Judaism and the Occult
One of Judaism’s many paradoxes is that it is simultaneously the most mystical and most rational belief system. ACHAREI-KEDOSHIM ACHAREI-KEDOSHIM
Odd Conclusion
This week’s parsha concludes with the severe punishment that would be meted out to the person who engaged in necromancy; an occult practice that involved communicating with the dead. The very last two Hebrew words read: “d’meihem bam” meaning they are responsible for their own demise.
Although it was rare for the punishment to ever be carried out—as is true about most Biblical punishments—nevertheless, the very fact that it is mentioned in the Torah underscores the seriousness of this transgression.
A question has been raised on the choice of this law for the conclusion of the Torah portion:
The fact that the Torah portion concludes on this very harsh note seems to contradict a general rule that when we read the Torah, we should conclude on a positive note. What positive message is to be ACHAREI-KEDOSHIM derived from the extreme way the Torah condemns the person guilty of these occult practices?
What’s Wrong with Magic?
To answer this question we are required to examine the reason the Torah inveighs so heavily against these occult practices. Why are they so harshly condemned?
Furthermore, doesn’t Judaism also deal with mystical and spiritual realms such as the teachings of Kabbalah that have always been a part of Jewish teaching?
The answer is that there are at least three fundamental differences between the notion of spirituality as it exists in Judaism and the way it was understood and practiced in other occult religions.
No Independent Existence
First, Judaism—especially as it is expounded in the Kabbalah—is radically monotheistic. Not only do we negate any demigods or forces that possess any independent powers that were not given to them by G-d, but there is nothing that even has independent existence outside of G-d.
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In stark contrast, the occult ideologies the Torah tells us to distance ourselves from are predicated on the notion that (a) there are many forces in this world, and (b) they can oppose G-d.
Non-Ethical Spirituality
Second, Judaism’s notion of G-d and spirituality is that it cannot replace living a moral, pious and ethical life. Moreover, the spiritual achievements are second to following the dictates of the Torah that govern our day to day physical life that includes the way we relate to others. Spirituality is needed to augment, enhance and enliven our Judaism; not to escape from our physical world of responsibility.
The occult religions and practices the Torah prohibits were anything but moral. Many of them were practiced in conjunction with and thrived on despicable acts of human sacrifices and immoral orgies among other unspeakable travesties.
Obsession with Death
Third, while Judaism accentuates life—consistent with the statement in this week’s parsha “And you shall live with them”—the occult forces were often ACHAREI-KEDOSHIM associated with darkness and death. Indeed, as stated, the very subject the Torah discusses at the end of the parsha is necromancy—communication with the dead.
Were the Torah to state merely that it was forbidden to engage in these practices it would not have dramatized the extent to which Judaism repudiates them. By stating emphatically—at the very conclusion of the Torah portion entitled Kedoshim that means “Holy”—the Torah wishes to draw the most extreme contrast between the Jewish notion of holiness—and the pagan forms of holiness:
Self-Destructive
The former connects us to G-d’s holiness and gives us life, whereas these occult practices lead to the very opposite. The two very last words that declare how that they are at fault for their own demise— d’meihem bam—imply that these are the most selfdestructive practices.
We are living in the very last throes of the period known as exile—on the threshold of the Messianic Age.
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Are You a Superstitious Rationalist?
If you are a non-rational, superstitious person you will believe that nature itself has power to correct its own problems and that the world will somehow come around to becoming a good world.
A non-rational, mindless individual can blindly believe that peace will happen without Divine intervention. That approach is conceptually no more acceptable—in the eyes of the Torah—as those who practice necromancy and other occult exercises. These blind humanistic beliefs are based on ideas and institutions that have no substance and cannot endure on their own. The problem with them is not only they have not passed the test of time; they also deflect our attention from doing the right things; those very things G-d tells us will actually make the world change.
