The Evil Eye - Fear Its Power, or Just Spit In It?


"Vot are you looging dat vay?" "Vot's mit der shtare?"
I was driving my Hungarian-born grandparents to a seder on the Lower East Side when some guy with a two-foot pompadour driving a purple Eldorado cut me off. I wanted to strangle him with the gold chains hanging from his neck. I wanted to shove the Cadillac's hood-ornament up his periscope. Instead, I just sat there with my mouth shut and my tie on and showered him with looks of hatred.
"That shmuck, Grandma, he just cut..."
My reply was interrupted by the sound of a siren. One of New York's finest, red lights ablaze, was pulling the Eldorado over. In my rear view mirror I could see the guy spread eagled over the Caddy's hood while the cops pulled empty bottles of Thunderbird from his car. Instant Karma, I thought.
"Oy! Oy!" said Grandma, "Gevalt!"
Was she feeling sorry for this putz, I wondered? She's such a good-hearted woman....but no! She was frightened that her grandson might have The Power. The power of the Evil Eye.
Although the power to curse with a glance is not necessarily a Jewish thing, along with belief in evil spirits, sprites and Dybbuks (demons), it's long had a place in Jewish lore. Jewish women have historically been especially protective of their offspring. They knew the woods were full of ghouls and goblins lying in wait for unwary children, so they would put some crumbs and a pinch of salt in the youngster's pocket to feed any hungry demons that came out of the shadows.
I thought of this as we continued down the roadway. Maybe the cops who were searching the Eldorado's driver were just looking for crumbs and salt. Maybe that's what that white granular stuff was that all those drivers in their fancy-shmancy cars were running around with in their pockets: salt to ward off the blue-uniformed demons in their green and white cruisers
It is written in the Talmud that people who are targeted by those who possess the Power of the Eye generally bring it upon themselves by displaying one of two traits: The first is Envy and the second is Greed. Greedy or Jealous people tend to elicit negative reactions in others, and sometimes give rise to the hope that awful things will befall them. Frequently, this results in a glance or stare of concentrated loathing. Hence the term, "Evil Eye".
One story tells of Rabbi Judah who came upon "two men throwing pieces of bread at one another". Shouting, "One might think from this that there is plenty to eat in the world", he leveled a lethal stare at them and brought about a widespread famine.
(Another story tells of the descendants of these two men who, having the same inclinations as their forbears, also enjoyed a good food fight. But they had the wisdom to use Matzoh so that when the elderly Rabbi Judah walked by and saw them, they quickly explained they were just tossing around a Jewish Frisbee).
In fourth-century Spain, a Catholic ecclesiastical council drafted a doctrine that announced that Jews were no longer permitted to even stand in a field that belonged to a Christian. They believed that a Jew's glance could be so vitriolic, it could wither an entire crop. Other gifted men and women were thought to have incendiary, or "blazing" eyesight that enabled them to set the objects of their displeasure afire.
This "gift" was, however, not the exclusive property of evil people. Sometimes it was used by revered and respected people as a tool of vengeance. Grandpa told me he'd heard of one Reb Simeon bar Yochai, whom, it was believed, could reduce trouble-makers to bone with one killer look. I considered how neat it would be to have the Reb ride around New York with me for a few days. I wondered, too, if he had a sense of humor?
Bitter debate raged in the Talmud between Rabbis who would advocate more rational doctrines and the superstitious minions who lived in fear of sorcery and magic. To mollify the frightened, legislation was adopted which permitted incantations to be uttered against the Evil Eye, and okayed the use of serpents and scorpions to combat it. Apparently there weren't enough kraits and boomslangs to go around because one Talmudic statement advised that, "Ninety-nine die from the Evil Eye as against one from Natural causes".
After much scholarly study and careful forensic work it has been determined that the best way to escape the dreaded Malevolent Stare is to avoid ticking people off. Under no circumstances must you arouse feelings of envy in another person. If you've got it - don't flaunt it (unless you're willing to share it). As flushed as you may feel, it's unwise to boast about your possessions or your good fortune to those less fortunate.
Awareness of this preventative measure is what gave birth to the expression, "Kayn aynhora" or "kineahora" spoken after statements regarding one's good luck or self-importance. It's taken from the Yiddish and means, "May no evil overtake him", and also to reassure that ones praises are genuine and devoid of anything that should awaken envy. It's heard frequently among Jews who are speaking with pride of Solly the Doctor, or little Marvin who just won the spelling bee. "How's Solly doink since he left from medical school?" "He's making a living, kineahora." Or, "Kineahora, still a genius, tenks!"
Better you should display humility and thankfulness for being so blessed and avoid arousing the ire of a neighbor possessed of the Stare From Hell. (Or does he just have a tic?)

So what do you think? I'd love to hear about your thoughts and experiences.
stephen

Footnote: Some linguists believe that "kineahora" comes from an amalgam of Hawaiian and Spanish words and means, "The real thing, right now". Da Kine in Hawaiian slang means the genuine article, or the real thing, and Ahora in Spanish means now. If you believe that's true, you might wonder, too, about the origins of the name, Yo-semite.