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Amulets

A loose definition of Amulets is "ritual items that are considered protective" (Naomi Spector) — or "an object or a device, usually with writing on it, which provides protection against harm, whether of natural or supernatural origin" (EoJMMM). In Jewish tradition they have historically been created for a variety of purposes:

  • To help with fertility
  • To protect during pregnancy
  • To protect infants after birth
  • As love charms
  • To heal
  • To ward against disease or mishap
  • To protect against dangerous animals
  • To protect against magic and sorcery (especially the Evil Eye)
  • To protect against Sheydim

Amulets can be made as herbal charms (a bag with herbs contained within), writing on parchment or paper (often rolled and inserted into a metal tube), or writing engraved into stones or metal (most frequently made into jewelry). Writing on such Amulets typically includes various Psalms and passages from the Torah that are associated with healing or protection. These may be present alongside various protective additions such as:

  • Symbols (fish, hand, lion, sword)
  • Colors (blue, red)
  • Colored beads
  • Stones (Ruby, Sapphire, Amethyst)
  • Herbs (Garlic, Salt, Rue)
  • Repetition or representation of a protective number (4, 5, 7)

A single letter representing a Divine Name (most common), the entirety of a Divine Name, or an Angelic Name, may be included on an Amulet- most typically as a central aspect of the text or imagery. Sometimes they may also use diagrams (magic squares, circles, hexagrams), letter substitutions, various codes, alternative scripts or alphabets, foreign loan words, and strings of (seemingly) nonsensical words and phrases.

Amulets are versatile and customizable. Create what feels good for you (Naomi Spector)

There are various rituals involved in creating an Amulet. Firstly, the Amuletmaker subjects themself to a 3 day period of purification. For the ritual, they dress in the color associated with a Divine Attribute sought for the Ammulet (and such a color is used in the Amulet itself). Manuals also list various prayers and incantations that must be recited while creating the Amulet. And certain days and times are better for making certain Amulets, which must be carefully observed. Amulets were also sometimes placed inside the Ark of a Synagogue for a specific period of time in order to further enhance their power.

Once complete, depending on the type, form, and purpose, they can be carried on the person as an object, worn as jewelry, or hung in some area of the home.

The wearing of healing Amulets in particular also extends to Shabbat- but only so long as it's worn as ornamentation (jewelry) would be, and not carried like a traditional object. Only an expertly made amulet, or an amulet from an expert, however, may be worn on Shabbat. And this is true regardless of whether one has an illness already, or is merely wearing the Amulet as protection against contracting one.
According to the Talmud, an expert Amulet maker is a practitioner whose Amulet has healed 3 different people with 3 different diseases effectively — while an expertly crafted Amulet that is effective at its designated purpose is one which has healed one person 3 different times.

Amulets are non-sanctified in that they should not be saved and should instead be allowed to burn in a fire should they be caught in one on a day such as Shabbat. But they are sanctified in that, should one contain a Divine Name, any pieces bearing Divine Names should be cut off and burried properly before the rest of the amulet is disposed of (as is traditional with any Divine Name).

Amulets are also sanctified in that they may not be worn into a restroom unless the individual who wears them is dangerously ill- otherwise they should be removed before entering a restroom. Ideally an amulet worn into a restroom should have any Divine Names covered (such as by being incased by leather), however, so that the Divine Name will not be directly desecrated by an unclean space. divider

The use of Amulets is specifically criticized in Isaiah 3:18–20, but it's unclear from the context whether Amulets themselves are being condemned, or whether they're merely being included in a list of women's vain luxuries. Similarly, 2 Maccabees 12:40 dissaproves of slain Jewish warriors found wearing Amulets with the names and images of foreign Deities. But again, it's unclear from the context whether it's the Amulets themsevles that are objectable, or just these syncretistic examples.

In general, Amulets were not considered controversial magic to the Jewish Sages, and were not typically subjected to intense scrutiny as Avodah Zarah; saying:

Anything that contains an element of healing and seems to be effective does not contain an element of the prohibition against following the ways of the Amorite. There is no cause for suspicion of one who engages in their practice, gentile or Jew.

Rather, the Sages considered Amulets to be a regular part of medicine especially.

In historical Jewish practice the spiritual and the physical were inseperable. Sheydim and other spiritual energies were considered to be the cause of illness, bad luck, and other troubles which must be dealt with in order to effect healing. Amulets were seen as one form of preventative medicine intended to protect against unwanted forces that could cause such harm, and keep the body and spirit in balance so as not to contract any resultant illness in the first place. The Sages were therefore far more concerned with an Amulet's ability to protect and heal, its efficacy at doing so, who was making it, and whether or not people were being swindled by Amuletmakers.

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