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| Artistic Depiction of a Dybbuk |
The notion of Dybbuks has been brought to the general public’s attention through a variety of movies (e.g. The Dybbuk in 1937 and The Possession in 2012) and television shows (e.g. Paranormal Witness: The Dybbuk Box). These popular depictions of the Dybbuk provide a negative and scary presentation of the Dybbuk, but is this imagery accurate? Today’s blog post is dedicated to explaining what the Dybbuk is and how it relates to the Jewish faith.
Dybbuks are simply evil spirits who take possession of living bodies. The notion of the Dybbuk came about in the 8th century, although it was not recorded in the written literature until the 17th century. Reports about what specifically a Dybbuk is does vary. Some sources claim the evil spirit is that of a demon, whereas most sources identify the Dybbuk as the soul of a sinner who is not allowed to enter Heaven. Dybbuks enter into the bodies of living sinners or troubled individuals as a means of atoning for their past infractions by attempting to relive the life they had previously. An individual possessed by a Dybbuk, however, often begins to act strangely out of torment from unauthorized occupation by the evil spirit, but there are cases where individuals may not know that they have been possessed for some time. Once the Dybbuk is discovered a Rabbi is contacted to perform rites to remove the unwanted entity from the living individual.
The notion of Dybbuks is attached to the Kabbalah, Jewish mysticism. The Kabbalah was orally passed down for centuries before being written down during the Middle Ages. The Kabbalah is the source of Jewish legends and supernatural occurrences, such as the creation of a golem (a clay man) and conversation between Rabbis, God, and angels. The tales of Dybbuks did not enter into the Kabbalah literature until later, so the exact origins of Dybbuks and their relationship to the Jewish faith is unknown at this time.
In conclusion, Dybbuks are considered part of Jewish mysticism and legends, although some individuals (Jewish and non-Jewish) strongly believe in the notion of Dybbuks. These evil spirits possess the bodies of the living in order to atone for past sins, although their pathway does not lead to positive outcomes. The fascination with these entities, however, continues.
Bibliography
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“Day 31: Dybbuks, the Possessing Spirits.” 36 Days of Judaic Myth. http://www.matthewkressel.net/2015/10/08/36-days-of-judaic-myth-day-31-dybbuks-the-possessing-spirits/
No Author. No
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No Author. No
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