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In Jewish mythology, a {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} (Template:IPAc-en; Template:Langx, from the Hebrew verb Template:Script/Hebrew {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} meaning 'adhere' or 'cling') is a malicious possessing spirit believed to be the dislocated soul of a dead person.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> It supposedly leaves the host body once it has accomplished its goal, sometimes after being exorcised.<ref name="Falk">Template:Cite book</ref><ref>Template:Citation</ref><ref name="EJ">Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref>
EtymologyEdit
{{#invoke:Lang|lang}} comes from the Hebrew word Template:Script/Hebrew {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}, meaning 'a case of attachment', which is a nominal form derived from the verb Template:Script/Hebrew {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} 'to adhere' or 'cling'.<ref>See A. Sáenz-Badillos & J. Elwolde, A History of the Hebrew Language, 1996, p. 187 on the qiṭṭūl pattern.</ref>
HistoryEdit
The term first appears in a number of 16th-century writings,<ref name="Falk" /><ref name="Goldish">Spirit Possession in Judaism: Cases and Contexts from the Middle Ages to the Present, by Matt Goldish, p. 41, Wayne State University Press, 2003</ref> though it was ignored by mainstream scholarship until S. An-sky's 1920 play The Dybbuk popularised the concept in literary circles.<ref name="Goldish" /> Earlier accounts of possession (such as that given by Josephus) were of demonic possession rather than that of ghosts.<ref name="Schwartz">Tree of Souls:The Mythology of Judaism, by Howard Schwartz, pp. 229–230, Oxford University Press, 2004</ref> These accounts advocated orthodoxy among the populace<ref name="Falk" /> as a preventative measure. {{#invoke:Lang|lang}}'s 1937 film The Dybbuk, based on the Yiddish play by S. An-sky, is considered one of the classics of Yiddish filmmaking.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>
Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum, the Satmar rebbe (1887–1979), is reported to have supposedly advised an individual said to be possessed to consult a psychiatrist.<ref name="Schwartz" />
Traditionally, dybbuks tended to be male spirits. According to Hayyim Vital, women could not become dybbuks because their souls did not participate in gilgul.<ref name=":0">Template:Citation</ref> Sometimes these spirits were said to possess women on the eve of their weddings, typically in a sexual fashion by entering the women through their vaginas, which is seen in An-sky's play.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> However, men and boys could be possessed as well.<ref name=":0" />
In psychological literature, the {{#invoke:Lang|lang}} has been described as a hysterical syndrome.<ref>Template:Cite journal</ref>
ExpulsionEdit
In traditional Jewish communities, the concept of the dybbuk served as a socially acceptable way of expressing unacceptable urges, including sexual ones.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Within Jewish mysticism and folklore, particularly in Kabbalistic traditions, protective practices were also used to ward off these malevolent spirits. One such practice involves affixing a mezuzah—a piece of parchment inscribed with specific Torah verses—to the doorposts of a home. While the mezuzah primarily serves as a reminder of faith and adherence to God's commandments, it is also viewed as a protective amulet against harmful spirits, including dybbuks. The Zohar, a foundational Kabbalistic text, suggests that a properly affixed mezuzah can prevent such entities from entering a home.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Additionally, Jewish folklore includes accounts where neglected or improperly maintained mezuzot were believed to make homes susceptible to dybbuk possession.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> These perspectives emphasize the mezuzah's dual role in Jewish life: as both a symbol of faith and a spiritual safeguard.
See alsoEdit
ReferencesEdit
Further readingEdit
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External linksEdit
- "The Dybbuk" by Ansky Jewish Heritage Online Magazine
- "Dybbuk – Spiritual Possession and Jewish Folklore" by Jeff Belanger, Ghostvillage.com
- "Dybbuk", Encyclopædia Britannica
- Dibbuk short film teaser