Evil Eye

EVIL EYE (Heb. ‫הָ ָרע עַ יִן‬, ayin ha-ra; lit., "the eye of the evil"; Aram. ‫ישא עֵ ינָא‬
ָ ‫ב‬,
ִ eina bisha), a widespread
belief that some persons may produce malevolent effects on others by looking at them, based on the
supposed power of some eyes to bewitch or harm by glance. In early Jewish literature the acceptance of
the existence of the evil eye as fact precluded any theoretical explanation of this phenomenon and
discussion of its origin. In post-talmudic literature, however, one of the following two explanations is
generally found: (1) the evil eye contains the element of fire, and so spreads destruction (Judah Loew b.
Bezalel ("Maharal") in Netivot Olam, 107d); (2) the angry glance of a man's eye calls into being an evil
angel who takes vengeance on the cause of wrath (Manasseh Ben Israel in Nishmat Ḥayyim, 3:27; cf.
Sefer Ḥasidim, ed. by J. Wistinetzki (19242), 242 no. 981).

As both explanations imply magic, folk beliefs governing magic and countermagic are evidenced in
beliefs connected with casting and averting the evil eye.

Casting the Evil Eye

Whereas a "good-eyed" person is generous and good-hearted, the "evil eye," in biblical (cf. I Sam. 18:9;
Prov. 28:22) and tannaitic (cf. Avot 2:9, 11; 5:13, 19) sources, denotes stinginess, selfishness, and
jealousy; in the aggadah of Palestinian amoraim the evil eye is a prevalent motif. Furthermore, jealousy
was linked with magic and with fatal consequences. Hence, talmudic and midrashic elaborations of
biblical narratives represent Sarah as casting the evil eye on Hagar (Gen. R. 4.45:5), Joseph's brothers on
Joseph (ibid. 84:10), Og the giant on Jacob (Ber. 54b). Likewise, the evil eye caused the breaking of the
first tablets of the Law (Num. R. 12:4) and the death of Daniel's three companions (Sanh. 93a).

This magical power of the eye was not confined to biblical evildoers; folk heroes, regarded as sacred
wonder-workers, were believed to have exercised it as well, but for benevolent purposes. So R. *Simeon
b. Yoḥai transforms an evil person into "a heap of bones" by means of his magic endowment (Shab. 34a;
(PdRK ed. by S. Buber (1868), 90a–b), and, with a look, R. Johanan, the amora, kills a man who
calumniated Jerusalem (BB 75a). The magical aspect of the deed is stressed in killing by transformation
(Ber. 58a).

Averting the Evil Eye

Folk beliefs and folk customs are especially evident in the attitude toward the aversion of the evil eye.
All measures taken against it are either (1) preventive or (2) counteractive.
(1) The belief that the evil eye is activated by arousing the jealousy and malice of the "jettatori" (i.e., the
endowed people) calls for preventive measures of self-restraint, e.g., the avoidance of any expression of
praise, approbation, and of beauty, domestic or socioeconomic success, or happiness. For this reason
Abraham sent his son Isaac home at night after the *Akedah (Gen. R. 56:11); Jacob advised his
handsome and strong sons not to enter the same gate all together "on account of the eye" (ibid. 91:6);
similarly, Joshua advised Ephraim and Manasseh to hide in a forest (Josh. 17:15; BB 118a–b). Prominent
men, beautiful women, and newborn babies – all of whom are likely to attract special attention – are
especially susceptible to the evil eye. If, however, the beauty is veiled, riches not exhibited, and a child
covered with a dirty bag or given an ugly name, the happy event may pass unnoticed, and the evil eye
thus remains passive. Therefore, a costly garment should not be spread over the bed when guests are
visiting the house as "it will be burned by the eye of the guests" (BM 30a), and precious glass should be
broken at a wedding. The idea that "blessing comes only upon those things which are hidden from the
eye" (Ta'an. 8b) is undoubtedly connected with such preventive measures.

(2) Once the evil eye has been activated, and the threat of danger and harm is close to realization, there
is no need for preventive measures: only confrontation and war measures based on countermagic which
deceive or defeat the evil eye can then save the endangered person. The use of a mirror (ornament) or a
specific color (red, blue) may blight its source by reflecting the glance; an obscene gesture or a holy
verse (*amulet) may avert the evil eye by frightening it; and an outstretched hand may stop its rays.
According to the Talmud (Ber. 55b), whoever is afraid of the evil eye should stick his right thumb in his
left hand and his left thumb in his right hand, proclaiming: "I, so and so, son of so and so, am of the seed
of Joseph, whom the evil eye may not affect." The gesture (a "fig") – universally used to avert the evil
eye by putting it to shame (this original meaning was probably unknown to sages who prescribed it) –
took on a Jewish character by the pronouncement of the aggadic sentence that the descendants of
Joseph are immune from the evil eye (Ber. 20a).

Other means of fighting and subduing the activated evil eye stem from attempts to absorb the
devastating glance, and so to neutralize it. To divert the glance from the intended target, "interesting"
objects may be hung between the eyes of the endangered person, e.g., precious stones, or as strange
and unexpected an object as a tail of a fox between the eyes of a horse in need of protection (Tosef.,
Shab. 4:5).

The belief in the evil eye and the various means, both sacred and profane, of averting it, were very
prevalent among East European Jews; to this day they exist in many Oriental Jewish communities. In
modern times the use of blue paint and a metal amulet in the form of an open palm of the hand are still
widespread in Oriental communities, and among Yiddish-speaking Ashkenazi Jews, it is customary to
"qualify" any praise with the phrase keyn ayen hore ("may there be no evil eye" often shortened to
kaynahora). The custom of tying a red band around the wrist or neck of a newborn child also derives
from a fear of the evil eye. In Yiddish, even the name "evil eye" is euphemistically called git-oyg ("good
eye"). R. Lilienthal (see bibl.) lists over 80 anti-evil eye practices recorded among East European Jews.
The striking resemblance to those listed in monographs on Oriental Jewish communities (cf. Ḥ. Mizraḥi,
Yehudei Paras (1959), 115–7) can be explained by the universality of the motif of the evil eye, on the
one hand, and its particular Jewish expression, on the other.

BIBLIOGRAPHY:

L. Blau, Das altjuedische Zauberwesen (in: Jahresbericht der Landes-Rabbinerschule in Budapest fuer das
Schuljahr 1897–98), 152–6; F.T. Elworthy, The Evil Eye (1895); Ginzberg, Legends, index; M. Grunwald,
in: MGJV, 5 (1900), 40f., 47f.; A. Loewinger, in: Menorah (Vienna), 4 (1926), 551–69; R. Lilienthal, in:
Yidishe Filologye, 1 (1924); S. Seligmann, Der boese Blick und Verwandtes (1910); idem, Die Zauberkraft
des Auges (1922); S. Thompson, Motif-Index of Folk-Literature, 2 (1956), 121 (D 993), 364 ff. (D 2071); J.
Trachtenberg, Jewish Magic and Superstition (1939), 54–56, 283.