174 nXTttr AND SEVENTH BOOKS OF MOSES. nification of numbers aggregate 137, and the two small words Klo Sajin, under which all kinds of guns and weapons are understood, likewise con* tained, according to the signification of number, 137 letters, viz: Aleph ........ 1 Lamed....... . 30 Tod Mim Vav Km 10 40 6 5º »37 Beth ............30 Lamed...........30 Jod. ...... ... . Zani.......... Jod........... Tod......... V . 10 7 10 10 Nun »37 According to this, there are under the power of this field-general all cannons, howitzers, mortars, guns, rifles, pistols, all lances, spears, sabres, swords, and dirks in the whole world, and whenever he thinks proper, none of these will be able to do the least harm. Whoever, therefore, knows how to obtain the favor of the mighty Alemon, it will be very easy for him to make himself invulnerable against gun-shot wounds and against sharp instruments of all kinds. The words Reivtip and Tafthi are also full of mysterious meaning and are the names of two angels who are servants of Alimon. The letters of the holy name Animon, are contained in the words Ani, Nelech, Raaed, Ne-Zachim, that is, I am King from Eternity to Eternity I Generally this angel claims a much higher rank than the angel Alimon, for he is first named, and is called upon twice in succession, through which he takes, according to the signification of numbers 314, letters, or as many as the holy name of the Schadai, the name of the Almighty. III. I here present you (writes the celebrated Rabbi and great Kabalist Moses, son of Nochman, who is also known as Ramban), a great and useful remedy, Leraue, Weacuo, Nirch, which means, that a man, (es­pecially upon a journey) may see everything and yet remain invisible him­self. It is said, that through this mysterious means a man may be able to see and know all watching or hidden enemies, persecutors, thieves, rob­bers and murderers, without being seen by them, and he may remain in­visible to them. This means has been tried and tested, says the author, "and I have tried it myself on occasions and at places where my life and limbs were in danger, and at each trial, with the help of God, I escaped without injury. It is truly a blessed remedy! you must know, however, that the power of this means will last only from the morning until after vespers, (evening prayer.) THE REMEDY IS : After you have offered your devoted traveling prayer to God, early be tore commencing your journey, leave your lodging or dwelling, and when SIXTH AND SEVENTH BOOKS OF MOSES. 1T5 you arrive on the highway upon which you intend to travel, stand still and cover your eyes with the fingers of your right hand in the following manner: Lay the index finger on the right eye, the middle finger on the nose, and the third finger on the left eye, and then say three times Through the word of Almighty God. But then also the following passages from the holy scriptures, Genesis, chap. i. verse 1: "In the beginning God created heaven and earth." Deuteronomy, chap, xxxiv. and last verse: • And in all that mighty hand, and in all the great terror which Moses showed in the sight of all Israel." Genesis, chap, xxxii. 1,2. "And Jacob went on his way, and the angels of God met him. And when Jacob saw them, he said, This is God's host, and he called the name of that place Mahanaim," that is, two hosts or camps, namely, God's and his own. Deuteronomy, chap, xxxii. 1, 2: "Give ear, O ye heavens, and I will speak; and hear, O earth, the words of my mouth. My doctrine shall drop as the rain, my speech shall distil as the dew, as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the showers upon the grass." Numbers, chap. x. verse 35. And it came to pass, when the ark set forward, that Moses said, Rise up, Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered, and let them that hate thee flee before thee. And when it rested, he said, Return, O Lord, unto the many thousands of Israel." Numbers, chap. ii. verse 6. " And his host, and those that were numbered thereof, were fifty and four thou­sand and four hundred. All that were mustered of the camp of Ephraim were a hundred thousand, and eight thousand and a hundred throughout their armies, and they shall go forward in the third rank." Here follow several single verses from the 'Psalms, namely : Psalm xlvi. 46: " The God of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge." " Lord of hosts! blessed is the man whose dependence is upon thee." "Help Lord! the King will hear us, when we call upon him." "Jehovah will give might unto his people, the Lord will bless his people in peace." Psalm xix. 14: " Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer." And now take your fingers from your eyes, and repeat the following Psalms with devotion—Psalm exxi.; Psalm Ixvii. and Psalm xci.—com­bined with the last verse of the 90th Psalm, and repeat the last verse of the 91st Psalm twice. Have you strictly complied with all the instruc­tions in the mighty protection of God, and you may proceed securely and without fear, for no evil will befall you, and neither robbers nor murder­ers will attack you. IV. Here is another mysterious means of protection for travelers furnished by this author, but in a different manner. If you should see, says Ram­ban, in a dangerous locality, (for example, in forest, or wilderness), heathens, robbers, or hostile troops approaching you stand suddenly still, make a circle around you, and repeat from Exodus, chap. xi. verse 8: " And all these thy servants shall come down unto me, and bow them­selves unto me, saying, Get thee out, and all the people that follow thee, and after that I will go out" 176 8£^£^ Aip SEVENTH BOOKS ...OE^ MOi ASTROLOGICAL INFLUENCE UPON MAN — AND— -_. .. , , _;' MAGICAL CURl^"" .:» >???? OF THE ? .