Magic and Miracles: Class 5

It it said: Rabbi Ḥanina says: The luck of constellations makes one wise, the luck of constellations makes one wealthy, and the luck of constellations set the fate of the Jewish people. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: There are no constellations for the Jewish people. And Rabbi Yoḥanan follows his reasoning, as Rabbi Yoḥanan said: From where do we know that there are no constellations for the Jewish people? As it is stated: “Thus said the Lord: Learn not the way of the nations, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the nations are dismayed at them” (Jeremiah 10:2). The nations will be dismayed, but not the Jewish people.

And Rav also holds there is no constellation for the Jewish people, as Rav Yehuda said, Rav said: From where do we know that there is no constellation for the Jewish people? As it is stated: “And He brought him outside, etc" Abraham said before the Holy One, Blessed be He: Master of the Universe, “one born in my house is to be my heir” (Genesis 15:3). He, said to him: No. "rather, one that will come forth from your own innards shall be your heir” (Genesis 15:4). He said before Him: Master of the Universe, I looked at my astrological map, and I am not fit to have a son. He said to him: Emerge from your astrology, as there is no constellation for Israel. What is your thinking? Because Jupiter is in the west? I will restore and establish it in the east. And that is why it is written: “Who has raised up one from the east, he will call justice [tzedek] to his steps [leraglo].

And from Shmuel also, there is no constellation for the Jewish people. Shmuel and Ablet were sitting, and these other people were going to the lake. Ablet said to Shmuel: This person will go and he will not return; a snake will bite him and he will die. Shmuel said to him: If he is a Jew, he will go and come back. As they were sitting, he went and returned. Ablet stood up, threw down his sack, and inside he found a snake cut and cast in two pieces. Shmuel said to him: What did you do? He said to him: Every day we all collect bread from one another and eat it. Today, there was one of us who did not have bread, he was embarrassed. I said to them: I will go and collect. When I came to thim, I pretended one who was taking from him so that he would not be embarrassed. He said to him: You performed a mitzva. Shmuel went out and taught “And charity will save from death” (Proverbs 10:2) - not only from an unusual death but even from death itself.

And from Rabbi Akiva as well, there is no constellation for the Jewish people. As Rabbi Akiva had a daughter, and Chaldeans told him that on the same day that she enters the wedding canopy, a snake will bite her and she will die. She was very worried about this. On that day, she took out her hair pin and stuck it in the wall, and it happened to enter into the eye of the snake. In the morning, when she took it, the snake was pulled and came out with it. Her father Rabbi Akiva said to her: What did you do? In the evening a poor person came and knocked on the door, and everyone was preoccupied with the feast and nobody heard him. I stood, took the portion that you had given me, gave it to him. He said to her: You performed a mitzva. Rabbi Akiva went out and taught: “And charity will save from death” (Proverbs 10:2), not only from an unusual death, but even from death itself.

And from Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak as well, there is no constellation for the Jewish people, As Chaldean told Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak’s mother: Your son will be a thief. She did not permit him an uncovered head. She said to him: Cover your head so that the fear of Heaven will be upon you, and pray for mercy. He did not know why she spoke like this to him. One day he was sitting and studying beneath a palm tree, the cloak fell off of his head. He lifted his eyes, saw the palm tree. He was overcome by impuls, he climbed up and detached a bunch of dates with his teeth.