DAF DITTY SHABBES 156- Siyum Masechta

DAF DITTY SHABBES 156 Talmudic Astrology

Zodiac in a 6th-century synagogue at Beth Alpha, Israel.

“A learned and cultured man of those times, could not reject the science of Astrology, a science recognized and acknowledged by all the civilized ancient world”1

Saul Lieberman

Rabbi Ḥanina said to his students who heard all this: Go and tell the son of Leiva’i, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi: It is not the constellation of the day of the week that determines a person’s nature; rather, it is the constellation of the hour that determines his nature.

One who was born under the influence of the sun will be a radiant person; he will eat from his own resources and drink from his own resources, and his secrets will be exposed. If he steals, he will not succeed, because he will be like the sun that shines and is revealed to all.

One who was born under the influence of Venus will be a rich and promiscuous person. What is the reason for this? Because fire was born during the hour of Venus, he will be subject the fire of the evil inclination, which burns perpetually.

One who was born under the influence of Mercury will be an enlightened and expert man, because Mercury is the sun’s scribe, as it is closest to the sun.

One who was born under the influence of the moon will be a man who suffers pains, who builds and destroys, and destroys and builds. He will be a man who eats not from his own resources and drinks not from his own resources, and whose secrets are hidden. If he steals, he will succeed, as he is like the moon that constantly changes form, whose light is not its own, and who is at times exposed and at times hidden.

One who was born under the influence of Saturn will be a man whose thoughts are for naught. And some say that everything that others think about him and plan to do to him is for naught. One who was born under the influence of Jupiter [tzedek] will be a just person [tzadkan].

Rav Nachman bar Yitzḥak said: And just in this context means just in the performance of mitzvot. One who was born under the influence of Mars will be one who spills blood. Rav Ashi said: He will be either a blood letter, or a thief, or a slaughterer of animals, or a circumciser. Rabba said: I was born under the influence of Mars and I do not perform any of those activities. Abaye said: My Master also punishes and kills as a judge.

It was stated that Rabbi Ḥanina says: A constellation makes one wise and a constellation makes one wealthy, and there is a constellation for the Jewish people that influences them. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: There is no constellation for the Jewish people that influences them. The Jewish people are not subject to the influence of astrology.

And Rabbi Yoḥanan follows his own reasoning, as Rabbi Yoḥanan said: From where is it derived that there is no constellation for the Jewish people? As it is stated:

thus saith the LORD: Learn not the way of the 2 ב כֹּה ַאָמר יְהוָה, ֶאל- ֶדּ ֶר ַהגּוֹיִם אַל- ;nations and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven ִתּ ְָלמדוּ, ֵוּמאֹתוֹת ַה ָשּׁ ַמיִם, אַל- ֵתּ ָחתּוּ: ִכּי- .for the nations are dismayed at them יֵ ַחתּוּ ַהגּוֹיִם, ֵמ ֵה ָמּה. Jer 10:2

“Thus said the Lord: Learn not the way of the nations, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the nations are dismayed at them” (Jeremiah 10:2). The nations will be dismayed by them, but not the Jewish people.

Rabbi Carl Perkins writes:2

2 www.Myjewishlearning.com

4 The word “mazel” literally means “constellation,” and it refers specifically to the twelve constellations ancients understood to influence one’s fate during the months of the year. Astrology, which attempts to understand celestial influence on human affairs, was a highly respected field in the era of the Talmud. Though we may not mean it literally, when we say, “Mazel tov” (i.e., “a good constellation!”), we are expressing a wish that the stars will be auspicious — and not ill- fated.

On Our Daf, we find examples of rabbinic astrology, including authorities who describe how the day of the week on which one is born impacts one’s life. For example, we learn that someone born on Wednesday — the day on which God created the sun, moon and stars — will grow up to be wise and enlightened. Other rabbis describe the specific influence that the celestial bodies exert on one’s fate at particular hours on particular days of the week.

Yet, again and again, the text argues back that, as influential as the stars and planetary spheres may seem to be, ultimately, we can alter our own fate. A recurring textual refrain expresses this idea: there is no constellation for the Jewish people. The stars may influence, but they do not determine our fate. How is that? What can we do to overcome their power?

The answer is: by performing acts of piety; in particular, by being kind and compassionate. This happens, for example, with Rabbi Akiva’s daughter on her wedding day:

Rabbi Akiva had a daughter, and Chaldean astrologers told him that on the same day that she enters the wedding canopy, a snake will bite her, and she will die. She was very worried about this. On her wedding day, she took the ornamental pin from her hair and stuck it into a hole in the wall for safekeeping, and it happened that it entered directly into the eye of the snake. In the morning, when she took the pin, the snake was pulled and came out with it.

Her father Rabbi Akiva said to her: What did you do to merit being saved from the snake?

She told him: In the evening a poor person came and knocked on the door, and everyone was preoccupied with the feast and nobody heard him. I stood and took the portion that you had given me and gave it to him.

Rabbi Akiva said to her: You performed a mitzvah. However elsewhere the view is not so positive;

Sanhedrin 65b:19

The Sages taught: What is the definition of the soothsayer mentioned in the verse: “There shall not be found among you…a soothsayer” (Deuteronomy 18:10)? Rabbi Shimon says: This is one who applies seven types of semen [zekhur] to one’s eye in order to perform sorcery.

And the Rabbis say: This is one who deceives the eyes, as though he is performing sorcery.

Rabbi Akiva says: This is one who calculates the fortune of times and hours, and says, for example: Today is a propitious day for going away on a journey; tomorrow is propitious for purchasing property successfully.

Or he says that on the eve of the Sabbatical Years, the wheat harvest is generally good; uprooting legumes rather than cutting them from above the ground prevents them from going bad.

Midrashically, God blessed Abraham with astrological powers:

The Torah states: “And the Lord blessed Abraham with everything [bakkol]” (Genesis 24:1), and the Sages disagree about what bakkol means.

Rabbi Meir says: The blessing is that he did not have a daughter. Rabbi Yehuda says: On the contrary, the blessing was that he had a daughter.

Others say: Abraham had a daughter and her name was Bakkol.

Rabbi Elazar HaModa’i says: Abraham our forefather was so knowledgeable in astrology [itztagninut] that all the kings of the East and the West would come early to his door due to his wisdom.

7 This is the blessing of bakkol, that he possessed knowledge that everybody needed. Yet elsewhere the divine is critical of it:

On the verse:

And He brought him forth abroad, and said: 'Look now 5 ה אֵצוֹיַּו וֹתֹא ,הָצוּחַה רֶמאֹיַּו טֶבַּה - אָנ אָנ toward heaven, and count the stars, if thou be able to יַמָשַּׁה הָמְ רֹפְסוּ םיִבָכוֹכַּה -- םִא - כוּתּ ַ ,ל , וּ '.count them'; and He said unto him: 'So shall thy seed be רֹפְּסִל ָתֹא ;ם ַ ו רֶמאֹיּ ,וֹל הֹ כּ הִ י יְ הֶ רַ ז .ֶﬠְר ֶי ִיה וֹ ֶאיַּו; Gen 15:5 The gemoro (Nedarim 32a) states:

The Gemara expounds the verse “and He brought him outside”:

Abraham said before Him: Master of the Universe, I looked at my constellation and according to it I will have only one son, and a son has already been born to me, i.e., Ishmael.

