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December 31, 2010
Judaism and astrology
There are ways to look to the zodaic for signs.
RABBI SHMUEL YESHAYAHU
Often, when contemplating major changes in my life, I am tempted to check my astrological reading. Is there anything wrong with relying on predictions of the future?
If you ask the average person whether Judaism believes in astrology, they will likely answer no. The truth is, this is only partly right. Many references to astrology can be found in Judaic texts. For example, the oldest book of kabbalah, Sefer Yetzirah (Book of Formation), illustrates how each month is connected to a particular Judaic sign or zodiac.
The beginning of Genesis reads, “These stars will be for you, for signs, for festivals and for years ….” This statement explicitly tells us that stars are indicators to let us know when a new month begins and ends, to make us aware of festivals and to let us know when is the end of a year. There is, however, also a separate mention referring directly to the use of signs. Yes, stargazing can tell you what the future has in store for you. At the same time, we read in the Talmud that Judaism doesn’t follow astrology, despite the many pages in talmudic texts that explain Judaic signs. Is there a contradiction here? Not really.
We believe that stars are creations of G-d, just as all the billions of galaxies that reside in the universe. As servants of G-d, the stars reflect His present will, therefore allowing us to foresee a possible future. If this is so and the stars are there as signs to show us what could be, then why is astrology not recommended?
One reason is that it can make people fatalistic. They see their possible future and they give up, expecting the predicted results to come true. Judaism believes in free will, the ability of choice. Since we are created in G-d’s image, we are able to transcend nature and constantly change our future. A predicted future can only be changed if we are able to see it simply as a sign – and then transcend it by becoming better human beings.
A clear example is related in a story in the Talmud. Rabbi Akiva foresaw that her daughter would die on her wedding day. To his relief, on that day, nothing happened. Curious, the rabbi asked what she did the day of her wedding. She said that on that day she had seen a poor person and decided to give him charity. Then, later that same night, she accidentally killed a venomous snake when she stuck one of her hairpins into a wall where the snake had been hiding. To the Talmud, her simple act of kindness was enough for her to transcend her fate.
We can see that there is nothing wrong with knowing your astrological chart to understand your personality and be able to better yourself. Signs should be used to improve yourself, not to give up on the unlimited choices you have.
The word mazal (luck) in Hebrew comes from nezillah, which means flow, a flow that comes from above. We must be aware that there is a certain energy we attract to ourselves and that it is only through charity and good deeds that we can change the present moment of G-d’s will.
Making business, love or health decisions based on astrology is the wrong path to take. It implies you are making a servant of G-d, your Master, which is akin to idolatry. The stars are simply a vehicle, there to reflect energy channeled by G-d.
Astrologists must, therefore, be careful with the way they explain things to their students. They should not tell someone, “Such and such is going to happen to you.” Instead, they should tell students, “Do more charity this time of the year because it is a challenging time for you.”
Judaism gives the same credence to dream interpretation. In Hebrew, dream is chalom, which has the same root as the word for healing. Therefore, dream interpretation is also a useful way to heal and perfect ourselves as individuals, but only if the sign is used to act, rather than just surrender to fate.
What did prophets understand of all of this? The way our prophets imparted negative prophecy on the people was by not just warning them of what might happen but also giving them the hope that it might be avoided if they did repentance, teshuvah. In this respect, the prophecies that did not happen did not mean that they were false prophets. On the contrary, it was because people, with the constant capacity to transcend nature, changed the occurrence simply by taking positive action with the power of their free will.
Rabbi Shmuel Yeshayahu is head of the Ohel Ya’akov Community Kollel. He wrote this article with Eitan Olevsky, a writer and creator of the novels El Gran Maestro and The Stone Collector.
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