon in Israel - Moreinu Harav Elazar Moshe Z"l from Pinsk, and you know me that I don't lie, חס ושלום, and I don't exaggerate or add anything with this - I am rather relaying word for word as I heard it from the aforementioned HaGaon R' Elazar Moshe.

This is the story:

There was a man in Kelm who was a merchant and Torah-knowledgeable whose name was R' Neta (they used to call him R' Notil), and he had one daughter. He married her off to a Yeshiva Bahur who excelled and was a Talmid Hacham, and gave him a dowry of many thousands of rubles along with many years of eating at his table while the son-in-law would sit and learn Torah. When the allotted time was up, and the couple could no longer eat at his table, the daughter started claiming, "What will we eat?!" The husband answered her that he cannot leave Torah and do business and throw all his Torah to the sea... Until she gave him the advice and said: "We'll take the dowry money and open a store and I will stand there all day long except for 2 hours of the day, when you will stand there [to man the store] so the rest of the hours of the day you can use to continue learning Torah as before." The husband agreed, and that's what they did.

For the first 3 months, this was how it worked, but afterwards, the 2 hours turned into 4 hours, and then 8, etc., etc. until he was fully engrossed in the business... and he didn't even have time to open a Gemara...

One Motza'ei Shabbat after midnight, where there was a huge snowstorm and blizzard, (I am relating this like the language and form that I heard it from Moreinu VeRabbeinu Z"l) this woman went outside to pour a barrel of unclean water out, and she returned home as if she was choking and could not speak... Her husband ran immediately and quickly got a doctor to come to his house, and he did not know what to do, and the next day too... he went with her and sought [the advice of] many doctors and they also traveled to the city of Vienna, without success. They started talking in the town that maybe this is a Dybbuk..

They traveled to the city of Shtuchin, where there was a Mekubal by the name of R' Mendel Z"l, to whom people traveled for such cases. When they came before him, he asked the Dybbuk some question, and he heard a voice answering, and as is known, when a Dybbuk speaks, the ill host's stomach is raised up, but the lips do not move, and a voice comes out (these were Moreinu VeRabbeinu Z"l's words), and then, all those who heard were astounded and said, "Aha! It's a Dybbuk..." However, the Tzaddik R' Mendel said that he doesn't know yet if it's true, so he asked it, "Who is going with you (i.e. the transmigrating soul)?" It replied, "5 destructive angels." He asked it, "What are their names?" It replied with the names of the angels... Then, R' Mendel said that it's true - this is a true Dybbuk.

He started to ask it questions, for example, "Who are you?" It said to me that he was a Bahur in Brisk dozens of years ago (I don't remember exactly how many), and then went to Africa, and his friends corrupted him there, and he Rahmana Litzlan transgressed the entire Torah, and then traveled on a wagon, which he fell off and was killed. And that is how he is - he is transmigrating continuously in the world until now. He told it, "Why did you not do Teshuva right before you died?" It answered him that because of the fear and craziness at the moment he fell from the wagon, he forgot to do think Teshuva [at that time].

Afterwards, he asked it, "What do you have against this woman that you caused her such terrible suffering?" It started laughing out loud and said, "This girl's mother and her husband's mother (both of whom already had passed to the next world) had strenghtened themselves with supplication up above in heaven that I should enter her and cause her this suffering, since if it were not for this, she wouldn't have what to stand on in this world or the next world! This is because she took her husband away from being busy learning Torah!..."

Once they heard this, R' Mendel said to the husband that he should promise to return to Torah, and he promised. R' Notil similarly promised to learn Mishnayot for the uplifting of the soul of the Bahur - the Dybbuk and also a certain amount of candles to be lit in the synagogue for him. Afterwards, R' Mendel gathered a minyan of 10 men into his room and they said Tehilim, and he stood behind them and he said what he said, while he put the woman on a chair in the middle of the room. Suddenly, she rolled from the chair to the floor and a powerful voice came out from her [saying] "Shema Yisrael..." - the entire town of Shtuchin heard this voice. Afterwards, the fingernail of the pinky of one of her hands burst open, and one glass from the window was broken, and she became quiet...


