If someone spends some time with Israelis, they will observe that some are prone to say “Bli Ayin Ha’ra,” which literally translates to “Without the Evil Eye,” after referring to a source of happiness such as a child, good fortune, etc. This is a strong proof that Israel people have a strong belief in Evil Eye superstition.
The phrase “Ayin Ha’ra” refers to the evil eye in Hebrew or Judaism. Jewish belief holds that the evil eye curse has the potential to bewitch or injure anyone or anything with just a glance. The phrase “Ayin Ha’ra” is sometimes used to signify bad propensities and it appears frequently in both Jewish law and the Talmud.
Evil Eye in Bible
It’s important to note that the Bible has the earliest recorded use of the term “Ayin Hara”. The matriarch Sarah allegedly gave her maidservant Hagar an Ayin Hara, leading her to lose her first pregnancy. Jacob, the patriarch, also prevented his sons from being seen together for fear of triggering an Ayin Hara.
Evil Eye in Talmud
According to Jewish law (Talmud), when a person looks at something or someone with jealousy or envy, his eyes emanate bad energy, known as the Evil Eye. Furthermore, it is bad luck to look at someone else’s harvest while it is still growing. In addition, it is stated there that a first-born daughter protects the family from Ayin Hara’s influence. Another superstition is that mentioning the Torah (holy book) two times in a row while calling up two brothers (or a father and a son) can attract way too much attention to one family, which can result in an evil eye curse.
How do they avoid being cursed with the Evil Eye?
The Evil Eye curse can be avoided in a number of ways according to Jewish, Hebrew and Judaic civilizations. Hamsa is a hand-shaped sign that contains a sacred evil eye in the middle to deflect unfriendly glances. The Hamsa Hand Evil Eye amulet, which is considered as a sacred protection charm and bestow upon someone luck, riches, prosperity and personal growth, is the only widely used method.
Practices to keep away the Evil Eye
Because it is believed that fish cannot be affected by the Evil Eye effect and negative energies, Jews perform a ritual known as the Tashlich on Rosh Hashanah to protect themselves from the curse. They use an amount of water containing fish to get rid of the Evil Eye curse.
Jews also spit three times after discussing or complimenting a vulnerable individual or after formulating a future plan in order to deflect malice and evil stare.
To counteract the negative effects of the Evil Eye, individuals in Hebrew employ the expression “bli ayin hara”, which translates as “without evil eye.” Similar to this, the Yiddish expression “kein ayin hara”, which translates to “no evil eye,” is used to combat the negative effects of the Evil Eye.