Jewish views of astrology
Encyclopedia
In Hebrew, astrology was called hokmat ha-nissayon, "the wisdom of prognostication", in distinction to hokmat ha-hizzayon (wisdom of star-seeing, or astronomy
). While not a Jewish practice or teaching as such, astrology made its way into the Jewish community, and became especially predominant in some books of Kabbalah
.
is not specifically mentioned in the Torah
, the five books of Moses
. There are two commandments which have been used by some authorities as a basis to forbid the practice. However, the Hebrew word Mazarot is used twice in the Jewish Bible, and it literally means "constellations" or "zodiac" (See Book of Job
38:31-33, & II Kings 23:5)
These commandments are understood by some rabbinic authorities as forbidding astrology, while others limit these mitzvot to other forms of soothsaying, and thus view astrology as permissible.
In the Hebrew Bible
the prophet
s scoffed at "star-gazers" (hoverei ha-shamayim) in Book of Isaiah
47:13; Book of Jeremiah
10:2.) Astrologers from Babylon
were called Kasdim/Kasdin (Chaldeans) in the Book of Daniel
. In rabbinic literature, the term Chaldeans later was often used as a synonym with those who practiced astrology.
Some historians hold that astrology slowly made its way into the Jewish community through syncretism
with ancient Hellenistic culture
. The Sibylline oracles
praise the Jewish nation because it "does not meditate on the prophecies of the fortune-tellers, magicians, and conjurers, nor practice Astrology, nor seek the oracles of the Chaldeans in the stars" (iii. 227); although the author of the Encyclopaedia Judaica article on astrology holds that this view is mistaken.
The early historian Josephus
censures the people for ignoring what he thought were signs foreshadowing the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem
("B. J." vi. 5, § 3). There were apparently no Jewish astrologers either in the land of Israel
or in the Jewish community of Babylonia
.
, there are many references to astrology. The Book of Jubilees
said that Abraham
overcame the beliefs of astrologers by accepting one God, while the Book of Enoch
says that one of the sins of the Nephilim
, the giants in Noah
’s time, was astrology. Even Maimonides said not to believe in such superstitions.
and Palestinian midrash
compilations) astrologers are known as astrologos and astrologiyya. In early classical rabbinic works written in Babylon, astrologers were called kaldiyyim, kalda'ei, and iztagninin.
The Babylonian Talmud
(BT), in Sanhedrin 65, suggests that this means that Jews may not consult an astrologer. Another tractate, BT Pesachim 113b, clearly says that Jews may not consult astrologers.
Samuel of Babylonia (circa 250 CE) is the only sage in the Talmud who seriously studied astrology, yet he held that it was not compatible with Judaism. Quoting Deuteronomy 30:12, "The Law is not in the Heavens", he is reputed to have taught that "Torah can not go together with the art that studies the heavens" (Midrash Deuteronomy Rabbah 8:6).
A similar remark is made by the Babylonian sage Jose of Hu?al: "We are not permitted to appeal to the Chaldeans, for it is written (Deut. 18:13), 'You shall be perfect with the Lord your God'" (BT Pesachim 113b).
R. Johanan, the Palestinian amora, says "there is no mazal (literally "star") for Israel, but only for the nations [which recognize the validity of astrology.]" This opinion is shared by Rav (BT Shabbat 156a).
Rabbinic literature
records that Rabbi Akiva
contends against astrological beliefs, e.g., Sifre, Deut. 171; Sifra, Kedoshim, vi.; Sanhedrin 65.
Rabbi Maimonides's mitzvot say that superstitions should not be trusted.
However, other statements in the Talmud and in the midrash
literature show that many Jews had some level of admiration for astrology.
Some hold that the stars generally do control the fate of people and nations, but Abraham and his descendants were elevated by their covenant with God, and thus achieve an elevated level of free will
. (Midrash Genesis Rabbah 44:12, Yal., Jer. 285). A statement in the Tosefta
(Kiddushin 5:17) holds that the blessing bestowed on Abraham is the gift of astrology. Midrash Ecclesiastes Rabbah states that the rulers of some non-Jewish nations were experts in astrology, and that King Solomon too had expertise in this realm. (7:23 no. 1)
There is a story in the Talmud according to which God
showed to Adam all the future generations, including their scribes, scholars, and leaders (BT Avodah Zarah 5a). According to this source, the biblical Patriarch Abraham
bore upon his breast an astrological tablet on which the fate of every man might be read. Thus, kings are said to have congregated before his door in order to seek advice.
An announcement is found to the effect that it is dangerous to drink water on Wednesday and Friday evenings (Pesachim 112a). Samuel, a physician and astrologer, taught that it was dangerous to bleed a patient on Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday, because on the last-mentioned day Mars reigns at the even-numbered hours of the day, when demons have their play. The new moon was likewise regarded as an unfavorable season for bleeding, as were also the third of the month and the day preceding a festival (BT Shabbat 129b).
In general, many people quoted in the Talmud believed that in theory astrology had merit as some kind of science, but they were skeptical that astrological signs could be interpreted correctly or in a practical fashion. Commenting on astrologers in Sotah 12b, the Talmud says of them that "They gaze and know not at what they gaze at, they ponder and know not what they ponder."
The most popular form of astrological belief was the selection of propitious days. According to this idea, certain periods of time are regarded as lucky or unlucky. Rabbi Akiba contends against the belief that the year before the jubilee is exceptionally blessed. The belief is also condemned that no business should be begun on the new moon, on Friday, or on Sabbath evening (Sifre, Deut. 171; Sifra, Kedoshim, vi.; Sanh. 65).
of New York City
, the zodiac has been shown to correspond to the months of the Hebrew calendar.
For example, the month of Tishrei
, beginning in September or October, has the sign Libra
, the Scales. Tishrei is the month of Judgment, of Rosh Hashannah and Yom Kippur
where good deeds and bad are weighed against one another.
era (after the close of the Talmud, early medieval period) discussed the varying Talmud
ic and midrash
ic views on astrology
. One responsa
takes a middle view: Otzar HaGeonim 113, concludes that astrology has some reality, in that the stars give a person certain inclinations; however each person has the ability to overcome their own inclinations, and thus maintains free will.
Astrology was practised by some Jews throughout the Middle Ages
, both as a professional art and as a science. Coming from the East, Jews were sometimes looked upon as heirs and successors of the Chaldea
ns. For this reason Jews sometimes were regarded by the Occidental world as masters of Astrology. Their supposed power over destiny on occasion filled the multitudes with awe and fear (Jassuda Bédarride, Les Juifs en France, pp. 49, 454, note 21; Jacques Basnage, Histoire des Juifs, iv. 1212; P. Cassel, Juden, in Ersch and Gruber
's "Encyc." pp. 16, 17; 52, note 78; 67, notes 50 and 51; 115, 171, 224).