Until here is what Moreinu Harav Eliyahu Hakohen Dushnitzer told me. He repeated his words again and said that you may retell this story in my name, and you know me that I don't lie Has VeShalom and I also do not exaggerate - I have only related to you exactly as I heard it from the mouth of the Ga'on R' Elazar Moshe Z"l.

Moreinu VeRabbeinu Z"l [Rav Dushnitzer] added these words, and I quote, "However, I recently heard that this aforementioned couple who are already elderly - coming in age - they came to Eretz Yisrael and they live in Tel Aviv, and they have a large family here of children and grandchildren. You also know them. However, I will not tell you their names because it can harm them for Shidduchim... On one Motza'ei Shabbat, I traveled from Petah Tikva to Tel Aviv and I stayed at their house, and they themselves told me the entire story, just as I heard it from the Ga'on R' Elazar Moshe and as I related to you." Endquote from Moreinu VeRabbeinu Z"l [Rav Dushnitzer].

Now, when Maran [Rav Eliyahu Lopian] came to Eretz Yisrael, and afterwards, when we got close to him and we once sat in his room - I and another fellow in Yeshivat Kamenitz - and I told this story in front of him, he had asked me, "Have you finished talking?" (This was his custom always and this was the custom of everyone from Kelm, in order not to enter the words of one's fellow.) When I answered, "Yes," he told us in this wording:
I heard this story from the father of the mentioned woman - R' Notil Z"l in Kelm on the fence of the courtyard of the Talmud Torah, and just as you had told it. However, with 2 changes: 1) that he didn't fall from a wagon, but rather, traveled on a boat and drowned at sea. 2) that the Dybbuk would cry sometimes (near R' Mendel there) with loud sounds and with fearsome frights, that all who heard it were afraid and shaken up. He would say that the destructive angels were waiting for it to exit the woman's body and they would tear it up into pieces...(since destructive angels do not have permission to touch a Rasha's soul as long as it is found inside a living body). After a few seconds passed, it started speaking words of mockery and profanities in a very vulgar way - until all who heard it would close their ears in order not to hear its profanities. They asked it [the dybbuk], "Is it possible?! A few seconds ago, you cried with great frights 'Gevalt!' in a foreign language, and now you are speaking words of profanities and mockery?!" He answered them with the following wording, "You should know that if one does not do Teshuva and does not become clean from sin, then the soul above desires evil just like when it was down [on earth]..." These were the words of the Dybbuk.

Maran [R' Lopian] added and said:
From here we see the power of desire - it's scary! That even the tremendous fear of the 5 destructive angels that it saw (of course for a soul, "seeing" with eyes is not applicable, but he must be saying this to make it palatable) and was so scared of them, but nevertheless couldn't help itself from bringing his desires into fruition to speak profinities and mockeries that it was used to when it was alive. Hashem should guard us and save us from sin.
Until here are the words of Maran Z"l [R' Lopian]. Someone who heard this added that one can claim this [is an insight] in the saying of Haza"l who said [that whoever commits one sin,] it is tied to him like a dog.

22 Comments:

At Tue Jan 12, 02:37:00 AM 2010, Blogger Devorah said...

Did you notice that the date of this blog post is 1.11.10, and the time of your posting it was 11:11

That's a lot of 11's.

 
At Tue Jan 12, 08:06:00 AM 2010, Blogger joshwaxman said...

wow. until now, i thought it an obligation for a husband to support the wife. now i know to dismiss any Torah sources that suggest that, and can accept the mussar from this story, that the kollel way is the only way, and that asking the husband to work is a great sin which might bring on dybbuk manifestation!

(the point of telling the particular dybbuk story, after all, is that it contained mussar.)

;)

kt,
josh

 
At Tue Jan 12, 09:37:00 AM 2010, Blogger yaak said...

Josh, perhaps you missed these lines of the story:

until he was fully engrossed in the business... and he didn't even have time to open a Gemara...

 
At Tue Jan 12, 10:16:00 AM 2010, Blogger joshwaxman said...

didn't miss it. i'll explain in a bit, when can type two-handed.

 
At Tue Jan 12, 12:58:00 PM 2010, Blogger joshwaxman said...

ok, now have two available hands.

