Evil Eye
The Evil Eye (Ayin ha-Ra) is alleged to be
able to harm or cast a curse on a person. Although the Evil Eye is not
referenced in the Bible,
it is discussed in the Talmud and Kabbalah. The Evil
Eye is traditionally believed to be the reason for sickness, tragedy,
and pain in the world. Nothing is spared from the evil influences of
the eye. The most frequent cause of harm from the Evil Eye is considered
to be jealousy. Rabbis warned people against unnecessary flaunting of
wealth and admiration to avoid resentment from others.
Many superstitions evolved to ward off the Evil Eye
or prevent it from harming them. However, many of these superstitions
were variations of non-Jewish customs. Dating back to Talmudic times,
Jews have been wearing charms around their neck to guard from the Evil
Eye. Today, some Jews often wear a chai necklace (charm symbolizing
the number eighteen) to guard themselves from harm. Furthermore great
lengths are taken to hide celebrations from the Evil Eye; for instance,
double weddings are never permitted for fear of uttering too many blessings
and tempting the Evil Eye. For Ashkenazic Jews, any blessing is normally lessened with the phrase “keyn
ayen horeh” (without the Evil Eye) or abbreviated to “keynahora.”
Once the Evil Eye has been provoked, one must counter
its harmful effects with magic. If the Evil Eye is attracted, mirrors
and red or blue objects are utilized to veer away the glimpse of the
eye, while a sacred verse or extreme motion (jumping around or throwing
oneself upon the ground) may frighten it away. Some other ritual gestures
developed to counteract the effects of the Evil Eye include:
• Placing a precious stone between the eyes,
• Putting a spot of dirt or ash on the forehead of a child,
• Spitting three times onto the fingers,
• Throwing salt into the corners of a room,
• Piercing a lemon with iron nails,
Sources: Eisenberg,
Ronald L. The
JPS Guide to Jewish Traditions.
PA: Jewish Publication Society, 2004.
Kolatch,
Alfred J. The
Jewish Book of Why/The Second Jewish
Book of Why. NY: Jonathan
David Publishers, 1989.
Wigoder, Geoffrey
, Ed. The
New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia.
NY: Facts on File, 1992. |