Abraham ibn Ezra
was a follower of astrology, which he calls "a sublime science." Besides translating another Jewish philosopher Mashallah's astrological work Questions and another work of this author on the eclipse of the moon from the Arabic into Hebrew, he wrote Nativity, Sentences of the Constellations, Reshit Hokhmah (Beginning of Wisdom), Book of the World, a treatise on the Planets, a treatise on the Luminaries, and a horoscope
. He often refers to astrology in his Bible commentaries. To him heaven with its constellations is "the book of life," in which man's destiny is written, and against which there is recourse to God as "the Almighty," who overrules all these influences. These remarks may be found in his commentary to Psalms 69:29, Genesis 17:9, and to Exodus 6:3, 33:21.) In the book Rabbi Abraham Ibn Ezra: Studies in the Writings of a Twelfth-Century Jewish Polymath (Harvard, 1993, ISBN 0-674-74554-X), the author of a chapter dealing with Ibn Ezra's astrological views ("Some Astrological Themes in the Thought of Abraham Ibn Ezra") states that: "The gist of the Jewish attitude toward astrology as formulated by Ibn Ezra has usually been understood—in general, correctly—as follows. The deity has delegated to the stars the governance of the sublunar world. Israel [Jews], however, enjoys a special status, which is manifest most decisively in its possession of the Torah. As long as a Jew is engaged in the study and observance of the Torah, he is linked to a spiritual realm which is itself superior to the stars. In this way a Jew may liberate himself from the decrees of the stars" (p. 49).
Dunash ibn Tamim
(850-956 CE, North Africa), who wrote a commentary on the Kabbalistic work Sefer Yetzirah
, wrote a treatise on astronomy which rejected astrology.
Rabbi Abraham ben David of Posquières, in his critical notes to Maimonides' Mishneh Torah
, Teshuvah, 5:5, asserts the influence of the stars upon destiny, while also contending that by faith in God man may overcome this influence.
Gersonides
believed that astrology was real, and developed a naturalistic, non-supernatural explanation of how it works. In Philosophies of Judaism, Julius Guttmann
explains that for Gersonides, astrology was:
Gersonides believed astrology to be a science that predicts events according to set laws of nature (albeit, a different set than the ones we are used to.) He also believed that a person who has perfected his thinking could interact with the laws of nature through the active intellect. Gersonides thus thought of himself as creating a rationalist and non-supernatural theology. In this sense, there is a similarity between Gersonides and Maimonides.
Nahmanides
wrote a responsa stating that while one may not ask an astrologer for a prediction, astrology itself is real. He states rules that one must ultimately trust in God, and not in any lesser force. As such, he concludes that one is forbidden to ask an astrologer for a prediction, but one may act on the words of an astrologer if advice is freely given. Ultimately he holds that while the stars give a person certain inclinations, people have the ability to overcome their own inclinations, and thus maintains free will.
Maimonides
answered an inquiry concerning astrology, addressed to him from Marseilles. He responded that man should believe only what can be supported either by rational proof, by the evidence of the senses, or by trustworthy authority. He affirms that he has studied astrology and that it does not deserve to be described as a science. The supposition that the fate of a man could be dependent upon the constellations is ridiculed by him; he argues that such a theory would rob life of purpose and would make man a slave of destiny.
Isaac ben Joseph ibn Pulgar
(14th century, Spain) was a Jewish philosopher who wrote Ezer ha-Dat ("Support of Faith"), and wrote against the validity of astrology.
In the Tur
, an early code of Jewish law
, the author brings forth the views of Nahmanides and Maimonides, and concurs with Nahmanides (Yoreh Deah 179). A later code of Jewish law, the Shulkhan Arukh avoids contention by stressing the common point: One may not consult an astrologer; the act is forbidden. Whether or not its author, Yosef Karo
, thought that astrology might have some basis in fact is not mentioned in this work (Yoreh Deah 179:1).
Section II, chapter 7, Rabbi
Moshe Chaim Luzzatto
discusses the influence of stars on humanity and events on earth. There he gives two reasons for the existence of stars and planets. The first is that stars and planets maintain the existence of all physical things on earth, acting as the means by which spiritual forces are transmitted to physical entities. The second is that events on earth are also initiated through planetary and stellar activity. Luzzatto states that each earthly phenomenon is assigned to a specific star, which controls it. Quoting the Talmud
ic dictum in Sanhedrin
156a – "for Israel, there is no mazal ("luck", literally "planet" or "constellation")", he also states that higher powers (i.e. God
or angel
s) may overcome the influences of this system, and that they typically do so for Jews.
Luzzatto notes that the laws and rules governing this system of astrological influence are extremely complex, and not easily ascertainable through direct observation; thus astrologers are rarely able to predict the future accurately or clearly. The accuracy of their predictions is further reduced by the aforementioned propensity of Divine providence
to intervene and override the system. This, Luzzatto states, explains the use of the word me'asher ("something") in Isaiah 47:13
("Now let the astrologers, stargazers and fortunetellers stand up and tell you something about what will come upon you"); in Luzzatto's view, this means they can tell you something about the future, but not everything.
and on the official website of Reform Judaism
, and a number of Conservative and Reform rabbi
s have written against the practice. Meanwhile, the traditionalist stance of Orthodoxy and Modern Orthodoxy maintain the guideline established in Karo's Shulchan Aruch
.
Commenting on Deuteronomy 18:9-12, Etz Hayim, the official Torah commentary of Conservative Judaism writes "Hence the use of astrology is prohibited (BT Pesachim 113b)." Similarly, Rabbi Simchah Roth, a Conservative Masorti
rabbi comments negatively on astrology in his "Halakhah Study Group" session. (Halakhah Study Group, Nov. 18 2003, Bet Midrash Virtuali)
Conservative Rabbi Aaron Kriegel writes:
On the Union for Reform Judaism
website Rabbi Jeffrey K. Salkin derides astrology as "a new-age trap" even though the study of or belief in 'celestial influences' on Earthly affairs [astrology] is actually more ancient than Judaism itself:
Modern Orthodox
rabbis have written against the practice as well, some seeing it as forbidden by Jewish law
. For instance, Rabbi Barry Freundel
views astrology as unacceptable, seeing it as unscientific, and thus unacceptable for Jews who live by Torah U-maddah, which is used as a motto by modern Orthodox Jews associated with the Rabbinical Council of America
and the Union of Orthodox Congregations.
Orthodox Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald writes:
The Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom (Orthodox) Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, writes:
In contrast, Modern Orthodox Rabbi Nachum Amsel writes:
"The Significance of Astrology in Judaism" is an article along these lines from the Orthodox Union. This article concisely puts this issue into perspective.
Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan
, known for his rationalist synthesis of modern scientific thinking and Kabbalah, and creator of a modern translation of Derekh Hashem
, echoes the viewpoint of its author (Moshe Chaim Luzzatto
) on astrology. In his translation of and commentary on Sefer Yetzirah
: The Book of Creation, Rabbi Kaplan writes:
However, Rabbi Kaplan also writes that "Faith and trust in God are partners, since one who believes in an omniscient, omnipotent and benevolent God must also believe that He will provide for His faithful. Therefore, one should trust in God and not be overly concerned about the future....Therefore, one should not seek to ascertain the future by fortune telling, astrology or other superstitions. Concerning this, The Torah commands us, "You must remain totally faithful to God your Lord" (Deut. 18:13), which some authorities count as a positive commandment." ("The Handbook of Jewish Thought. Vol. 2, Maznaim Publishing. 1992)
Astronomy
Astronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
). While not a Jewish practice or teaching as such, astrology made its way into the Jewish community, and became especially predominant in some books of Kabbalah
Kabbalah
Kabbalah/Kabala is a discipline and school of thought concerned with the esoteric aspect of Rabbinic Judaism. It was systematized in 11th-13th century Hachmei Provence and Spain, and again after the Expulsion from Spain, in 16th century Ottoman Palestine...
