MAGIC, HEALING, AND DEMONS

?Is the Torah Against Doctors

by Nehemia Gordon
http://www.karaites.info/ Copyright 2004 by Nehemia Gordon, All Rights Reserved.

?Does the Torah Frown Upon Doctors

And he said, if you surely listen to the voice of Yehovah your God, and do that which is right in his eyes and listen to his commandments and keep all his statutes, all the diseases which I placed upon Egypt I shall not place upon you, for I am Yehovah your healer (rofecha ). (Ex )15:26 (12) And Asa became sick in the thirtyninth year of his reign, his sickness was from his legs and upwards, and also in his sickness he did not seek Yehovah but the doctors (rofim ). (13) And he lied with his fathers and died in the forty-first )year of his reign. (2Chr 16:12-13 Yehovah my God, I cried to you and you healed me (vatirpaeni )). (Ps 30:3

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Ancient Doctors

| And Bilam said to the donkey, because you have done this to :

me, were there a sword in my hand I would have slain you. (Nu 22:29)

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Numbers Rabbah 20:141

A parable of a doctor who came to heal with his tongue a person bitten by a snake. On the way he saw a lizard and began to look for a stick to kill it. They said, 'If you cannot remove this [lizard], how can you heal a person bitten by a snake with your tongue?!' So did the donkey say to Bilam, 'If you cannot kill me unless there is a sword in your hand, how can you hope to uproot an entire nation?!' Tosefta, Chulin 2:22 ' ' (: )( , ): Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 47b2 They used to take dust from the grave of Rav to cure a day-old fever. Some people came and complained to Samuel who replied, "They do well, for the dust is natural soil, and natural soil is not forbidden.

Ancient Healing

Live of the Prophets 2:1-4

Jeremiah... was buried in the environs of Pharaoh's palace... And those who are God's faithful pray at the place to this very day, and taking the dust of the place they heal asps' bites.

Sefer HaRazim (The Book of Secrets) Second Firmament, Sixth Step3

Upon the sixth step (of the second firmament) stand these (angels): Avihud, Ketar, Zalkiel, Satriel, Adrach, Gachliel, Tamchiel, Samachyah, Revi'iel, Yokmiel, Shemihud, Mahariel, Dumiel, Karchos, Kenaz, Kiniel, and Kanton. These are they who stand on the sixth step. They behave with humility, but their faces are full of glory. Their garments are garments white as light. They stand like giants, awesome as the sages of a Yeshivah () , seated in thrones of glory, trusted to give true (judgments), and in charge of healing. If you wish to heal a man who has had a stroke and half of him is dried up, either by an (evil) spirit or by witchcraft, take spikenard oil and three measures of honey and stand facing the sun as it rises, repeating three times each day for seven days the name of the man and the name of his mother and the names of the angels who stand upon the sixth step. And on the seventh day take him and stand him naked before the sun, and smear oil all over his flesh, while burning myrrh, frankincense, and chosen spices in the sunlight. Then again write upon a silver lamella (the names of) these angels of glory with these characters:
' , . , . 1 ' " , ?!' , (: ?!' ) )( , , , ' : . . 2 (, ,' ) . 3 Adapted from Morgan Translation, pp.51-52.

(Write these on the lamella) as an amulet and put it on his neck with a (cord of) asbestos and incense of spices. Write it thus on the twentieth of the month and you will succeed. (Sefer HaRazim, Second Firmament, Sixth Step)4

