Introduction
The idea that we can affect the outcome of something by our superstitious action is a spiritual issue. So also is the thought that we can see or receive a good omen. I say it is a spiritual issue because when we think this way, we are putting our faith in something other than God. We may think it is ‘the universe’, god (little ‘g’), our ancestors, the spirits, or some other such power that is helping us by revealing the way to us.
In the case of superstitions, we are believing that our action can affect an event through some invisible force.
Concerning omens, we see something that we interpret as a sign, coming from some unseen force. This sign is letting us know, so to speak, that our issue will turn out a certain way.
Background
What started as curiosity on my part, led to a surprising spiritual discovery. I wanted to know how eating certain foods at the New Year was associated with bringing good luck. I set aside the usual explanations for this tradition once I discovered a deeper biblical connection.
As you might have guessed by now, my investigation took a circuitous route. So, hang on, as we wind our way around in this paper to an unexpected conclusion.
Definitions
We’ll start with definitions of these two terms:
Good Omen
- A sign, either real or imagined, of good fortune or a propitious outcome.1
Superstition
- An irrational belief that an object, action, or circumstance not logically related to a course of events influences its outcome.
- a. A belief, practice, or rite irrationally maintained by ignorance of the laws of nature or by faith in magic or chance.
b. A fearful or abject state of mind resulting from such ignorance or irrationality.
c. Idolatry.2
Not Superstition
Trying to repeat a consequence by performing the same actions again in the same way is not superstitious. That is, if the actions are logically related to the course of events, then we are just trying to get the same results.
For example, when I play the drums, I endeavor to hold my drum sticks the same way every time. I also set up my drums in the same positions every time so that they are always consistent. Therefore, these actions are not superstitious, but are efforts to improve my technique.
Innocence
As humans, our nature is to look for patterns to make sense of the world. We also try to organize things around us. For example, we see patterns in the clouds and stars, we organize and balance furniture and decorations in a room, and we automatically see the relationships between things.
This may partly explain our behavior when we make a connection between events and then ‘predict’ that the pattern will happen again. However, once we start to believe that these connections are omens or superstitious events, we have taken it too far.
If we go down this path, we can even try to control the future by our superstitious actions. This is a case of replacing the faith we should be putting in God, with faith in something else.
Reading horoscopes and referring to psychics are also efforts to try to control or learn about our future. Visiting a spiritualist, palm reader, or medium are perhaps more clearly seen as spiritual endeavors. Whether realized or not, folks who seek these avenues are looking for spiritual guidance that is not biblical.
Eating for Luck
For example, the tradition of eating black-eyed peas at the beginning of the New Year to bring luck, is a superstition. Eating a certain type of food, at a certain time of year, will not cause unrelated good things to happen.
If eating certain foods such as this was only a tradition, it could be a good thing. Traditions link us to our family, our heritage, our past, and help give context to our lives.
However, if we believe eating certain foods brings us luck, it has become a superstition or omen. Eating certain foods can certainly be healthier for us, but food does not bring luck. Trusting food to bring us luck is a superstitious idea that leads us down a dangerous path away from the one true God.
According to one cooking website, “It’s important to note that, though black-eyed peas are most often associated with New Year’s traditions in the American South, they’re also traditionally served on Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year).”3
The Paper Turns!
Once I read that eating a certain food was linked to the people of God, I had to look it up to confirm the story. While doing some research on the matter, I discovered some interesting information recorded in the Talmud -not information about black-eyed peas, but information about omens.
Here is where my paper turns! I started out looking at superstitions and omens about food.
Now, we will focus on some of the Jewish rabbinical teaching about omens.
Rabbinic Teaching
The rabbinic discussions I found in the Talmud described using good omens to ascertain one’s future success. The Talmud discusses other instances of omens, but I chose three examples for this paper as illustrations: business dealings; eating certain foods; and, forecasting if one will live another year. (See the appendix at the end of this article for some background information about the Talmud.)
These are from Horayot 12a, of The William Davidson Talmud:4
Living Another Year
“[Concerning] good omens, the Gemara5 cites a statement that Rabbi Ami said: This person who seeks to know if he will complete his year or if he will not, i.e., whether or not he will remain alive in the coming year, let him light a lamp, during the ten days that are between Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur, in a house in which wind does not blow. If its light continues to burn, he knows that he will complete his year.”
Succeed in Business
“And one who seeks to conduct a business venture and wishes to know if he will succeed or if he will not succeed, let him raise a rooster. If the rooster grows fat and healthy, he will succeed.”
Eating a Good Omen
“Abaye said: Now that you said that an omen is a significant matter, a person should always be accustomed to seeing these on Rosh HaShana: Squash, and fenugreek, leeks, and chard, and dates, as each of these grows quickly and serves as a positive omen for one’s actions during the coming year.”
