Blessing for Torah Study
Baruch atah Adonai, Eloheinu melech ha-olam, asher kid’shanu b’mitzvotav v’tzivanu la'asok b’divrei Torah. Blessed are You, Adonai our God, Sovereign of all, who hallows us with mitzvot, charging us to engage with words of Torah.
Beginning with Our Own Torah
1. Imagine an example of something that is part of a place or person's life which has text in it. This could be text that is hung on the wall, inscribed in the floor, worn as jewelry, and more. What function is that text serving? How might it orient you?
2. What objects make you feel protected? Do they feel special or sacred to you?
Bind - Kashar
To bind, to knot, to fold, to confine.
Question to consider: What does it mean to bind or confine something through text or an object?
(ד) שְׁמַ֖ע יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל ה׳ אֱלֹקֵ֖ינוּ ה׳ ׀ אֶחָֽד׃ (ה) וְאָ֣הַבְתָּ֔ אֵ֖ת ה׳ אֱלֹקֶ֑יךָ בְּכׇל־לְבָבְךָ֥ וּבְכׇל־נַפְשְׁךָ֖ וּבְכׇל־מְאֹדֶֽךָ׃ (ו) וְהָי֞וּ הַדְּבָרִ֣ים הָאֵ֗לֶּה אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָנֹכִ֧י מְצַוְּךָ֛ הַיּ֖וֹם עַל־לְבָבֶֽךָ׃ (ז) וְשִׁנַּנְתָּ֣ם לְבָנֶ֔יךָ וְדִבַּרְתָּ֖ בָּ֑ם בְּשִׁבְתְּךָ֤ בְּבֵיתֶ֙ךָ֙ וּבְלֶכְתְּךָ֣ בַדֶּ֔רֶךְ וּֽבְשׇׁכְבְּךָ֖ וּבְקוּמֶֽךָ׃ (ח) וּקְשַׁרְתָּ֥ם לְא֖וֹת עַל־יָדֶ֑ךָ וְהָי֥וּ לְטֹטָפֹ֖ת בֵּ֥ין עֵינֶֽיךָ׃ (ט) וּכְתַבְתָּ֛ם עַל־מְזֻז֥וֹת בֵּיתֶ֖ךָ וּבִשְׁעָרֶֽיךָ׃ {ס}
(4) Hear, O Israel! ה׳ is our God, ה׳ alone. (5) You shall love your God ה׳ with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. (6) Take to heart these instructions with which I charge you this day. (7) Impress them upon your children. Recite them when you stay at home and when you are away, when you lie down and when you get up. (8) Bind (kashar) them as a sign on your hand and let them serve as a symbol on your forehead; (9) inscribe them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
גְּמָ׳ מַאי קְשָׁרִים? אָמַר אַדָּא מָרִי אָמַר רַב נַחְמָן בַּר בָּרוּךְ אָמַר רַב אָשֵׁי בַּר אָבִין אָמַר רַב יְהוּדָה: קִשּׁוּרֵי פוּאָה. אָמַר אַבָּיֵי, אֲמַרָה לִי אֵם: תְּלָתָא — מוֹקְמִי, חֲמִשָּׁה — מַסּוּ, שִׁבְעָה — אֲפִילּוּ לִכְשָׁפִים מְעַלּוּ...
אָמַר אַבָּיֵי, אֲמַרָה לִי אֵם: כֹּל מִנְיָינֵי — בִּשְׁמָא דְאִימָּא, וְכֹל קִטְרֵי — בִּשְׂמָאלָא. וְאָמַר אַבָּיֵי, אֲמַרָה לִי אֵם: כֹּל מִנְיָינֵי דְּמִפָּרְשִׁי — כִּדְמִפָּרְשִׁי, וּדְלָא מִפָּרְשִׁי — אַרְבְּעִין וְחַד זִימְנֵי...