*..? : I OLD HEBREWS. , " Dr. Gideon Brechee's work:, " The Transcendental, Magic and Magical Healing Art in the Talmud." Vienna: 1850.] ASTROLOGICAL INFLUENCES. That the Cosmos constitutes an organic whole, whose separate parts operate upon and in opposition to each other, was well known to the ancients. Man, as the highest individuality on the earth, which served the ancients as the centre of the universe, reflects in his being as a mierocosm, the macrocosm. The book of Jeziro (a division of the Tal­mud), accordingly parallelizes three factors of the Cosmos, namely, the earth, time and man, corresponding with the cardinal numbers and the elements of words (letters). In that place it is said: Three principal letters, Aleph, Mem, Schin, correspond in the earth with air, water and 6re; in man with the breast, belly and head; in the year with mild temperature, cold and heat. The seven compound letters, Beth, Gimmel, Daleth, Khaf, Pe, Resch apd Tau correspond in the earth with Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury and Moon; in man with wisdom, riches, dominion, life, amativeness, blessing of children and peace; in the year to Saturday, Thursday, Tuesday, Sunday, Friday, Wednesday and Monday. The remaining twelve simple letters correspond in the world with Aries, the Bull, the Twins, the Crab, the Lion, the Virgin, the Balance, the Scorpion, the Bowman, the Goat, the Waterman, the Fishes; in man, the organs of sight, hearing, smelling, speaking, tasting, copulating, to put things in rotion (the hands), to feel anger, to laugh, and to sleep; and in the year to the twelve months. The Tali with the boundary of the earth, the book of Jeziro states further, is like unto a king upon his throne. The spheres of theJJ* »s is like a king in the country; the heart of man is ike unto a ' dflMD battle. The Ta, igjSicliptic, and the heart, are the points of concentration "~d digress' "N» of ^e Pi""1™1" mevens of the Makro and Microcosm. SEVENTH BQOKS OP MOSES. 177 (he Tali, already mentioned, is declared by all the ancients, and among Others by Rajsbi Je^uda Hallawi, to'bft;the Dragon known in astronomy ,yhich the gratis cali,Bashar. (The, supposition is tha|.it is'.the eccentric . jrbit pf.fhe moon against the orbit of. the. sun.) .Tjie.Gymnosophists Ermed.th.e; distance /of the moon.afcthe.poinj of, her intersection in tht ecliptic, Fatona Chandera: " The offended jlragon" which, however, seems impossible, for the book of Jeziro gives the Tali as the primum movens of the whole universe. It would be more reasonable to under­stand by it an assumed zone outside of the zodiac, on which account it appears like a king, upon a throne who holds all the threads of the com­bined kingdom in his hands. . Accordingly the Tali can be nothing, else than the vfprld serpent Seschat (Adischen Wasughl) of the ancient Hin­doos, which served them as a symbol of the Divine protection and of eternity. We have much less to do with the question how man as the Microcosm, through his spiritual powers, which he can bring into action through his will and through the mighty word operates on the whole universe, than with the physical and especially with the magical influence of the whole universe upon man as the part of nature. Even Rabbi Jehuda Haleni calls attention to the wonderful phenome­non that even the elements and powers of nature which contribute to the maintenance of the human organism which man receives within himself, transforms and assimilates to reproduce the wasted particles of his body, and by which he preserves his corporeal integrity, that even these ele­ments after a certain cycle of years, will exercise on their part an inimical and destructive influence upon the human organization, until man dissolves through an individual death, and he returns again unto the elements and chemistry of the general matter of nature. Admitting this constant struggle of man with surrounding nature, the book of Jeziro compares as already stated, the heart, as the fountain of life, to a king in battle, who in the beginning overpowers and subdues his enemies, but who notwithstanding, succumbs to the strife in the end. That the whole universe, the sun, the moon, and the rest of the planets and heavenly bodies exercise a certain influence upon the earth, and conse­quently upon man as a part sf it, and thus produce many and diversified effects, was no uncommon conclusion on the part of the ancients, for they were led to these conclusions by obvious visions and appearances, and they were compelled to discover the sidereal influences by close observa­tion. The moon, especially, with her periods of twenty-seven and twenty-eight days, made her influence upon man and his conditien felt in an un­mistakable manner. Among these may be classed, menstruation in women, the different phases of worm diseases according to the different phases of the moon, the increase and decrease of certain cutaneous dis-. eases, etc., after these phases; the influence of the moon upon certain bodily diseases. Reil mentions, that the influence of the moon in causing dysentery has been recognized by many eminent physicians, who, it is said, have observed that the attacks of dysentery are more frequent in new moon and full moon than at any other periods. Others declare that pesti­lence is much more severe at the time of new moon. The Brahmins also give warning against the new moon. Kant says: " It is a strong argu» 178 SIXTH AND SEVENTH BOOKS OF MOSES. ment in favor of the hypothesis, that the moon influences diseases, from the fact that the deaths from fever in Bengal were greatly multiplied during an eclipse of the sun, etc., because the attraction of the moon at this time unites with that of the sua, whose power to operate upon bodies on the earth has bean established beyond a cavil." Finally, belong in this place the critical days, and the moon's power of attraction upon travelers by night. The influence of the light of the sun and the moon upon humanity I' must have been evident in the earliest period, and it was soon admitted that it affected mightily both the well-being of man, and his frame of mind, as well as the exhibitions of the various temperaments. This knowledge was extended by observation of local diseases during the different seasons of the year ana the changes in the weather, the beneficial effect of the rays of the sun in painful and diseased parts of the body, and the influ­ence of daytime upon births and deaths. Acknowledging the injurious effects of the sun and moon, the Psalmist says: " The sun will not harm by day, neither the moon by night." The Talmud ascribes healing pow­ers to the sun. Abail says: The prophet speaks of the healing sun, for the rays of the sun possess healing powers. The Talmud says: " God hung a precious stone around the neck of Abraham; all they that were sick and gazed