Jewish: magic in this belief world

Kabbalah, amulets, the golem and the folk customs against the evil eye.

Jewish tradition has a deep and contested history of magic. The Hebrew Bible forbids sorcery and divination in some texts, and the Talmud discusses amulets, charms and the evil eye. Medieval and later Jewish life produced Kabbalah, amulets, the golem legend and the folk figure of the ba'al shem. This page covers the main strands, as Jewish teachers and scholars describe them. Jewish practice varies between Orthodox, Conservative, Reform and secular communities, and by region of origin.

Amulets and the evil eye

Jewish communities have used amulets for protection of mothers, newborns and homes, often inscribed with psalms or divine names. The red thread, the hamsa, and the phrase kein ayin hara, no evil eye, are common among Jews of many backgrounds. The mezuzah on the doorpost is a religious obligation that some also regard as protective, a view that rabbis have often cautioned against. Early rabbis recorded amulets for illness and travel, and the Talmud mentions dream interpretation, charms and demons, and states that some of these practices are permitted while others are idolatry.

Kabbalah and learned practice

Kabbalah, the tradition of mysticism that grew in medieval Spain and France, includes teachings on divine names and the structure of reality. Practical Kabbalah concerned the use of names, and was controversial. The golem, a figure shaped of clay and animated, appears in stories about Rabbi Judah Loew of Prague, a legend that dates from the nineteenth century rather than from his own time. Women who wrote or commissioned amulets, as well as midwives, held a quiet role in the community, and the mother and child received special protection at birth and through the first weeks.

Authority, gender and limits

Rabbinic opinion has differed over what is allowed. Maimonides rejected astrology and charms as foolish, while others accepted them. Access to Kabbalah was traditionally limited to older married men with prior study. Women kept domestic customs for birth, health and protection. Today, many Jewish women lead rituals and some study Kabbalah publicly. Many Jewish communities have rich folk customs for birth, marriage and death, such as the bedeken, and for the evil eye, and these vary between Ashkenazi, Sephardi and Mizrahi families.

Diaspora, commerce and appropriation

Kabbalah centres, red string bracelets and celebrity interest have made Jewish mysticism a global product, which critics within the community call a distortion. Jewish folk practice has moved with migration from Morocco, Yemen, Iraq, Iran, Eastern Europe and Ethiopia, each keeping its own amulets and healers. Scholars such as Gershom Scholem transformed the academic study of the field. Hasidic communities keep Kabbalistic ideas in daily life, and blessings from rebbes are sought by many visitors, including those from outside the community.

Jewish on EveryJaadu

The entries written up so far, best known first.

RegionSouth Asia Southeast Asia East Asia Central Asia and the Caucasus Middle East North Africa Sub-Saharan Africa Europe North America Latin America and the Caribbean Oceania

KindTradition Rite Charm Oracle Substance Being Figure Text Illusion Belief

PurposeProtection Healing Seeing and foretelling Luck and prosperity Love and attraction Cursing and harm Cleansing and purification Speaking with spirits and the dead Change and initiation Binding and oaths Power and authority Wonder and entertainment

WhoShamans Folk healers Priests and ritual specialists Witches, sorcerers and cunning folk Diviners and readers Mediums and the possessed Ceremonial magicians and alchemists Households and ordinary people Stage magicians Scholars and sceptics

OccasionWeddings and betrothal Festivals Birth and childhood Death and remembrance Harvest, farming and weather New year Initiation and coming of age Illness and misfortune Journeys and voyages Everyday use

StandingLiving Revived Fading Historical Legendary Performed

OrderBest known A to Z Newest Living first

🇪🇬 Egypt and 3 moreAmulet A portable object worn or carried to ward off harm and invite fortuneCharm · Protection · Luck and prosperity Living

🇹🇷 Turkey and 5 moreEvil eye A curse caused by an envious look and the charms used to block itBelief · Protection · Cursing and harm Living

🇮🇱 Israel and 3 moreGematriaגימטריה A numeric writing system that assigns numerical values to words and phrases for interpretation.Text · Seeing and foretelling · Power and authority Living

🇵🇸 Palestine and 1 moreRachel's TombQever Raḥel; Qabr Rāḥīl A shared holy site near Bethlehem revered by Jews, Christians, and MuslimsTradition · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Protection Living

🇪🇬 Egypt and 5 moreHamsaخمسة A palm-shaped amulet used across North Africa and the Middle East for protection.Charm · Protection · Luck and prosperity Living

🇮🇷 Iran and 5 moreMagi Priests of Zoroastrianism and the figures who inspired the word for magicTradition · Seeing and foretelling · Power and authority Living

🇮🇱 Israel and 5 moreTefillinתְּפִלִּין Black leather boxes containing Torah scrolls, worn by Jewish men during weekday prayers.Charm · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Protection Living