He said to him: Emerge from your astrology because there is no constellation for the Jewish people, as they are not subject to the influence of astrology.

The aggada tropes on the word “outside” suggesting the redundancy of the word “outside”. Obviously if he went out, he went outside! It must mean the outside refers not to geography rather philosophy…go out of your philosophical mode (astrology) and enter a realm above astrology.

Mazal as Fate

Moed Katan 28a:13-15

Rava said: Length of life, children, and sustenance do not depend on one’s merit, but rather they depend upon fate. As, Rabba and Rav Ḥisda were both pious Sages; one Sage would pray during a drought and rain would fall, and the other Sage would pray, and rain would fall. And nevertheless, their lives were very different.

Rav Ḥisda lived for ninety-two years, whereas Rabba lived for only forty years. The house of Rav Ḥisda celebrated sixty wedding feasts, whereas the house of Rabba experienced sixty calamities. In other words, many fortuitous events took place in the house of Rav Ḥisda and the opposite occurred in the house of Rabba.

In the house of Rav Ḥisda there was bread from the finest flour [semida] even for the dogs, and it was not asked after, as there was so much food.

In the house of Rabba, on the other hand, there was coarse barley bread even for people, and it was not found in sufficient quantities.

This shows that the length of life, children, and sustenance all depend not upon one’s merit, but upon fate.

הנשמ ,הרות תוכלה הדובע הרז תוקוחו גה ו י םי :RAMBAM

Mishneh Torah, Foreign Worship and Customs of the Nations 11:8-9

(8) Who is an observer of times? They that point at times, saying astrologically: "That day is a good one, that day is a bad one; that day is fit to do that particular work, but that year, or that month, is bad for that particular thing.

(9) It is forbidden to be an observer of times, though no act be committed, save to make known the lies to such fools who believe them to be true speech of the wise. Moreover, he who does aught because of the signs of astrology, and times to do his work or go on his mission on the very time, set by the heaven-gazers, even he is striped, for it is said: "Nor observe times" (Lev. 126). Here a distinction must be made between an observer of times and an enchanter..

Likewise, one who deludes the eyes by performing some act alleging it to be wonderful, but in truth makes no performance at all, even he is included among observers of time, and his punishment is stripes.

Yet the RAMBAM require a knowledge of astrology along with other science for appointment to the bench:

10 Mishneh Torah, The Sanhedrin and the Penalties within their Jurisdiction 2:1

Only wise and intelligent men, who are eminent in Torah scholarship and possess extensive knowledge, should be appointed members of either the Great or the Small Sanhedrin. They should be somewhat aware of such branches as medicine, mathematics, astronomy, forecasting constellations, astrology, methods of soothsayers, augurs and wizards as well as idolatrous superstitions, and the like, in order to be competent in dealing with them.— —

Moshe Chaim Luzzatto (RAMCHAL) discusses the influence of stars on humanity and events on earth. He gave two reasons for the existence of stars and planets. The first is that stars and planets maintain the existence of all physical things on earth, acting as the means by which spiritual forces are transmitted to physical entities. The second is that events on earth are also initiated through planetary and stellar activity. RAMCHAL states that each earthly phenomenon is assigned to a for" ןיֵא לָזַּמ יְל לֵאָרְשִׂ – specific star, which controls it. Quoting the Talmudic dictum in our daf Israel, there is no mazal ("luck", literally "planet" or "constellation")", he also states that higher powers (i.e. God or angels) may overcome the influences of this system, and that they typically do so for Jews.

RAMCHAL notes that the laws and rules governing this system of astrological influence are extremely complex, and not easily ascertainable through direct observation; thus astrologers are rarely able to predict the future accurately or clearly. The accuracy of their predictions is further reduced by the aforementioned propensity of divine providence to intervene and override the system. This, he states, explains the use of the word me'asher ("something") in Isaiah 47:13 ("Now let the astrologers, stargazers and fortunetellers stand up and tell you something about what will come upon you"); in RAMCHAL’s view, this means they can tell you something about the future, but not everything.

ךרד 'ה , קלח נש י , נעב י ן תעפשה םיבככה :RAMCHAL Derech Hashem, 2nd vol, on the influence of the stars

12 הנה רבכ נראיב ו א״חב לכש נע י נ י םימשגה םשרש : שומש םיבכוכה ךרוצל םימצעה םילפשה םימצעה ךרוצל םיבכוכה שומש אוה תוחכב .םילדבנה םנמאו םש םישרתשמ נעה י נ םי הלאה לכב םיכרדה םיכירצש שרתשהל שרתשהל םיכירצש םיכרדה לכב הלאה םי נ י נעה כ״חאו םיכירצ קתעיל ךשמילו לא ימשג תו הרוצב םיכירצש אצמיל וב הנהו ךרוצל הז נכוה ו ונו ז רצ הה באמל ייצ רצ ויש ל שיו תי םכר ״א םילגלגה םהיבכוכו םהבש םהיבוביסבו םיכשמנ ו םיקתענ לכ םתוא נעה י נ םי ושרתשנש ו נ נמז ו מ שתנ ינינהםו כםקע םכמ םיויב םב הבוו יגג הלעמל נחורב י תו לא ימשגה תו הפ הטמל םידמועו הפ הרוצב וארה הי ו מא נ ם מ נ י ן כה ו כ ב י ם ה ןינמ םנמ ירדמו ג םהיתו לכו םהיתוקלחמ יה ו יפכ המ התארש המכחה ילעה ו הנ יה ותו ךירצ ו תואנ לא לא תואנ ו ךירצ ותו יה הנ ו ילעה המכחה התארש המ יפכ ו יה םהיתוקלחמ לכו םהיתו ג ירדמו קתעהה הזה נרכזש ו . הנהו עפשנ ןמ םיבכוכה חכ יקה םו לא םימצעה םימשגה םהיתחתש לעשלשםיחשםמג יצה אם ק כםבוה מעש הה רז ז תה : םהידי קתענ נע י םנ יחבמ ותנ הלעמל םישרשב לא יחב ותנ הטמל ותנ יחב לא םישרשב הלעמל ותנ יחבמ םנ י נע קתענ םהידי

The use of the stars for the sake of the lower creatures:

The use of the stars for the sake of the lower creatures: Behold, I have already explained in Part One (On the Spiritual Realm 2) that all physical things have their root in ethereal powers. In truth all these items are rooted there in every necessary fashion; and then afterwards need to be drawn down and transferred into physicality in the manner required of them.

So, the heavenly spheres with all their stars were surely prepared for this purpose. Through their rotation, all that is rooted and prepared above in the spiritual world is drawn down and transferred into our physical world here below, to be set in its proper form.