Moshiach the Most Rational Belief
On the other hand, if you are a rational person you will realize that only the one G-d—the sole Creator and Master of the universe—can make the world change and chart the course for us to follow to make it happen. And it is this G-d who chose us to ACHAREI-KEDOSHIM be His instruments of change through the study of Torah and the observance of the Mitzvot.
To be sure, we do believe with perfect faith in the coming of Moshiach. As Maimonides, the great rationalist, stated it is one of the 13 fundamental beliefs of Judaism. However this belief is also buttressed by sheer rational logic that G-d will ultimately make good on His promise to bring us Moshiach and the final Redemption and make the world sane again. Believing in Moshiach is not a dream or an illusion. Belief that existence and life has no higher purpose, or that, contrary to G-d’s will, that purpose will not be realized—that is the dream and illusion that we must reject.
We also know that the catalyst for the change that will happen imminently is to follow G-d’s plan— which is taking every opportunity to do one more Mitzvah. The cumulative effect of all the good that we’ve performed throughout history might be waiting for one more Mitzvah on our part; the proverbial straw that will break the back of the forces of evil that predominate in the time of exile.
But precisely because we are living in such powerful and momentous times, there is much confusion. All sorts of “spiritual” ideologies are vying for control of ACHAREI-KEDOSHIM our minds and hearts. Distorted versions of Kabbalah have become popular and have compromised its holiness and integrity in the most vulgar way.
Pseudo-Rational and Pseudo-Scientific Challenges
This is the time that we cannot afford to be misguided by these occult forces. They are no better than the pseudo-rational and pseudo-scientific challenges to G-d and Judaism that we’ve suffered from, especially in the past few hundred years.
Now is the time to fortify ourselves with genuine Jewish knowledge—of both the exoteric and esoteric parts of Torah—that will prepare us for the Messianic Age.
Now is the time to fuse supra-rational faith with down-to-earth rational thought in preparation for such time when the knowledge of the transcendent G-d will become manifest throughout the world.
Momentous Celebration
This Shabbat, hundreds of thousands of Jews throughout the world will be celebrating a monumental intellectual and spiritual milestone: A ACHAREI-KEDOSHIM siyum/a celebratory conclusion of the entire encyclopedic work of Maimonides known as Mishneh Torah for the 28th time.
In 1983, the Lubavitcher Rebbe instituted the study of Maimonides’ magnum opus that covers the entire spectrum of Jewish law in fourteen volumes, comprising close to 1,000 chapters. By studying three chapters a day one can complete this daunting task in less than a year. For the less ambitious the Rebbe proposed studying one chapter a day thereby completing it in about three years.
What connection is there between Maimonides and the anti-occult message conveyed to us in the end of this week’s parsha?
Maimonides the Iconoclast
Of all the great Jewish minds and authorities, Maimonides stands out as the ultimate iconoclast. Maimonides vehemently opposed any form of paganism and the occult because they compromise the pure nature of our belief in one G-d.
Indeed, his Mishneh Torah—which incidentally begins with the Hebrew letter bet and concludes with the Hebrew letter mem, spelling the world ACHAREI-KEDOSHIM bam, the very last word of this week’s parsha— concludes with the following paragraph:
“In that era, there will be neither famine nor war, envy or rivalry, for good will flow in abundance and all delights will be as common as dust. The occupation of the entire world will be solely to know G-d. Therefore the Jews will be great sages and know hidden matters, attaining knowledge of their Creator to the full extent of human potential, as stated [Isaiah 11:9]: ‘The world will be filled with the knowledge of G-d as the sea fills the ocean bed.’”
The conclusion of this week’s parsha is the repudiation of anything that stands in the way of the fulfillment of the Messianic reality outlined by Maimonides. Seen in that light, the conclusion of the parsha is indeed a highly positive one.
From the book Light from the Future: Parshas Acharei-Kedoshim by Rabbi Heschel Greenberg, published by the Jewish Discovery Center.
