[Avodah] "Blei Gissen" should we believe in this?

[Michael Makovi]

We know that there are plenty of remarks in the Gemara on magic (mix
the ashes of this with the water of that, say the following
nonsensical words). I have always just grouped the Gemara's belief in
magic, amulets, astrology, etc., all into one pot. If one takes this
all as legitimate, then end of discussion.

If one takes all this to be shtius, then there is of course a separate
question of how Chazal could have held by it. Rambam said it was all
minority opinions and allegories, and that the majority of Chazal saw
it all as shtius just like Rambam himself did. I personally find this
untenable, as it seems that these opinions were not fringe ones. I
personally just say that Chazal followed many of the superstitions of
their times, end of story. Obviously, I'll find plenty of academics to
back me up. Finding a rabbi is a bit more difficult. But I found that
Rabbi Steinsaltz in his Essential Talmud says that astrology and magic
are superstitious elements syncretistically adopted by Chazal,
especially in Babylonia. And surprise surprise, Rabbi Hertz and
(Rabbi?) Abraham Cohen's (editor of Soncino Tanach) Everyman's Talmud
take this for granted. And I would be willing to bet that Rabbi Yaakov
Elman at YU would hold by this, as according to him, far far more than
merely superstitious folk customs were bought by Chazal.

Mikha'el Makovi