.
In the Bible
AstrologyAstrology
Astrology consists of a number of belief systems which hold that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world...
is not specifically mentioned in the Torah
Torah
Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five books of the bible—Genesis , Exodus , Leviticus , Numbers and Deuteronomy Torah- A scroll containing the first five books of the BibleThe Torah , is name given by Jews to the first five...
, the five books of Moses
Moses
Moses was, according to the Hebrew Bible and Qur'an, a religious leader, lawgiver and prophet, to whom the authorship of the Torah is traditionally attributed...
. There are two commandments which have been used by some authorities as a basis to forbid the practice. However, the Hebrew word Mazarot is used twice in the Jewish Bible, and it literally means "constellations" or "zodiac" (See Book of Job
Book of Job
The Book of Job , commonly referred to simply as Job, is one of the books of the Hebrew Bible. It relates the story of Job, his trials at the hands of Satan, his discussions with friends on the origins and nature of his suffering, his challenge to God, and finally a response from God. The book is a...
38:31-33, & II Kings 23:5)
You shall not practice divination or soothsaying. (Leviticus 19:26, New JPS)
When you enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not learn to imitate the abhorrent practices of the nations. Let no one be found among you who...is an auger, a soothsayer, a diviner, a sorceror, one casts spells.....For anyone who does these things is abhorrent to the LORD... (Deuteronomy 18:9-12, New JPS)
These commandments are understood by some rabbinic authorities as forbidding astrology, while others limit these mitzvot to other forms of soothsaying, and thus view astrology as permissible.
In the Hebrew Bible
Tanakh
The Tanakh is a name used in Judaism for the canon of the Hebrew Bible. The Tanakh is also known as the Masoretic Text or the Miqra. The name is an acronym formed from the initial Hebrew letters of the Masoretic Text's three traditional subdivisions: The Torah , Nevi'im and Ketuvim —hence...
the prophet
Prophet
In religion, a prophet, from the Greek word προφήτης profitis meaning "foreteller", is an individual who is claimed to have been contacted by the supernatural or the divine, and serves as an intermediary with humanity, delivering this newfound knowledge from the supernatural entity to other people...
s scoffed at "star-gazers" (hoverei ha-shamayim) in Book of Isaiah
Isaiah
Isaiah ; Greek: ', Ēsaïās ; "Yahu is salvation") was a prophet in the 8th-century BC Kingdom of Judah.Jews and Christians consider the Book of Isaiah a part of their Biblical canon; he is the first listed of the neviim akharonim, the later prophets. Many of the New Testament teachings of Jesus...
47:13; Book of Jeremiah
Jeremiah
Jeremiah Hebrew：יִרְמְיָה , Modern Hebrew:Yirməyāhū, IPA: jirməˈjaːhu, Tiberian:Yirmĭyahu, Greek:Ἰερεμίας), meaning "Yahweh exalts", or called the "Weeping prophet" was one of the main prophets of the Hebrew Bible...
10:2.) Astrologers from Babylon
Babylon
Babylon was an Akkadian city-state of ancient Mesopotamia, the remains of which are found in present-day Al Hillah, Babil Province, Iraq, about 85 kilometers south of Baghdad...
were called Kasdim/Kasdin (Chaldeans) in the Book of Daniel
Book of Daniel
The Book of Daniel is a book in the Hebrew Bible. The book tells of how Daniel, and his Judean companions, were inducted into Babylon during Jewish exile, and how their positions elevated in the court of Nebuchadnezzar. The court tales span events that occur during the reigns of Nebuchadnezzar,...
. In rabbinic literature, the term Chaldeans later was often used as a synonym with those who practiced astrology.
Some historians hold that astrology slowly made its way into the Jewish community through syncretism
Syncretism
Syncretism is the combining of different beliefs, often while melding practices of various schools of thought. The term means "combining", but see below for the origin of the word...
with ancient Hellenistic culture
Hellenistic civilization
Hellenistic civilization represents the zenith of Greek influence in the ancient world from 323 BCE to about 146 BCE...
. The Sibylline oracles
Sibylline oracles
The Sibylline Oracles are a collection of oracular utterances written in Greek hexameters ascribed to the Sibyls, prophetesses who uttered divine revelations in a frenzied state. Fourteen books and eight fragments of Sibylline Oracles survive...
praise the Jewish nation because it "does not meditate on the prophecies of the fortune-tellers, magicians, and conjurers, nor practice Astrology, nor seek the oracles of the Chaldeans in the stars" (iii. 227); although the author of the Encyclopaedia Judaica article on astrology holds that this view is mistaken.
The early historian Josephus
Josephus
Titus Flavius Josephus , also called Joseph ben Matityahu , was a 1st-century Romano-Jewish historian and hagiographer of priestly and royal ancestry who recorded Jewish history, with special emphasis on the 1st century AD and the First Jewish–Roman War, which resulted in the Destruction of...
censures the people for ignoring what he thought were signs foreshadowing the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem
Temple in Jerusalem
The Temple in Jerusalem or Holy Temple , refers to one of a series of structures which were historically located on the Temple Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem, the current site of the Dome of the Rock. Historically, these successive temples stood at this location and functioned as the centre of...
("B. J." vi. 5, § 3). There were apparently no Jewish astrologers either in the land of Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
or in the Jewish community of Babylonia
Babylonia
Babylonia was an ancient cultural region in central-southern Mesopotamia , with Babylon as its capital. Babylonia emerged as a major power when Hammurabi Babylonia was an ancient cultural region in central-southern Mesopotamia (present-day Iraq), with Babylon as its capital. Babylonia emerged as...
.
In the Apocrypha
In the apocryphaApocrypha
The term apocrypha is used with various meanings, including "hidden", "esoteric", "spurious", "of questionable authenticity", ancient Chinese "revealed texts and objects" and "Christian texts that are not canonical"....
, there are many references to astrology. The Book of Jubilees
Jubilees
The Book of Jubilees , sometimes called Lesser Genesis , is an ancient Jewish religious work, considered one of the pseudepigrapha by Protestant, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox Churches...
said that Abraham
Abraham
Abraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
overcame the beliefs of astrologers by accepting one God, while the Book of Enoch
Book of Enoch
The Book of Enoch is an ancient Jewish religious work, traditionally ascribed to Enoch, the great-grandfather of Noah. It is not part of the biblical canon as used by Jews, apart from Beta Israel...
says that one of the sins of the Nephilim
Nephilim
The Nephilim are the offspring of the "sons of God" and the "daughters of men" in Genesis 6:4, or giants who inhabit Canaan in Numbers 13:33. A similar word with different vowel-sounds is used in Ezekiel 32:27 to refer to dead Philistine warriors....