"What will we eat?!" may well have been your own link, but it links to an idea of a lack of emunah. and the husband's response of "he cannot leave Torah and do business and throw all his Torah to the sea" seems to indicate that there was something bad about what she said. regardless, the choice to open a gemara or not, to increase hours or not, are ultimately the *husband's* choice. *he* should have gotten the dybbuk, not her.

and regardless, the point is that if you buy the story, you are *forced* to buy the message of the story, if there is one. what i referred to elsewhere as the *implications* of miracle stories. you allow the dybbuks, or the gilgulim in autistics, to set the agenda and belief system of Judaism.

and while belief in dybbuks is not an ikkar emuna, and rav avigdor miller said one is not mechuyav to believe these stories, by placing the integrity of the gedolim to support it, one becomes mechuyav to believe it. you are calling the chofetz chaim a liar or a fool? r' lopian? rav kanievsky? rav shteinman? indeed, i strongly suspect that this is why they first asked those two rabbonim, instead of going directly to r' batzri. and why rav batzri first instructed them to make the tour to these rabbonim before visiting him, upon arrival in eretz yisrael. (although those present claim that neither really said it *was* a dybbuk, but just gave a referral.) and why the fake story that rav shternbuch put the dykkuk in cherem came about.

i don't think anyone was a liar, or a fool. but i suspect similar things as the Tarantalla, or stigmata, are at play. the imagination is a very powerful thing.

 
At Tue Jan 12, 01:03:00 PM 2010, Blogger joshwaxman said...

also:
"Dybbuk was a hoax, Israeli woman says

JERUSALEM (JTA) -- An Israeli woman who allegedly had a dybbuk, or evil spirit, exorcized from her eight months ago said the whole ceremony was a sham, the Israeli daily Ha'aretz reported Wednesday.

Dimona resident Yehudit Sigauker claims that she was pressured into it by activists from the fervently religious Shas movement.

She also asserts that she was forced to sign an agreement that would enable videotapes of the ceremony to be used for commercial and propaganda use. The son of kabbalist Rabbi David Batzri, who performed the exorcism, denied that the ceremony was a fake."

this was from the previous exorcism ceremony conducted by rabbi dahan. so, do you disbelieve the woman? do you think rav batzri was fooled back then? what about the various gedolim (there were a couple) who promoted it back then?

kt,
josh

 
At Tue Jan 12, 02:47:00 PM 2010, Blogger yaak said...

regardless, the choice to open a gemara or not, to increase hours or not, are ultimately the *husband's* choice. *he* should have gotten the dybbuk, not her.

Are you G-d? Do you know all of Hashem's Heshbonot? This punishment is fit - whether we understand it or not.

and regardless, the point is that if you buy the story, you are *forced* to buy the message of the story, if there is one. what i referred to elsewhere as the *implications* of miracle stories. you allow the dybbuks, or the gilgulim in autistics, to set the agenda and belief system of Judaism.

No - lo bashamayim hi is intact. Rather, we believe the tradition that has been passed down that these things exist. These things just reinforce already existing belief systems.

and while belief in dybbuks is not an ikkar emuna, and rav avigdor miller said one is not mechuyav to believe these stories, by placing the integrity of the gedolim to support it, one becomes mechuyav to believe it. you are calling the chofetz chaim a liar or a fool? r' lopian? rav kanievsky? rav shteinman? indeed, i strongly suspect that this is why they first asked those two rabbonim, instead of going directly to r' batzri. and why rav batzri first instructed them to make the tour to these rabbonim before visiting him, upon arrival in eretz yisrael. (although those present claim that neither really said it *was* a dybbuk, but just gave a referral.)

Could be - who knows? But you have to admit that there is very strong evidence to support these stories (definitely the ones before 50 years ago, but even some of the more recent ones too).

and why the fake story that rav shternbuch put the dykkuk in cherem came about.

This is probably the weirdest part of this whole story in my eyes (if you can believe that). I don't know what to make of it. Probably, some overzealous reporter and a forged letter to a blogger.

i don't think anyone was a liar, or a fool. but i suspect similar things as the Tarantalla, or stigmata, are at play. the imagination is a very powerful thing.

