Dybbuk
In Jewish mythology, a dybbuk (/ˈdɪbək/; Yiddish: דיבוק, from the Hebrew verb דָּבַק dāḇaq meaning 'adhere' or 'cling') is a malicious possessing spirit believed to be the dislocated soul of a dead person.[1] It supposedly leaves the host body once it has accomplished its goal, sometimes after being exorcised.[2][3][4]
Etymology
[edit]Dybbuk comes from the Hebrew word דִּיבּוּק dibūq, meaning 'a case of attachment', which is a nominal form derived from the verb דָּבַק dāḇaq 'to adhere' or 'cling'.[5]
History
[edit]The term first appears in a number of 16th-century writings,[2][6] though it was ignored by mainstream scholarship until S. An-sky's 1920 play The Dybbuk popularised the concept in literary circles.[6] Earlier accounts of possession (such as that given by Josephus) were of demonic possession rather than that of ghosts.[7] These accounts advocated orthodoxy among the populace[2] as a preventative measure. Michał Waszyński's 1937 film The Dybbuk, based on the Yiddish play by S. An-sky, is considered one of the classics of Yiddish filmmaking.[8]
Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum, the Satmar rebbe (1887–1979), is reported to have supposedly advised an individual said to be possessed to consult a psychiatrist.[7]
Traditionally, dybbuks tended to be male spirits. According to Hayyim Vital, women could not become dybbuks because their souls did not participate in gilgul.[9] 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.[10] However, men and boys could be posessed as well.[9]
In psychological literature, the dybbuk has been described as a hysterical syndrome.[11]
Expulsion
[edit]In traditional Jewish communities, the concept of the dybbuk served as a socially acceptable way of expressing unacceptable urges, including sexual ones.[12] 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.[13] Additionally, Jewish folklore includes accounts where neglected or improperly maintained mezuzot were believed to make homes susceptible to dybbuk possession.[14] These perspectives emphasize the mezuzah’s dual role in Jewish life: as both a symbol of faith and a spiritual safeguard.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Trachtenberg, Joshua (2004) [Originally published 1939]. "Glossary of Hebrew Terms". Jewish Magic and Superstition. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press. p. 333. ISBN 978-0812218626. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
Dibbuk – spirit of deceased person which has entered body of living person.
- ^ a b c Avner Falk (1996). A Psychoanalytic History of the Jews. Fairleigh Dickinson Univ Press. p. 538. ISBN 978-0838636602.
- ^ "Dybbuk", Encyclopædia Britannica, retrieved 10 June 2009
- ^ Gershom Scholem. "Dibbuk". Encyclopaedia Judaica.
- ^ See A. Sáenz-Badillos & J. Elwolde, A History of the Hebrew Language, 1996, p. 187 on the qiṭṭūl pattern.
- ^ a b Spirit Possession in Judaism: Cases and Contexts from the Middle Ages to the Present, by Matt Goldish, p. 41, Wayne State University Press, 2003
- ^ a b Tree of Souls:The Mythology of Judaism, by Howard Schwartz, pp. 229–230, Oxford University Press, 2004
- ^ "The Dybbuk". The National Center for Jewish Film. Retrieved 29 October 2014.
- ^ a b Faierstein, Morris M. (2017), Greenspoon, Leonard J. (ed.), "The Dybbuk: The Origins and History of a Concept", olam he-zeh v'olam ha-ba, This World and the World to Come in Jewish Belief and Practice, Purdue University Press, pp. 135–150, ISBN 978-1-55753-792-8, retrieved 12 October 2024
- ^ Levin, Sala (28 October 2021). "Jewish Word: Dybbuk". Moment Magazine.
- ^ Billu, Y; Beit-Hallahmi, B (1989). "Dybbuk-Possession as a hysterical symptom: Psychodynamic and socio-cultural factors". Israel Journal of Psychiatry and Related Science. 26 (3): 138–149. PMID 2606645.
- ^ Falk, Avner (1996). A Psychoanalytic History of the Jews. Fairleigh Dickinson Univ Press. ISBN 978-0-8386-3660-2.
- ^ "The Protective Power of Mezuzah". Chabad.org. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
- ^ "Dybbuk Shmibbuk". Temple of Miriam. Retrieved 9 November 2024.
Further reading
[edit]- Chajes, J. H. (2011). Between Worlds: Dybbuks, Exorcists, and Early Modern Judaism. University of Pennsylvania Press. ISBN 978-0812221701.
- Elior, Rachel (2008). Dybbuks and Jewish Women in Social History, Mysticism and Folklore. Urim Publications. ISBN 978-9655240078.
- Peñalosa, Fernando (2012). The Dybbuk: Text, Subtext, and Context. CreateSpace Publishing. ISBN 978-1478357803.
- Peñalosa, Fernando (2012). Parodies of An-sky's "The Dybbuk". CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN 978-1477647721.
- Cutler, Yosl (March 2017). "The Dybbuk in the Form of a Crisis". In Geveb. Archived from the original on 6 March 2023.
External links
[edit]- "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