The Hebraikos Logos5 (From the Greek Magical Papyri [PGM IV 3007-3086])6

A tested charm of Pibechis for those possessed by demons: Take oil of unripe olives with the herb mastigia and the fruit pulp of the lotus, and boil them with colorless marjoram while saying, "IOEL OS SARTHIOMI EMORI THEOCHIPSOITH SITHEMEOCH SOTHE IOE MIMIPSOTHIOOPH PHERSOTHI AEEIOYO IOE EO CHARI PHTHA, come out from so-and-so" (add the usual). The phylactery: On a tin lamella write "IAEO ABRAOTH IOCH PHTHA MESENPSIN IAO PHEOCH IAEO CHARSOK," and hang it on the patient. It is terrifying to every demon, a thing he fears. After placing [the patient] opposite [to you], conjure. This is the conjuration: "I conjure you by the god of the Hebrews, IESOUS IABA IAE ABRAOTH AIA THOTH ELE ELO AEO EOY IIIBAECH ABARMAS IABARAOU ABELBEL LONA ABRA MAROIA BRAKION, who appears in fire, who is in the midst of land, snow, and fog, TANNETIS; let your angel, the implacable, descend and let him assign the demon flying around this form, which god formed in his holy paradise, because I pray to the holy god, [calling] upon AMMON IPSENTANCHO (formula). I conjure you, LABRIA IAKOUTH ABLANATHANALBA AKRAMM (formula) AOTH IATHABATHRA CHACHTHABRATHA CHAMYN CHEL ABROOTH OUABRASILOTH HALLELOU IELOSAI IAEL. I conjure you by the one who appeared to Israel in a shining pillar and a cloud by day, who saved his people from the Pharaoh and brought upon Pharaoh the ten plagues because of his disobedience. I conjure you, every demonic spirit, to tell whatever sort you may be, because I conjure you by the seal which Solomon placed on the tongue of Jeremiah, and he told. You also tell whatever sort you may be, heavenly or aerial, whether terrestrial or subterranean, or netherworldly or Ebousaeus or Cherseus or Pharisaeus [i.e. a demon of the Pharisees!], tell whatever sort you may be, because I conjure you by god, lightbearing, unconquerable, who knows what is in the heart of every living being, the one who formed of dust the race of humans, the one who, after bringing them out from obscurity, packs together the clouds, waters the earth with rain and blesses its fruit, [the one] whom every heavenly power of angels and of archangels praises. I conjure you by
, , , , , , , , , , : 4 . . , , , , , , , , , , , , . ' , . (8786 ' ) . . 5 Hebraikos Logos was written in Greek in Egypt. The date is uncertain, although it is probably based on a Hebrew spell that predates the destruction of the Second Temple in 70 CE. 6 Adapted from translation by W C. H.D. Betz, The Greek Magical Papyri in Translation, Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1986, pp.96-97.

the great god SABAOTH, through whom the Jordan River drew back and the Red Sea, which Israel crossed, became impassable, because I conjure you by the one who introduced the one hundred forty languages and distributed them by his own command. I conjure you by the one who burned up the stubborn giants with lightning, whom the heaven of heavens praises, whom the wings of the cherubim praise. I conjure you by the one who put the mountains around the sea [or] a wall of sand and commanded the sea not to overflow. The abyss obeyed; and you obey, every demonic spirit, because I conjure you by the one who causes the four winds to move together from the holy aions, [the] skylike, sealike, cloudlike, light-bringing, unconquerable [one]. I conjure [you] by the one in holy Jerusalem, before whom the unquenchable fire burns for all time, with his holy name, IAEOBAPHRENEMOUN (formula), the one before whom the fiery Gehenna trembles, flames surround, iron bursts asunder and every mountain is afraid from its foundation. I conjure you, every demonic spirit, by the one who oversees the earth and makes its foundations tremble, [the one] who made all things which are not into that which is. And I adjure you, the one who receives this conjuration, not to eat pork, and every spirit and demon, whatever sort it may be, will be subject to you. And while conjuring, blow once, blowing air from the tips of the feet up to the face, and it will be assigned. Keep yourself pure, for this charm is Hebraic and is preserved among pure men.