, the giants in Noah
Noah
Noah was, according to the Hebrew Bible, the tenth and last of the antediluvian Patriarchs. The biblical story of Noah is contained in chapters 6–9 of the book of Genesis, where he saves his family and representatives of all animals from the flood by constructing an ark...
’s time, was astrology. Even Maimonides said not to believe in such superstitions.
Rabbinic rejection of astrology
In early classical rabbinic works written in the land of Israel (Jerusalem TalmudJerusalem Talmud
The Jerusalem Talmud, talmud meaning "instruction", "learning", , is a collection of Rabbinic notes on the 2nd-century Mishnah which was compiled in the Land of Israel during the 4th-5th century. The voluminous text is also known as the Palestinian Talmud or Talmud de-Eretz Yisrael...
and Palestinian midrash
Midrash
The Hebrew term Midrash is a homiletic method of biblical exegesis. The term also refers to the whole compilation of homiletic teachings on the Bible....
compilations) astrologers are known as astrologos and astrologiyya. In early classical rabbinic works written in Babylon, astrologers were called kaldiyyim, kalda'ei, and iztagninin.
The Babylonian Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
(BT), in Sanhedrin 65, suggests that this means that Jews may not consult an astrologer. Another tractate, BT Pesachim 113b, clearly says that Jews may not consult astrologers.
Samuel of Babylonia (circa 250 CE) is the only sage in the Talmud who seriously studied astrology, yet he held that it was not compatible with Judaism. Quoting Deuteronomy 30:12, "The Law is not in the Heavens", he is reputed to have taught that "Torah can not go together with the art that studies the heavens" (Midrash Deuteronomy Rabbah 8:6).
A similar remark is made by the Babylonian sage Jose of Hu?al: "We are not permitted to appeal to the Chaldeans, for it is written (Deut. 18:13), 'You shall be perfect with the Lord your God'" (BT Pesachim 113b).
R. Johanan, the Palestinian amora, says "there is no mazal (literally "star") for Israel, but only for the nations [which recognize the validity of astrology.]" This opinion is shared by Rav (BT Shabbat 156a).
Rabbinic literature
Rabbinic literature
Rabbinic literature, in its broadest sense, can mean the entire spectrum of rabbinic writings throughout Jewish history. However, the term often refers specifically to literature from the Talmudic era, as opposed to medieval and modern rabbinic writing, and thus corresponds with the Hebrew term...
records that Rabbi Akiva
Rabbi Akiva
Akiva ben Joseph simply known as Rabbi Akiva , was a tanna of the latter part of the 1st century and the beginning of the 2nd century . He was a great authority in the matter of Jewish tradition, and one of the most central and essential contributors to the Mishnah and Midrash Halakha...
contends against astrological beliefs, e.g., Sifre, Deut. 171; Sifra, Kedoshim, vi.; Sanhedrin 65.
Rabbi Maimonides's mitzvot say that superstitions should not be trusted.
Rabbinic acceptance of astrology
Midrash
The Hebrew term Midrash is a homiletic method of biblical exegesis. The term also refers to the whole compilation of homiletic teachings on the Bible....
literature show that many Jews had some level of admiration for astrology.
Some hold that the stars generally do control the fate of people and nations, but Abraham and his descendants were elevated by their covenant with God, and thus achieve an elevated level of free will
Free will
"To make my own decisions whether I am successful or not due to uncontrollable forces" -Troy MorrisonA pragmatic definition of free willFree will is the ability of agents to make choices free from certain kinds of constraints. The existence of free will and its exact nature and definition have long...
. (Midrash Genesis Rabbah 44:12, Yal., Jer. 285). A statement in the Tosefta
Tosefta
The Tosefta is a compilation of the Jewish oral law from the period of the Mishnah.-Overview:...
(Kiddushin 5:17) holds that the blessing bestowed on Abraham is the gift of astrology. Midrash Ecclesiastes Rabbah states that the rulers of some non-Jewish nations were experts in astrology, and that King Solomon too had expertise in this realm. (7:23 no. 1)
There is a story in the Talmud according to which God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
showed to Adam all the future generations, including their scribes, scholars, and leaders (BT Avodah Zarah 5a). According to this source, the biblical Patriarch Abraham
Abraham
Abraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
bore upon his breast an astrological tablet on which the fate of every man might be read. Thus, kings are said to have congregated before his door in order to seek advice.
An announcement is found to the effect that it is dangerous to drink water on Wednesday and Friday evenings (Pesachim 112a). Samuel, a physician and astrologer, taught that it was dangerous to bleed a patient on Monday, Tuesday, or Thursday, because on the last-mentioned day Mars reigns at the even-numbered hours of the day, when demons have their play. The new moon was likewise regarded as an unfavorable season for bleeding, as were also the third of the month and the day preceding a festival (BT Shabbat 129b).
Qualified acceptance; partial skepticism
However, contrary stories are related. It is said that Abraham predicted in these astrological tablets that he would have no second son, but God said unto him, "Away with your astrology; for Israel there is no mazal ("luck", literally "planet" or "constellation")!" The birth of his second son, the patriarch Isaac, then gives lie to the idea that astrology is valid. (BT Shabbat 156a). Midrash Genesis Rabbah states that Abraham was not an astrologer, but rather a prophet, inasmuch as only those beneath the stars could be subject to their influence; but that Abraham was above them (Genesis Rabbah xliv. 12).In general, many people quoted in the Talmud believed that in theory astrology had merit as some kind of science, but they were skeptical that astrological signs could be interpreted correctly or in a practical fashion. Commenting on astrologers in Sotah 12b, the Talmud says of them that "They gaze and know not at what they gaze at, they ponder and know not what they ponder."
The most popular form of astrological belief was the selection of propitious days. According to this idea, certain periods of time are regarded as lucky or unlucky. Rabbi Akiba contends against the belief that the year before the jubilee is exceptionally blessed. The belief is also condemned that no business should be begun on the new moon, on Friday, or on Sabbath evening (Sifre, Deut. 171; Sifra, Kedoshim, vi.; Sanh. 65).
Hebrew Calendar Correlation to Zodiac
In addition to its display in synagogues from the most ancient, such as Beth Alpha, to relatively modern, such as the Bialystocker Synagogue in the Lower East SideLower East Side
The Lower East Side, LES, is a neighborhood in the southeastern part of the New York City borough of Manhattan. It is roughly bounded by Allen Street, East Houston Street, Essex Street, Canal Street, Eldridge Street, East Broadway, and Grand Street....
of New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, the zodiac has been shown to correspond to the months of the Hebrew calendar.
For example, the month of Tishrei
Tishrei
Tishrei or Tishri , Tiberian: ; from Akkadian "Beginning", from "To begin") is the first month of the civil year and the seventh month of the ecclesiastical year in the Hebrew calendar. The name of the month is Babylonian. It is an autumn month of 30 days...
, beginning in September or October, has the sign Libra
Libra (astrology)
Libra is the seventh astrological sign in the Zodiac, originating from the constellation of Libra. In astrology, Libra is considered a "masculine", positive sign. It is also considered an air sign and is one of four cardinal signs...