🇮🇱 Israel and 2 moreLag BaOmerלַ״ג בָּעוֹמֶר A Jewish holiday marking the end of a mourning period with bonfires and outdoor playTradition · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Wonder and entertainment Living

🇮🇱 Israel and 2 moreUpsherinאָפּשערן (opshern) A first haircut ceremony for Jewish boys, marking the start of formal study.Rite · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Power and authority Living

🇮🇱 Israel and 5 moreTetragrammatonיהוה The four-letter name of God in the Hebrew Bible, written as YHWH.Belief · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living

🇮🇱 Israel and 2 moreMezuzahמְזוּזָה A scroll of Torah verses placed in a case on Jewish doorpostsCharm · Protection · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living

🇪🇬 Egypt and 5 moreSacred dance Movement used in worship to honour deities, heal communities, or connect with the spirit world.Tradition · Protection · Healing Living

🇮🇱 IsraelRed stringחוט השני A scarlet wool bracelet worn to ward off the evil eye and bring good luckCharm · Protection · Luck and prosperity Living

🇮🇱 Israel and 3 moreCleromancy A divination method that uses random chance to reveal divine willOracle · Seeing and foretelling · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living

🇮🇱 Israel and 4 moreIsaac Luriaיִצְחָק בן שלמה אשכנזי לוּרְיָא A sixteenth-century rabbi who founded modern Kabbalah through oral teachings in Safed.Text · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Change and initiation Living 🇹🇷 TurkeyHamsa (sample)Khamsa An open hand with an eye, hung on doors.Charm · Protection · Luck and prosperity Living

🇪🇬 Egypt and 5 moreAmulet A portable object worn or carried to ward off harm and invite protection.Charm · Protection · Healing Living 🇮🇱 IsraelSegulaסגולה A Jewish charm or ritual believed to bring protection, healing, or blessings.Charm · Protection · Healing Living

🇮🇱 Israel and 4 moreAngelמלאך A supernatural messenger or intermediary spirit found in many religious traditions.Being · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Protection Living 🇮🇱 Israel and 5 moreHoly anointing oilשמן המשחה (šemen ham-mišḵā) A sacred blend of spices and olive oil used to consecrate priests, kings, and sacred objects.Substance · Power and authority Living 🇮🇱 IsraelShekhinahשְׁכִינָה The divine presence of God dwelling among people in Jewish and Islamic thoughtBelief · Speaking with spirits and the dead · Power and authority Living

🇮🇱 Israel and 1 moreYom Hillulaיום הילולא A joyous death anniversary for a saint in Jewish traditionRite · Speaking with spirits and the dead Living

🇮🇱 IsraelSeder hishtalshelusסדר השתלשלות A Kabbalistic cosmology mapping the descent of divine light through spiritual realms to the physical world.Belief · Power and authority · Wonder and entertainment Living

🇮🇱 Israel and 4 moreChaiחי A Hebrew word and symbol meaning 'alive', used as an amulet and in Jewish culture.Charm · Protection · Luck and prosperity Living

🇮🇱 Israel and 2 moreReligious restrictions on the consumption of pork A dietary rule found in several faiths that bars people from eating pig meat.Belief · Cleansing and purification Living

🇮🇱 Israel and 1 moreAna BeKoachאנא בכח A medieval Jewish liturgical poem linked to the 42-letter name of GodText · Power and authority · Protection Living

Photo credits on this page

The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.

Magi: Colijn de Coter, CC0, source
Tetragrammaton: Lakisletter.gif : derivative work: Filii Henoch ( talk ), Public domain, source
Yom Hillula: Jonathan Stein, Public domain, source
Amulet: Anonymous ( Egypt ) Unknown author, Public domain, source
Isaac Luria: Louski1, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Red string: Mx. Granger, CC0, source
Tefillin: Brooklyn Museum, CC BY 3.0, source
Lag BaOmer: Yoninah, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Upsherin: Vered Peer, CC BY 4.0, source
Angel: Unknown author, CC0, source
Seder hishtalshelus: Daderot, Public domain, source
Mezuzah: Adrian Grycuk, CC BY-SA 3.0 pl, source
Chai: BASWIM, CC BY 3.0, source
Cleromancy: Julius Schnorr von Carolsfeld, Public domain, source
Religious restrictions on the consumption of pork: Unknown author, Public domain, source
Sacred dance: Jorge Barrios, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Ana BeKoach: Baruch Zvi Ring (c. 1872 - 1927) Details on Google Art Project, Public domain, source
Gematria: Bethsheba Ashe, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
Evil eye: FocalPoint, CC BY-SA 3.0, source
Rachel's Tomb: Lane-Poole, Stanley, Public domain, source
Hamsa: Kritzolina, CC BY-SA 4.0, source