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. It supposedly leaves the host body once it has accomplished its goal, sometimes after being exorcised.
Etymology
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'.
History
The term first appears in a number of 16th-century writings, though it was ignored by mainstream scholarship until S. An-sky's 1920 play The Dybbuk popularised the concept in literary circles. Earlier accounts of possession (such as that given by Josephus) were of demonic possession rather than that of ghosts. These accounts advocated orthodoxy among the populace 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.
Rabbi Yoel Teitelbaum, the Satmar rebbe (1887–1979), is reported to have supposedly advised an individual said to be possessed to consult a psychiatrist.
Traditionally, dybbuks tended to be male spirits. According to Hayyim Vital, women could not become dybbuks because their souls did not participate in gilgul. 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. However, men and boys could be possessed as well.
In psychological literature, the dybbuk has been described as a hysterical syndrome.
Expulsion
In traditional Jewish communities, the concept of the dybbuk served as a socially acceptable way of expressing unacceptable urges, including sexual ones. 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. Additionally, Jewish folklore includes accounts where neglected or improperly maintained mezuzot were believed to make homes susceptible to dybbuk possession. These perspectives emphasize the mezuzah's dual role in Jewish life: as both a symbol of faith and a spiritual safeguard.
See also
References
- Trachtenberg, Joshua (2004) . "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.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Spirit Possession in Judaism: Cases and Contexts from the Middle Ages to the Present, by Matt Goldish, p. 41, Wayne State University Press, 2003
- ^ 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.
- ^ 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, doi:10.2307/j.ctvh9w0gb.14, ISBN 978-1-55753-792-8, JSTOR j.ctvh9w0gb.14, 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
- 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
- "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