I am surprised that despite the clear teaching in Deuteronomy, the Talmud speaks positively about omens. This is a demonstration of spiritual deception. People think that they can fulfill their spiritual need without having to believe what the Bible teaches or to submit to God on His terms.
Biblical Injunction
In both the Old and New Testament, God describes the spiritual practices that are off limits.
In Deuteronomy 18:10-11 He says,
“There shall not be found among you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, one who uses divination, one who practices witchcraft, or one who interprets omens, or a sorcerer, or one who casts a spell, or a medium, or a spiritist, or one who calls up the dead.”
And in Galatians 5:19-21 He says,
“Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you just as I have forewarned you that those who practice such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.”
The injunction in Deuteronomy to not engage in interpreting omens is pretty clear. God also excludes spiritual activities like divination, witchcraft, and acting as a medium.
The New Testament does not spell it out for us as such, but a little digging makes it clear. The Greek word translated sorcery in Galatians is, pharmakeía, (far-mak-i’-ah) meaning: “sorcery, magical arts; often found in connection with idolatry and fostered by it.”6 The word is also used when talking about the use of or the administering of drugs, hence our word pharmacy.
Faith Applied
This departure from scripture is a faith failure. Faith properly applied would be placed in God instead of relying on omens and superstitions to plan for the future. Our part is to do the work. As we work, we trust in God to do His part.
Just one of the many verses that demonstrate this concept is written in a Psalm by Solomon. Psalm 127:1 declares:
“Unless the LORD builds the house,
They labor in vain who build it;
Unless the LORD guards the city,
The watchman keeps awake in vain.”
Notice in this Psalm that we are still building and are still guarding. But if we do not rely on the Lord -our exercise of faith in Him- our labor or our guarding is in vain.
Romans 9:30-33 explains the reason for the failure of the Jewish nation.
“What shall we say then? That Gentiles, who did not pursue righteousness, attained righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith; but Israel, pursuing a law of righteousness, did not arrive at that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith, but as though it were by works. They stumbled over the stumbling stone, just as it is written,
“BEHOLD, I LAY IN ZION A STONE OF STUMBLING AND A ROCK OF OFFENSE,
AND HE WHO BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.”7
Our three examples from the Talmud display the lack of faith by some in the nation of Israel. They put their faith in superstitions and omens instead of God.
Just like in the Romans passage above, they pursued the law, but did not arrive at righteousness because they put their faith in the law. They wound up with dead works and omens and missed the righteousness of God.
Conclusion
Superstitions and omens are idols in our lives when they replace faith in God, our Creator. Therefore they are spiritual activities that we cannot take lightly or ignore.
As followers of God we should stay clear of such thinking and realize that the spiritual forces behind these activities are not from God. (See also my paper on Deception.)
Appendix
The Talmud
The Talmud is the collection of rabbinic teachings and comments on the Old Testament handed down orally. Eventually, the teaching and commentary was put in written form. Later, the written Talmud was translated into English.
On the history of the Babylonian Talmud, translator Michael L. Rodkinson says, “The name ‘written law’ was given to the Pentateuch, Prophets and Hagiographa, and that of ‘oral law’ to all the teachings of the ‘sages’ consisting of comments on the text of the Bible. The word Torah alone was applied to the entire Bible, the term ‘Talmud’ was reserved for the oral law, though the meaning of these two words is identical; namely, ‘teaching’ or ‘study.’”8
Hagiographa – [In the Bible,] “the third of the three main parts into which the books of the Old Testament are divided in Jewish tradition (the other two parts being the Law and the Prophets), comprising Psalms, Proverbs, Job, the Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther, Daniel, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Chronicles. Also called: Writings.”9
Jesus’ Confrontations
After writing this paper, I gained a new appreciation and better understanding about why Jesus talked to the Pharisees the way He did. He repeatedly addressed the Pharisees reliance on their traditions instead of the Word of God.
For more about how Jesus talked to and treated the Pharisees, see my article, Confronted by Jesus. Jesus didn’t talk to everyone the way He talked to the Pharisees. For a look at how Jesus talked to other people, please read my post, Confrontational Truth.
1 https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/omen 9/25/23
2 https://idioms.thefreedictionary.com/superstition 9/25/23
3 https://www.allrecipes.com/article/black-eyed-peas-new-years/ 10/4/23
4 https://www.sefaria.org/Horayot.12a.10?lang=bi 9/24/23
5 The Gemara is the rabbinical commentary on the Mishnah, forming the second part of the Talmud.
6 Thayer’s Greek Lexicon
7 (All caps in the New Testament indicate an Old Testament quote.) Underlining added for emphasis.
8 https://sacred-texts.com/jud/t10/ht104.htm 10/5/23
9 Hagiographa. (n.d.) Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014. (1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014). Retrieved October 7 2023 from https://www.thefreedictionary.com/Hagiographa