The number of the stars, their various levels and divisions are according to what the Supreme Wisdom saw to be necessary and appropriate in order to achieve this transferal that we mentioned. Hence the power of existence flows from the stars to every physical item below them.

They are the means to transform its content, from its character above, in the roots, to its character below.

םלואו דוע נע י ן רחא קקח ת״יבה םיבכוכב הלאה אוהו םגש לכ נע י נ י : פשה ע ת ה כ ו כ ב י ם ל מ ק ר י ם ש ירקמ םימשגה ישמו ג םהי ירחא נכוהש ו הלעמל וכשמי לע םהידי הטמל התואב הרוצה םיכירצש םיכירצש הרוצה התואב הטמל םהידי לע וכשמי הלעמל ו נכוהש רקל תו .םהל מ״ד יחה םי רשועה המכחה זה ער ו כ י אצו לכ הלא נעה י נ םי ומ כ נ םי הלעמל םישרשב ירב העל ם מ ם ע ל כ צ רז הכה שע ייה ״ םל ת ק םיקתענו הטמל םיפנעב הרוצכ היוארה י״ע םיבכוכה הזו תוקלחמב תועודי םיצוביקבו םידחוימ םידחוימ םיצוביקבו תועודי תוקלחמב הזו םיבכוכה י״ע היוארה הרוצכ םיפנעב הטמל םיקתענו וקחוהש םהל םיבוביסו .םיעודי וגלפתנו היניב ם לכ םירקמה םירוקה תא םימשגה נימל םהי םהי נימל םימשגה תא םירוקה םירקמה לכ ם ורשקנו םימשגה םלכ תחת םתטילש יפכ ןהירדס שדחתהל םהב יפכ המ עפשויש ןמ הכרעמה הכרעמה ןמ עפשויש המ יפכ םהב שדחתהל ןהירדס יפכ םתטילש תחת םלכ םימשגה ורשקנו : יפל רושיקה רשקתיש הב לכ שיא שיאו י ל ה רקי רשק פ

The influence of the stars on events:

The influence of the stars on events: There is another matter which the Creator, may He be blessed, engraved into these stars. And that is that even all the events of physical things and what happens to them are prepared above and, only then, drawn down by the stars in the form in which they are meant to occur.

By way of example - matters of life, wealth, wisdom, children and the like are all prepared above in the roots and made manifest below in the branches, in their appropriate form, through the stars. Each of these happen though specific divisions, particular groupings and various orbits assigned to them. Everything which occurs to physical things in [all of] their types is divided among them.

All physical things were placed under their control, according to their order, for things to arise for them - in line with that which [the stars] have been influenced by the [divine] orchestration to create a connection with each and every individual.

: תעידי תודיתעה לע ידי םיבכוכה ידי לע תודיתעה תעידי

םנמאו יטפשמ העפשהה תאזה לש םיבכוכה םג םה ומ םילבג יפכ המ הרזגש המ יפכ םילבג ומ םה םג םיבכוכה לש תאזה העפשהה יטפשמ םנמאו המכחה ילעה ו הנ יה ותו תואנ תצקו היכרדמ נ םיעדו יפל ירדס םיטבמה אוהו המ םיגישמש ירבוה .םימשה ןכא כ .יש יבהםגששה וו יבה רס פ יד הכד צו ונ ווי נויע מח אל לכ תתמא הירדס תילגתמ הזב כ״ע אל וגישי וחה ז םי םיבכוכב אלא תצק נעהמ י נ םי םידיתעה אלו תומילשב תומילשב אלו םידיתעה םי נ י נעהמ תצק אלא םיבכוכב םי ז וחה וגישי אל כ״ע הזב תילגתמ הירדס תתמא לכ אל : רשאמ ו אל כ ל רשא ( ר״ב ה , ג ) ש״כו רבכ שי לוטיב םתודלותל ש״מכ לעו הז ורמא ל״ז ל״ז ורמא הז לעו ש״מכ םתודלותל לוטיב שי רבכ ש״כו

The influence of the stars on events:

Nevertheless, the [understanding of the] laws of this influence of the stars is also limited, according to what the Supreme Wisdom decreed to be appropriate. Hence some of its ways are known according to the ways of those that observe it, and this is that which the diviners of the heavens grasp. However not all of its true ways are revealed by this. Hence the stargazers will only grasp some of the future content of the stars - and only partially. And all the more so when there is a nullification of their effects, as we have mentioned. And therefore they, may their memory be blessed, said (Genesis Rabbah 5:3), "'From that' (Isaiah 47:13) and not 'all of that."

Astrology3, which was considered to be a serious science over the course of many generations, was highly developed in Babylonia. Nevertheless, the Talmud discusses astrology relatively infrequently and when it does, the discussion is on the level of folklore, lacking development or complexity.

This is apparently because most of the Sages maintained that the constellations do not control the Jewish people. Some of the qualities ascribed here to various astrological signs are related to the visible qualities of the stars themselves, like the qualities attributed to the sun and the moon. Those born under the sign of Venus are ascribed certain qualities because the luminaries were hung on that day.

This may be explained because the conclusion of Shabbat is the time associated with Venus, and it is also the time when, according to the Rabbis, fire was discovered by people. Mercury is described as the sun’s scribe because even the early astrologers were aware that it was the closest planet to the sun. Saturn is generally regarded as a sign related to misfortune, even though it is ascribed a different meaning here. Jupiter is considered a sign of fortune and righteousness. Mars was considered to be a sign of war and murder, because of its red color and because of its association with the Roman god Mars.

3 Steinzaltz OBM

15 Do the stars truly affect us?

The Gemara relates:

It was stated that Rabbi Ḥanina says: A constellation makes one wise and a constellation makes one wealthy, and there is a constellation for the Jewish people that influences them.

Rabbi Yoḥanan said: There is no constellation for the Jewish people that influences them. The Jewish people are not subject to the influence of astrology. And Rabbi Yoḥanan follows his own reasoning, as Rabbi Yoḥanan said: From where is it derived that there is no constellation for the Jewish people? As it is stated:

thus saith the LORD: Learn not the way of the nations 2 ב הֹכּ רַמָא ,הָוהְי לֶא - ֶרֶדּ םִיוֹגַּה לַא - and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the nations ִתּ ,וּדָמְל תוֹתֹאֵמוּ ,םִיַמָשַּׁה לַא - :וּתָּחֵתּ יִכּ - .are dismayed at them ֵי וּתַּח ,םִיוֹגַּה .הָמֵּהֵמ ,םִיוֹגַּה וּתַּח Jer 10:2

“Thus, said the Lord: Learn not the way of the nations, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the nations are dismayed at them. (Jer 10:2). The nations will be dismayed by them, but not the Jewish people.

Many commentaries discussed Rabbi Ḥanina’s opinion and concluded that he does not mean to say that everything is determined by one’s constellation.

