What have we come to? Is this what we believe in, magic and superstition? Is this really al pi torah? This is printed in a mainstream Charedi newspaper.
Sunday, January 06, 2008
Is this Orthodox Judaism?
In last week's English Hamodia there is a whole story printed about a Rebbitzen who neutralizes ayin hara through blei gissen that is pouring of lead. The article tells us a story about how there was a fire at a wedding and someone called up this Rebbitzen and asked her to help and she checked and found an ayin hara on the parents and then she proceeds to nullify the ayin hara in a miraculous fashion. You can read the whole article below.
What have we come to? Is this what we believe in, magic and superstition? Is this really al pi torah? This is printed in a mainstream Charedi newspaper.
What have we come to? Is this what we believe in, magic and superstition? Is this really al pi torah? This is printed in a mainstream Charedi newspaper.
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This is an ancient German New Year's custom, still popular: http://german.about.com/library/blsilvester.htm
More at http://www.wecalaho.com/2005_11_01_archive.html :
The twelve nights were also known to the germanic tribes. During these nights, it was believed that the land of ghosts was open and that the souls of the dead and ghosts were able to exit into the “real” world. Demons could hold processions or scatter across the countryside in large groups. Barn animals were said to be able to speak the human language at midnight and tell of the future. Those who might hear the animals talk, however, would die an instant death. According to traditional beliefs, the Rauhnächte are very suitable for carrying out oracles. This belief is still being practised today, with the traditional New Year’s Eve “Bleigießen”. "
*Bleigießen=Lead casting. Carried out by all persons present at a gathering just after midnight on New Year's Eve. A small piece of lead or pewter is placed in a special spoon and melted over a candle. Once liquified, it is quickly poured into a cold bowl of water. The random shape of the resulting "object" is used to "tell the fortune" for that person for the coming year. For instance, if the shape looks like a ship, that person might be traveling to far away lands.
There have been crazy customs amongst Jews for centuries. For some they are miraculous. For others, a good source of entertainment can be had watching people in the first group.
The article itself reads like an advertisement written by the old hag's PR team, the whole lead-casting bit is an ages-old divination (Yes! Kishuf!) practice known as molybdomancy, and the Frum sheeple easily fall prey to hucksters and charlatans.
Sarcasm: Wow! What a miracle! The fire department showed up because the Rebbetzin pulled out a piece of lead shaped like a hose, not because someone called 9-1-1.
What kind of idiot calls an "Ayin Hora" hotline when there's A FUCKING FIRE IN THE KITCHEN, anyway?
She's coming to Chicago next week, so I'm using your posts as well as wikipedia article to "advertise" this on facebook. Oy, Ma Chaya Lanu...
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