, the Scales. Tishrei is the month of Judgment, of Rosh Hashannah and Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur
Yom Kippur , also known as Day of Atonement, is the holiest and most solemn day of the year for the Jews. Its central themes are atonement and repentance. Jews traditionally observe this holy day with a 25-hour period of fasting and intensive prayer, often spending most of the day in synagogue...
where good deeds and bad are weighed against one another.
In the medieval era
Many rabbis in the GeonicGeonim
Geonim were the presidents of the two great Babylonian, Talmudic Academies of Sura and Pumbedita, in the Abbasid Caliphate, and were the generally accepted spiritual leaders of the Jewish community world wide in the early medieval era, in contrast to the Resh Galuta who wielded secular authority...
era (after the close of the Talmud, early medieval period) discussed the varying Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
ic and midrash
Midrash
The Hebrew term Midrash is a homiletic method of biblical exegesis. The term also refers to the whole compilation of homiletic teachings on the Bible....
ic views on astrology
Astrology
Astrology consists of a number of belief systems which hold that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world...
. One responsa
Responsa
Responsa comprise a body of written decisions and rulings given by legal scholars in response to questions addressed to them.-In the Roman Empire:Roman law recognised responsa prudentium, i.e...
takes a middle view: Otzar HaGeonim 113, concludes that astrology has some reality, in that the stars give a person certain inclinations; however each person has the ability to overcome their own inclinations, and thus maintains free will.
Astrology was practised by some Jews throughout the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
, both as a professional art and as a science. Coming from the East, Jews were sometimes looked upon as heirs and successors of the Chaldea
Chaldea
Chaldea or Chaldaea , from Greek , Chaldaia; Akkadian ; Hebrew כשדים, Kaśdim; Aramaic: ܟܐܠܕܘ, Kaldo) was a marshy land located in modern-day southern Iraq which came to briefly rule Babylon...
ns. For this reason Jews sometimes were regarded by the Occidental world as masters of Astrology. Their supposed power over destiny on occasion filled the multitudes with awe and fear (Jassuda Bédarride, Les Juifs en France, pp. 49, 454, note 21; Jacques Basnage, Histoire des Juifs, iv. 1212; P. Cassel, Juden, in Ersch and Gruber
Gruber
Gruber is a German surname, referring to a person from a pit, mine or depression. It is the most common surname in Austria .-People:People whose family name is or was Gruber:...
's "Encyc." pp. 16, 17; 52, note 78; 67, notes 50 and 51; 115, 171, 224).
Abraham ibn Ezra
Abraham ibn Ezra
Rabbi Abraham ben Meir Ibn Ezra was born at Tudela, Navarre in 1089, and died c. 1167, apparently in Calahorra....
was a follower of astrology, which he calls "a sublime science." Besides translating another Jewish philosopher Mashallah's astrological work Questions and another work of this author on the eclipse of the moon from the Arabic into Hebrew, he wrote Nativity, Sentences of the Constellations, Reshit Hokhmah (Beginning of Wisdom), Book of the World, a treatise on the Planets, a treatise on the Luminaries, and a horoscope
Horoscope
In astrology, a horoscope is a chart or diagram representing the positions of the Sun, Moon, planets, the astrological aspects, and sensitive angles at the time of an event, such as the moment of a person's birth. The word horoscope is derived from Greek words meaning "a look at the hours" In...
. He often refers to astrology in his Bible commentaries. To him heaven with its constellations is "the book of life," in which man's destiny is written, and against which there is recourse to God as "the Almighty," who overrules all these influences. These remarks may be found in his commentary to Psalms 69:29, Genesis 17:9, and to Exodus 6:3, 33:21.) In the book Rabbi Abraham Ibn Ezra: Studies in the Writings of a Twelfth-Century Jewish Polymath (Harvard, 1993, ISBN 0-674-74554-X), the author of a chapter dealing with Ibn Ezra's astrological views ("Some Astrological Themes in the Thought of Abraham Ibn Ezra") states that: "The gist of the Jewish attitude toward astrology as formulated by Ibn Ezra has usually been understood—in general, correctly—as follows. The deity has delegated to the stars the governance of the sublunar world. Israel [Jews], however, enjoys a special status, which is manifest most decisively in its possession of the Torah. As long as a Jew is engaged in the study and observance of the Torah, he is linked to a spiritual realm which is itself superior to the stars. In this way a Jew may liberate himself from the decrees of the stars" (p. 49).
Dunash ibn Tamim
Dunash ibn Tamim
Dunash ibn Tamim was a Jewish tenth century scholar, and a pioneer of scientific study among Arabic-speaking Jews. His Arabic name was أبو سهل Abu Sahl; his surname, according to an isolated statement of Moses ibn Ezra, was "Al-Shafalgi," perhaps after his birthplace...
(850-956 CE, North Africa), who wrote a commentary on the Kabbalistic work Sefer Yetzirah
Sefer Yetzirah
Sefer Yetzirah is the title of the earliest extant book on Jewish esotericism, although some early commentators treated it as a treatise on mathematical and linguistic theory as opposed to Kabbalah...
, wrote a treatise on astronomy which rejected astrology.
Rabbi Abraham ben David of Posquières, in his critical notes to Maimonides' Mishneh Torah
Mishneh Torah
The Mishneh Torah subtitled Sefer Yad ha-Hazaka is a code of Jewish religious law authored by Maimonides , one of history's foremost rabbis...
, Teshuvah, 5:5, asserts the influence of the stars upon destiny, while also contending that by faith in God man may overcome this influence.
Gersonides
Gersonides
Levi ben Gershon, better known by his Latinised name as Gersonides or the abbreviation of first letters as RaLBaG , philosopher, Talmudist, mathematician, astronomer/astrologer. He was born at Bagnols in Languedoc, France...
believed that astrology was real, and developed a naturalistic, non-supernatural explanation of how it works. In Philosophies of Judaism, Julius Guttmann
Julius Guttmann
Julius Guttmann , born Yitzchak Guttmann was a German-born rabbi, Jewish theologian, and philosopher of religion.- Biography :...
explains that for Gersonides, astrology was:
founded on the metaphysical doctrine of the dependence of all earthly occurrences upon the heavenly world. The general connection imparted to the prophet by the active intellect is the general order of the astrological constellation. The constellation under which a man is born determines his nature and fate, and constellations as well determine the life span of nations....The active intellect knows the astrological order, from the most general form of the constellations to their last specification, which in turn contains all of the conditions of occurrence of a particular event. Thus, when a prophet deals with the destiny of a particular person or human group, he receives from the active intellect a knowledge of the order of the constellations, and with sufficient precision to enable him to predict its fate in full detail.....
This astrological determinism has only one limitation. The free will of man could shatter the course of action ordained for him by the stars; prophecy could therefore predict the future on the basis of astrological determination only insofar as the free will of man does not break through the determined course of things.
Gersonides believed astrology to be a science that predicts events according to set laws of nature (albeit, a different set than the ones we are used to.) He also believed that a person who has perfected his thinking could interact with the laws of nature through the active intellect. Gersonides thus thought of himself as creating a rationalist and non-supernatural theology. In this sense, there is a similarity between Gersonides and Maimonides.