thereon became well." But after Abraham died, God took the precious stone and hung it up in the sphere of the sun. But the Ancients also recognized a physical influence of the rest of the planets and the whole host of stars upon man. The belief that the heav­enly bodies were gifted with life, and that they with being endowed with higher powers, could exercise an influence upon man by means of mys­terious magical influences could regulate his temperament, his disposition and his term of life, was spread from the Ganges to the Tiber and to the pillars of Hercules. The Talmud likewise teaches this astrological faith, with this difference, that the Israelite is placed under the immediate guid­ance of God, and notwithstanding the iron astrological necessity and pre. destination, concedes the possibility, that through the omnipotence of God good may be brought about in spite of the constellations. This is ex­pressed in the Talmud by the words: " The Israelite has no constella­tion." Rabbi Joham successfully establishes this fact against Rabbi Chanina. who asserts that, " Wisdom and riches are the gifts of the con­stellations ; " for says Rabbi Joham, it is recorded in Jeremiah x. 2: " Be not afraid of the heavenly signs as the Heathens who fear them." Rab says : Abraham spake before God: Lord of the earth! shall my servant be my heir? God said: No, thy son shall be thy heir. Abraham an­swered : My horoscope has shown me that I shall be childless. Then spake God and said : Get thee away from thy astrology, the Israelite is not subjected to the constellations. On the writing table of Rabbi Jeheschna was found written, says the Talmud: " Whoever is born on Sunday will be distinguished above others." Upon this Rabbi Asche says: Both Dime bar Kakustha and I were born on a Sunday ; I became the principal of a school, and he became a captain of robbers. Light and darkness were created on the Sabbath. He who is born on Monday will always be a passionate man, for on this day the waters were divided. Whoever is born on Tuesday will become SIXTH AND SEVENTH BOOKS OF HOSES. 179 rich and given to pleasure; on this day all herbs were created. Who-ejer is bora on Wednesday will be wise and happy! on this day the stars of the firmament were created. He who is born oh Thursday will be constantly employed in works of love. Whoever is born on Friday will become active in good works. Whoever is born oft the Sabbath will also die on the Sabbath, because the Sabbath was desecrated on his account Raba, the Rabbi Schila adds: He will be called holy. Chancha said to his pupils : Go to the son of Levi, and say: Not the constellation of the day has an influence but the stars of the hour of birth. He that is born under the influence of the sun is gifted with beauty, eats and drinks of his own possessions, but his secrets will become known; should he become a thief, he will be unlucky. If any one is born under the influence of Ve­nus, he will become rich and voluptuous, because the (fire) of love is born in him. He who is born under the influence of Mercury will be­come enlightened and prudent, because Mercury is the secretary of the sun. He who is born under the influence of the moon will learn to bear hardships. He builds and moves in, moves in and builds, eat and drinks of the possessions of the stranger; his secrets remain hidden, and as a thief he will be fortunate: he who is born under Mercury will find all his plans perverted and defeated. The plans of others against him, however, will also be defeated. Whoever is bom under the influence of Jupiter will become a just man. He who is born under the influence of Mars will become a shedder of blood. Rabbi Asche asserts this. He will either become a robber or a butcher. Abam adds, or a judge. We observe that the Talmud regards the sidereal nature of man as a hypo-tatical being of itself. This siderealism, preexisting in the constel­lation of man, he denominates Masol. The most distinguished persons were their own star, and thus, according to the Talmud, the star of the field-general Sisra was called Meroz. Judges v. 23. The siderealism of the proselytes was present at Sinai. Upon the constellation, says Raba, depend—the blessing of children, longevity, success in life. Job cursed his constellations. Since the fate of man is fixed beforehand by the constellation, no injury can take effect upon him, neither can an accidental death come upon him. If, therefore, a man meet serpents or scorpions by which he is attacked, if he destroys them, then let him be assured that they were predestined to be destroyed by him, although he may regard the act as a miracle. Beings who are born under the same constellation stand in close rela­tion and magical sympathy with each other. The Talmud even sets up a problem from these premises as to whether such persons have the same marks, as moles, for instance. The conjunction of the planets, eclipse of the sun and moon, exercise a great influence upon vegetables and upon man. Samuel teaches when the spring equinox happens upon the hour of Jupiter, the strength of the fruit tree will be broken. Should the winter solstice fall upon the hour of Jupiter, then the grain will wither; but with this the new moon must also fall upon the hour of Jupiter or the moon. The first hour of Saturday evening (between six and seven o'clock) is that of Mercury. The second is that of the Moon. The third that of Saturn. The fourth that of Ju- 180 SIXTH AND SEVENTH BOOKS OP MOSES. piters The fifth that of, Mars. The sixth that of the Sun. The seventh that of Venus. The eighth hour, again, is that of Mercury, etc. A i> ? The Rabbis teach: That an eclipse of the sun is an evil sign for all people. It is as if a king prepared a feast for his subjects, and placed be­fore them a brilliant light; should he be angry with his subjects, how­ever, he commands his servants to remove the light, in order that they might be in darkness. Rabbi Meir taught, that eclipses of the heavenly bodies were an evil sign, for the Israelites especially, because they were accustomed to misfortune. If the master enters the school with a rod in his hand, who is afraid? only he who receives daily punishment. The Rabbis teach, that an eclipse of the sun is an evil sign also for the rest of the nations; an eclipse of moon for the