Sefer HaRazim (The Book of Secrets)7 Introduction8

This is a book, from the Books of the Mysteries, which was given to Noah, the son of Lamech... by Raziel the angel in the year when he came into the ark (but) before his entrance. And (Noah) inscribed it upon a sapphire stone very distinctly. And he learned from it how to do wondrous deeds, and (he learned) secrets of knowledge, and categories of understanding and thoughts of humility and concepts of counsel, (how) to master the investigation of the strata of the heavens, to go about in all that is in their seven abodes, to observe all the astrological signs, to examine the course of the sun, to explain the observations of the moon, and to know the paths of the Great Bear, Orion, and the Pleiades, to declare the names of the overseers of each and every firmament and the realms of their authority, and by what means they (can be made to) cause success in each thing (asked of them), and what are the names of their attendants and what (oblations) are to be poured out to them, and what is the proper time (prayer) will be heard by them, to perform every wish of anyone (who comes) near them in purity. (Noah learned) from it rituals (that cause) death and rituals (that preserve) life, to understand the evil and the good, to search out (the right) seasons and moments (for magical rites), to know the time to give birth and the time to die, the time to strike and the time to heal, to interpret dreams and visions, to arouse combat, and to quiet wars, and to rule over spirits and over demons, to send them (wherever you wish) so they will go out like slaves, to watch the four winds of the earth, to be learned in the speech of thunderclaps, to tell the significance of lightning flashes, to foretell what
Sefer HaRazim was written in Hebrew in the Land of Israel, approximately 2nd Century CE. Sepher HaRazim: The Book of the Mysteries, translated by M.A. Morgan, Scholars Press, Chico, California, 1983. ",( ). , 8 Adapted from Morgan Translation, pp.17-20.
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will happen in each and every month, and to know the affairs of each and every year, whether for plenty or for hunger, whether for harvest or for draught, whether for peace or for war, to be as one of the awesome ones and to comprehend the songs of heaven. ...And when he came forth from the ark, he used (the book) all the days of his life, and at the time of his death he handed it down to Abraham, and Abraham to Isaac, and Isaac to Jacob, and Jacob to Levi, and Levi to Kohath, and Kohath to Amram, and Amram to Moses, and Moses to Joshua, and Joshua to the elders, and the elders to the prophets, and the prophets to the sages, and thus generation by generation until Solomon the King arose. And the Books of the Mysteries were disclosed to him and he became very learned in books of understanding, and (so) ruled over everything he desired, over all the spirits and the demons that wander in the world, and from the wisdom of this book he imprisoned and released, and sent out and brought in, and built and prospered. For many books were handed down to him, but this one was found more precious and more honorable and more difficult than any of them. Happy the eye that will behold it. Happy the ear that listens attentively to its wisdom. For in it are the seven firmaments and all that is in them. From their encampments we shall learn to comprehend all things, and to have success in every deed, to think and to act from the wisdom of this book.

Jubilees 10:1-14 (c.2nd Century BCE, Essenes)

In the third week of that Jubilee the polluted demons began to lead astray the children of Noah's sons and to lead them to folly and to destroy them. And the sons of Noah came to Noah, their father, and they told him about the demons who were leading astray and blinding and killing his grandchildren. And he prayed before the Lord his God and he said, "God of the spirits which are in all flesh... Let your grace be lifted up upon my sons, and do not let the evil spirits rule over them, lest they destroy them from the earth... And the Lord our God spoke to us [=the angels] so that we might bind all of them. And the chief of the spirits, Mastema, came and he said, "O Lord, Creator, leave some of them before me, and let them obey my voice. And let them do everything which I tell them, because if some of them are not left for me, I will not be able to exercise the authority of my will among the children of men because they are (intended) to corrupt and lead astray before my judgment because the evil of the sons of men is great." And (God) said, "Let a tenth of them remain before (Mastema), but let nine parts go down into the place of judgment." And he told one of us to teach Noah all of their healing because he knew that they would not walk uprightly and would not strive righteously. And we acted in accord with all of his words. All of the evil ones, who were cruel, we bound in the place of judgment, but a tenth of them we let remain so that they might be subject to Satan upon the earth. And the healing of all their illnesses together with their seductions we told Noah so that he might heal by means of herbs of the earth. And Noah wrote everything in a book just as we taught him according to every kind of healing. And the evil spirits were restrained from following the sons of Noah. And he gave everything which he wrote to Shem, his oldest son, because he loved him much more than all of his sons.

Harba de-Moshe (The Sword of Moses) (c.500 CE, Aramaic)

"To send plagues, take [parings?] from seven men and put them into a new potsherd, and go out to the cemetery and say there [the magical names in the list] from PRSWSY to BNSNS, and bury it in a place that is not trodden by horses, and afterwards take the dust from this potsherd and blow it into his face or upon the lintel of his house." (Harba deMoshe)9 "To send a plague, take the bone of a dead man and dust from under him in a pot and tie it up in a woven rag with saliva, and say upon it [the magical names in the list] from QSGHNHWL to MRGHMHWL in his [=the victim's] name and bury it in the cemetery." (Harba de-Moshe)10

Jewish Magical Bowl from Nippur #811 (c.600 CE, Aramaic, Babylonia)

