Why does the Torah prohibit superstition?

The analysis of Judaism Reclaimed which relates to the parashah of Achrei-Mot focuses in part on its prohibition against “walking in the statutes” of the surrounding pagan nations. This commandment is understood by the sages to refer to “Darkei Emori” – superstitious practices of the Emorites which were commonly believed to influence natural phenomena and protect people from worldly dangers.

In the understanding of Rambam, all such superstitious practices are categorised alongside various forms of magic and necromancy as empty and foolish actions. He takes a strong stand against those who conclude, from a simple reading of the Torah that any of these darker arts as efficacious:

"Anyone who believes ... that these things are true ... but that the Torah has prohibited them is one of the fools and those lacking knowledge ... But those who possess wisdom ... know ... that all of these things that the Torah prohibits ... are emptiness and vanity that fools stray after, and all of the paths of truth have been corrupted because of them. Because of this the Torah states ..."Perfect shall you be with Hashem, your God”." (Hilchot Avoda Zara 11:6)

Many people with whom I have spoken, whose understanding of Judaism is strongly coloured by kabbalistic thinking, find Rambam’s position here difficult to fathom. From their perspective, God’s creation of the world included a powerful and dangerous ‘sitra achra’, the concept of a ‘dark side’ which is widespread in Kabbalistic texts. These forces of evil, which feed off sinful conduct, are understood to be responsible for evil in the world. Crucially for our topic, this dark side also allows for ‘darker arts’ which are believed to be able to manipulate and overcome natural forces with their powers of impurity.

According to this kabbalistic approach we can well understand why the Torah would want to prohibit any manipulation of or association with such forces of evil. But according to those such as Rambam who deny the existence of such a system of dark forces, how are we to understand the Torah's repeated warnings and severe penalties for those who partake in these darker arts?

Ibn Ezra, in his commentary on the Torah’s discussion of ov and yidoni magical practices, strongly rejects the suggestion that denying the efficacy of such practices makes their prohibition harder to understand:

“Those possessing empty brains assert that, were ovot and magical practices ineffective, the Torah would not have forbidden them. Yet I say the opposite is the case, for the Torah does not prohibit truth but falsehood, as is proven by [the prohibitions against] idolatry”.

Rambam, who places the halachot of sorcery and divination within Hilchot Avodah Zarah goes further, viewing them as an adjunct of idolatry, explaining that pagan priests would feign 'supernatural powers' in order to attract worshippers to their idolatrous cults.

An examination of Rambam's writings elsewhere suggests a further profound significance to these prohibitions. In Moreh Nevuchim (3:37) Rambam discusses the scope and functions of the Torah's prohibition against pursuing pagan superstitions, explaining it to include whatever is believed by the nations to be effective for supernatural rather than scientific reasons. This is reflected by a Talmudic teaching (Shabbat 67a) that "anything which is 'refuah' is not darkei Emori". Rambam explains this to mean that any cure which was understood — even erroneously — to be naturally effective, does not belong to the category of darker arts.

In Rambam’s understanding, since the laws of the natural world are a product of divine wisdom, they therefore represent an important means for acquiring awe, love and knowledge of God. With this in mind, Rambam's assertion that "these things [darker arts] corrupt all paths of truth" means that such trickery and fabrication corrupt humanity’s understanding of God's world, and lead it away from attaining knowledge of Him.

Any practice which can be demonstrated to be effective, however, is necessarily a reflection of God's wisdom in creating the world. If magical rites and superstitions were actually efficacious, the Torah would have had no cause to prohibit them. The problem with these imagined products of trickery lies primarily in the claim that they involve the use of powers which lie above God's natural laws, therefore wielding the ability to control and manipulate them. This creates an impression of the existence of additional and distinct supernatural powers — a dark side to be served and appeased — which makes sorcery and necromancy natural bedfellows of idolatry.

First posted on Facebook 10 April 2022, here.