Israelites, for they reckon their time from the moon and other nations from the sun. If the eclipse is in the East, it is an evil omen for the inhabitants of the East; if in the west­ern heavens, then it is an evil omen for the inhabitants of the West; if in the middle of the firmament, it is a bad sign for all the inhabitants of the earth. When the sun appears blood red it protends war. If the sun has a greyish appearance it is a sign of famine. When an eclipse occurs at sundown it is a sign that the Judgment is yet far off; if at sunrise, it is an omen of the near approach of the Judgment. According to others, these omens signify the reverse of what is stated above. A general calamity never overtakes a people in which their heavenly prince (protecting spirit) does; pot suffer defeat with them. If, however, Israel walks ac cording to the will of God, it will have nothing to fear of this kind. The Rabbis teach further: On account of sin the sun will be darkened when the presiding judge dies, and is not properly mourned; when a young woman in £ city, who is engaged, cries in vain for help when vio­lence is offered to her; and on account of the simultaneous murder of two brothers. The other heavenly lights will be darkened on account of the making of counterfeit money; on account of false witness; when forcible possession is taken of a stranger's property, or when fruit trees are unnecessarily cut down. To this belongs the dies nefasti, in regard to which we give the follow­ing passages from the Talmud: Samuel teaches, that the time for blessing is Sunday, Wednesday and Friday. No man should allow himself to be bled on Monday or Thurs­day, for Mars says: Only he who can enjoy the savings of his parents should be bled on Monday and on Thursday, because on both these days the earthly and the heavenly courts are in session. On Tuesday a man should not be bled, because on this day Mars rules the hour. Racht ex­plains this in the following manner: Mars has the supervision over wars, pestilence and all kinds of accidents. The paired (exact) number is like* wise an ominous omen, since with it the demons have power (Pessach no), and accidents are imminent. The order of the planets is: Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Sun, Venus, Mercury, Moon. The order of hours in which they rule, begins with the creation of the heavenly lights, namely, in the first hour Wednesday (with us between six and seven o'clock). In this hour Saturn rules, in the second Jupiter; in the third, Mars, etc., thus seven planets in seven hours. This cycle continues forever. According to this order we find that the planets rule in the first hour of each night SIXTH AND SEVENTH BOOKS OF MOSES. 181 in the following order: Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn, Sun, Moon, Mars, namely, in the first hour at the close of Sunday. Mercury, the first hour of the night on Monday; Jupiter, etc. According to this order, in the first hours of the week days are ruled further by the Sun, Moon, Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, Venus, Saturn. The first hour, on Sunday morn-ng is ruled by the sun; the first hour on Monday by the moon, and Tuesday morning by Mars. Mars will rule again on the same day in the eighth hour, a direct hour. On other days his rule will not occur on a direct hour, but only during the night when it is not customary to be bled. Upon the remark of the Talmud that Mars rules in a direct hour on Friday, Raschi says: In the first hour on Friday Venus rules. This planet is followed in regular order by Mercury, Moon, Saturn, Jupiter and Mars. The last rules also in the sixth hour, upon follows the answer, that on Saturday many people are in the habit of being bled, and " God protects the simple." Samuel teaches further, that he who is the fourth, fourteenth, or twenty-fourth, cannot be bled with safety, that is, on a Wednesday fourth, four­teenth and twenty-fourth of the month. So likewise on a fourth, which has no four after it, that is, on a Wednesday after which no four days will intervene until new moon. At new moon, and three days thereafter, bleeding is enervating; on the third day after new moon it is known to be dangerous. OF MAGICAL REMEDIES IN GENERAL. As in the ancient world diseases were regarded as the work of the angry gods and malicious demons, so there were, as in the present day by nations in a state of nature, but few magical remedies employed to secure the assistance of demons or to render them harmless. Sanchuniaton declares that the children of the Kabirists could heal the venomous bite by their songs. The Brahmins regarded diseases as a punishment for sins committed in the present life or in earlier life. The cures consisted of expiation through prayer, alms, exorcisms, but also rational means. The Vedas contain hymns and prayers, to which magical powers are ascribed, and on this account they are used, without under­standing them, as forms of exorcism. All diseases, says the Brahmin, are the result of evil demons, and can only be healed by purification, through sorcery. Ormuzd awakened the great prophet Horn, from whom all the magicians originated. He healed all diseases through the word of Or­muzd and by a plant that bears his name. Many cures, it is said in the ten books, are brought about by means of trees and herbs, others through the agency of the knife, others through the world, but perfect cures result only through the Divine Word. Even if the old Greeks cured with nat-aral means, the common people still believed that a rapid convalescence was obtained through magical formulas, songs and incantations. The medical heroes of the Grecian primitive world were at the same time poets, lawgivers, generals and astronomers. Of the cures of spiritual men and prophets we have already spoken. The prophets were unanimous in" applying natural means, prayer and blessing. Rabbi Jitzchak said: Four things destroy the evil passions of 182 SIXTH AND SEVENTH BOOKS OF MOSES. man, namely, alms, prayer, change of name, and repentance. According to other authors, also, change of place. Josephus writes in reference to king Chiskia, God gave him the power, through fervent adjurations, to reconcile the Deity, and to cast out the evil spirits which are the cause of evil diseases; and this method of