He himself stated: Everything is in the hands of Heaven, except for fear of Heaven; i.e., the choice between good and evil remains in the purview of human beings.

Astrology4 The division of the ecliptic into the zodiacal signs originates in Babylonian astronomy during the first half of the 1st millennium BC. The zodiac draws on stars in earlier Babylonian star catalogues, such as the MUL.APIN catalogue, which was compiled around 1000 BC. Some constellations can be traced even further back, to Bronze Age (First Babylonian dynasty) sources, including Gemini "The Twins," from MAŠ.TAB.BA.GAL.GAL "The Great Twins," and Cancer "The Crab," from AL.LUL "The Crayfish," among others.

Around the end of the 5th century BC, Babylonian astronomers divided the ecliptic into 12 equal "signs", by analogy to 12 schematic months of 30 days each. Each sign contained 30° of celestial longitude, thus creating the first known celestial coordinate system. According to calculations by modern astrophysics, the zodiac was introduced between 409-398 BC and probably within a very few years of 401 BC. Unlike modern astronomers, who place the beginning of the sign of Aries at the place of the Sun at the vernal equinox, Babylonian astronomers fixed the zodiac in relation to

4 Talmudology.com

16 stars, placing the beginning of Cancer at the "Rear Twin Star" (β Geminorum) and the beginning of Aquarius at the "Rear Star of the Goat-Fish" (δ Capricorni).

The divisions don't correspond exactly to where the constellations started and ended in the sky; this would have resulted in an irregular division. The Sun in fact passed through at least 13, not 12 Babylonian constellations. In order to align with the number of months in a year, designers of the system omitted the major constellation Ophiuchus. Including smaller figures, astronomers have counted up to 21 eligible zodiac constellations. Changes in the orientation of the Earth's axis of rotation also means that the time of year the Sun is in a given constellation has changed since Babylonian times.

Because the division was made into equal arcs, 30° each, they constituted an ideal system of reference for making predictions about a planet's longitude. However, Babylonian techniques of observational measurements were in a rudimentary stage of evolution. They measured the position of a planet in reference to a set of "normal stars" close to the ecliptic (±9° of latitude) as observational reference points to help positioning a planet within this ecliptic coordinate system.[15] In Babylonian astronomical diaries, a planet position was generally given with respect to a zodiacal sign alone, less often in specific degrees within a sign.

When the degrees of longitude were given, they were expressed with reference to the 30° of the zodiacal sign, i.e., not with a reference to the continuous 360° ecliptic.[16] In astronomical ephemerides, the positions of significant astronomical phenomena were computed in sexagesimal fractions of a degree (equivalent to minutes and seconds of arc).[17] For daily ephemerides, the daily positions of a planet were not as important as the astrologically significant dates when the planet crossed from one zodiacal sign to the next.5

Knowledge of the Babylonian zodiac is also reflected in the Hebrew Bible; E. W. Bullinger interpreted the creatures appearing in the book of Ezekiel as the middle signs of the 4 quarters of the Zodiac,6 with the Lion as Leo, the Bull is Taurus, the Man representing Aquarius and the Eagle representing Scorpio.7 Some authors have linked the twelve tribes of Israel with the same signs, and/or the lunar Hebrew calendar having 12 lunar months in a lunar year. Martin and others have argued that the arrangement of the tribes around the Tabernacle (reported in the Book of Numbers) corresponded to the order of the Zodiac, with Judah, Reuben, Ephraim, and Dan representing the middle signs of Leo, Aquarius, Taurus, and Scorpio, respectively. Such connections were taken up by Thomas Mann, who in his novel Joseph and His Brothers attributes characteristics of a sign of the zodiac to each tribe in his rendition of the Blessing of Jacob.

Astrology is mentioned in many pages of the Talmud, but today we study one of the most important

5 Ptolemy, Claudius (1998). The Almagest. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. ISBN 0-691-00260-6. Translated and annotated by G. J. Toomer; with a foreword by Owen Gingerich.

6 E.W. Bullinger, The Witness of the Stars

7 Richard Hinckley Allen, Star Names: Their Lore and Meaning, Vol. 1 (New York: Dover Publications, 1899, p. 213-215.) argued for Scorpiohaving previously been called Eagle. for Scorpio.

17 places of them. The Talmud does not question whether astrology works, for it assumes that it does. Rather, the discussion centers around the details of producing an astrological map for a person, and how the Jewish People can avoid their astrologically determined fate.

The first topic is how the alignment of the planets define a person’s fate. According to Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi the planets influence the day of the week. So, if you are born on Sunday, you will be a person of extremes: בש ת ק נ ו , א ,ונק תב יִא הּיֵלּוּכּ ,וּביֵטְל יִא הּיֵלּוּכּ .וּשׁיִבְל יאַמ ?אָמְﬠַט וֹרְבּיִאְדּ הּיֵבּ רוֹא ֶשׁוֹחָו רוֹא הּיֵבּ וֹרְבּיִאְדּ ?אָמְﬠַט יאַמ .וּשׁיִבְל הּיֵלּוּכּ יִא ,וּביֵטְל הּיֵלּוּכּ יִא

Rather, one born on a Sunday is either completely for the best or completely for the worst. What is the reason for this? It is because both light and darkness were created on the first day of Creation.

If you are born on a Monday, you will be “a short-tempered person” because on that day the upper waters were divided from the lower; there was division, which translates into a person who “divides” with his temper. And so on. Now given that 1/7 of the world’s population will be born on any given day of the week, this is rather a generalization, but let’s leave that aside. This opinion is challenged by Rabbi Chanina, who explains that it is rather more complicated:

בש ת ק נ ו , א ,ונק תב רַמֲא וּהְל יִבַּר נֲח ,אָניִ וּקוּפּ וּרַמֱא הּיֵל רַבְל :יאַויֵל אֹל זַּמ לַ םוֹי םֵרוֹגּ אָלֶּא זַּמ לַ הָﬠָשׁ .םֵרוֹגּ יאַה ןאַמ הָמַּחְבִדּ — יֵהְי יֵהְי רַבְגּ ָתְויִז ,ן הְ י ֵ י כָא ֵ לי דִּ מ ֵליִ הּי תָשְׁ ו יֵ דִּ מ ֵליִ ,הּי רְ ו יִהוֹזָ ַ גּ ,ןיִיְל םִא ביֵנָגּ — אָל .חַלְצַמ יאַה ןאַמ בָכוֹכְבִדּ הַּגוֹנ — יֵהְי יֵהְי רַבְגּ ריִתַּﬠ יאַנַּזְו .יֵהְי יאַמ ?אָמְﬠַט םוּשִּׁמ דיִלְיְתיִאְדּ הּיֵבּ .אָרוּנ יאַה ןאַמ בָכוֹכְבִדּ — יֵהְי ַבְגּ ר ָנ ִ ה רי חְ ו ַ ִ כּ ,םי םוּשִּׁ מ םוּשִּׁ מ ,םי ִ כּ ַ חְ ו רי ִ ה ָ נ ר אָרְפָסְדּ הָמַּחְד .אוּה יאַה ןאַמ הָנָבְלִבְדּ — יֵהְי רַבְגּ ליֵבָס ,ןיִﬠְרַמ יֵנָבּ ,רַתָסְו רַתָס ,יֵנָבוּ ליֵכָא ְדּ אָל הּיֵליִדּ יֵתָשְׁו אָלְדּ אָלְדּ יֵתָשְׁו הּיֵליִדּ אָל הּיֵליִדּ יִהוֹזָרְו ןיִיְסַכּ םִא בֵנָגּ — .חַלְצַמ יאַה ןאַמ ְבַּשְׁבִדּ יאַת — יֵהְי רַבְגּ הּיֵתָבְשְׁחַמ .ןיִלְטָבּ תיִאְו :יִרְמָאְדּ לׇכּ לׇכּ :יִרְמָאְדּ תיִאְו .ןיִלְטָבּ הּיֵתָבְשְׁחַמ רַבְגּ יֵהְי ןיִבְשַּׁחְמִדּ הּיֵלֲﬠ .ןיִלְטָבּ יאַה ןאַמ קֶדֶצְבִדּ — יֵהְי רַבְגּ .ןָקְדִצ רַמָא בַר ןָמְחַנ רַבּ :קָחְצִי ןָקְדַצְו .תוְֹצִמְבּ יאַה ןאַמ ןאַמ יאַה .תוְֹצִמְבּ ןָקְדַצְו :קָחְצִי רַבּ ןָמְחַנ בַר רַמָא .ןָקְדִצ רַבְגּ יֵהְי םיִדְּאַמְבִדּ — יֵהְי רַבְגּ דיֵשָׁא ָמְדּ .א מָ א ַ ר בַ ר שָׁ א ֵ י : ִ א י מּוּא ָ ָנ ,א ִ א י ַגּ ָנּ ,אָ ב ִ א י ַ ט ָ בּ ,אָ ח ִ א י לוֹהָ מ ָ .א מָ א ַ ר בַּ ר ָ :ה ֲ א ָנ א א ָ נ ֲ א :ה ָ בַּ ר ר ַ מָ א .א ָ לוֹהָ מ י ִ א ,אָ ח ָ בּ ַ ט י ִ א ,אָ ב ָ נּ ַ גּ י ִ א ,א ָ נ ָ מּוּא י ִ א : י ֵ שָׁ א בַ ר ר ַ מָ א .א םיִדְּאַמְבּ .יאַוֲה רַמָא :יֵיָבַּא רָמ יֵמָנ שׁיֵנָﬠ ליֵטָקְו שׁיֵנָﬠ יֵמָנ רָמ :יֵיָבַּא רַמָא .יאַוֲה םיִדְּאַמְבּ

Rabbi Chanina said to his students who heard all this: Go and tell the son of Leiva’i, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi: It is not the constellation of the day of the week that determines a person’s nature; rather, it is the constellation of the hour that determines his nature.

One who was born under the influence of the Sun will be a radiant person; he will eat from his own resources and drink from his own resources, and his secrets will be exposed. If he steals, he will not succeed, because he will be like the sun that shines and is revealed to all.

One who was born under the influence of Mercury will be an enlightened and expert man, because Mercury is the sun’s scribe, as it is closest to the sun.

One who was born under the influence of the Moon will be a man who suffers pains, who builds

18 and destroys, and destroys and builds. He will be a man who eats not from his own resources and drinks not from his own resources, and whose secrets are hidden. If he steals, he will succeed, as he is like the moon that constantly changes form, whose light is not its own, and who is at times exposed and at times hidden.

One who was born under the influence of Saturn will be a man whose thoughts are for naught. And some say that everything that others think about him and plan to do to him is for naught.

One who was born under the influence of Jupiter [tzedek] will be a just person [tzadkan]. …

One who was born under the influence of Mars will be one who spills blood.

Rav Ashi said: He will be either a blood letter, or a thief, or a slaughterer of animals, or a circumciser. Rabba said: I was born under the influence of Mars and I do not perform any of those activities. Abaye said: My Master also punishes and kills as a judge.

The dispute is whether the planets influence everyone born on a specific day of the week, regardless of the time of their birth, or whether the influence of all the planets is felt daily, with each celestial body influencing successive hours.

it is not the celestial sign - ֹל א זַּמ לַ םוֹי רוֹגּ םֵ לֶּא אָ זַּמ לַ ﬠָשׁ הָ רוֹגּ םֵ :Or as Rabbi Chanina puts it on our Daf of the day that influences the nature of a person, but the celestial sign of the hour of birth that influences their nature.

Angers Cathedral South Rose Window of Christ (centre) with elders (bottom half) and Zodiac (top half). Medieval stained glass by Andre Robin after the fire of 1451

ןיֵא לָזַּמ יְל לֵאָרְשִׂ ”THERE IS NO CONSTELLATION THAT RULES OVER ISRAEL“

So, in the Talmud, everyone agreed that astrology was a real phenomenon. They just differed in some of its details. Later we read of another dispute, this one between Rabbi Chananiah and Rabbi Yochanan.

A constellation makes one wise and a“ - לָזַּמ ,םיִכְּחַמ לָזַּמ ריִשֲׁﬠַמ , יְ ו שֵׁ זַּמ לָ יְל רְשִׂ לֵאָ The former believed constellation makes one wealthy, and there is a constellation for the Jewish people that influences them.”

there is no constellation that rules over the Jewish“ - ןיֵא לָזַּמ יְל לֵאָרְשִׂ But Rabbi Yochanan believed People.”

Now at face value Rabbi Yochanan meant precisely what he stated - that the Jewish People is somehow immune to the usual influences of the stars and planets. Except his words were never understood in that way.

For example, the great medieval commentator Rashi explained that through prayer and charity, Israel could change its destiny, a destiny that would otherwise have been predicted by astrology.

This is also how another great medieval exegete, Ibn Ezra (d. 1164) explained how Israel was not subject to astrological determinism.