Nahmanides
Nahmanides
Nahmanides, also known as Rabbi Moses ben Naḥman Girondi, Bonastruc ça Porta and by his acronym Ramban, , was a leading medieval Jewish scholar, Catalan rabbi, philosopher, physician, kabbalist, and biblical commentator.-Name:"Nahmanides" is a Greek-influenced formation meaning "son of Naḥman"...
wrote a responsa stating that while one may not ask an astrologer for a prediction, astrology itself is real. He states rules that one must ultimately trust in God, and not in any lesser force. As such, he concludes that one is forbidden to ask an astrologer for a prediction, but one may act on the words of an astrologer if advice is freely given. Ultimately he holds that while the stars give a person certain inclinations, people have the ability to overcome their own inclinations, and thus maintains free will.
Maimonides
Maimonides
Moses ben-Maimon, called Maimonides and also known as Mūsā ibn Maymūn in Arabic, or Rambam , was a preeminent medieval Jewish philosopher and one of the greatest Torah scholars and physicians of the Middle Ages...
answered an inquiry concerning astrology, addressed to him from Marseilles. He responded that man should believe only what can be supported either by rational proof, by the evidence of the senses, or by trustworthy authority. He affirms that he has studied astrology and that it does not deserve to be described as a science. The supposition that the fate of a man could be dependent upon the constellations is ridiculed by him; he argues that such a theory would rob life of purpose and would make man a slave of destiny.
Isaac ben Joseph ibn Pulgar
Isaac ben Joseph ibn Pulgar
Isaac ben Joseph ibn Pulgar was a Spanish Jewish philosopher, poet, and controversialist, who flourished in the first half of the fourteenth century.-Life:...
(14th century, Spain) was a Jewish philosopher who wrote Ezer ha-Dat ("Support of Faith"), and wrote against the validity of astrology.
In the Tur
Tur
Tur or TUR can stand for:* Arba'ah Turim, a work of Jewish law, also known as the Tur* Jacob ben Asher, its author, also known as the Tur or the Baal Haturim* Tur * Turkish language...
, an early code of Jewish law
Halakha
Halakha — also transliterated Halocho , or Halacha — is the collective body of Jewish law, including biblical law and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions.Judaism classically draws no distinction in its laws between religious and ostensibly non-religious life; Jewish...
, the author brings forth the views of Nahmanides and Maimonides, and concurs with Nahmanides (Yoreh Deah 179). A later code of Jewish law, the Shulkhan Arukh avoids contention by stressing the common point: One may not consult an astrologer; the act is forbidden. Whether or not its author, Yosef Karo
Yosef Karo
Joseph ben Ephraim Karo, also spelled Yosef Caro, or Qaro, was author of the last great codification of Jewish law, the Shulchan Aruch, which is still authoritative for all Jews pertaining to their respective communities...
, thought that astrology might have some basis in fact is not mentioned in this work (Yoreh Deah 179:1).
Moshe Chaim Luzzatto
In Derekh HashemDerekh Hashem
Derech HaShem is a philosophical text written in the 1730s by Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto. It systematizes the basic principles of Jewish belief regarding the existence of God, God's purpose in creation, and the logical consequence of other concepts in Judaism.Presented from a Kabbalistic...
Section II, chapter 7, Rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
Moshe Chaim Luzzatto
Moshe Chaim Luzzatto
Moshe Chaim Luzzatto , also known by the Hebrew acronym RaMCHaL , was a prominent Italian Jewish rabbi, kabbalist, and philosopher.-Padua:Born in Padua at night, he received classical Jewish and Italian educations, showing a...
discusses the influence of stars on humanity and events on earth. There he gives two reasons for the existence of stars and planets. The first is that stars and planets maintain the existence of all physical things on earth, acting as the means by which spiritual forces are transmitted to physical entities. The second is that events on earth are also initiated through planetary and stellar activity. Luzzatto states that each earthly phenomenon is assigned to a specific star, which controls it. Quoting the Talmud
Talmud
The Talmud is a central text of mainstream Judaism. It takes the form of a record of rabbinic discussions pertaining to Jewish law, ethics, philosophy, customs and history....
ic dictum in Sanhedrin
Nezikin
For Jewish law on damages, see Damages Nezikin or Seder Nezikin is the fourth Order of the Mishna...
156a – "for Israel, there is no mazal ("luck", literally "planet" or "constellation")", he also states that higher powers (i.e. God
God
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
or angel
Angel
Angels are mythical beings often depicted as messengers of God in the Hebrew and Christian Bibles along with the Quran. The English word angel is derived from the Greek ἄγγελος, a translation of in the Hebrew Bible ; a similar term, ملائكة , is used in the Qur'an...
s) may overcome the influences of this system, and that they typically do so for Jews.
Luzzatto notes that the laws and rules governing this system of astrological influence are extremely complex, and not easily ascertainable through direct observation; thus astrologers are rarely able to predict the future accurately or clearly. The accuracy of their predictions is further reduced by the aforementioned propensity of Divine providence
Divine providence
In Christian theology, divine providence, or simply providence, is God's activity in the world. " Providence" is also used as a title of God exercising His providence, and then the word are usually capitalized...
to intervene and override the system. This, Luzzatto states, explains the use of the word me'asher ("something") in Isaiah 47:13
Book of Isaiah
The Book of Isaiah is the first of the Latter Prophets in the Hebrew Bible, preceding the books of Ezekiel, Jeremiah and the Book of the Twelve...
("Now let the astrologers, stargazers and fortunetellers stand up and tell you something about what will come upon you"); in Luzzatto's view, this means they can tell you something about the future, but not everything.
Views in the modern era
Strictures against astrology appear in the official Torah commentary of Conservative JudaismConservative Judaism
Conservative Judaism is a modern stream of Judaism that arose out of intellectual currents in Germany in the mid-19th century and took institutional form in the United States in the early 1900s.Conservative Judaism has its roots in the school of thought known as Positive-Historical Judaism,...
and on the official website of Reform Judaism
Reform Judaism
Reform Judaism refers to various beliefs, practices and organizations associated with the Reform Jewish movement in North America, the United Kingdom and elsewhere. In general, it maintains that Judaism and Jewish traditions should be modernized and should be compatible with participation in the...
, and a number of Conservative and Reform rabbi
Rabbi
In Judaism, a rabbi is a teacher of Torah. This title derives from the Hebrew word רבי , meaning "My Master" , which is the way a student would address a master of Torah...
s have written against the practice. Meanwhile, the traditionalist stance of Orthodoxy and Modern Orthodoxy maintain the guideline established in Karo's Shulchan Aruch
Shulchan Aruch
The Shulchan Aruch also known as the Code of Jewish Law, is the most authoritative legal code of Judaism. It was authored in Safed, Israel, by Yosef Karo in 1563 and published in Venice two years later...
.