healing, continues Josephus, is the pre­vailing one among us at the present day. Josephus adds: I was an eye­witness to a cure which the prophet Eleazar, in the presence of the Em­peror Vespasian, performed upon a man possessed of demons. He made use of a root that was recommended by King Solomon as being effectual against demoniacal disease, when the root was inserted into the nose of the patient, at the same time pronouncing the name of Solomon and the magical formula which this king taught. The Gnostics herein followed the example of the prophets. The theosophical-medical sect of the Escu-cans sought out the power of roots, herbs and stones for healing purposes, and at the same time attempted to heal diseases by living a devout life and by a total surrender of themselves into the idea of God, and by this means they also sought to perform wonders. The substantial word of God, which, as a mark of preference is called the Angel, the Monas, World of Light, Bread of Life, First Born of all Creatures, the Physician of all diseases, lives in the Ejopts and causes them to partake of the Divine nature, so that they may heal diseases and perform wonders of all kinds. The magical Logos, who derives his analogy or origin from the exalted and holy word Oum of the Brahmins, we find again in the Book of Jeriza, where we read (i. 8) : " One, the Spirit of the Living God, voice and Spirit and word." " And this is the Holy Spirit." The Divine number, the Divine Word, the Divine Scriptures, says Rabbi Jehuda Halcive, in his illustration of the Book Jezira, is one and the same with the reality. That which God thinks and wills has at the same time real­ity. Only man makes a distinction between the will and the act; with God these two are identical. Rabbi Jehudah Halewi continues: " We can form some conception of this when we, in thinking of and pronounc­ing a name, at the same time form an image of the subject named in our minds. Among the languages and writings this peculiarity may be no-dced, that some specify the existence of things particularly, while others do so in a general manner. The holy language, however, with which God called the universe into being, demonstrates the prime existence of all things with the utmost definiteness. Whoever, therefore, is acquainted with the original signification of the scriptures, and grasps vith pure thought the existence of the thing intended, he can, in accordance with his thoughts and his will, will the things into being. Thorough knowl­edge of the holy word and of the transposition of its letters may, as the Talmud says, enable man to perform wonders and even create things. Rabbi Jonathan says: " The time will come when the pious will bring the dead to life." Raha says: " If the pious desire to do so, they can create a world." It is reported of this Rabbi that he created a man, and of the Rabbis Chanina and Oschaja, that they were occupied every Fri­day with the book of Jezira, and that they created a fatted calf which they consumed. Gechasie caused the golden image of the bull to speak, by imprinting upon his lips a " name." Solomon gave to Benajahn ben Jehojada a chain and a seal upon both of which he engraved a " name" SIXTH AND SEVENTH BOOKS OF MOSES. with which to bind the demon king Asmedi. Of Bezalel, the builder of the temple tent in the wilderness, it is said : " He understood the trans­position of letters by which heaven and earth were created." Abischai uttered a holy name, and thereby suspended David between heaven and earth. The word which expresses the being of the prototypes and the idea of the intelligentia may operate through these through the whole chain of be­ing down to the most minute^causing changes, reverses and new creations, and may also conquer demono. " Rabbi Chanina bar Papi was required by a matron who became enamored of him, to fulfil her amorous desires. He uttered something, and his body was covered with scabs and boils. She also did something and he became whole; then he fled and concealed himself," etc. But since there are holy words, whose literal ideas and their transposi­tions are countless modifications of existence, so there are also unholy words which give the prototypes of the dark side of the spirit world. And now, if the profane use of the holy name is forbidden upon pain of losing future happiness, so the use of unholy names, which Abraham transmitted to the children of his concubines is the most terrible, because they lead to the sins of idolatry, through which man acquires evil prin­ciples and becomes possessed of demons. The Talmud, in general, forbids sorcery, heathen superstition and heathen usages. To these belong the charming of wounds and injuries, with which, notwithstanding the exorcism, a verse of the Bible was made use of; the charming of snakes and scorpions. The following usages «specially, were given as being heathenish. I. To suspend the egg of a grasshopper on the ear to cure earache. 2. To carry the tooth of a fox to promote sleep; the tooth of a dead fox was used to prevent drowsiness, and the tooth of a living fox caused sleep. 3. The bearing of the splinter from a gallows, to cure a wound caused by iron. 4. The proverb, f Good fortune! and be not weary day nor night," probably a saying to obtain good luck. " Gad" means luck, and it is the name of the idol Belus (Isaiah lxv. II). 5. In order to obtain good luck the man as­sumes the name of the woman, and the woman the name of the man. o. The saying, " Be strong, O my barrels ! " to increase the wme blessing-— Dan is the' name of an idol. (Amos viii. 14.) 7- To have luc^ P^P/S call to the male ravin: " Shriek! " and to the female raven:" <-roalc \, and turn unto me your tail for luck. 8. If any one says: "Kill this cock, for he crows late in the evening, or kill this hen, for she crows like a cock." Q. I drink and leave some over; I drink and leave some over /so that the wine may increase). 