In the name of the Lord of salvations. Designated is this bowl for the sealing of the house of this Geyonai bar Mamai, that there flee from him the evil Lilith, in the name of 'YHWH El has scattered'; the Lilith, the male Lilis and the female Liliths, the Hag and the Ghul, the three of you, the four of you and the five of you; [naked] are you sent forth, nor are you clad, with your hair disheveled and let fly behind your backs. It is made known to you, whose father is named Palchas and whose mother Pelachdad: Hear and obey and come forth from the house and the dwelling of this Geyonai bar Mamai and from Rashnoi his wife bath Marath. And again, you shall not appear to them in his house nor in their dwelling nor in their bedchamber, because it is announced to you, whose father is named Palchas and whose mother Pelachdad, because it is announced to you that Rabbi Joshua bar Perachia has sent against you the ban. I adjure you by Palchas your father and by the name of Pelachdad your mother. A divorce-writ has come down to us from heaven and there is found written in it for your advisement and your terrification, in the name of Palsa-Pelisa ('Divorcer-Divorced'), who renders to you your divorce and your separation, your divorces and your separations. You, Lilith, male Lili and female Lilith, Hag and Ghul, be in the ban .... [of Rabbi] bar Perachia. And thus has spoken to us Rabbi Joshua bar Perachia: A divorce writ has come for you from across the sea, and there is found written in it [against you], whose father is named Palchas and whose mother

Translation adapted from M. Gaster, Studies and Texts in Folklore, Magic, Mediaeval Romance, Hebrew Apocrypha and Samaritan Archaeology, Ktav Publishing House 1971, vol.1 p.324. The Aramaic text appears in Gaster, vol.3 p.84: " ] [ ' ] [ ". 10 Translation adapted from Gaster v.1 pp.328-329. The Aramaic text appears in Gaster, v.3 p.87: [" ] [ ] ".' 11 Adapted from translation of J.A. Montgomery, Aramaic Incantation Texts From Nippur, Philadelphia 1913, pp.155-156.

Pelachdad, ...they hear from the firmament... Hear and they go from the house and from the dwelling of this Geyonai bar Mamai and from Rashnoi his wife bath Marath. And again, you shall not appear to them either in dream by night nor in slumber by day, because you are sealed with the signet of El Shaddai and with the signet of the house of Joshua b. Perahia and by the Seven which are before him. Thou Lilith, male Lili and female Lilith, Hag and Ghul, I adjure you by the Strong One of Abraham, by the Rock of Isaac, by the Shaddai of Jacob, by Yah his name .... by Yah his memorial .... I adjure you to turn away from this Rashnoi bath Marath. and from Geyonai her husband bar Mamai. Your divorce and writ and letter of separation .... sent through holy Angels .... the Hosts of fire in the spheres, the Chariots of El-Panim before him standing, the Beasts worshipping in the fire of his throne and in the water, the Legions of I-am-that-I-am, this his name .... And by the adjuration of holy Angels, by ...'Azriel the great angel, and by Kabkabkiel the great angel, and by 'Akariel the great angel, I uproot the evil Necklace-spirits. Moreover you evil Liliths, evil Countercharms, ....and the letter of divorce. And again, do not return to them from this day and forever. Amen, Amen, Selah. Sealed upon him ...Gabriel. Again (I adjure you), evil Lilith and evil Spirit... depart from this Rashnoi bath Marath. And be they preserved for life! Amen, Amen, Selah, Halleluia.

Jewish Magical Bowl from Nippur #3212 (c.600 CE, Aramaic, Babylonia)

This bowl is designated for the sealing of the house and the wife and the children of Dinoi bar Ispandarmed, that there remove from him the Tormentor and evil Dreams. The bowl I deposit and sink down, a work which has been made like that which Rav Yeshua bar Perachya sat and wrote against them, a ban-writ against all the Demons and Devils and Satans and Liliths and Latbe which are in the house of Dinoi bar Ispandarmed. Again: he wrote against them a ban-writ which is for all time, by the virtue of TMDG, Atatot Atot, within T(?), Atot Atot the name, a writing within a writing. Through which (words) were subjected heaven and earth and the mountains; and through which the heights were commanded; and through which were fettered Arts, Demons and Devils and Satans and Liliths and Latbe; and through which he passed over from this world and climbed above you to the height (of heaven) and learned all countercharms, a ruin to destruction, and ...to bring you forth from the house of Dinoi bar Ispandarmed, and from all that is in his house, I have dismissed you by the ban-writ. And charmed and sealed and countersealed is it, even as ancient runes fail not, and (like) ancient men who are not... Again: charmed and sealed and countersealed is this ban-writ by the virtue of YHYHYHYHYH, YHYH, YHYH, A. Amen, Amen, Selah. Sealed and protected are the house and dwelling of Dinoi bar Ispandarmed from the Tormentor and Evil Dreams and the Curse. And sealed and protected be [his wife and son] from the Tormentor and evil Dreams and Curse and Vows and ... Hallela, Amen.