So the imagination of everyone in the room just so happened to imagine the same thing at the same time???

Regarding the JTA article, also very weird. I don't know enough about it to comment. However, if Rav Batzri was fooled once, I doubt he'd be fooled again.

One commenter here says

"and when the kalever rebbe of america was in brasil the dibbuk spoke with him, the rebbe couldt take it off but calmed down the dibbuk(it's recorded)"

so not knowing the reliability of this source, and being that the Kalever Rebbe is coming to Chicago to visit soon, maybe I could ask him, or maybe not.

 
At Tue Jan 12, 05:26:00 PM 2010, Blogger joshwaxman said...

"Are you G-d? Do you know all of Hashem's Heshbonot? This punishment is fit - whether we understand it or not."

no, i am not G-d. but neither is the person who made up the story, or rather assumed that the story is on the level and meant to teach us mussar. my point is, it is a choice. the question whether I know Hashem's cheshbonot only comes into play once we assume this was indeed an act of God rather than the assumption of fools.

"No - lo bashamayim hi is intact. Rather, we believe the tradition that has been passed down that these things exist. These things just reinforce already existing belief systems."
but *whose* belief systems? not the rambam or saadia gaon's. and not just that, but there is often some spin within existing belief systems.

Could be - who knows? But you have to admit that there is very strong evidence to support these stories (definitely the ones before 50 years ago, but even some of the more recent ones too).
actually, no, i don't admit this. there seems just as much evidence to support them as to support facilitated communication. in which a bunch of amateurs were fooled, either by charlatans or by misinterpreting events. indeed, rav shteinman is one of those who supported FC.

there is just as much evidence to support -- not lehavdil -- demonic possession and exorcism by Catholic priests, even to this day. also by smart people, who even consult psychologists (unlike the Gedolim in this case):
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evil-deeds/200804/exorcism-and-the-future-psychotherapy
but i don't believe it in either instance. rather, i think that there is a straightforward explanation for both phenomenon, which fools people, especially of superstitious ilk.

"So the imagination of everyone in the room just so happened to imagine the same thing at the same time???"
precisely. especially when conditioned by common belief interpreting cues from the afflicted person, or from each other. alternatively, the imagination of the one afflicted by the malady causing physical manifestation of symptoms.

Regarding the JTA article, also very weird. I don't know enough about it to comment. However, if Rav Batzri was fooled once, I doubt he'd be fooled again.
unless he insists to himself and others that he wasn't fooled. as his son said.

also, another way of putting it is: "if the people were fooled by Rav Batzri once, I doubt they'd be fooled again." Yet here they are, believing him on this second dybbuk, and conveniently forgetting about the scandal and hoax of his first dybbuk.

See the video of the Dimona exorcism. Here is part 10 of 10.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQ9c1_djpkg

so not knowing the reliability of this source, and being that the Kalever Rebbe is coming to Chicago to visit soon, maybe I could ask him, or maybe not.
that might indeed be interesting. but what are the kalever rebbe's credentials? is he a trained psychologist, or trained to recognize frauds? i'd be more interested if James Randi visited him.

kt,
josh

 
At Tue Jan 12, 06:24:00 PM 2010, Blogger yaak said...

no, i am not G-d. but neither is the person who made up the story, or rather assumed that the story is on the level and meant to teach us mussar. my point is, it is a choice. the question whether I know Hashem's cheshbonot only comes into play once we assume this was indeed an act of God rather than the assumption of fools.

I have enough Emunat Hachamim to believe this story, as its source, its source's source and its source's source's source are known to be reliable. Now that we know that this was indeed an act of G-d, we can now try to understand the mussar from the story.

but *whose* belief systems? not the rambam or saadia gaon's. and not just that, but there is often some spin within existing belief systems.
I will concede that the Rambam and R' Saadia Gaon will likely not be in favor of these concepts. There are, however, a majority of Rishonim and Aharonim that are.

actually, no, i don't admit this. there seems just as much evidence to support them as to support facilitated communication. in which a bunch of amateurs were fooled, either by charlatans or by misinterpreting events. indeed, rav shteinman is one of those who supported FC.

there is just as much evidence to support -- not lehavdil -- demonic possession and exorcism by Catholic priests, even to this day. also by smart people, who even consult psychologists (unlike the Gedolim in this case):
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evil-deeds/200804/exorcism-and-the-future-psychotherapy
but i don't believe it in either instance. rather, i think that there is a straightforward explanation for both phenomenon, which fools people, especially of superstitious ilk.