וְאָמַר אַבָּיֵי, אֲמַרָה לִי אֵם: לְאִשָּׁתָא בַּת יוֹמָא — לִישְׁקוֹל זוּזָא חִיוּוֹרָא, וְלֵיזִיל לְמִלְחֲתָא, וְלִיתְקוֹל מַתְקָלֵיהּ מִילְחָא, וְלִצְיְירֵיהּ בַּחֲלָלָא דְבֵי צַוָּאר בְּנִירָא בַּרְקָא. וְאִי לָא — לִיתֵּיב אַפָּרָשַׁת דְּרָכִים, וְכִי חָזֵי שׁוּמְשְׁמָנָא גַּמְלָא דְּדָרֵי מִידֵּי, לִישְׁקְלֵיהּ וְלִישְׁדְּיֵיהּ בְּגוּבְתָּא דִנְחָשָׁא, וְלִיסְתְּמֵיהּ בַּאֲבָרָא, וְלִיחְתְּמֵיהּ בְּשִׁיתִּין גּוּשְׁפַּנְקֵי, וּלְבַרְזוֹלֵיהּ, וְלִידְרֵיהּ, וְלֵימָא לֵיהּ: ״טְעוּנָךְ עֲלַי וּטְעוּנַאי עֲלָךְ״...
What are these knots (kesharim)? Adda Mari said that Rav Naḥman bar Barukh said that Rav Ashi bar Avin said that Rav Yehuda said: They are garlands of the madder plant that are tied (keshur) for their medicinal qualities.
Abaye said: Mother, actually his foster mother, said to me about the healing properties of madder: Three garlands maintain the illness at its present state and prevent it from worsening, five garlands heal the illness, and seven are effective even against sorcery....
Abaye said, Mother said to me: All incantations that are repeated are intoned using the name of the mother of the one requiring the incantation, and all knots (keter) tied for the purpose of healing are tied on the left
And Abaye said, Mother said to me: To heal a fever of one day, let one take a pale, i.e., newly minted, dinar and go to the salt pools, and weigh its weight in salt against it, and let him bind the salt to the opening of the neckline of his garment with a thread made of hair.
Amulets - Lachash and
Questions to consider: What is an amulet? What is its purpose? Are amulets sacred?
(יז) וְשִׂפַּ֣ח אדושם קׇדְקֹ֖ד בְּנ֣וֹת צִיּ֑וֹן וַה׳ פׇּתְהֵ֥ן יְעָרֶֽה׃ {ס} (יח) בַּיּ֨וֹם הַה֜וּא יָסִ֣יר אדושם אֵ֣ת תִּפְאֶ֧רֶת הָעֲכָסִ֛ים וְהַשְּׁבִיסִ֖ים וְהַשַּׂהֲרֹנִֽים׃ (יט) הַנְּטִפ֥וֹת וְהַשֵּׁיר֖וֹת וְהָרְעָלֽוֹת׃ (כ) הַפְּאֵרִ֤ים וְהַצְּעָדוֹת֙ וְהַקִּשֻּׁרִ֔ים וּבָתֵּ֥י הַנֶּ֖פֶשׁ וְהַלְּחָשִֽׁים׃
(17) God will smite the heads of the daughters of Zion with scabs, Yah will uncover their heads. (18) In that day, God will strip off the finery of the anklets, the headbands, and the moon pendants; (19 the earrings, the bracelets, and the veils; (20) the turbans, the armlets, and the sashes; the talismans and the amulets (lachash)...
And one may neither go out [on Shabbat] with phylacteries (tefillin), nor with an amulet (kame'ah) when it is not from an expert, but rather it was written by someone who has not established a reputation as an expert in writing amulets (kame'ah) that are effective for those who carry them.
The Sages taught in the Tosefta: What is an effective amulet? It is any amulet (kameah) that healed one person once, and healed him again, and healed him a third time. That is the criterion for an effective amulet, and it applies to both a written amulet and an amulet made of herbs; both if it has proven effective in healing a sick person who is dangerously ill, and if it has proven effective in healing a sick person who is not dangerously ill.
Another one of the Sages, who knew that it was a sorb tree of sixty sheidei (demons) came and wrote an amulet (kameah) against sixty demons.
Incantation/Magic Bowls
Question to consider: how are incantation bowls like amulets? Are incantation bowls sacred?
