On One Foot
TAKE A TOUR of Israel and you’re likely to visit one of the ancient synagogues that have been excavated in modern times. En Gedi, Beit Alpha, Sepphoris, and others all have large mosaics that, perhaps surprisingly, depict the Zodiac signs and their corresponding Hebrew months. If Judaism purports to take a more rational approach to religion now, why do we still say mazel tov— which literally means a good sign— expressing our good wishes via hopes that a given event is taking place in an auspicious time? Were the early Jews star worshippers? Are we still? The internet is rife with astrology sites catering to all manner of Jews — Orthodox (kosherastro.com ), witchy (alizaeinhorn.com), and everything in between. And yet, Judaism has always taken an anti-pagan stance and prohibited any form of fortune-telling. So what does Judaism actually say about astrology? IS IT JEWISH TO READ YOUR HOROSCOPE? Just like Hillel’s student, we all have complex possible. Here, we consider a question of contemporary relevance and explore how sources both classical and modern address it. by AVI FINEGOLD questions that we want answered as simply as
DEUTERONOMY 18:9-13 When you enter the land that the Lord your God is giving you, you shall not learn to imitate the abhorrent practices of those nations. Let no one be found among you who consigns a son or daughter to the fire, or who is an augur, a soothsayer, a di- viner, a sorcerer, one who casts spells, or one who consults ghosts or familiar spirits, or one who inquires of the dead. For anyone who does such things is abhorrent to God, and it is be- cause of these abhorrent things that the Lord your God is dis- possessing them before you. You must be wholehearted with the Lord your God. 1
1 THIS PROHIBITION is is the source for talmudic codifica- tion of laws against astrology. The Bible, aware that the land that would be Israel was populated by people of many other faiths, warned Jews not to become like them, and to not even imitate them by bringing some of those practices into Ju- daism. However, readers of stars do not show up in this pas- sage. This could be because Judaism did have a relationship with observing stars, or it could be that astrologers fell under the broader category of augurs or diviners.
TALMUD SHABBAT 156A Rabbi Hanina says: A constellation makes one wise and a constellation makes one wealthy, and there is a constella- tion for the Jewish people that influences them. Rabbi Yo- hanan said: There is no constellation for the Jewish people that influences them. The Jewish people are not subject to the influence of astrology. And Rabbi Yohanan follows his own reasoning, as Rabbi Yohanan said: From where is it derived that there is no constellation for the Jewish people? As it is stated: “Thus said the Lord: Learn not the way of the nations, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the nations are dismayed at them” (Jeremiah 10:2). The nations will be dismayed by them, but not the Jewish people. 2
20 SUMMER 2025
Made with FlippingBook Digital Proposal Creator