ןבא ארזע תומש קרפ גל קוספ אכ קוספ גל קרפ תומש ארזע ןבא ןתאו ךל לשמ ,בושח התיהש תכרעמ םיבכוכה לדגיש רהנ לע ריע תחא ו ףוטשי םישנא וא ותומי . אבו איבנ איבנ אבו . ותומי וא םישנא ףוטשי ו תחא ריע לע רהנ לדגיש םיבכוכה תכרעמ התיהש ,בושח ,םריהזהו ובושיש לא םשה םרטב אב י םו .םתער ובשו ילא ו לכב .םבל רובעבו וקבדש וב , ןתנ ,םבלב ואציש אי ,בב ת ב קד ישנא ריעה ץוחל ללפתהל לא .םשה הנהו ושע ןכ . יבו םו אוהה לדג רהנה םואתפ גהנמכ ו , רשאכ אר וני וניניעב וניניעב וני , םימעפ תובר ףטשו לכ .ריעה הנהו אל הרס זג תרי םשה אוהו םליצה אוהו םשה תרי זג הרס אל הנהו .ריעה לכ ףטשו תובר םימעפ

I will explain this with an important analogy. Perhaps the alignment of the stars caused a river to overflow and flood a town, sweeping away its inhabitants or drowning them. Now if a prophet came and warned them of the impending danger, and told them to repent before God lest this terrible event would occur, and they truly repented, this would not happen…for on that predicted day of the flood, God would cause all of the inhabitants to flee the city to pray to him. And when the river suddenly burst its banks, God would have saved them…

That’s the meaning of “there is no constellation the rules over Israel.” Your destiny is always written in the stars, but you can, if you try hard enough, manage to change it. So really even the Jewish People are subject to the rules of astrological prediction, but they have, as it were, an escape clause. “...together with its rational appearance, astrology has the immense advantage to proposes a global, holistic approach for apprehending the world, via a link between humans and the cosmos.8 —

8 Phillipe Zirka. Astronomy and Astrology. The Role of Astronomy in Society and Culture Proceedings IAU Symposium No. 260, 2009. International Astronomical Union 2011 D. Valls-Gabaud & A. Boksenberg, eds.

HOW TALMUDIC ASTROLOGY WORKED

For many centuries there were thought to be only seven celestial bodies that determined a person’s future. They are the Sun, the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter and Saturn (though not in that order). The order of these bodies was based on how quickly they appear to move across the sky, with Saturn moving the slowest, and the Moon the quickest.

So, the order would be: Saturn-> Jupiter ->Mars-> Sun->Venus->Mercury-> Moon->Saturn…etc.

This sequence is also the furthest from the Earth (Saturn) to the nearest (Moon) in the Ptolemaic system, in which the earth is at the unmoving center of the universe. This pattern was common to most of those who practiced astrology and is by no means a uniquely Jewish creation.

Each of these celestial bodies rules over one day, or according to Rabbi Chaninah, one hour of each day starting with sunrise. So, at sunrise on Day One (which we happen to call Sunday) the Sun is dominant. In hour two it is Venus, hour three, Mercury, and so on until all the hours of the week are filled. Here is how Rabbi Channah’s system works, shown for the first three of the seven days of the week:

The Controlling Mazza lot and The Hours of the Week*

Night of Sunday Day of Sunday

Hour Mazzal Hour Mazzal

1 (Sunset) Mercury 1 (Sunrise) Sun

2 Moon 2 Venus

3 Saturn 3 Mercury

4 Jupiter 4 Moon

5 Mars 5 Saturn

6 Sun 6 Jupiter

7 Venus 7 Mars

8 Mercury 8 Sun

21 The Controlling Mazza lot and The Hours of the Week*

9 Moon 9 Venus

10 Saturn 10 Mercury

11 Jupiter 11 Moon

12 Mars 12 Saturn

Night of Monday Day of Monday

Hour Mazzal Hour Mazzal

1 (Sunset) Jupiter 1 (Sunrise) Moon

2 Mars 2 Saturn

3 Sun 3 Jupiter

4 Venus 4 Mars

5 Mercury 5 Sun

6 Moon 6 Venus

7 Saturn 7 Mercury

8 Jupiter 8 Moon

9 Mars 9 Saturn

10 Sun 10 Jupiter

11 Venus 11 Mars

12 Mercury 12 Sun

Night of Tuesday Day of Tuesday

Hour Mazzal Hour Mazzal

22 The Controlling Mazza lot and The Hours of the Week*

1 (Sunset) Venus 1 (Sunrise) Mars

2 Mercury 2 Sun

3 Moon 3 Venus

4 Saturn 4 Mercury

5 Jupiter 5 Moon

6 Mars 6 Saturn

7 Sun 7 Jupiter

8 Venus 8 Mars

9 Mercury 9 Sun

10 Moon 10 Venus

11 Saturn 11 Mercury

12 Jupiter 12 Moon

Etc

*Based on Judah Landa, Torah & Science, Ktav 1991

BUT DOES ASTROLOGY WORK?

There a myriad of reasons why not. Here is just one: why should randomly picked patterns of stars, light years from one another should influence anything here on Earth? The constellations are, after all, a human construct. It is as if an actor on stage picked out a man in the second row, a woman in the mezzanine, and another woman at the front of the balcony, and saw in their pattern a triangle. That is what happens when we “see” constellations.

Here is a second problem: How can object so far from Earth could influence our lives, for their gravitational effects are far weaker than those of the table lamp sitting next to you on your desk. Are we now going to suggest other kinds of yet to be discovered material waves that “influence” us?

A third: why do astrologers not take into account the constellations in the southern hemisphere? Surely, they too must have an important effect, but they are not part of the Talmudic system, nor of many modern astrology charts. Just because the people who developed the whole notion of astrology were not aware of them, surely does not negate the influence they must exert on out futures.

More importantly than a lack of a mechanism is the simple fact that in study after study, astrologers have not been able to predict anything that would not have been expected by chance.

My favorite example of this is the 1985 study by Shawn Carlson, published in the prestigious journal Nature.9 It is important because it was designed with input from both scientists and

24 astrologers.

The thesis was that:10 the positions of all the planets (all planets, the Sun and the Moon plus other objects defined by astrologers) at the moment of birth can be used to determine the subject’s general personality traits and tendencies in temperament and behavior, and to indicate the major issues which the subject is likely encounter.. and it sounds very much like the astrological beliefs found in today’s page of Talmud.

So, a group of volunteers told astrologers the details of their birth, and from these a “natal chart” (or horoscope) was drawn up. There could be no identifying clues in the chart. Each volunteer was then given three natal charts; her own and two others and asked to pick out the one that best described themselves. There were 83 volunteers, whose natal charts were drawn up over a ten- week period. If the astrologers could accurately predict a person’s future, that chart should stand out and be correctly chosen by the person to whom it belonged. If it could not, then the correct chart would only be chosen 1/3 of the time. And guess what, it was indeed chosen….only 1/3 of the time. (There are many more details about the study including other tests that were performed, and how the statistical analysis was performed.)

