Author Archive

JEWISH WITCHES: RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: HAPPY CHALLAHWEEN: JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL JEWISH WITCHES: RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: HAPPY CHALLAHWEEN: JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL JEWISH WITCHES: RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: HAPPY CHALLAHWEEN: JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL Shalom , Peace and Happy CHALLAHween: We will detour a bit this month from Jewish Ethics and discuss Judaism’s view of witches, apropos the Halloween season. Exodus 22:17 commands us to not let a witch live. Yet we see sorcery and witchcraft throughout the Bible and Rabbinic times. In I Samuel 28, King Saul visited a witch in Ein Dor who used an Ob to raise the prophet Samuel from the dead. Talmud Chagigah 77 tells of Rabbi Simeon who hanged 80 witches at Ashkelon who all lived in a single cave and “harmed the world.” In Pirkei Avot 2:7 Rabbi Hillel says, “the more wives, the more witchcraft.” Rabbi Yose said that one should not say a blessing over a spice from an unknown source “because Jewish women offer incense to witchcraft” (Beracoth 53A). In Eruvin 64A the rabbis teach that while it is a law to pick up bread that one sees on the road, this does not apply now as “Jewish daughters are flagrantly involved in witchcraft” and the bread may be cursed. Women cause dogs to become rabid ( Yoma 83B). When Satan was created he sought a wife to be his partner in evil witchcraft ( Kiddushin 81A). The Zohar states that Satan, in the form of the serpent, had sex with Eve producing Cain. The Midrash Sifre teaches that a man should not be afraid to go into battle against other men, but that he should be fearful of doing battle against a woman and her witchcraft. Sanhedrin 100B explains that when a daughter is old, she will be involved in witchcraft. Pesachim 111A warns us that if we see two women at cross roads facing each other, they are witches. Gitten 45A tells of Rabbi Nachman’ daughters who stirred a boiling pot of witch’s brew with their bare hands. Ironically, the two books of witchcraft of the Talmudic era–Harba de Moshe and Sefer ha Razim–are written by men. In Kiddushin 66B Rabbi Simeon says that “the best of women is filled with witchcraft.” This same Rabbi Simeon who gives us so many examples of women being bad witches was a sorcerer himself! In Me’ilah 17B he exorcised an evil spirit from the emperor’s daughter. In Tractate 38B, Rabbi Simeon turned his opponent into a heap of bones with the evil eye. Thank God, Modern Judaism disavows any of these notions. Happy CHALLAHween! Rabbi Arthur Segal is an international lecturer, author, and teacher. Visit him at www.JewishSpiritualRenewal.org . Follow him on FaceBook at ‘Arthur L Segal’, on Twitter at RabbiASegal, or his blog at http://rabbiarthursegal.blogspot.com . Email at RabbiASegal@aol.com RABBI DR ARTHUR SEGAL www.JewishSpiritualRenewal.com/books www.FaceBook.com/Arthur.L.Segalwww.FaceBook.com/RabbiArthurSegalJewishSpiritualRenewal www.RabbiArthurSegal.blogspot.com Jewish Spiritual Renewal Jewish Renewal Jewish Spirituality Hilton Head Island, SC; Bluffton, SC; Savannah, GA RABBI DR ARTHUR SEGAL www.JewishSpiritualRenewal.com/books www.FaceBook.com/Arthur.L.Segal www.FaceBook.com/RabbiArthurSegalJewishSpiritualRenewalwww.RabbiArthurSegal.blogspot.com Jewish Spiritual Renewal Jewish Renewal Jewish Spirituality Hilton Head Island, SC; Bluffton, SC; Savannah, GA RABBI DR ARTHUR SEGAL www.JewishSpiritualRenewal.com/books www.FaceBook.com/Arthur.L.Segal www.FaceBook.com/RabbiArthurSegalJewishSpiritualRenewal www.RabbiArthurSegal.blogspot.com Jewish Spiritual Renewal Jewish Renewal Jewish Spirituality Hilton Head Island, SC; Bluffton, SC; Savannah, GA

JEWISH WITCHES: RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: HAPPY CHALLAHWEEN: JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL JEWISH WITCHES: RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: HAPPY CHALLAHWEEN: JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL JEWISH WITCHES: RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: HAPPY CHALLAHWEEN: JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL Shalom , Peace and Happy CHALLAHween: We will detour a bit this month from Jewish Ethics and discuss Judaism’s view of witches, apropos the Halloween […]

SAVANNAH GEORGIA JEWISH VOW RENEWALS: FORSYTH PARK: RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL

Wednesday, October 21, 2015 SAVANNAH GEORGIA JEWISH VOW RENEWALS: FORSYTH PARK: RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL SAVANNAH GEORGIA JEWISH VOW RENEWALS: FORSYTH PARK: RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL SAVANNAH GEORGIA JEWISH VOW RENEWALS: FORSYTH PARK: RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL Please wish mazel tov v siman tov to Greg and Liz who celebrated their love and marriage with a […]

HILTON HEAD JEWISH DESTINATION WEDDINGS: RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL

Saturday, October 17, 2015 HILTON HEAD JEWISH DESTINATION WEDDINGS: RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL Shalom. Please wish Mazel Tov to Tammy Linn and Adam Greenberg, whose Hilton Head Island, South Carolina The Dunes House, Palmetto Dunes Jewish Destination beach wedding was beautifully captured by Wed on Canvas and wedding co- ordinated by […]

RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: NOACH: NOAH; RITUAL TO SAVE THE EARTH: JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWA

Thursday, October 15, 2015 RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: NOACH: RITUAL TO SAVE THE EARTH: JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: NOACH: NOAH; RITUAL TO SAVE THE EARTH: JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: NOACH: RITUAL TO SAVE THE EARTH: JEWISH SPIRITUAL RENEWAL RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL:Timeline in Parasha Noach:Developing Ritual to Save the Earth RABBI ARTHUR […]

RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: KAIFENG JEWS PRESERVED JUDAISM IN CHINA: BLUFFTON SUN

Wednesday, October 7, 2015 RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: KAIFENG JEWS PRESERVED JUDAISM IN CHINA: BLUFFTON SUN RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: KAIFENG JEWS PRESERVED JUDAISM IN CHINA: BLUFFTON SUN RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: KAIFENG JEWS PRESERVED JUDAISM IN CHINA: BLUFFTON SUN Shalom and Peace: Continuing our peek at exotic Jewish communities, let’s visit Kaifeng, eastern China. Jews survived […]

JEKYLL ISLAND RESORT GEORGIA JEWISH INTERFAITH WEDDINGS: RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL

JEKYLL ISLAND RESORT GEORGIA JEWISH INTERFAITH WEDDINGS: RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL = CLICK HERE PLEASE FOR BETTER POST WITH PICTURES. THANKS. HILTON HEAD DESTINATION JEWISH WEDDINGS ; RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL RABBIASEGAL@AOL.COM WWW.HILTONHEADJEWISHWEDDINGS.COM/WEDDINGS WWW.SAVANNAHJEWISHWEDDINGS.COM/WEDDINGS WWW.HILTONHEADJEWISHINTERFAITHWEDDINGS.COM/WEDDINGS JEWISH WEDDINGS CONTACT RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL AT RABBIASEGAL@AOL.COM JEWISH WEDDINGS OFFICIATED BY RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: TRADITIONAL, INTERFAITH, CO-OFFICIANT, DESTINATION “One […]

PALMETTO BLUFF RESORT JEWISH WEDDINGS; RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL

PALMETTO BLUFF RESORT JEWISH WEDDINGS; RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL PALMETTO BLUFF RESORT JEWISH WEDDINGS; RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL RABBIASEGAL@AOL.COM WWW.HILTONHEADJEWISHWEDDINGS.COM/WEDDINGS WWW.SAVANNAHJEWISHWEDDINGS.COM/WEDDINGS WWW.HILTONHEADJEWISHINTERFAITHWEDDINGS.COM/WEDDINGS JEWISH WEDDINGS CONTACT RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL AT RABBIASEGAL@AOL.COM JEWISH WEDDINGS OFFICIATED BY RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: TRADITIONAL, INTERFAITH, CO-OFFICIANT, DESTINATION “One of the Joys of being a Rabbi,” says Rabbi Arthur Segal,” is working […]

HILTON HEAD ISLAND JEWISH TRADITIONAL EGALITARIAN WEDDINGS: RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL

Monday, September 14, 2015 HILTON HEAD ISLAND JEWISH TRADITIONAL EGALITARIAN WEDDINGS: RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL HILTON HEAD ISLAND JEWISH TRADITIONAL EGALITARIAN WEDDINGS: RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL HILTON HEAD ISLAND JEWISH TRADITIONAL EGALITARIAN WEDDINGS: RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL Shalom! Shana Tova! Please wish Mazel Tov to the ”new” Mr and Mrs Michael and Jenn Spicer of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania who had a pre-sundown […]

RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: BLUFFTON SUN: BAHRAIN’S JEWS FEEL NO RELIGIOUS TENSION

Wednesday, September 2, 2015 RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: BLUFFTON SUN: BAHRAIN’S JEWS FEEL NO RELIGIOUS TENSION RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: BLUFFTON SUN: BAHRAIN’S JEWS FEEL NO RELIGIOUS TENSION Shalom and Peace: Let us continue our journey to international Jewish communities, and visit Bahrain. The Talmud reads that Jews lived in Bahrain since antiquity. […]

SAVANNAH JEWISH WEDDINGS: RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: INNS,SQUARES, TYBEE ISLAND BEACH

Saturday, August 29, 2015 SAVANNAH JEWISH WEDDINGS: RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: INNS,SQUARES, TYBEE ISLAND BEACH SAVANNAH JEWISH WEDDINGS: RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: INNS,SQUARES, TYBEE ISLAND BEACH RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL RABBIASEGAL@AOL.COM WWW.HILTONHEADJEWISHWEDDINGS.COM/WEDDINGS WWW.SAVANNAHJEWISHWEDDINGS.COM/WEDDINGS WWW.HILTONHEADJEWISHINTERFAITHWEDDINGS.COM/WEDDINGS JEWISH WEDDINGS CONTACT RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL AT RABBIASEGAL@AOL.COM JEWISH WEDDINGS OFFICIATED BY RABBI ARTHUR SEGAL: TRADITIONAL, INTERFAITH, CO-OFFICIANT, DESTINATION “One of the Joys of being […]

Previous Posts Next posts