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Adapted from translation of Montgomery pp.225-226.

Shimush Tehilim (Practical Psalms) (Medieval Rabbanite Magical Book in Wide Use Today13)
Psalm 19) "The heavens declare" (verse 2). This Psalm is good for someone who has an evil spirit in him. Say it seven times, and the spirit will flee. The [divine] name to be used with this Psalm is "HY": He from the word "The heavens" (verse 2) and Yod from the word "my Redeemer" (verse 15). Say, "Let it be your will, O HY, the great name, etc., that you drive off from so-and-so an evil spirit." Write this formula and hang it on the patient. Furthermore, for a woman who has difficulty in child birth, take dust from a crossroads and write with the Psalm up until the words "like a bridegroom who goes forth from his chamber" (verse 6) and place it on her stomach. When she gives birth remove it immediately and recite the Psalm seven times. Finally, to open up the heart, purify yourself and take a cup of wine and honey, and say over it seven times with the divine name of the Psalm. Give the patient to drink and say, "Let it be your will, O HY, that you open up my heart (or the heart of so-and-so) with your Torah and with all wisdom, that the heart never forgets what it learns. Amen! Amen! Amen! Selah! Selah! Selah! (Shimush Tehilim (Practical Psalms), Jerusalem 1998, pp.6-7)

Rabbinic Prayers to the Dead

Prayer at the Graves of Our Rabbis And by the worthiness of all the saints buried here, and their study of [Oral] Torah and the Torah-discoveries which were discovered by them, and their good works which they did in this world, do what they ask and fulfill my request so as not to send me back empty-handed and do not ever again deny me an intercessor. Prayer at the Tomb of the Patriarchs [in Hebron] O fathers of the world, beloved of the Most High, how can you rest in your graves when we who are the children of the indebted have toiled but have not been given rest. Entreat for us the face of God, awake and awaken Moses the trustworthy friend and his disciple Joshua... Prayer at the Tomb of Rabbi Shimon

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Bar Yochai Arise, O holy saint, light of the living, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, and entreat the face of God that he may have mercy on us... arise O holy saint, most holy one, holy of the Lord, you who are honored, Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai... arise and ask mercy for us and for all our brothers in Israel from our father in heaven that he influence for us in his mercy Torah and life, love and kindness, righteousness and mercy, blessing and peace... arise and intercede for good and pray before our father, the merciful father, for the children of the house of Israel...

, , ... , , ... , , ... , ...

Rabbinic Catalogue of Ways of the Amorites ( Tosefta , Shabbat 6-717)

6:1 What are matters which constitute 'the ways of the Amorites'? He who trims the front of his hair, and he who makes his locks grow long, and he who makes a baldness in front for a particular star, and she who drags her child among graves, and he who ties a pad onto his thigh or a red thread on his finger , and he who counts and throws pebbles into the sea or river - these are 'the ways of the Amorites.' 6:2 He who strikes his hip, claps hands, and dances before a flame, this is one of 'the ways of the Amorites.' [If] his piece of bread fell from his hand [and] he said, "Give it back to me, so that my blessing may not be lost," "Put a light on the ground, so that the dead may be pained," "Do not put a light on the ground, so that the dead will not be pained" - [if] sparks fell from him and he said, "We shall have guests today," these are among 'the ways of the Amorites.' 6:3 [If] one was beginning a project of work and said, "Let so-and-so come, whose hands are skilled and begin the work," "Let so-and-so come, whose feet are swift and let him walk before me," this is one of 'the ways of the Amorites.' He who says concerning a jar or a piece of dough, "Let so-and-so come, whose hands are skilled, and begin it" - this is one of 'the ways of the Amorites.' 6:4 He who stops up a window with thorns, and he who ties a piece of iron to the leg of the bed of a woman in childbirth, and he who sets a table before her - this is one of the 'ways of the Amorites.' But they may stop up a window with blankets or with tufts. And they may set before her a bowl of water, and they may tie up a chicken for her, so that it may keep her company. And these are not among 'the ways of the Amorites.' 6:5 He who says, "Slaughter this rooster, which crowed at evening;" "Slaughter this chicken, which crows like a rooster," "Feed her the crest, for she crows like a rooster" - this is one of 'the ways of the Amorites.' 6:6 [If] a crow cawed, and he said to it, "Croak," [if] a crow cawed, and he said to it, "Go back," lo, this is one of 'the ways of the Amorites.' 6:7 He who says, "Eat this date [or] this radish, so
6665 ' , : : 16 Adapted from Neusner translation.