10 https://static1.squarespace.com/static/54694fa6e4b0eaec4530f99d/t/5f2acc1a7bb54677bf7fed40/1596640291173/Double+blind+t est+of+astrology-Carlson.pdf

25 Of course there are critics of this experiment, and those in one camp will generally not be swayed by the other. One object to astrology because it is not “scientific”, but there are lots of things that are true and are not scientific; like love, or longing. And as anyone who has recently perused a bookshop in Israel can testify, the whole astrology thing has had a renaissance there. In fact, there has always been a tension between a belief in a pre-determined destiny written in the heavens, and the utter disdain for such a practice. Here, for example is how Samuel (d. 254 CE), who was famous as both an astronomer and physician, thought about it:

רבד םי אבר 8:6 וּהַמ אֹל יַמָשַּׁב םִ .אוִה לֵאוּמְשׁ רַמָא ןיֵא הָרוֹתַּה ָיוּצְמ ה אְ בּ סיִ טְ גוֹלוֹרְ ןיִ מֻאֶשׁ תוּנְ ןָ מָשַּׁ בּ יָ םִ

What is the meaning of the words “it is not in the heavens” (Deut 30:12)? Samuel explained, the Torah is above the work of astrologers who study the heavens…

Although he taught that the Torah (and presumably those who observe it) were beyond the influence of the stars, Samuel never believed that astrology was a foolish undertaking. The passage continues:

וּרְמָא לֵאוּמְשִׁל יֵרֲה הָתַּא ןיִגוֹלוֹרְטְסיִא לוֹדָגְו ,הָרוֹתַּבּ רַמָא ןֶהָל אֹל יָה יִתיִ טיִבַּמ םיִגוֹלוֹרְטְסיִאְבּ אָלֶּא הָﬠָשְׁבּ יָהֶשׁ יִתיִ יוּנָפּ , ןִמ ,הָרוֹתַּה יַתָמיֵא יִתיִיָהֶשְׁכּ סָנְכִנ תיֵבְל םִיָמַּה תיֵבְל סָנְכִנ יִתיִיָהֶשְׁכּ יַתָמיֵא ,הָרוֹתַּה ןִמ

They said to Shmuel, but aren't you an astrologer and also great in Torah? He said to them, I only look at the astrological signs when I am free from the Torah. When is that? When I enter the bathhouse

Samuel never dismissed astrology, but he only turned to it when he was free from the study of Torah. Today, about a third of Americans believe in astrology. Once, one hundred percent of all people did. So perhaps we are slowly heading in the right direction!!

26 The work Sefer HaMazalot identified the 12 constellations of the zodiac with the 12 months of the Hebrew calendar. The correspondence of the constellations with their names in Hebrew and the months is as follows:

We see this in our liturgy, especially for the piyyut for the prayer for rain on Succot mussaf.

A literary approach

For all the virtues of both past and more recent approaches to astrology, they suffer from the same difficulty that applies to the description of "the rabbinic view" of other important theological issues.11

11 See Baruch Lifschitz, "L'ancienne synagogue de Tibériade, sa mosaïque et ses inscriptions," JSJ 44 (1973) 43-55. who claims, "les docteurs de la Loi combattaient avec acharnement les tendances astrologiques" (45). Gunter Stemberger, "Die Bedeutung des Tierkreises auf Mosaikfussbôden spâtantiker Synagogen," Kairos 17 (1975) 23-56, on the other hand, suggests: "Im allgemeinen steht die rabbinsiche Traditionen Tierkreis und Astrologie ambivalent gegenueber" (34); while Neusner,Neusner, History, 4:193 (writing about the fourth century), states :"No Sage now denied the accu racy of astrology, which was almost universally believed to be an exact science." See too Bischoff, Babylonisch-Astrales,Babylonisch-Astrales,Babylonisch-Astrales, 115-33 ; Ludwig Wâchter, "Astrologie und Schicksalsglaube im rabbinischen Judentum(' Kairos 11 (1969) 181-200; Joel C. Dobin, To Rule Both Day and Night: Astrology in the Bible,Bible, Midrash and Talmud (Inner Traditions International: New York, 1977); Meir Bar- Ilan, "As trology in Ancient Judaism/Astronomy in Ancient Judaism," in Jacob Neusner, et al., eds., The Encyclopedia Encyclopedia of Judaism.

27 Different traditions attributed to different Sages who lived in different times express a variety of perspectives, of ten contradicting each other, and usually removed from their original contexts.

Because rabbinic literature lacks a systematic mode of presentation of theological ideas, the scholar must systematize the traditions and distinguish majority and dominant views from minority and anomalous positions.12

Unlike classical scholars Jeffrey Rubenstein take a literary approach to our sugya to unpack ancient views.

לָזַּמ יְל לֵאָרְשִׂ :For Rubenstein the entire Sugya revolves around the deeper question ןיֵא

The sugya engages the issue of astrology through the formulae yesh mazal leyisrael le’yisrael and ayn mazal le’yisrael, literally "Israel has a planet/Israel has no planet," that is, the fate of a Jew is or is not determined by the celestial bodies. (The term mazal here means "planet," which included the sun and moon in the Aristotelian-Ptolemaic cosmology).

12 Talmudic Astrology: Bavli Šabbat 156a—b Author(s): Jeffrey L. Rubenstein Source: Hebrew Union College Annual , 2007,

28 The key question was not the validity of astrology per se, but how and in what ways it influenced the course of life, and whether that in fluence was absolute or provincial.13

13 The entire sugya is analyzed by Kocku von Stuckrad, Das Ringen um die Astrologie: Jiidische und christlichechristliche Beitrdge zum antiken Zeitverstandnis (Berlin: de Gruyter, 2000) 460-80 (and more briefly in his summary article "Jewish and Christian Astrology in Late Antiquity: A New Approach j' Numen 47 [2000] 26-28). Stuckrad concentrates on the first part of the sugya, and is in terested in content rather than form. He therefore deals briefly with the three stories that con elude the sugya, so our analyses complement one another nicely. This and Stuckrad's other publications are the best and most thorough treatments of astrology in rabbinic and ancient Jewish sources.

The greatest 20th century scholar England produced in the 20th century, Louis Jacobs writes:14

Astrology is the belief that human destiny is determined or at least affected by the stars and planets in the ascendancy when a person is born. The ancient Egyptian and Babylonian astronomers studied the movements of the heavenly bodies and as a result the astrologers claimed to be able to predict the fate of human beings born under this or that star.

The prophet Jeremiah inveighs against the people of Israel resorting to the astrologers:

,thus saith the LORD: Learn not the way of the nations 2 ב הֹכּ רַמָא ,הָוהְי לֶא - ֶרֶדּ םִיוֹגַּה לַא - and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the nations ִתּ ,וּדָמְל תוֹתֹאֵמוּ יַמָשַּׁה ,םִ לַא - :וּתָּחֵתּ יִכּ - .are dismayed at them ֵי וּתַּח ,םִיוֹגַּה .הָמֵּהֵמ ,םִיוֹגַּה וּתַּח Jer 10:2

14 The Jewish Religion: A Companion, published by Oxford University Press.

30 “Thus saith the Lord: Learn not the way of the nations, And be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; For the nations are dismayed of them (Jeremiah 10:2).”

