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Does the Halacha allow the use of a hamsa as a good luck charm, considering that it originated as a Muslim symbol?

msh210
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Dima
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    One can ask the question even without considering the hamsa's origin. Lo s'nachashu and all that.... One of my high-school teachers, Rabbi David Feinstein (Rabbi R'uven Feinstein's son) was asked by a classmate of mine whether he (the classmate) may wear a red string around his wrist on Shabas outside an eruv. Rabbi Feinstein responded with a smile that the student should first ask whether he can wear it during the week. (The student forbore, IIRC; or, at least, got no answer if he asked.) – msh210 May 29 '11 at 04:19
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    Wearing a red string for protection has a long history. See the discussion in Tosefta kifshuta (Shabbos 6th perek, note 2-3) where it describes how common it was in Europe as a prevention against scarlet fever, and he notes that none of the rabbis protested. It is also cited as having curative properties in the gemara in Gittin 69b. So one should be careful about criticizing such a practice. – Curiouser Sep 01 '11 at 19:53
  • @Curiouser Rav Mutzafi says it is not allowed. – Hacham Gabriel Jan 09 '12 at 18:20
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    I didn't see the Tosefta kipshuta, but this is what the Tosefta has to say: אלו דברים מדרכי האמורי... והקושר [מטולטלת על יריכו וחוט אדום על אצבעו והמונה ומשליך צרורות לים או לנהר הרי זה מדרכי] האמורי – Ariel K Jan 09 '12 at 20:19
  • see post on the topic here: http://hirhurim.blogspot.com/2007/08/red-string.html – Ariel K Jan 09 '12 at 20:22

2 Answers2

9

Ben Ish Hai (Shana Bet Parashat Pinehas sim. 13) actually endorses the Hamsa.

A few months ago, I asked HaGaon HaRav Meir Elyiahu Shelit"a this question (question 108 on RabiMeir.com):

שמעתי שקדן גדול בהיסטוריה, כי חמסה היא מן התרבות המוסלמית, ולכן החלטתי לתפוס לדעת כי היא, שאסור להשתמש בהם. האם זה נכון

He answered:

צורת החמסה אכן לקוחה מאגדה ערבית ישנה אולם מצינו הרבה מחכמי המערב שהיו משתתפים בצורה זו ואין פוצה פה ומצפצף ופשוט שאין פה משום חוקת הגוים.‏

He admits that it is taken from the Muslims, but since a lot of big rabbis didn't protest but actually promoted it, it is simple to him that there is no Hukot HaGoyim involved.

msh210
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Hacham Gabriel
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    I don't think once can just wave "minhag mevatel halacha" at any prohibition, definitely not idolatrous ones. Many Jews drive on shabbos nowadays, and there were times when many Jews worshipped avodah zara, but the issur does not just disappear. – Ariel K Jan 09 '12 at 18:44
  • Yeah...but there aren't any poskim who allow doing that. Here we have an actual Posek who allows it. – Hacham Gabriel Jan 09 '12 at 19:10
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    Q: If a posek or navi tells you to do avodah zara and they say "this is the minhag, kach yafeh lanu", what should you do? – Ariel K Jan 09 '12 at 20:11
  • While this case isn't actual avodah zara, so there's no mesis or anything here, it is in the realm of that issur and must be treated stringently. – Ariel K Jan 09 '12 at 20:12
  • @ArielK I also asked Rav Meir Elyahu Shelit"a about this BTW- and he said it was okay. And to answer your question: no, but this isn't the same thing. – Hacham Gabriel Jan 09 '12 at 20:12
  • @ArielK sounds like a case of "Lo Bashamayim Hi" – Hacham Gabriel Jan 27 '12 at 03:38
  • do u mean elu v'elu? – Ariel K Jan 27 '12 at 03:54
  • @ArielK no because I don't see Posekim that are Oser it. – Hacham Gabriel Jan 27 '12 at 04:02
  • @Hacham Gabriel Maybe nobody's presented the question in light of the fact that we now know for certain that it has non-Jewish and potentially pagan origins? Are there any tshuvos dealing explicitly with this issue? – Yaakov Kuperman Mar 30 '12 at 15:40
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    The updated answer does not address the pagan issue. If something is a religious symbol of pagans, that is quite distinct from monotheistic Muslims. – Yaakov Kuperman Mar 30 '12 at 22:34
  • @YaakovKuperman והדבר צריך עיון... – Hacham Gabriel Apr 01 '12 at 03:15
  • The Ben Ish Chai brings the Chida as the source. – sam Nov 19 '12 at 00:53
  • @sam As far I as remember the Hida doesn't actually to make the Hamsa rather just that the number five has significance in regards in Ayin Hara. – Hacham Gabriel Nov 23 '12 at 03:37
5

The Wikipedia page discusses how it pre-dates Islam and seems to have pagan origins, which would be a worse problem. Good luck charms are problematic on their own, but pagan ones are definitely assur.

Ariel K
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    And yet they are extremely common among Jews. In Israel various souvenirs depicting a hamsa often overlayed with Jewish prayers or blessings are sold practically on every corner. If owning a hamsa is forbidden, one would expect some form of protest from the haredi community. – Dima May 30 '11 at 00:19
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    @Dima, my impression is that problematic superstitious practices are not on the list of things the Chareidi world is best at ostracizing. – Isaac Moses May 31 '11 at 02:47
  • The pagan origins are "theories" according to wikipedia, while the true origin is unknown. If the origin truly is Islam and Middle Eastern (non-Jewish) culture, is it still forbidden? – Tal Fishman Sep 01 '11 at 20:34
  • If this is true then I need to ask a historian rabbi about this, no? – Hacham Gabriel Dec 27 '11 at 03:59