10. Whoever dashes the shells of egg* against the wall (out of which the young chickens ha7e^leady^^ that they may not die). II. He who stirs in a crock before fcey™* before the pot to facilitate cooking. ^^1 Bys:« following 184 SIXTH AND SEVENTH BOOKS OF MOSES. hasten my convalescence, etc., for no one should seek the assistance of the physician, but should look for a return of health only to God. To this Aliae objects, because Rabbi Jischmael teaches, and because he de­duces from the Thora (Exodus xxi. 19). The physician shall have an un­conditional right to heal. The Talmud not only adopts this view of Alaie's but it forbade to dwell in a place where no physician could be met with. If again, on the other hand, we read in the Talmud that King Chiskia, suffered the Book of Healing to be destroyed, and for this act was praised by the Rabbis, then that book, as is supposed by Maimon-ides, contained simply superstitious astrological and idolatrous remedies, which the pious king sought to consign to oblivion, of which, however, a large portion found their way into the hands of the people, and in time also became a common benefit to the more enlightened. OF THE MAGICAL CORES IN PARTICULAR. 1__Healing by Amulets. The amulet Kamsa was used as a remedy against diseases and espe­cially against sorcery. This amulet was either a written parchment, prop­erly called Pitka, or a small bundle of plants. The words written on the amulet were of a diversified character; among the contents, however, were to be found verses from the Bible. Proof *** is called an amulet, since cures have been effected through it three times, whether it was written or whether it consisted of roots. In reference to the Sabbath (whether or not it might be worn on that day or not), it must still be re­garded as reliable, because it was made and perfected by a connoisseur. An amulet may prove effectual in healing a human being, while it is of no effect in the case of an animal, because in man the constellation oper­ates in conjunction with the amulet. If it is expected to be effectual, it must have reference to the name and number of the demon. Thus, for example, the demons of the caper-tree are called spirits; of a service-tree, Schedim; in the gardens, Rispe. At the caper-tree not less than sixty Schedim congregate, and the amulet must therefore have reference to this number. A string made of the seeds of the madder was hung upon children as si protection against certain diseases. The nurse of Abbaii taught him: Three grains will check the disease, five will cure, and seven will prove effectual against sorcery. Rabbi Acha bar Jacob remarks: The last is true only when the bewitched person is not exposed to the light of the sun or moon, or to rain, and when he does not hear the ringing of iron, the crowing of the cock, or the sound of footsteps. Rabbi Nachmann bar Jitzchak says that this remedy was already forgotten in his time. z.—Healing by Charms. The nurse of Abbaii taught him: " All numbering {naming ?) should SIXTH AND SEVENTH BOOKS OF MOSES. 186 be done in the name of the mother (N. son of R.), and all external pas­sages must be made on the left side of the body. Abbaii says farther: If the number is fixed it should be strictly adhered to without deviation-11 the number is not fixed, it is forty-one. As anti-heathenish customs the four following things are allowed • 1 To place the splinter of a mulberry-tree or fragments of glass into the pot in order to make the mess boil more readily. (The Rabbis, however, forbade the fragment of glass on account of the danger of swallowing in with the food.) 2. The drinking toast: Wine and lift cheer the Rab­bis ! Rabbi Akiba repeated this toast with every vessel of wine used at the marriage feast of his son. Against intoxication: Anoint the palms of the hand and the soles of the feet of the drunken person with a mixture of oil and salt, and say: As the ointment becomes pure, so may the senses become clean; or, lay the bung of a barrel in the water and say : As the bung becomes clean, etc. Charm against suppuration: say for instance, Bas, Basia, Mas Masia, Kas, Kasia, Scharial and Amarlia, the ingels, who came out of the land of Sodom to heal painful boils. Let the color not become redder; let it not spread further, let the seed be absorbed in the bowels. And as a. mule does not propagate its species, so may this evil be not propagated in the body of N. son of R. Charm against smallpox; For example; Drawn sword and pointed sling. His name is not Jacob, the pain rages. Against being possessed, as follows: Cursed, crushed and banished be the demon, by name Bar Tet, Bor Tama, etc. Charm against injury inflicted by demons of by-places: Upon the head of the lion, and in the nose of the lionesss, I found the demon Bar Schirlc a Panda. I threw him into a fish-bed and slew him with the jawbone of an ass. To make evil dreams good, three men recited certain consoling verses from the Bible. " Whosoever had a bad dream, should hasten in the morning, as soon as he awakens, to repeat a verse from the .Bible, the contents of which should be favorable to him, and this must be done quickly, before a verse comes into the mind with an unfavorable meaning to him." He that is upon the point of entering a city and fears the evil look, let him put his right thumb in his left hand, and his left thumb in his right hand, and say: I, N. N., am of the lineage of Joseph, over whom the evil eye can have no power. He makes the glance of the evil eye harm­less; the tail of a fox was hung upon the horse. 3.__Remedies and Charms against Sorcery. Ben Asai says: Do not irritate your anus while sitting down in ordet to obtain a passage from the bowels, for he who does this will be attacked by sorcery, even though he were engaged in Spain. If a man, however, has done so in a mistake, after an evacuation, let him pronounce the tot. º^Ye cannot approach, neither Tachimnor Tachtum, not all of you, not any of you, neither the enchantment of the sorcerer nor.the charm of the sorceress." 186 SIXTH AND SEVENTH BOOKS OF MOSES. Rabbi Chanina says: To drink one-eighth ounce of ass's milk, which is forty days old, is effective against the sting of a wasp; one quart against the sting of a scorpion; one-half quart against sorcery, and the drinking of fluids that have been open and exposed. Rabbi Jochanan said: A chief among witches told me: If you met.