In the Book of Isaiah the prophet declares: Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels; let 13 גי ,תיֵאְלִנ בֹרְבּ ;ִיָתָצֲﬠ וּדְמַﬠַי - אָנ אָנ now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly ֻﬠיִשׁוֹיְו ורבה )יֵרְבֹה( ,םִיַמָשׁ םיִזֹחַה םיִזֹחַה ,םִיַמָשׁ )יֵרְבֹה( ורבה ֻﬠיִשׁוֹיְו prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from the things that ,םיִבָכוֹכַּבּ םיִﬠִדוֹמ ,םיִשָׁדֳחֶל רֶשֲׁאֵמ רֶשֲׁאֵמ ,םיִשָׁדֳחֶל םיִﬠִדוֹמ ,םיִבָכוֹכַּבּ .shall come upon thee וּאֹבָי .ִיָלָﬠ

;Behold, they shall be as stubble; the fire shall burn them 14 די הֵנִּה וּיָה שַׁקְכ שֵׁא ,םַתָפָרְשׂ אֹל - ;they shall not deliver themselves from the power of the flame ַי וּליִצּ תֶא - םָשְׁפַנ דַיִּמ ;הָבָהֶל ןיֵא - תֶלֶחַגּ תֶלֶחַגּ .it shall not be a coal to warm at, nor a fire to sit before ,םָמְחַל רוּא תֶבֶשָׁל גֶנ .וֹדְּגנתבשׁלרא,ְַָ Isa 47:1

“Thou art wearied in the multitude of thy counsels; Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up and save thee from the things that shall come upon thee (Isaiah 47:13).”

Yet neither in these two passages nor in any other biblical passage is there an explicit prohibition against consulting astrologers and there is certainly no denial that astrology actually works.

Before the rise of modern science, astrology was itself believed to be an exact science. It was accepted as true by the Talmudic rabbis, for example, who debated only whether the Jewish people are immune, in miraculous fashion, to the influence of the stars: “There is no mazal (planet and its influence) for Israel.”

Even the medieval Jewish philosophers were not inhibited by their rationalistic approach from believing in the power of the stars. Maimonides was an exception, but he rejected astrology on theological grounds, that such belief was contrary to the doctrines of divine providence and human freewill. When Maimonides was asked in a letter how he could deny the truth of astrology since the Talmudic rabbis held to this belief, he replied that man was created with eyes in the front of his head, not the back!

Maimonides does refer to the zodiac but only in the astronomical, not the astrological, sense. In addition, Maimonides holds that the biblical objections to magic and divination extend to astrology.

31 Mishneh Torah, Foreign Worship and Customs of the Nations 11

It is forbidden to be an observer of times, though no act be committed, save to make known the lies to such fools who believe them to be true speech of the wise. Moreover, he who does aught because of the signs of astrology, and times to do his work or go on his mission on the very time, set by the heaven-gazers, even he is striped, for it is said: "Nor observe times" (Lev. 126).12Here a distinction must be made between an observer of times and an enchanter. See supra, Par. 7. G. Likewise, one who deludes the eyes by performing some act alleging it to be wonderful, but in truth makes no performance at all, even he is included among observers of time, and his punishment is stripes.

He is followed in this by the Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh Deah, 179.1) where the ruling is given: “One must not inquire of the astrologers and not consult lots.”

But RAMO Moses Isserles, in his gloss to this (179.2),

הגה ןכלו וגהנ כ"ג ליחתהל דומלל ח"רב יכ פ"עא יאש ן : יאו ן נ יאשו ן םישנ אלא ולימב י הנבלה ' וגהנ יאש ן יליחתמ ן 'בב דבו 'ב לחמ א וה המב םדאש י עדו אוהש דגנכ לזמה אל השעי אלו ךומסי לע סנה אלא יאש ן רוקחל רחא הז םושמ םימת ( שוחינ שי ןמיס ק"מס( ןמיס ו"לק ןמיס ק"מס( ןמיס שי שוחינ : היהת תבושת( ן"במר ןמיס ו"פר ) ומכ ראבתנש ומכ ) ו"פר ןמיס ן"במר תבושת( היהת

quotes Nahmanides to the effect that one must not consult the astrologers but rely on God without being concerned about what the future will bring.

Nevertheless, if a man knows some undertaking to be contrary to his mazal, his fate as determined by the stars, he should take the necessary precautions and should not rely on a miracle to save him. It follows that there has been in the past a somewhat ambivalent attitude towards astrology, only Maimonides declaring it to be complete nonsense.

The other authorities advise strongly against actually consulting the astrologers but believe, nonetheless, that the forecasting of horoscopes can be accurate if carried out by an expert.

32 The majority of Jews today are not much affected by astrological beliefs one way or the other, although in Yiddish parlance the expression mazel tov for “good luck” is still used, more as a convention than as a matter of belief.

Similarly, the Yiddish term for an unfortunate, like the English “one on whom the stars do not shine,” is shlimazal, “one without mazel.” That it is all not taken very seriously can be seen from the old Yiddish humorous definition of the shlimiel (“the clumsy”) and the shlimazal. The former is the man who spills the cup of tea, the latter the man who gets it on his trousers.

In modern astronomy

Astronomically, the zodiac defines a belt of space extending 9° either side of the ecliptic, within which the orbits of the Moon and the principal planets remain.[60] It is a feature of a celestial coordinate system centered upon the ecliptic, (the plane of the Earth's orbit and the Sun's apparent path), by which celestial longitude is measured in degrees east of the vernal equinox (the

33 ascending intersection of the ecliptic and equator). Stars within the zodiac are subject to occultations by the Moon and other solar system bodies. These events can be useful, for example, to estimate the cross-sectional dimensions of a minor planet, or check a star for a close companion. The Sun's placement upon the vernal equinox, which occurs annually around 21 March, defines the starting point for measurement, the first degree of which is historically known as the "first point of Aries". The first 30° along the ecliptic is nominally designated as the zodiac sign Aries, which no longer falls within the proximity of the constellation Aries since the effect of precession is to move the vernal point through the backdrop of visible constellations (it is currently located near the end of the constellation Pisces, having been within that constellation since the 2nd century AD). The subsequent 30° of the ecliptic is nominally designated the zodiac sign Taurus, and so on through the twelve signs of the zodiac so that each occupies 1/12th (30°) of the zodiac's great circle. Zodiac signs have never been used to determine the boundaries of astronomical constellations that lie in the vicinity of the zodiac, which are, and always have been, irregular in their size and shape.15 The convention of measuring celestial longitude within individual signs was still being used in the mid-19th century, but modern astronomy now numbers degrees of celestial longitude from 0° to 360°, rather than 0° to 30° within each sign. The use of the zodiac as a means to determine astronomical measurement remained the main method for defining celestial positions by Western astronomers until the Renaissance, at which time preference moved to the equatorial coordinate system, which measures astronomical positions by right ascension and declination rather than the ecliptic-based definitions of celestial longitude and celestial latitude.16 The word "zodiac" is also used in reference to the zodiacal cloud of dust grains that move among the planets, and the zodiacal light that originates from their scattering of sunlight.

15 "International Occultation Timing Association". 18 December 2017.

16 G. Rubie (1830). The British Celestial Atlas: Being a Complete Guide to the Attainment of a Practical Knowledge of the Heavenly Bodies. Baldwin & Cradock.

In Unicode, the symbols of zodiac signs are encoded in block "Miscellaneous Symbols":