Astrology in Judaism

Shabbethai Donalo Doctor and Astrologer (913-970) was borne in south Italy. At the age og 12 he was coptured (925) by an Arabic Batalion, his relatives had redeem him by paying for him a large amount of money.

At first he educated him self by the medicine discipline, since in those days a part of the diagnosis was done by astrology matters, he thought himself all that were known in this period in his soundings. How ever he decided to widen his knowledge by studying the Greek, Babylonian, and Indian Astrology.

In the city of Baghdad Donalo found a wise man in the name of Bagdsh who was a great scholar in mathematics and astrology, his (Donalo) conclusion about astrology was that the real basics of astrology are written by an Hebrew Talmudic Rabbi by the name of Rabbi D’Shemuel in an essay named Berayita D’rbbi Sehmuel.

Donalo settle dawn in the city named Modina in Italy serving as M.D for forty years, there Donalo wrote books on medicine, medication and astrology among other books he wrote a commentry on the astrology of the Book of Creation “Sefer H’Yetzirah” which by Hebrew tradition was written By Abraham the ancient Hebrew forefather

“ I went to explore the wisdom of the Greeks, the Arabs, the Acadian’s and the Indian’s, I did not rest until I was skilled in all nation astrology wisdom, and I compeard them with the Israelies Astrological knowledge and wisdom, and I find them all equal in there knowledge, Itookup on me to transleate all thoes books, and all my conclusion I wrote in my book “Chckmoni”which is the my commentry on “Sefer hyetzira” See: Shabbethai Donalo,the introduction in “The book Chokmoni”



Iben Ezra

Abraham Ibn Ezra (1089-1164 C.E. Spain) Ibn Ezra was born in Tudela Sapin. He led Spain in 1140,for the next three decades he wandered through Europe, spending time in Rome, Lucca, Rouen, London, and Béziers, Israel.

Ibn Ezra's literary legacy consists of short and extremely popular handbooks in a wide variety of fields: grammar and poetics, astrology and arithmetic, astronomy and religious speculations, as well as both short and lengthier biblical commentaries.Ibn Ezra wrote following astrological treatises, the most important are:

Beginning of Wisdom.

The Book of Reasons.

The Book of Nativities.

The Book of Elections.

The Book of Lights.

The Book of the world

The Treatise od the AstrolabeAn itroduction the the Book of Muhammed Ibn Al-matani, translated by Ibn Ezra.

A Translation from Arabic into Hebrew of a book by Masha’ allah on the Eclipes of the sun and the Moon

See : The Book of Reasons . translaed by Meira Epstein.

Astrology was one of Ibn Ezra's major interests, and it plays an important role in his thought ,the central place of astrology in Ibn Ezra's thought promothed and strnghnd the legitimacy of astrology, in the jewish community, scholars and layman.

There is no difference between Jews and non-Jews with regard to astral governance, in his astrological writings, the Jews are no different from other peoples, in that they too are associated with certain planets and signs; this point was not lost upon his super-commentators. Ibn Ezra's astrology, like his philosophy overall, is humanist and universal, not Jewish and particularist.

While we are going to assess Ibn Ezra writings, we should bear in mind that Ibn Ezra is not exposing to the reader all his knowledge, on the contrary, the reader is getting the impressing that Ibn Ezra is hiding his knowledge, and revealing bits hear and there, mostly regarding Astrological Astral Magic.








Maimonides


Moshe ben Maimon or Moses Maimonides- The Rambam (March 30, 1135 – December 13, 1204). Maimonides was a Rabbi, Physician, and Philosopher,

he was borne in Spain and died in Israel. Maimonides conducted his work in Spain Moroccoand Egypt and israel.

On face of it, Momonides concept and approach towards, astrology was negative namely, once should not exercises astrology. Maimonides answered an inquiry concerning astrology, addressed to him from Marseille. In this answer to inquiries from scholars of southern France, Maimonides exposes foibles and fallacies of astrology, while touching upon such questions as the sources of knowledge, creation of the world, divine providence and free will, and the Messiah. Inasmuch as this letter was intended for general circulation, with no pretense to esotericism.

