A dybbuk is a spirit in Jewish folklore, often associated with mystical sects of Judaism. They can be good or evil and possess living people, requiring exorcism to free their victims. The name comes from a Hebrew word meaning to attach or cling. The Dybbuk, a 1914 play by S. Ansky, is a well-known example of this legend.
A dybbuk is a type of spirit found in some forms of folklore. Typical of European folktales and a Kabbalah tradition, a dybbuk is the spirit of a dead person who is trapped or somehow connected to the Earth, unable or unwilling to leave life entirely. Dybbuks can be either good or evil in nature, with evil versions often possessing good people and requiring exorcism to free their victims. Typically associated with mystical sects of Judaism, the existence of the dybbuk is not a widely accepted belief in the modern world.
While there are examples of spirits with the power to possess humans in ancient literature around the world, the dybbuk is a unique legend of Jewish folklore and is believed by some scholars to have developed as part of mystical beliefs around the 8th century CE. Dybbuk typically seek to avoid an uncertain afterlife or are lost and require an exorcism to find their way to an afterlife. To continue their existence after death, the dybbuk must cling or attach themselves to a living person, resulting in possession. The name reflects the spirit’s purpose; the term comes from a Hebrew word meaning to attach or cling.
To exorcise a dybbuk from a living soul, a rabbi must perform certain exorcism rites. This may involve reciting against religious figures or blowing a horn to shock or frighten the spirit. After a successful exorcism, the living person is usually unharmed and can return to their normal life, while the spirit is sent to the afterlife.
While there are hundreds of tales about these ancient spirits, one of the best known is The Dybbuk, a 1914 play by S. Ansky. A writer who based much of his work on his experiences traveling through Jewish villages in Europe, Ansky became a landmark in Jewish theater for this play, which tells the story of a woman who becomes possessed by a spirit during her wedding night. The work has been translated into many languages and produced in several forms, including a ballet with music by Leonard Bernstein.
Another author famous for his use of this spiritual concept is the satirist Sholem Aleichem. Instead of presenting possessing spirits as a real phenomenon, Aleichem has used the concept in several stories to illustrate that superstitions and ignorance provide endless opportunities for the greedy and opportunistic. Aleichem uses the idea of possession in several short stories, including The Haunted Tailor.
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