Page 138 - Tzurba M'Rabanan Volume1

136 · Halachot of Sorcery, Magic, and Superstition Tzurba M’Rabanan

According to the Ran, then, the prohibition of divination does not apply when the condition stipulated is a
logical one, as it is completely normal to decide who to marry based on their character traits or whether to
go outside based on the weather. Accordingly, the Gemara’s statement means that any divination that is not
logical and is nevertheless relied upon like Eliezer and Yonatan relied on theirs (though theirs were logical) is
considered divination and is forbidden.
The Torah Temima suggests a third understanding – distinguishing between omens where one still
recognizes faith in Hashem and those that do not. 3

a Torah Temima, | המימת הרות . 11
Bereishit 24, Note 17 זי הרעה ,דכ תישארב תורעה

This is to say that any nichush that one does not rely on תושעל שממ וילע ךמוס וניאש שוחנ לכ ל"ר
completely and act upon as Eliezer did is not considered םהרבא דבע רזעילא השעש ומכ ויפ לע השעמ
a violation of the prohibition of nichush. Tosafot ask how אל רוסיא םושמ הזב ןיא השרפב ראובמכ
Eliezer could have done this according to the opinion that רזעילא ןכ השע ךיא ושקה 'סותהו .ושחנת
a gentile is also commanded about sorcery? They answered אוההד וצרתו ,ףושיכה לע הווצמ חנ ןבד ד"מל
that that tanna held that he did not give her the jewelry until הדיגהש דע םידימצה הל ןתנ אלש רבס אנת
she told him whose daughter she was… but the difficulty of
this answer is apparent. See the Biur HaGra to Yoreh Deah ירואבב ןייעו ,ראובמ קחודהו …איה ימ תב ול
179:11, and many commentaries have struggled to resolve םישרפמ הברהו ,א"י ק"ס ט"עק 'יס ד"ויל א"רגה
this issue. But what seems to be clear in any event is that there רורב הארנש המ לבא .הז ןינע לכ בושיב ולמע
is only a prohibition of nichush where one divines about the שוחנ קר רוסא וניא תמאב יכ ,הז ןינע ללכב
event without mentioning G-d’s name at all, and without ריכזהל ילבמ ומצע הרקמה לע שחנמש הזכ
asking for His help to cause the event [to occur]. In that case, הרקמ בובסל ותעיס ונממ שקב ילבמו 'ה םש
there is a [prohibition] of kishuf (sorcery), as the Gemara ןילוחב ש"מכ ,ףושכ ןינע הזב שי זאד םושמ ,הז
states in Chullin 7b: “Why are [sorcerers] called keshafim? אילמפ ןישיחכמש םיפשכ ןמש ארקנ המל 'ב 'ז
For they deny [machchishin] the Heavenly entourage,” i.e., תחגשה תא לוכיבכ םיריסמש ונייהו ,הלעמ לש
they remove Divine providence, as it were, and rationalize רזעילא כ"אשמ ,םה םהישעמ םיתמאמו 'ה
their actions. This was not so concerning Eliezer, who said:
“G-d of my master Avraham let it happen, etc.” He did ינפל אנ הרקה םהרבא ינודא יהלא 'ה ןאכ רמאש
everything with faith and prayer, by requesting from G-d התוא 'וגו רמאת רשא הרענה היהו ,'וגו םויה
that he should be given a sign in order that he be certain in הנומא ךרדב לכה השעש ירה ,ךדבעל תחכוה
his actions. This has no scent of sorcery or enchantment or הז ןמיס ול בבסיש ה"בקהמ שקיבש ,הליפתו
even a slight prohibition, and it is permitted for everyone to שוחנ חיר ףא הזב ןיא ,וישעמב חוטב 'יהי ןעמל
do so ab initio. That which is stated in the Gemara that “any ןכ תושעל םדא לכל רתומו ,רוסיא דונדנו ףושכו
nichush that is not like Eliezer, servant of Avraham, is not וניאש שוחנ לכ ארמגב ורמאש המו .הלחתכל
nichush” the meaning is that one made such an omen in a םא הנוכה – שוחנ וניא םהרבא דבע רזעילאכ
manner of divination without mentioning the name of G-d.
.'ה םש ריכזה ילבמ שוחנ ךרדב הזכ ןמיס השע

3. There is another approach to this question offered by the Radak (in his commentary on Shmuel I chapter 14) and the Ra’avad. According to this
approach, the Gemara means that some types of omens or divinations are permitted, such as if a person creates a sign beforehand by which he
wishes to determine whether his actions will succeed before he begins. This was the type of omen used by Eliezer and Yonatan, and is effective and
in fact permitted. But if one uses some occurrence that he previously saw to determine his course of action afterwards, like in the cases of the Gemara
and Rashi where he first sees the deer crossing the road and then decides that should be an omen for him, it would be forbidden. The Rema (Y.D.
179:4) cites this opinion as well, and then notes that others disagree. The Rema concludes that one who walks with complete faith in Hashem will
be surrounded by kindness from Him.

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