When Jews wish to congratulate other people, they usually exclaim
in Hebrew “Mazal Tov.” I am glad we do not dwell on the literal meaning of
these words, because if we did, most of us would not say them at all. But words
change meaning, and “Mazal Tov” is one of them.
Literally, “Mazal Tov” signifies “good fortune.” In Hebrew,
“Tov” means “good” and “mazal” (pl. mazalot; from the Akkadian mazaztu
or mazazu) is an astrological expression, referring to the heavenly
constellations or the stars in the zodiac, which presumably have influence on
human beings and, in fact, determine their destiny. So, when we wish others “Mazal
Tov,” we are hoping that the stars will be favorable to them.
Traditional Jewish texts reflect an ambivalent attitude regarding
astrology. Many Biblical texts consider it of foreign origin. Thus, for
instance, some prophets scoff at “star-gazers” (cf. Isa. 47: 13; Jer. 10:2)
among the nations, and biblical law prohibits the practice of divination and
soothsaying (Lev. 19: 26; cf. Deut. 18: 10) among the Israelites. But the
practice must have been extensive in ancient Israel, even in the holy temple, for
in the 7th cent. BCE, King Josiah of Judah suppressed the priests
who made offerings “to the sun, moon and constellations (mazalot)” (II K
23: 5). On the other hand, Job states
that it is God who sets the stars (here called mazarot in 38: 32)
in their courses.
Post biblical literature knows of astrology but presents a
mix bag. While the Book of Enoch (2nd cent. BCE) considers it a sin
(8: 3), the Jewish historian Josephus tells us that it was very popular among
Jews (Wars, 6: 288f). The Talmud, too, is ambivalent about the subject.
Though the majority of the Rabbis argued that God established the constellations
(see, BT Ber. 32b) and that each human being is under the influence of the
planets ( BT Shab. 53b), Rabbi Johanan maintained that “Israel is immune to
planetary influence” (BT Shab. 156a).
During the medieval times, most Jewish philosophers
supported astrology, but Moses Maimonides (12/3th cent.) considered
it a superstition (Yad, Avodah Zarah, 11: 8-9). Another Jewish
philosopher, Hasdai Crescas (14/15th cent.), too, argued that it is
impossible to attribute a decisive character to the dictates of the star configurations
(Or Adonai 4: 4). On the other hand, the Zohar, the main texts of the
Kabbalah, took astrology for granted. In the glorious days of Spanish Jewry, a
number of Jewish scholars wrote books on astrology, and defended its practice.
Today, a number of people begin their day by checking their
horoscope, and make important decisions based on these predictions. To me, this
is pure superstition and borders on idolatry. However, I am not willing to give
up the practice of wishing someone “Mazal Tov,” because of its past meaning. Presently,
for most people, this expression is devoid of its original intent, and simply
means, “May it be well with you.” I can drink to that.
So, Mazal Tov, to all of you.
Rifat Sonsino
Oct. 2012
PS. There a good article on “Astrology” in the Encyclopaedia
Judaica (2007, Vol 2, pp.616-620) by Alexander Altman, which also appears in
the Jewish Virtual Library.
