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VERSE: Dt18-10b
RASHIS COVERED: Dt18-10b Dt18-10c Dt18-10d Dt18-11a
Dt18-11b Dt18-11c Dt18-11d
===== 8 WORDS DENOTING PROHIBITED HYPNOTIC TRANCE INDUCTION ====
Dt18-10:11 prohibit 8 cultic practices involving hypnotic
trance induction to enter a disassociative state where one
can utter future events.
The half a dozen examples in Dt18-10:11 occur in Rambam
Laws of Idolatry Chapter 11. This gives an exciting
opportunity to see how these two titans of Jewish law,
Rashi on Dt18-10:11 and Rambam Idolatry Chapter 11,
treat the same subject.
And indeed we will see that sometimes Rambam gives more
detail, sometimes Rashi gives more detail, sometimes they
say the same thing and sometimes they complement each other
The list below gives 6 examples. For each example we list
* the MODERN translation of this phenomena
* the Rambams interpretation
* Rashis interpretation
* Where the Rambam says this in Idolatry Chapter 11
* Where Rashis says this in Dt18-10:11
* The relationship of the meaning of the ROOT of the Biblical
term to the actual prohibition.
The footnotes gives more details including a discussion
of the Rashi Rambam differences.
From a technical point of view these are all examples
of WORD MEANINGS. There are half a dozen terms ALL REFERRING
TO HYPNOTICALLY INDUCED DISASSOCIATION.
Notice how this posting fits into our Rashi-Rambam Golden
series -- However we are changing the format -- instead
of doing a whole chapter of Rambam we are focusing on
a specific topic which covers most but not all of a chapter
=================================================================
ITEM EXAMPLE 1 EXAMPLE 2 EXAMPLE3 EXAMPLE4 EXAMPLE5 EXAMPLE6
======== ========= ========= ======== ======== ======== =========
Prohibit NaChaSh*1 KoSaym*2 ONayn*3 Chover*4 OV*5 AskDead*6
Modern Psychotic Hypnosis Magic Spells Trance ByGrave
Rambam Black cat Mirror Magic Spells Trance ByGrave
Rashi Black Cat Tap Magic Animal Trance Fantasy
Rambam 11:04 11:05 11:09 11:10 11:14 11:13
Rashi Dt18-10d Dt18-10b Dt18-10c Dt18-11a Dt18-11c Dt18-11d
Root Snake Constrict Time/Eye Weave Hollow AskDead
NOTES
=====
*1 The Rambam and Rashi both give the same examples here. They
are in fact the examples derived from the Sifray
* A BLACK CAT CROSSED MY PATH: HENCE I WONT GO TO WORK
* I DROPPED MY BRIEF CASE: HENCE I WILL LOSE MY LAW SUIT
This corresponds to the modern concept of psychosis:
Psychosis refers to a person who views causality by
SYMBOLIC means (e.g. black cat) not by ACTUAL means.
The Rambam gives more detail than Rashi in that he
mentions in 11:05 that one can make symbolic
comments on the PAST e.g.: I WON THE LAWSUIT BECAUSE
I BROUGHT IT ON PURIM WHICH IS A TIME FOR JEWISH
VICTORY. Thus it is only prohibited to base future
actions because of SYMBOLIC/PSYCHOTIC interpretation
The root NACASH means SNAKE -- an animal which does not
see reality but rather uses heat sensation to view
reality (similar to the psychotic person who views
reality not actually but thru symbolic lenses)
*2 The Rambam gives more detail than Rashi here.
Rashi only gives the example of INDUCING A TRANCE
BY TAPPING A STICK and in fact Rashi only mentions
TAPPING THE STICK TO INFER INFORMATION.
Rambam however EXPLICITLY besides giving, not one,
but many examples, also generalizes; he describes
KOSAYM as inducing a trance state. The Rambam
states HE LOOKS AT MIRRORS, TAPS STICKS etc.
UNTIL HIS MIND IS BLANK AND HE DISASSOCIATES AND
SAYS FUTURE EVENTS.