FC is relatively new, so I can't say that we have a mesora on it - I'm actually not crazy about the whole idea, but the other concepts (dybbukim, gilgulim) - יסודם בהררי קודש - this is not something that can fool a bunch of rishonim and aharonim. If you say so, why don't you say ח"ו that keriat yam suf fooled a whole bunch of people or that a revelation at Sinai did too? My Emunat Hachamim forces me to say that the chain of mesora is not great rabbis being fooled into these things, but rather, something believable.

precisely. especially when conditioned by common belief interpreting cues from the afflicted person, or from each other. alternatively, the imagination of the one afflicted by the malady causing physical manifestation of symptoms.

Still too far-fetched for me.

unless he insists to himself and others that he wasn't fooled. as his son said.

also, another way of putting it is: "if the people were fooled by Rav Batzri once, I doubt they'd be fooled again." Yet here they are, believing him on this second dybbuk, and conveniently forgetting about the scandal and hoax of his first dybbuk.

See the video of the Dimona exorcism. Here is part 10 of 10.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQ9c1_djpkg


Sorry if you don't feel this way, but R' Batzri is a well-respected Mekubal. It's not a good a idea to say things like this.

that might indeed be interesting. but what are the kalever rebbe's credentials? is he a trained psychologist, or trained to recognize frauds? i'd be more interested if James Randi visited him.

He's a trained Rebbe. Enough said.

 
At Wed Jan 13, 04:26:00 AM 2010, Blogger joshwaxman said...

"I have enough Emunat Hachamim to believe this story, as its source, its source's source and its source's source's source are known to be reliable."
there are different definitions of emunat chachamim, and i don't follow one which compels this. did Rambam lack emunas chachamim by disbelieving in shedim? what about rav yaakov emden in disbelieving in the authenticity of the tikkunei zohar?

"If you say so, why don't you say ח"ו that keriat yam suf fooled a whole bunch of people or that a revelation at Sinai did too?"
it is a good question. i think there is an answer; but every modern instance of the masses of Jews believing nonsense (like the Monsey fish story) further undermines the Kuzari Proof for me.

"Sorry if you don't feel this way, but R' Batzri is a well-respected Mekubal. It's not a good a idea to say things like this."
but what makes someone a well-respected mekubal? making well-publicized exorcism ceremonies every decade? if so, it is circular.

"He's a trained Rebbe. Enough said."
that certainly goes a long way, in terms of insight into people. but there is also a lack of technical knowledge. but it would be interesting to hear his take on it.

kt,
josh

 
At Wed Jan 13, 01:16:00 PM 2010, Blogger yaak said...

Here's the latest:
http://www.theyeshivaworld.com/article.php?p=44786

 
At Wed Jan 13, 01:26:00 PM 2010, Blogger Devorah said...

From that latest link: "CC reports another attempt is going to be made to remove the Brazilian dibuk, but this time, mekubalim will do so in a quite private unpublicized ceremony."

It should have been private from the start.

Interestingly, as I was reading about Haiti and Voodoo practices.... seems they believe in their own version of dybbuks. See the link on my site to Haiti Voodoo....

 
At Wed Jan 13, 04:02:00 PM 2010, Blogger yaak said...

I agree that it should have been private from the start for 2 reasons:
1) דברים שבצנעה are likely more effective
2) The family is probably not so happy about the hoopla

It doesn't need to be private, however, for the purpose of protecting people from making a mockery of Judaism. Those who will do so will do so regardless. No need to protect the truth.