Commenting on Deuteronomy 18:9-12, Etz Hayim, the official Torah commentary of Conservative Judaism writes "Hence the use of astrology is prohibited (BT Pesachim 113b)." Similarly, Rabbi Simchah Roth, a Conservative Masorti
Masorti
The Masorti Movement is the name given to Conservative Judaism in Israel and other countries outside Canada and U.S. Masorti means "traditional" in Hebrew...
rabbi comments negatively on astrology in his "Halakhah Study Group" session. (Halakhah Study Group, Nov. 18 2003, Bet Midrash Virtuali)
Conservative Rabbi Aaron Kriegel writes:
However, astrology is by and large nothing more than magic. The Torah is very clear that we are to steer clear of magicians and practitioners of "witchcraft." I'm not talking about the David Copperfield type of entertainment; I'm referring to those who believe that their predictions or tricks can have a real influence on the world, and by implication, can force God to give them what they want. The idea that if only we could say the right words or take the right actions, God will give us anything we want is nearly idolatrous. It turns God into nothing more than a tool for us to use when we want something, rather than the majestic creator of the world. (Ask A Rabbi, Jewish.com, Internet responsa database)
On the Union for Reform Judaism
Union for Reform Judaism
The Union for Reform Judaism , formerly known as the Union of American Hebrew Congregations , is an organization which supports Reform Jewish congregations in North America. The current President is Rabbi Eric H...
website Rabbi Jeffrey K. Salkin derides astrology as "a new-age trap" even though the study of or belief in 'celestial influences' on Earthly affairs [astrology] is actually more ancient than Judaism itself:
If you visit a Barnes and Noble superstore, you will see what much of American religion has become. There are three bookcases for Judaism; three bookcases for general religion and Christianity; three for general inspiration; two each for Bible, eastern philosophy, and myth; and nine bookcases for New Age. The New Age menu is diverse, including spiritualism, astrology, and psychic phenomena; alchemy, tarot, goddess worship, and Wicca (witchcraft); out-of-body experiences, near-death experiences, and reincarnation: angels, Satanism, and the occult...
Modern Orthodox
Modern Orthodox Judaism
Modern Orthodox Judaism is a movement within Orthodox Judaism that attempts to synthesize Jewish values and the observance of Jewish law, with the secular, modern world....
rabbis have written against the practice as well, some seeing it as forbidden by Jewish law
Halakha
Halakha — also transliterated Halocho , or Halacha — is the collective body of Jewish law, including biblical law and later talmudic and rabbinic law, as well as customs and traditions.Judaism classically draws no distinction in its laws between religious and ostensibly non-religious life; Jewish...
. For instance, Rabbi Barry Freundel
Barry Freundel
Bernard Freundel is the rabbi of Kesher Israel congregation in Washington DC, and a leading rabbi in the Modern Orthodox Jewish world. He is Vice-President of the Vaad of Washington and head of the conversion committee of the Rabbinical Council of America...
views astrology as unacceptable, seeing it as unscientific, and thus unacceptable for Jews who live by Torah U-maddah, which is used as a motto by modern Orthodox Jews associated with the Rabbinical Council of America
Rabbinical Council of America
The Rabbinical Council of America is one of the world's largest organizations of Orthodox rabbis; it is affiliated with The Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America, more commonly known as the Orthodox Union, or OU...
and the Union of Orthodox Congregations.
Orthodox Rabbi Ephraim Buchwald writes:
The Torah tells us in Deuteronomy 18:9, that when the Jewish people enter the land of Israel, they must not follow the abominable practices of the nations that reside there. It is strictly prohibited to cause a son or a daughter to pass through the fire, to practice divination, astrology, or to visit one who reads omens....to follow these practices is an abomination in G-d's eyes.
It is quite extraordinary that Maimonides...virtually alone in the Middle Ages, rejected belief in astrology. In a letter to the rabbis of Southern France he distinguishes between astronomy as a true science and astrology which he deems to be sheer superstition. Many hundreds of years passed until the Western world came to the same conclusion. Maimonides boldly declares that in Judaism a person's fate is determined by G-d alone, not by the stars. (Torah commentary, National Jewish Outreach Program, Parashat Shoftim 5763-2003)
The Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom (Orthodox) Rabbi Jonathan Sacks, writes:
Wrestling with men: since the days of Abraham, to be a Jew is to be an iconoclast. We challenge the idols of the age, whatever the idols, whatever the age. Sometimes it meant wrestling with idolatry, superstition, paganism, magic, astrology, primitive beliefs. (Covenant and Conversation: Thoughts on the Weekly Parsha, Vayyishlach 5755, Chief Rabbi of the United Kingdom)
In contrast, Modern Orthodox Rabbi Nachum Amsel writes:
It seems that most of the authorities believe that astrology has some sort of power, but there is a fine line between believing in this and believing in power other than God, which is not the Jewish view. Thus, one cannot give credence to any power except God nor use astrology on a regular basis to guide one's life.
"The Significance of Astrology in Judaism" is an article along these lines from the Orthodox Union. This article concisely puts this issue into perspective.
In Judaism, Astrology is not regarded as "idol worship," even though the generic name for "idol worship" is "Avodat Kochavim U'Mazalot," Worship of the Stars and the Signs of the Zodiac."
From the Jewish perspective, the stars are not unrelated to events on earth. It is not irrelevant whether one was born on Pesach, or Yom Kippur, or Lag Ba'Omer or on any particular day. Each day is special and has a unique imprint.
On the other hand, if an individual was born under the "sign" of Mars, the Talmud says that he will have a tendency to spill blood. This tendency can be realized in a number of very different ways, however, which are subject to an individual's choice. In this case, options might be a soldier, a surgeon, a murderer, a "shochet," a ritual slaughterer of animals, or a "mohel," one who performs ritual circumcisions. These options correspond to a potential hero, a healer, one who violates the "image of G-d," to those who do "holy work" of different types.
There is a principle, "Ayn Mazal L'Yisrael," "Israel's fate is not determined by the stars." The Jew, raised in his People's traditions and Torah values, feels the reality of "freedom of choice" in his bones. So deeply ingrained is this knowledge and feeling, that the Jew rarely has cause to think about astrological factors.
It is the belief that one cannot escape from the grip of the stars that distinguishes Astrology from "Worship of the Stars and Signs of the Zodiac." It is always possible to define one's fate, by choosing behavior which is guided by morality and integrity, within the parameters – intellectual and emotional, physical and spiritual, which a person is given to work with.
Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan
Aryeh Kaplan
Aryeh Moshe Eliyahu Kaplan was a noted American Orthodox rabbi and author known for his "intimate knowledge of both physics and kabbalah." He was lauded as an original thinker and prolific writer, from studies of the Torah, Talmud and mysticism to introductory pamphlets on Jewish beliefs and...
, known for his rationalist synthesis of modern scientific thinking and Kabbalah, and creator of a modern translation of Derekh Hashem
Derekh Hashem
Derech HaShem is a philosophical text written in the 1730s by Rabbi Moshe Chaim Luzzatto. It systematizes the basic principles of Jewish belief regarding the existence of God, God's purpose in creation, and the logical consequence of other concepts in Judaism.Presented from a Kabbalistic...
, echoes the viewpoint of its author (Moshe Chaim Luzzatto
Moshe Chaim Luzzatto
Moshe Chaim Luzzatto , also known by the Hebrew acronym RaMCHaL , was a prominent Italian Jewish rabbi, kabbalist, and philosopher.-Padua:Born in Padua at night, he received classical Jewish and Italian educations, showing a...
