Exploring Jewish Witchcraft: A Guide to Books and Resources

For those curious about the mystical and magical aspects of Judaism, there's a wealth of fascinating literature available. This article provides a curated list of books, articles, and resources in English that delve into Jewish monsters, magic, and mythology.

Jews are often referred to as the People of the Book, so it naturally follows that those seeking to learn about Jewish monsters and magic would turn to books. This list aims to provide a starting point for exploring these topics.

Two important considerations for this list are:

• Language: The focus is on materials written or translated into English.
• Purpose: The list caters to various interests and needs, acknowledging that different readers may have different goals.

If you're looking for an even more extensive collection, consider exploring a comprehensive library list with a wide range of wild and wonderful materials. For articles not listed here due to access restrictions (such as JSTOR), keep in mind that some may be available on Academia.edu, which requires free registration.

Most of the books mentioned are readily available from major booksellers like Bookshop.org (which supports local bookstores) or Alibris (a used-book aggregator). However, for some academic titles, it may be best to go directly to the publisher.

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Key Books and Resources

Here are some notable books and resources to begin your exploration:

Essential Starting Points

• Jewish Magic and Superstition by Rabbi Joshua Tractenberg: Written in 1939, this book remains an excellent starting point, focusing on 13th-century Ashkenazi Jewish lore. It is also available online at Sacred-Texts.com.
• The Encyclopedia of Jewish Myth, Magic and Mysticism by Rabbi Geoffry Dennis: This book offers encyclopedic coverage with concise descriptions.
• Tree of Souls: The Mythology of Judaism by Harold Schwartz: This book primarily covers legends up to the Talmudic period and the Zohar, with wonderful writing and commentary.

Legends and Narratives

• Legends of the Jews by Louis Ginzberg: This 1909 work rewrites the best Biblical midrash into an accessible narrative from Genesis through Esther.
• Lilith’s Cave: Jewish Tales of the Supernatural selected by Harold Schwartz: A great collection of supernatural tales from around the Jewish world.
• Mimekor Yisrael: Classical Jewish Folktales collected by Micha Joseph Bin Gorion, translated by I.M. Lask: Explore classical Jewish folktales with rich cultural context.
• Yiddish Folktales translated by Beatrice Weinreich: Includes stories about early modern Jewish monsters, such as shretelech, who protect homes when respected.

Monsters and the Supernatural

• Sacred Monsters by Rabbi Natan Slifkin: This book offers a thoughtful, well-sourced examination of Jewish monsters, written from a rationalist Orthodox perspective.
• Golem: Jewish Magical and Mystical Traditions on the Artificial Anthropoid by Moshe Idel: Considered the definitive book on the history of the golem in Jewish religious thought.
• Between Worlds: Dybbuks, Exorcists, and Early Modern Judaism by J. H. Chajes: This is the best academic book on dybbuks.

Magic and Mysticism

• Magic, Mysticism, and Hasidism: The Supernatural in Jewish Thought by Gedalyah Nigal: This book explores the Baal Shem Tov, "wonder rabbis," amulets, holy name magic, Jewish teleportation, transmigration of souls, and demonic possession.
• A Remembrance of His Wonders: Nature and the Supernatural in Medieval Ashkenaz by David Shyovitz: This book integrates scientific, magical, and mystical currents into an exploration of the boundaries between nature and the supernatural.
• Jewish Meditation: A Practical Guide by Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan: A step-by-step introduction to Jewish meditation practices.
• Sefer Yetzirah: The Book of Creation (Rabbi Aryeh Kaplan translation): Describes the mystical process by which God created the universe, traditionally studied by rabbis to learn how to make golems.
• Sword of Moses (Yuval Harari translation): A significant Jewish magical treatise from antiquity.
• Sefer ha-Razim, The Book of Mysteries (Michael Morgan translation): Another essential ancient Jewish magical text.

Ritual and Practical Magic

• Ritual Medical Lore of Sephardic Women: Sweetening the Spirits, Healing the Sick by Isaac Jack Lévy and Rosemary Lévy Zumwalt: An exploration of charms in the Sephardic community, essential for understanding Jewish women’s rituals and protection against the evil eye.
• Shimmush Tehillim (Magical uses of the Psalms): Attributed to Rav Hai Goan, this document describes magical uses of the Psalms for various protections.

Folklore and Cultural Beliefs

• A Frog Under the Tongue: Jewish Folk Medicine in Eastern Europe By Marek Tuszewicki: A serious discussion of folk medicine in the Ashkenazi community, highlighting practices that blend magic and medicine.
• The Jewish Dark Continent: Life and Death in the Russian Pale of Settlement by Nathaniel Deutsch: Explores Jewish folk beliefs and traditions in Eastern Europe through ethnographic questions.

Academic Articles and Essays

• Practical Kabbalah in Israel 2010 by Yuval Harari.
• Magic, Mysticism, and Popular Belief in Jewish Culture (1500-1815) by J.H. Chajes in the “The Cambridge History of Judaism, vol.
• Some Observations on Jewish Love Magic: The Importance of Cultural Specificity by Ortal-Paz Saar in the Societas Magica Newsletter.
• Beyond Dreckapotheke, Between Facts and Feces: Talmudic Recipes and Therapies in Context by Lennart Lehmhaus in “Collecting Recipes.
• Five in Your Eye: The Khamsa among Maghrebi Jews by Noam Sienna.
• Popular Beliefs and Customs among the Yiddish-Speaking Jews of St. Louis, Mo. 1925 essay by Leah Rachel Yoffie (z’l).
• The Reception of Astrology in Medieval Ashkenazi Culture by Reimund Leicht.
• Summoning Spirits in Egypt: Jewish Women and Spiritualism in Early Twentieth-Century Cairo - Samuel Glauber-Zimra.
• Demons, Dybbuks, Ghosts, & Golems: Do Jews believe in demons? Wrestling with Demons by Rabbi Natan Slifkin.
• Dybbuk by J. H. Chajes in Encyclopedia of Jewish Folklore and Traditions.
• How the Golem Came to Prague by Edan Dekel and David for the Jewish Quarterly Review.
• Angels by Daniel Ben-Amos and Menachem Kallus for the The YIVO Encyclopedia of Jews in Eastern Europe.
• Gendering Heavenly Secrets? The Lives of the Dead in Medieval Ashkenaz by Miri Fenton.
• The Giant in a Thousand Years: Tracing Narratives of Gigantism in the Hebrew Bible and Beyond by Brian Doak.
• From Demoness to God’s Partner: The Astonishing Career of the Worlds First Feminist, Lilith by Felicia Waldman.
• The Ceremony of Breaking a Glass at Weddings. 1925 essay by Rabbi Jacob Z. Lauterbach.
• The last Talmudic demon? The role of ritual in cultural transmission. by Richard Sosis.
• A Demon for the Ages - Sara Ronis.

Additional Resources

• Seferia.org: A non-profit organization providing free access to Jewish texts, translations, and commentaries.

This list is a starting point, and further exploration will undoubtedly reveal even more fascinating resources for those interested in Jewish witchcraft and magic.

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