Much as we would like to ignore it, it is in our nature to be superstitious.  You will say, “Not me, I don’t believe in any of this stuff.”  Really?  I will prove you wrong with this thought experiment, but brace yourself, trigger warning here:

Think of a dear loved one. Now hold that image and imagine them being murdered.

There is no good word to describe the ickyness and dread of that feeling.  This proves, emotionally and perhaps instinctively we are hard-wired to fear that our thoughts and other persons’ thoughts can have impact in the physical world.  

Superstitions are particularly hard to become free from if you suffer from compulsive thoughts.  Gemaras such as what we see on Amud Beis, detailing obsessive levels of concern about invisible demons do not make it any easier.  I am not getting into the complex and varying hashkafic discussions about Torah and demonology, that is for another time.  But, there are some factors to consider:

1. The Gemara is replete with discussions of demonology, ayin hara, and other indications of hidden and invisible causes for harm based on what should be innocuous thoughts or deeds.
2. Yet, nowadays, no one in real life functions well getting too anxious about these matters, and so this is just plain harmful and destructive to focus on this, regardless of how true or false these concerns may be. 
3. Halakha has also noted that many spiritual and physical harms, such as “Evil Spirit” and the like, that the Gemara held to be harmful, are apparently no longer harmful.  (See a good discussion of this in Arukh HaShulkhan YD 116:10.)

Our Gemara on Amud Beis makes an important declaration that can be helpful to those who obsess over these fears:

כׇּל דְּקָפֵיד — קָפְדִי בַּהֲדֵיהּ

Those who are particular about this, the demons are particular with him; and if one is not particular, they are not particular with him

Rashbam explains that though these are concerns to be taken into account, one should be careful not to “overdo it”.  

כל דקפיד - יותר מדאי קפדי בהדיה השדים להזיקו ודלא קפיד כ''כ לא קפדי בהדיה להזיקו ומיהו למיחש מיבעי אפילו מאן דלא קפיד דלא קפדינן בהדיה דאי תימא דלא קפדי בהדיה כלל א''כ זוגות למה נזכרו בגמרא כך היה להם לחכמים לומר לא יזהר אדם בזוגות דלא לקפדו בהדיה:

What, precisely, does the Rashbam mean by “not overdoing it”?  That is an excellent question.  Presumably common sense should dictate.  Unfortunately, one who suffers from OCD cannot bear any uncertainty, and while he or she might intellectually have the common sense to discern what is really a serious fear, he or she cannot do so emotionally.

One final thought which may help: I have come up with an idea that can assist a rational person square away some of these concerns that seem to be taken very seriously by the Gemara but in real life just do not make sense:

It makes sense to consider many of the Talmud’s proscriptions against various behaviors and actions to be what I like to call, “The Second-Hand Smoke of Judaism”.  I mean as follows.  No self-respecting doctor would tell you it is a good idea to puff even one cigarette or even to expose yourself to second-hand smoke. Yet, no self-respecting scientist could possibly argue that one cigarette alone could really cause cancer.

If you consider the various Talmudic warnings against evil spirits, health concerns etc as a general warning about the POTENTIAL harm of consistent exposure or practice, then we can more easily understand why we do not see anyone contracting leprosy from eating fish and meat together (Shulkhan Arukh OH 173:3) or any of the other rabbinic prediction of doom from various demons and evil spirits. The rabbis were not talking about activities that they considered more harmful than carcinogens. Rather, consistent exposure may be harmful, while infrequent exposure is of less concern. 

Translations Courtesy of Sefaria, except when, sometimes, I disagree with the translation

Do you like what you see? Please subscribe and also forward any articles you enjoy to your friends, (enemies too, why not?)