* witches you should utter the following charm: " Hot dirt, in perforated baskets, in your mouths, ye enchanting women. May your heads become bald; may the wind blow away your bread crumbs; may it scatter your spices; may the fresh saffron which ye have in your hands fly away. Witches! so long as men were gracious to me, and I was careful, I came not in your midst; now 1 did, and you are not agreeable to me." The Rabbi taught: There are three things between which we should not pass, and so, also, that two persons walking side by side should not allow to come between them. These three things are—a dog, a palm, and a woman. Some add also a hog, and others, a snake. Should this 1-appen notwithstanding, what shall a man do to escape uninjured ? Rabbi Pspi says: « Repeat a verse from the Bible that begins and ends with the same letters." If women are seated facing each other on opposite sides of the street, there is no doubt that they are engaged in witchcraft. How shall a man escape them without injury? He should avoid them and go another way. If this is not possible, then he shall take some one by the hand and pass by in his company. If there is no one at hand, he must say: "The demons of sorcery have already been killed by arrows. A rat Assia, Belussia, are the names of the demons. Raschi." The Rabbis teach: A man should not drink water in the night, either from a stream or from water that is standing still. Whoever does this, his blood be upon his own head, because by so doing he will render him­self liable to become blind. How can we make drinking at night safe ? If there is some one present he should be awakened and addressed as follows : " I drink water!" If you are alone, rattle with the lid of the drinking cup and say to yourself: " N., son of R., thy mother said to thee: Guard thyself against Schabriri, briri, riri, iri, ri, in a white pitcher (Raschi), this is a magical charm." As the syllables of the word Schabriri decrease, so the demon will withdraw. The Targum of blindness (Gen­esis xix. 11), in Schabriri. In reference to paired numbers, of which we have already spoken, Rabbi Papa says: "Joseph, the Demon, told me that through two we kill, through four we only inflict injury. In the number two the evil will fol­low, whether we have done a thing in this number intentionally or acci­dentally. In the number four only when the thing is done intentionally. If we have accidentally partaken of a meal or drank out of a paired plate or pitcher, number, how shall we avoid the fati.i consequences ? Wo must take the thumb of the right hand into the left, and the thumb of the left into the right hand, and say: Yon and I make thtee. If answered, is returned: You and I make five. If we again hear the answer: You and I are six, we must again answer: You and I are seven. It happened that some one carried this on to the loist time, until finally the demon burst with chagrin. SIXTH AND SEVENTH BOOKS OF MOSES. 187 APPLICATION OF THE CHARMS AND THE REMEDIES. We insert the passages of the Talmud which treat of the subject, on ac­count of their coherence, in all that extent, although it may not properly belong in this place, because in several cases in the following remedies the natural cures as well as the magical charms are prescribed, and be­cause these passages from the Talmud otherwise offer many interesting matters. They-treat of proceedings against snakes and other remarkable occurrences. He that has swallowed a snake, let him eat ivy and then walk thre« miles. Rabbi Sime bar Asche saw a man who had swallowed a snake. Rabbi Sime fell upon him like a warrior, gave him ivy and salt to ea^ and then drove him three miles before him, when the snake came from him in pieces. Others state that Rabbi Sime himself swallowed the snake, when the prophet Eli came in the form of a wild warrior, gave him-ivy and salt to eat, etc., etc. If a man be bitten by a snake, let him take seventy-nine hairs from the tail of a white she-ass, tie them with a silken thread, and he that is bitten sit upon them. The she-ass must, however, have been/free from Trefa (an organic disease). An official in Pumbedithat was bitten by a snake. Now, there were found in Pumbedithat thirteen bearing white she-asses, which were opened one after another, but all were found to have been afflicted with Trefa. It was also known that in a distant part of the city there was another she-ass, and messengers were sent to bring her. But meanwhile a lion had eaten up the she-ass. Then spoke Abaii: Perhaps the snake of the Rabbis have bitten him, against the bite of which there is no remedy. The pupils answered, Yes; so it is, master; for when Rab died, Rabbi Jitzsechak bar Bina prohibited the use of myrtle and palm leaves for a whole year. This officer, however, paid no attention to thi( prohibition. If a snake should wind around a person, he should go into the water and take a basket which he should hold above the head of the snake, then lower the basket in such a manner that the rim of it shall come between him and the snake (to grasp the snake with the hands would be danger­ous, because it might become enraged and wound the person). When the snake is in the basket, throw it quickly into the water and hasten away. Should any one be pursued by an angry snake (where the snake follows the person by scenting his tracks) he should suffer himself to be carried a short distance by a person, if any one should be present (through the stranger's footsteps the snake will lose his tracks); if no one is with him he should spring across water or seat himself over a fountain. On the following night he should place himself upon four barrel' "=o that the snake cannot easily reach him, or let him rather sleep in tr p^,v air, so that it cannot come to him through the roof, then let him tie » , ' "• t 188 SIXTH AND SEVENTH BOOKS OP MOSES. The following remedies are also recommended in cases of female weak­ness : Take the tops of three Persian onions, boil them in wine and let the woman drink of it, at the same time saying to her: Recover from thy sickness! Another remedy: Take a handful of caraway, a handful of saffron, and an equal quantity of foenugrek, boil them together in wine, and let the woman drink of it, saying: Recover from thy sickness! Another remedy: Take sixty bungs of wine barrels, soak them in water, and give the woman of the water to drink, and say to her at the same time: Recover from thy sickness! Or, take a quantity of the growth of tendrils, boil them in wine, and let the woman drink of it, and speak to her as above. Or, take the plant that grows beside the