Today when somebody says mazal
tov he means congratulations. Back in Talmudic times a mazal was one of the seven constellations. These constellations do
not conform to our modern understanding but to what the rabbis could see with
the naked eye. Each constellation correlated to an hour of the day. In the
order of their influences, the constellations are: Sun, Venus, Mercury, moon,
Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars. You want to know how they impact a person’s life?
“Rabbi Ḥanina said to his students who heard all
this: Go and tell the son of Leiva’i, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi: It
is not the constellation of the day of the week that determines a
person’s nature; rather, it is the constellation of the hour that
determines his nature.
One who was born under the influence of the sun will be a
radiant person; he will eat from his own resources and drink from his
own resources, and his secrets will be exposed. If he steals he will not
succeed, because he will be like the sun that shines and is revealed to
all.
One who was born under the influence of Venus will be a rich
and promiscuous person. What is the reason for this? Because fire was
born during the hour of Venus, he will be subject the fire of the evil
inclination, which burns perpetually.
One who was born under the influence of Mercury will be an
enlightened and expert man, because Mercury is the sun’s scribe, as
it is closest to the sun.
One who was born under the influence of the moon will be a man
who suffers pains, who builds and destroys, and destroys and builds. He
will be a man who eats not from his own resources and drinks not from
his own resources, and whose secrets are hidden. If he steals he will
succeed, as he is like the moon that constantly changes form, whose light
is not its own, and who is at times exposed and at times hidden.
One who was born under the influence of Saturn will be a man
whose thoughts are for naught. And some say that everything that
others think about him and plan to do to him is for naught.
One who was born under the influence of Jupiter [tzedek]
will be a just person [tzadkan]. Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: And
just in this context means just in the performance of mitzvot.
One who was born under the influence of Mars will be one who
spills blood. Rav Ashi said: He will be either a blood letter, or a
thief, or a slaughterer of animals, or a circumciser. Rabba said: I was
born under the influence of Mars and I do not perform any of
those activities. Abaye said: My Master also punishes and kills as a
judge.” (Sefari.org translation)
Five different rabbis on our daf teach that Israel does not
have a mazal, a constellation. This
doesn’t mean that they didn’t believe in astrology, but rather the planets
didn’t have the last word determining a Jew’s fate. We can change our fate
through prayer and the merit of our righteous deeds (Rashi). In fact the Gemara
goes on and tells two stories how giving tzedaka saved a person’s life while
according to the astrologer he/she (who happened to be Rabbi Akiva’s daughter)
was doomed to die.
“Traces of the belief are still to be found in words used by
Jews, notably the expression mazzal tov,
literally ‘a good start’ (or ‘planet’). An unfortunate fellow is still called a
shlimazzal, ‘one who has no mazzal,’ one on whom fortune does not
smile. Even when the belief in astrology was strong, however, it was taught
that that you should leave the future to God and not, therefore, consult
astrologers. The Shulhan Arukh, the
standard code of Jewish law, states categorically: ‘one should not consult
astrologers, nor should one cast lots (to determine the future)’ (Yoreh Deah
179:1)….
“It is one of the examples, therefore, of the extraordinary
independence of the mind of the great Maimonides (d. 1204) that virtually he
alone in the Middle Ages rejected the belief in astrology. In a letter on
astrology written by Maimonides in reply to a query from the rabbis of Southern
France, he distinguishes between astronomy, which is a true science, and
astrology, which is sheer superstition. He states further that according to our
Torah man’s fate is determined by God directly and not by the stars, and that,
moreover, man has free will and can choose good and reject evil-otherwise the
commands of the Torah are meaningless. As for the references to astrology in
the Talmud, these cannot be taken literally when they contradict reason. Man
was created with his eyes in front and not behind, i.e. he must act according
to reason, rejecting astrology even if it is mentioned in rabbinic sources.” (What
Does Judaism Say…? By Louis Jacobs, page 48-9)
So if you want to check your daily horoscope in the
newspaper for fun, go ahead, but don’t put any stock in what it says.
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