If we examine the malicious factors that may harm a person, we find Satan himself at the top of the list, followed by various demons. Another incredibly elusive factor, with great power to harm, is the "evil eye" cast by humans and which may cause a lot of trouble, and anyone who is not caught in their net may simply encounter bad luck.
(By: Amots Dafni and Saleh Akel Khativ)
Satan's agents or independent figures
Demons are superhuman creatures that appear in the folklore of many peoples and cultures as messengers of Satan or as independent figures. In Judaism, there is a wide range of opinions about demons, from denying their very existence to a strong belief in their miraculous powers. The most common name in Arabic for a demon is "jinn". According to various Muslim traditions, demons are endowed with wings, have the ability to reproduce like humans and can even die like humans, and can also marry humans and give birth to children. The jinn are considered intelligent creatures capable of both good and evil and possessing miraculous powers. Satan is considered the king of the jinn. The jinn can change their form and appear in the form of animals, and are able to perform miracles and mainly do evil. In popular folklore, they are considered to be causes of illness, damage, and deviation from the straight path.
Belief in demons and fear of their presence and terrible deeds are ancient. In ancient times, diseases were attributed, among other things, to the action of demons.
Reuven Jezreel writes about this at the beginning of the last century: It is known that in the early generations, many used spells and amulets to cure every affliction and every disease. We cannot mock them and say that they are all illusions that are neither helpful nor beneficial... And yet the young wisdom of natural medicine has banished the spells and amulets of the ancients...
It seems that the ancients believed and were not satisfied at all (=there was no doubt in their hearts) that all diseases are caused by demons, because where there are demons, there are amulets, spells and oaths, and where there are no demons, there are no amulets, no spells and no oaths… It is found that the germs (microbes) and the bacteria (bacteria) of all kinds are the demons of the first generations.” Rabbi Chaim Ibn Atar (1743-1696) in his book “Or Chaim” completely denies the connection between demons and diseases and epidemics in his commentary on the verse “For at this time I will send all my plagues into your heart” (Exodus XNUMX:XNUMX), which deals with Moses’ words to Pharaoh. He says: “For at this time – through the plague that I will bring upon you, I will send all my plagues – which I have already brought upon you into your heart – interpretation "That you may know that they are not the work of witchcraft or demons, but the work of God. And he says, "Plague of plagues" - by the name of the one who causes them, because you have seen a wonderful plague that no demon or sorcerer can do, even a faint resemblance."
Devil's Plants and Demons
We have already mentioned that the Zaqqum tree that grows in Hell is attributed to Satan, "its tubers are like the heads of devils." Another plant associated with Satan is the duda. One of its Arabic names is "the devil's apple" (tufah al-shayatin, تفاه الشياطين). This name derives from the toxicity of the fruits, which may cause those who eat them severe headaches and various strange hallucinations. Other names given to the duda for the same reasons are: "the apple of madness" (tufah abu majan, تفاه ابو مجنّ); "the devil's testicles" (بٵ۽۽ الجهن, به۽جٰ الجهن); and "the apple of the mad" (tufah al-majanin, تفاه المجانين, تفاه المجانين). The connection of this plant to demons is not accidental in light of the toxicity of the seeds. Someone once explained to us that "anyone who pulls out a root of duda will go crazy because it contains a jinn."
In Israel, as throughout the world, people believe that certain trees, especially large and shaped ones, are haunted by demons and evil spirits. Sometimes the line between a sacred tree and a tree that is the abode of demons is not clear, so it is best to be careful with the respect given to these trees, since it is not always clear which entity resides in them, the soul of a righteous person or a demon. Thus, we are told: "In every large tree there is a jinn," who must say "Bismillah" when passing by it. However, people were afraid to pass by sacred trees, and if they were forced to do so, they would do so in a hurry and while muttering a quick prayer.
The vow to fix the breast
Even in Israel, the custom of saying "In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious" (Bismillah al-Rahman al-Rahim, بسم الله الرحمن الرحيم) while lighting the coals at night still exists. This is a kind of oath to fix the breast so that it does not come out of the smoky embers.
This sentence has magical power, and believers begin every prayer with it and precede it with any action they wish to see successful. This verse is said, for example, before eating or when searching for a lost object. It is indeed an appeal to God for help, but when one swears and mentions the name of Allah, the demons flee. Some believe that the demon can also pass into a single dry tree, "so that the demon does not hear us and disregard our words, we knock on the tree and ask for its forgiveness." This is apparently the origin of the custom of knocking on a tree as a virtue against the evil eye.
People who specialize in exorcisms
A few years ago, the newspaper "Ma'ariv" published an article in the following vein: "Horror in Kfar Kana: The residents of the village in the Galilee are convinced that a terrifying demon has taken up residence in one of the trees and is throwing stones at them. At first, the residents thought it was a prank, but later the suspicion crept into their hearts that a demon was behind the act. Although no one saw him, that did not prevent them from inviting a sheikh to the place whose job it was to exorcise demons." (Itamar Inbari, Maariv, September 14.9.2008, XNUMX).
This is first-hand evidence that belief in demons is still prevalent today. Add to that the fact that in certain villages there are still people who specialize in exorcisms, and then it is clear that there are also those who need their helpful services.
The white tree, the fig tree, and the carob tree are a dwelling place for demons.
According to Ofer Cohen, the Druze in the Golan say: "The birch tree (אלאבהר, אבהר) serves as a shelter for spirits, demons, and other harmful entities with evil powers, who hide under its branches that spread out on the ground. Woe to the person who cuts down birch branches and awakens the evil forces from their slumber. They will visit him one night, pinch him, and torment him until his soul expires."
The carob and fig are considered in the Arab village to attract evil spirits and demons, hence the proverb that says "The carob and the fig are the dwelling place of the devil" (خَرُوبُ وَتِين مَسْخُن الشَائِين, خروب وتين مَسْن الشَائيتِن).
Some believe that the reason for this is their black fruits.
In Morocco, it is customary to believe that a person under a carob tree may be affected by disease, so an appropriate ceremony must be performed beforehand to prevent it. Several cuts are made in the bark of the tree and the words are said, "I will wound you before you wound me."
In Israel, it is simply recommended, just to be on the safe side, not to sleep under a carob tree. The Arabic proverb states this explicitly: "Sleeping under a carob tree is undesirable" (النومة تُحْت الخرّوبه مشَ مرغوبه, النّومة تحت الخرّوبه مش مرغوبه). The explanation we received was "A black angel resides under the carob tree, so it is not good to sleep under it. It is forbidden to put a carob tree near the house, because it contains demons."
In the village of Shivli at the foot of Mount Tabor, there was a large carob tree. People claimed to have seen jinn dressed in the form of an old man in white clothes near it, and were therefore afraid to pass under it. Gustaf Hermann Dalman, 1941 -1855 (a researcher of Semitic languages and Arab customs in Israel) tells of an Arab named Abd al-Yali who refused to accept a stick from a carob tree because it brought bad luck. He called the tree "Ke'ru'a," meaning "disgusting."
Haunted Jujube
In the middle of the village of Tabash (near Tivon) there is a huge common jujube tree that until a few years ago was forbidden from building houses near because it was known to be haunted. The man who "dared" to build near the tree was stripped of his property.
Tawfik Canaan comments on trees in the Land of Israel: "I have never heard of pieces of cloth being hung on a tree considered a dwelling place for demons... While any type of tree may be consecrated by a wili (righteous person), the jinn seem to prefer certain trees such as the carob tree, so the farmer does not tie his donkey to a carob tree before asking permission from the jinn."