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you will remember me by it," "Do not feed it to me, because of cataracts [which it causes];" "Touch the coffin of a corpse, so that you will see him by night," "Do not touch the coffin of a corpse, so you will not see him by night." "Turn over your cloak, so that you may have dreams," "Do not turn over your cloak, so you will not have dreams," "Sit on a broom, so you will have dreams," "Do not sit on a broom, so you will not have dreams," this is one of 'the ways of the Amorites.' 6:8 He who says, "Do not sit on the plough, so that you do not make the work hard for us," "Do not sit on the plough, so that it should not [later on] be broken," this is one of 'the ways of the Amorites.' But if he said this so that it really should not break, this is permitted. 6:9 He who says, "Do not put your hand behind you, so that you should not impede the work for us," this is one of 'the ways of the Amorites: 6:10 He who strikes a brand against the wall and said, "Here it is," this is one of 'the ways of the Amorites.' But if [he did so to warn] because of sparks, this is permitted 6:11 He who pours out water onto the street and said, "Here it is," this is one of 'the ways of the Amorites.' But if he did so [to warn] a passersby, this is permitted. 6:12 He who throws a piece of iron into a graveyard and said, "Here it is;" this is one of 'the ways of the Amorites.' But if he did so because of witchcraft, this is permitted. 6:13 He who puts a staff of wood or iron under his head, this is one of 'the ways of the Amorites.' But if he did so in order to keep them, this is permitted. 6:14 She who shouts at an oven not to let the bread fall, she who puts charms into the handle of a pot that it should not boil over - this is one of 'the ways of the Amorites.' But she may put charms of mulberry or of glass into the pot, so that it will boil more quickly. But sages have said that she should not do so with those made out of glass, because of the danger to life. 6:15 She who imposes silence for lentils, and who smacks her lips at rice, and who slaps for a lamp, this is one of 'the ways of the Amorites.' 6:16 [If] a snake fell onto a bed, and one said, "He is poor but he is going to get rich," it is a transgression. [If one said], "She will bear a male child," "She is a virgin," "You will marry a great man," this is one of 'the ways of the Amorites.' 6:17 She who sets hens to brood and said, "I set them out only in pairs," "I set them out only naked," "I set them out only with the left hand," "I set them out only with both hands," and he who sends a token of sanctification with both hands, and he who sends a writ with both hands, and he who says, "Add to the table," this is one of 'the ways of the Amorites.' 6:18 She who puts eggs and grass into the wall and covers them over the plaster and counts seven and one, this is one of 'the ways of the Amorites.' 6:19 She who sets out a brood of chicks in a sieve, or puts pieces of iron among a brood of chicks this is one of 'the ways of the Amorites.' But if she did so because of thunder or because of lightning, this is permitted. 7:1 He who says, "Yame" and "Bise" - this is one of 'the ways of the Amorites.' 7:2 He who says, "Dagan," "Qardan," this is one of 'the ways of the Amorites.' 7:3 He who says, "Dani," "Dano," this is one of 'the ways of the Amorites.' 7:4 He who asks his staff, saying, "Shall I go? Shall I not go?" - this is one of 'the ways of the Amorites.' 7:5 He who [when someone sneezes], says, "Healing," this is one of 'the ways of the Amorites.' 7:6 He who says, "Leave it over and let it go to waste," this is one of 'the ways of the Amorites.'.. 7:10 He who says, "No, no," this is one of 'the ways of the Amorites.' 7:11 He who says, "May it not come between

us," "May our love not fail," this is one of 'the ways of the Amorites.' But if this was said in order to pay respect, it is permitted. ... 7:21 One may cause fright [to shock] one who is deranged or gasping, and this is not [prohibited as] one of 'the ways of the Amorites. [If] a bone got stuck in one's throat, one may put on his head a bone of that same sort 7:23 One may pass articles on the belly on the Sabbath [and whisper over them]. Rabban Simeon ben Gamaliel says, "This is in the case of an object which may be handled on the Sabbath." One may whisper over an eye, a serpent, and a scorpion, but one may not whisper over a matter involving demons [on the Sabbath]. R. Yose says, "Even on an ordinary day one may not whisper over an object involving demons"