Maimonides responded that man should believe only what can be supported either by rational proof, by the evidence of the senses, or by trustworthy authority. He affirms that he had studied astrology, and that it does not deserve to be described as a science. He ridicules the supposition that the fate of a man could be dependent upon the constellations; he argues that such a theory would rob life of purpose, and would make man a slave of destiny.

According to Maimonides the Heberw Astrological wisdome was lost and forgotten during the years in the long past,overviewing cearfully Mimodidas writings we cam learn about the Mimonides duality apparoch , in one aspect the Mimonides sees in Astrology the top of sciences, and on the other hand his stand is against Astrology,

See Shlomo Sela “ Astrology and Biblical Exegesis in Abraham Ibn Ezra’s Thought”

Iben Tzarza and his friends could not assimilate Mimonides opposition to astrology. Looking in to his work they came to the conclusion that so to speak, the Mimonides take a stand against Astrology,but this was only when he was referring to the crowd, to mass of people, however when the Mimonides was speaking to his peoples or to the Intellectual Jewish elite, his views were entirely different.

See : Dov Schwarrtz “Amulets,Properties and rationalism in Medieval Jewish Thoght”

Trachtenberg is another scholar who is supporting this view namely Maimonides was not opposing astrology, his opinion is that Mimonides was accepting the Astrology discipline regarding the Medical use, (in those days every Medicine Doctor was skilled in the astrology discipline) which means Maimonides give his blessing to use astrology for Medical proposes.

See: Trachtenberg, J ‘ “Jewish Magic and Superstition”

Thus Maimonides concept towards Astrology was ambivalent and dual. Maimonides had one concept for the esotericism group of scholars, and another concept for the common layman, which means, only the intellectual elite should exercises Astrology, al the others should stay away from it, because thy wont understand the discipline and material, moreover there is a danger that the common layman will believe in determinism, which will led him a way from the Jewish belief, the Jewish belief is saying:” Everything is Foreseen, but the Permit is Given. This is an Anti-thesis to determinism.


Nahmanides

Nahmanides – Moshe ben Nahman Gerondi -Ramban (1194-1270) was a Biblical commentator, Kabbalist, Philosopher and Physician.

Nahmanides studied medicine which he practiced as a means of livelihood; he also studied philosophy In his writings Nahmanides reveals a conservative tendency that distinguished his later works — an unbounded respect for the earlier authorities.In the view of Nahmanides, the wisdom of the rabbis of the Mishnah and Talmud, as well as the Geonim (rabbis of the early medieval era) was unquestionable.

Nahmanides was an adversary of Rabbi Abraham Ib Ezra. Nahmanides disagrees with him; especially with regard to Kabballa (Jewish mysticism), which is considered part of the normative Jewish tradition. Notwithstanding, he had tremendous respect for ibn Ezra, as is evidenced in his introduction to his commentary on the Five books of Moses.

Nahmanides formed part of the Spanish school of Cabalists. He was intruded into the Gnostic type of mysticism that had hitherto reigned in Jewish mysticism. This Gnostic mysticism had originated in a rabbinic gnosis of the 1st and 2d centuries A.D.The Neoplatonic trend of Nahmanides's mysticism centered on the sefirot, or "soul" or "inner life," of the hidden transcendent God. On this basis Nahmanides formed his mystical theory of history

Nahmanides was a key figur in Kabblistic esoteric persona in Spanish 13th century.Regarding his astrological atettude Nahmanides wrote a stating that while one may not ask an astrologer for a prediction, astrology itself is real. He states rules that one must ultimately trust in God, and not in any lesser force. As such, he concludes that one is forbidden to ask an astrologer for a prediction, but one may act on the words of an astrologer if advice is freely given. Ultimately he holds that while the stars give a person certain inclinations, people have the ability to overcome their own inclinations, and thus maintains free will.

Thus it is adviseble to emphesiss that the persons who were infulensive of Nahmanides concepet were Ibn Ezra and Yhuda Halevy



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