"Curse or Blessing: What's in the Magic Bowl?" by Dan Levene (2002), pg. 15
As we shall see, demons and spirits were often depicted as personifications of illness. These hindrances could only be combated within their own supernatural realm which is, in normal circumstances, inaccessible to mortals. The extraordinary technology by which one could rally other supernatural forces to fight the battle for you in that inaccessible realm was what we term as magic, and is in fact specifically what we find in our bowls. Magic bowls were tailor made for each client independently, and though there is a great
number of different formulae, the magic incantations do have some kind of common structure. A writer of amulets could combine various elements in different combinations and produce similar but different incantations for different clients. He could, so to speak, mix and match a variety of opening formulae, lists of demons, and powerful names. This depended on his knowledge, or if his repertoire was great, on what the client could afford to pay.
"Incantation Bowl: Earliest Hewbrew Text Examples" (MS 2053/196)
Translation:
[Biblical - in Hebrew]
On a sign from GOD they made camp and on a sign from GOD they broke camp; they observed GOD’s mandate—at GOD’s bidding through Moses. [Numbers 9:23]
But [the angel of] GOD said to the Accuser, “GOD rebukes you, O Accuser; GOD who has chosen Jerusalem rebukes you! For this is a brand plucked from the fire.” [Zechariah 3:2)
surely, I would flee far off;
I would lodge in the wilderness; selah [Psalms 55:8]
A thousand may fall at your left side,
ten thousand at your right,
but it shall not reach you.
You will see it with your eyes,
you will witness the punishment of the wicked. [Psalms 91:7-8]
Incantation (in Jewish-Aramaic translated by Shaul Shaked)
Tigers are placed upright on my head, and malicious pebble-stones are placed on my chest, and at their knees are sealed heaven and earth, fire, water, moon, stars, zodiak signs, sparks, air, demons, devs, accidents, no-good-ones, satans, danahish, male idols and female goddesses.
Again, I seal and double-seal, I, Dukhtanshah daughter of Gushnoi, by these three magical words with which they speak and listen, for the great hammer of splendour and the great axe of the beginning and scourge of 360 pure pebble-spirits.
Amen, amen, selah.
Bonus! Archeological descriptions:
Made of clay, about the size of a cereal bowl.
Numbers 9:23 and Zechariah 3:2 are "the oldest surviving witness[es] in the original language of the Hebrew Bible."
"Jewish Aramaic Incantation Bowl, M59"; Text transcribed and translated by Prof. Dan Levene
(1) For all, (2) for (3) evil Liliths (4) that I am casting and drawing a lot (5) and I made a (magical) act in the dwelling of (6) R. Joshua bar Perahia.
I wrote (7) a get (to) the male and female ones, to the ban, the accompanying demon who accompanies and dwells and lives in the house of Ardoi son of (8) Khwarkhshidukh; and any name that it has that appears to them in a dream of the night and in the sleep of the day. And I have written you a divorce writ, (9) a get of releasing and sending away.
In the name of a letter from within a letter and letters from within letters and a name from within the names and gaps from within the revealed. By which were subjugated heaven and earth, and mountains were uprooted by them, and heights were melted by them. Demons and sorceries die (lit. – pass from the world) by them.
Therefore, I ascended against you to on high (11) to take out and ban them demons and plagues and dews and satans and evil confused dreams, that you may flee and go out from the house and threshold of Ardoi son of Khwarkhshidukh, (12) and not appear to them in the dream of the night and not in the sleep of the day. For I have released you from you from you by a document of divorce, and a get of discharge/dismissal, and letters of separation according to the law of Moses and Israel.
(13) For Thy namesake I have done (this magic act), Gabriel (verso) (14) Gabriel and Michael and Raphael and Uriel … in the name of Suriel Suriel … YHWQ YHYQ the great selah.
“And the Lord said to Satan, ‘The Lord rebuke you, O Satan! The Lord who has chosen Jerusalem, rebuke you! Is not this man a brand plucked from the fire?'”
"Curse or Blessing: What's in the Magic Bowl?" by Dan Levene (2002), pg. 16