It should be emphasized that the Rambam mentions
3 classical methods of inducing a hypnotic trance
* Mirror Gazing
* Rhythmic tapping
* Reduction of blood pressure (Bending backwards)
Thus it is clear that KOSAYM is identical with
induction of a hypnotic state where the person
can disassociate and say future items.
The root KOSAYM seems to come from KOSAYTH which
occurs only once in the Bible (Ez17-09). It seems
to refer not to a complete cutting of a tree but
rather to a CONSTRICTION and SLASHING of plants
that leads to DRYING and DEATH.
In fact a classical(dangerous) method of hypnosis
induction is CONSTRICTING the neck arteries till
the hypnotic state is achieved.
*3 Rashi gives more detail than Rambam here.
Both Rashi and Rambam mention the two possible
derivations of the word ONAYN:
* From AYN=EYE -- this would prohibit magic.
cf The English SLEIGHT OF HAND.
Performing magic is prohibited because you
deceive the viewer into seeing things not there
* FROM ONAH=TIME -- this would prohibit Astrology.
That is, it would prohibit basing future actions
on WHEN they were done (e.g. saying Friday the 13th is
a bad day to perform certain actions).
However Rashi identifies these two meanings as
coming from two different authorities(Rabbi Akiva
and the Sages) while Rambam simply lists the two
prohibitions without stating the original controversy
Thus Rashi presents more detail than Rambam.
*4 Rambam gives more detail than Rashi here. Rashi simply
cites the Sifrah that a CHOVER IS SOMEONE WHO BRINGS
ANIMALS TO ONE PLACE.
Rambam gives more detail. The focal point is not
WHAT the person does but HOW he does it. The Rambam
explains that a CHOVER is a person who utters VERBAL
SPELLS on animals to e.g. stop them from hurting
people
The root CHOVER means to SEW/WEAVE. Hence CHOVER
would be a WEAVER OF SPELLS.
Note that unlike the other crimes which involve
induction of some type of trance the CHOVER
simply utters spells without going into a
trance.
The Rambam also gives deails on the permissability
of saying things for a person bitten by an animal.
*5 Rashi and Rambam are the same here--I however would
like to generalize what they say!
OV means a BOTTLES. Furthermore the language in Lv20-27 is
WHEN A PERSON HAS IN THEM AN OV.
The phrase IN THEM and the root meaning BOTTLE,suggesting
a HOLLOW,fits in nicely with the Standard explanation
that the OV and YIDONI place BONES in their ARMPITS/MOUTHS
so as to induce a hypnotic trance allowing ventriloquil
statements about the future.
Notice how the OV-YIDONI seems to be similar to the KOSAYM
who also induces a HYPNOTIC TRANCE. I would suggest that
the common denominator to the OV/YIDONI is that they IMPLANT
something in their body (While the KOSAYM induces a trance
only verbally or thru actions). According to this reasoning
* Inducing a trance for disassociation is a PROHIBITION
* Inducing a trance WITH AN IMPLANT is a CAPITAL OFFENSE
The technical method of inference is the Rabbi Ishmael
rule of Generalizing from 2 verses
(As indicated this is a new idea since most commentators
see the OV as a specific crime without generalization--but
as the Rambam clearly generalizes EVERY other prohibition
mentioned in Dt18-10:11 it would seem reasonable to
generalize this also)
*6 Here Rambam and Rashi complement each other.
Rambam as usual generalizes: He states that the
prohibition of asking the dead applies to ANY
MANNER OF ASKING THE DEAD
Rambam gives the example of
* Fasting in a cemetery till the dead come to you in dreams
Rashi gives the examples of
* Seances with skulls
* (Sexually) Fantasizing till communion with dead is achieved
At any rate this too is a disassociative trance-like-state
whose goal is to enter the personality of a dead person
================================================================
RASHI RULE USED: WORD MEANINGS
---------------------------------------------------
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Volume 10 Number 4
#*#*#*#*# (C) 2001, RashiYomi Inc. Dr Hendel President #*#*#*#*#
Volume 10 Number 4