 
At Thu Jan 14, 08:56:00 AM 2010, Blogger joshwaxman said...

from the article:
"Kook speaks of the case of the dibuk in Dimona in 5759, Pinchas ben Sofia, when Maran was asked if one is permitted to tell the story to children since not everyone believes there was a dibuk in real life. The rav responded rhetorically, “can you say for certain it wasn’t genuine?” adding, “If some are encouraged (receives a chizuk) by this, why not tell?”"

and when the woman confessed later, such that we *can* be certain it wasn't genuine, what is the answer? what do you say to people who trusted their rabbonim that it was real? (where the intent, iirc, was to inspire in order to influence the election, as well as to clear Deri?)

and is passing off questionable bubbe maasos, which there is reason to suspect it is false, to a gullible public, who think they MUST believe because otherwise they are doubting the gedolim, really the way to go? what happens when people find out that their leaders are willing to lie to them to inspire them?

facilitated communication, before it became its own apocalyptic religion, was similarly supported because of the chizuk it could bring to people.

kt,
josh

 
At Thu Jan 14, 11:25:00 AM 2010, Blogger yaak said...

You're making too many assumptions, R' Josh.

You're assuming that we accept the woman's admission as valid. There may be reasons for her to lie about it. Others have denied her claim.

You're assuming that the gedolim are lying - they're not. They're telling you what you CAN believe MiSafeik.

You're assuming that we need to all follow the Rambam in this hashkafic matter. We don't.

You're assuming that any other viewpoint than the Rambam's is automatically incorrect. It's not.

Lest you think I'm anti-Rambam, I'm not - in fact, my family has a mesora to be descended from him.

However, there are other viewpoints that are valid, and one need not dismiss them so quickly. I don't dismiss the Rambam's view - it's valid and you have the right to hold that way. However, you don't have a right to dismiss other viewpoints which have been revealed openly to Kelal Yisrael for hundreds of years already. It's Motzi La'az, and flat-out wrong.

 
At Fri Jan 15, 10:53:00 AM 2010, Blogger yaak said...

R' Adlerstein has an article about it. He makes good points, and I agree with most of what he said, but I don't think I agree with the whole idea of saying 2 things to 2 communties of people. The people of America cannot handle the truth that they need to rationalize it away? I say let the truth be heard by all.

 
At Fri Jan 15, 11:19:00 AM 2010, Blogger joshwaxman said...

thanks. interesting article, i have my own further thoughts on this, but i think it best that we stop arguing about this...

good shabbos,
josh

 
At Fri Jan 15, 11:34:00 AM 2010, Blogger yaak said...

You're right.
And I ask Mehilla if I hurt or embarrassed you in any way. It was definitely not my intention, but sometimes I get carried away. I'm sorry. Let me know if you want any comments deleted.

Shabbat Shalom,

Yaakov

 
At Sun Jan 17, 02:09:00 AM 2010, Blogger joshwaxman said...

likewise.
i wasn't hurt or embarrassed. but i know that i sometimes press a point, and grant no quarter, thus arguing in a somewhat jerky way. better to stop myself at this point...

kt,
josh

 
At Mon Jan 18, 06:15:00 PM 2010, Blogger joshwaxman said...

the latest:
http://blog.yachdus.com/2010/01/dybbuk-fallout-childrens-nightmares.html#comments

 
At Sat Feb 06, 08:57:00 PM 2010, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Part of הלכות עבודה זרה וחקות הגוים ברמב"ם פרק י"א הל' [כ] (טז) : ודברים אלו כולן דברי שקר וכזב הן, והן שהטעו בהן עובדי עבודה זרה הקדמונים לגויי הארצות כדי שינהו אחריהן. ואין ראוי לישראל שהם חכמים מחוכמים להמשך בהבלים האלו, ולא להעלות על הלב שיש בהן תעלה, שנאמר כי לא נחש ביעקב ולא קסם בישראל (במדבר כג כג). ונאמר כי הגוים האלה אשר אתה יורש אותם אל מעוננים ואל קוסמים ישמעו ואתה לא כן נתן לך ה' אלהיך (דברים יח יד
.(

 
At Thu Jul 29, 03:03:00 AM 2010, Blogger julia pascal said...

Come and see my version of THE DYBBUK set in a 1942 ghetto at Theater for the New City August 10-25.
Julia Pascal
www.pascal-theatre.com

 

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