thorn, and burn it to ashes. The woman should carry the ashes upon her person in a linen patch in the summer, or a woolen patch in the winter. Or, dig seven holes in the ground, and burn in each of them young grapevines not over three years' growth. Let the woman take a cup into her hands and seat herself over the first hole and drink: then rise up and seat herself upon the second hole, etc., etc. Each time speak to hers Recover, etc. ', Or, anoint the lower part of her body with rose-water. Or, take a wreath of feathers, burn them to ashes. These ashes the patient should carry in a linen bag in the summer, and in a woolen bag in the winter. Or; open a cask of wine expressly for her. She should drink much wine. Or, take a grain of barley that was found in the stable of a white she-ass. If she holds this one day in her hand (the right hand), the ailment will cease for two days. If she ho'ds it during two days, it will cease for three days. If she holds it three days it will cease forever. According to others: if she takes one grain in her hand, etc.; if she takes two grains in her hand, etc. 5__Magical Remedies Against Various Diseases and Conditions. Abortus.__The actitee (eaglestone, rattle-snake stone—stone of retain­ing, remaining) was worn by women as a prevention against abortion. "Blood-Letting.—If you have eaten fish, you must not be bled on the following day. If you have been bled, you must not eat fish on the fol­lowing day. On the third day both would be dangerous. ?? The Rabbis teach: After blood-letting, a man must not, on the same Jay, drink milk, eat cheese, onions or vegetables. If a man, however, has eaten of these things, he should mix, says Abaii, one quarter measure of vinegar, and one quarter measure of wine, and drink it. If a motion of the bowels ensues, the evacuation should take place without and on the east side of the town, for the exhalation of such is injurious. Diseases of the Eye.—The saliva of a firstborn on the male side (not of the female side) is effective in the cure of eye diseases. Rab says : A degenerate eye is dangerous to life, for the vision-power of the eye is closely connected with the pericardium. SSIXTH AND SEVENTH BOOKS OP MOSES. 189 Rapid traveling impairs the sight of the eye; but it may be restored by tittering the Blessing of consecration of the Sabbath on Friday evening. Blindness—Against blindness at night, take a string made out of tha Kair of an animal; tie one end of it to the foot of the patient, and the other end to {he foot of a dog, and then let the children make a noise be­hind the dog, and say: " Hold the dog, fool the rock." Then take seven pieces of meat from seven different houses, and let the inmates of each house hang a piece of the meat at the door-post of the patient. The dog must eat this meat in an open place. Then let the patient unbind the hair-line and let some one say; Night blindness of F., son of R., leave N., son of R., and perforate the pupil of the dog. Against Day Blindness.—Take seven pieces of spleen from seven heifers, and lay them upon the vessel used by the physician to catch the blood when bleeding a patient. The patient must be seated in a chamber. A man must be stationed on the outside, who must say: " Blind one! give to me that I may eat." The patient answers: " How can I open ? Come in and eat! " After eating he must break the plate or he will him­self become blind. Mind Power.—Rab says: The " Bird of the Vineyard " (mentioned in the Mischna) is found on the palm-tree having a single bark. It is employed as a means to strengthen the mind. The right half of it must; be:'eaten, and the left half of it must be preserved in acoppei tube which must be sealed with sixty seals (with wax, putty, earth, etc.), and hung upon the left arm. Upon this a man obtains clearer ideas, and is enabled to comprehend matters with more ease. Afterward the other half should also be eaten, for if this be neglected, what has been learned will soon be forgotten. The Soft-Boiled Egg.—Samuel says: A slave that knows how to prepare a soft-boiled egg is worth a thousand dollars. The egg must be handled thousands of times in warm as well as in cold water, until it be­comes so small that it can be swallowed with a single effort. Whatever disease may be in the abdomen will De known to the physician through the decreasing egg, and he will at once know what remedy to prescibe. Fever.—The nurse of Samuel gave him the following remedies: Against the Daily Fever: Take a new silver coin and a piece of salt of equal weight, and carry both over the pit of the heart, attached to a string. Or, take a seat on a crossroad, and as soon as you observe a large ant carrying something, take her up and place her in a copper tube, close the opening with lead, and seal it with sixty seals, shake the tube and hand upon your body, and say to the ant: Thy burden upon me; and my bur­den upon thee. Or, take a new earthen pipkin, go to a spring and say: Spring, Spring S lend me a pipkin full of water for the road that happens to me. Then swing the pipkin full of water seven times around your head, throw it backward and say: Spring, Spring! take the water you gave me, for the way that happened to me came in his day and departed in his day. Rabbi Huna says: For fever recurring every three days, take sever different grapes from seven different grapevines, seven chips from seven joists, seven nails from seven bridges, seven small quantities of ashes from leven stoves, seven bits of earth from seven holes in the ground, seven 190 SIXTH AND SEVENTH BOOKS OP HOSES. pieces of pitch from seven ships, seven grains of cumin, seven hairs oat of the beard of an old dog. Bind these all together and carry them with a string upon the nape of the neck. Rabbi Jochanan says: For the burning fever, take a knife that is made entirely of iron, go to a thorn bush and tie a hair line to it. On the first day make a notch in it and say : " And there appeared unto him an angel of God in a flame of fire out of the midst of the burning bush." On the next day make another indentation and say : « Then God saw that he ap. preached in order to see, etc." The following day make another indenta­tion and say: « Come nigh, etc." Then cut the thorn off near the ground ?ad say: O thornbush! O thornbash! I trust in thee 1 IH1 1MB