) on astrology. In his translation of and commentary on Sefer Yetzirah
Sefer Yetzirah
Sefer Yetzirah is the title of the earliest extant book on Jewish esotericism, although some early commentators treated it as a treatise on mathematical and linguistic theory as opposed to Kabbalah...
: The Book of Creation, Rabbi Kaplan writes:
In order to understand the significance of the astrological forces, we must first understand the role of angels in the chain between the Sefirot and the physical world. The Sefirot are in the universe of Atzilut, and below this is Beriyah, the universe of the Throne, which serves to allow the Sefirot to interact with the lower worlds. Between Beriyah and Asiyah is Yetzirah, the world of the angels. ....every one of God's words is actually an angel. When we speak of "God's word," we are actually speaking of His interaction with the lower worlds. The force that transverses the spiritual domain is what we call an angel.
The stars also form an important link in God's providence over the physical world. Between God and man, there are many levels of interaction, the lowest being those of the angels and the stars, The Midrash thus teaches, "There is no blade of grass that does not have a constellation (Mazal) over it, telling it to grow." As the commentators explain it, God's providence works through the angels, but these angels, in turn, work through the stars and planets.
However, Rabbi Kaplan also writes that "Faith and trust in God are partners, since one who believes in an omniscient, omnipotent and benevolent God must also believe that He will provide for His faithful. Therefore, one should trust in God and not be overly concerned about the future....Therefore, one should not seek to ascertain the future by fortune telling, astrology or other superstitions. Concerning this, The Torah commands us, "You must remain totally faithful to God your Lord" (Deut. 18:13), which some authorities count as a positive commandment." ("The Handbook of Jewish Thought. Vol. 2, Maznaim Publishing. 1992)
See also
- Arab and Persian astrologyArab and Persian astrologyThe medieval Arabs took a keen interest in the study of heavens; partly because they considered the celestial bodies to be divine, partly because the dwellers of desert-regions often travelled at night, and relied upon knowledge of the constellations for guidance in their journeys...
- AstrologyAstrologyAstrology consists of a number of belief systems which hold that there is a relationship between astronomical phenomena and events in the human world...
- AstronomyAstronomyAstronomy is a natural science that deals with the study of celestial objects and phenomena that originate outside the atmosphere of Earth...
- Christianity and astrologyChristianity and astrologyChristianity and astrology are seen as incompatible by modern orthodox Christian doctrine. Additionally, astrology stands juxtaposed against the roots of modern scientific reasoning...
- Esoteric ChristianityEsoteric ChristianityEsoteric Christianity is a term which refers to an ensemble of spiritual currents which regard Christianity as a mystery religion, and profess the existence and possession of certain esoteric doctrines or practices, hidden from the public but accessible only to a narrow circle of "enlightened",...
- Hebrew astronomyHebrew astronomyHebrew astronomy refers to any astronomy written in Hebrew or by Hebrew speakers, or translated into Hebrew. It also includes an unusual type of literature from the Middle Ages: works written in Arabic but transcribed in the Hebrew alphabet...
- Islamic astrology
- Kabbalistic astrologyKabbalistic astrologyKabbalistic astrology Kabbalistic astrology Kabbalistic astrology (called Mazal or Mazalot ["zodiac," "destiny"] is a system of astrology based upon the Hebrew Kabbalah. It is used to interpret and delineate a person's birth chart, seeking to understand it through a Kabbalistic lens...
- Sefer Raziel HaMalakhSefer Raziel HaMalakhSefer Raziel HaMalakh, , is a medieval Kabbalistic grimoire, primarily written in Hebrew and Aramaic, but surviving also in Latin translation, as Liber Razielis Archangeli, in a 13th century manuscript produced under Alfonso X.-Textual history:The book cannot be shown to predate the 13th century,...
- Sefer YetzirahSefer YetzirahSefer Yetzirah is the title of the earliest extant book on Jewish esotericism, although some early commentators treated it as a treatise on mathematical and linguistic theory as opposed to Kabbalah...
- Sefer Raziel HaMalakh
- MonenMonenMonen is a Kabalistic concept covering that branch of occultism which deals with the reading of the future by the computation of time and observation of planets and stars ....
- NumerologyNumerologyNumerology is any study of the purported mystical relationship between a count or measurement and life. It has many systems and traditions and beliefs...
Further reading
- Anderson, Carl. Astrology of the Old Testament, Or: The Lost Word Regained. Kessinger Publishing: USA, 1997. ISBN 1-56459-930-2.
- Berg, PhilipPhilip BergPhilip S. Berg is an American rabbi and current Dean of the worldwide Kabbalah Centre organization.Having written a number of books on the subject of Kabbalah, Berg believes that the philosophy should not be taught exclusively to a select few Jewish scholars but become a shared wealth of practical...
. Astrology, the Star Connection: The Science of Judaic Astrology. Research Centre of Kabbalah: USA, 1987. ISBN 0-943688-37-X. - Berg, Philip. Kabbalistic Astrology Made Easy. Research Centre of Kabbalah: USA, 1999. ISBN 1-57189-053-X.
- Berg, Rav P. S. Kabbalistic Astrology: And the Meaning of Our Lives. Kabbalah Publishing: USA, 2006. ISBN 1-57189-556-6.
- Dobin, Joel C. Kabbalistic Astrology: The Sacred Tradition of the Hebrew Sages. Inner Traditions: USA, 1999. ISBN 0-89281-763-1.
- Ezra, Abraham Ben Meir IbnAbraham ibn EzraRabbi Abraham ben Meir Ibn Ezra was born at Tudela, Navarre in 1089, and died c. 1167, apparently in Calahorra....
. The Beginning of Wisdom (Reshith Hochma). ARHAT Publications: USA, 1998. ISBN 0-9662266-4-X. - Ezra, Abraham Ben Meir Ibn. The Book of Reasons (Sefer Ha'te'amim). The Golden Hind Press: USA, 1994.
- Glazerson, Matityahu. Above the Zodiac: Astrology in Jewish Thought. Aronson Publishers: USA, 1996. ISBN 1-56821-935-0.
- Levy, Raphael. The Astrological Works of Abraham Ibn Ezra. Johns Hopkins Press: Baltimore, 1927.
- Mashallah ibn Athari. On Reception. ARHAT Publications: USA, 1997. ISBN 0-9662266-2-3.
- Molnar, Michael. The Star of Bethlehem: The Legacy of the Magi. Rutgers University Press: USA. 1999.
- Wedel, Theodore Otto. Astrology in the Middle Ages. Dover Publications: Mineola, 2005. ISBN 0-486-43642-X.
External links
- The Jewish Astrologer
- Hacham Joseph Melamed's Insights into the Jewish Zodiac
- Discussions on reconciling various rabbinic views about astrology
- Research sources for Jewish astrology
- General Jewish Magic Bibliography
- Article by Robert Zoller
- Jewish Astrology
- Jewish Spiritual Astrology from Sefer Raziel HaMalach
- Jewish Astronomy/Astrology