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HaLeiVi:
Thank you for correcting me on this point of where the source is. You are correct: the Gemara does not say the Mazal Dli portion of the phrase. But again, there are reputable Seforim (Ibn Ezra and others) that do expand on the phrase.
I am familiar with the events/stories that the Gemara reports, but the Gemara does not have a formal discussion about astrology. It is mentioned in many places, but it is more of references/stories, as opposed to a full-blown theological/astrological discussion on the topic.
rebyidd23:
The Ralbag held that if a person has the intellectual capacity to understand these things, then it is a Mitzvah to study it as one of Hashem’s creations. He writes this in Milchamos Hashem.
A respected told me, when I asked a very well-respected Talmid Chacham if it is ok if I study astrology, he responded and said, “If it brings you closer to Hashem, then you may”
And it does – for me.
However, I respect your thoughts on this, because at times, it can be challenging.
Hello everyone,
It is frustrating for me to read what some of the people here have written.
Jewish Astrology has always been a very important component of Chinuch for thousands of years. Over the last few hundred years the knowledge has dwindled.
Unfortunately, many of the posters here are not educated AT ALL in Jewish Astrology, yet feel comfortable making absolute-style statements on the topic.
There are many many old seforim, which are out of print which discuss this in detail. I have been studying all this for about 9 years as a hobby, and I am not an expert on the topic.
Firstly, I am a frum Torah-observant Yeshiva-educated Jew.
To respond to some of the points here would take me days to type. But I will respond to some of the misinformation here.
As for sources for everything I write, many of it comes from the Ibn Ezra, the Ramban, Derech Hashem, kabbalistic seforim, and the Ralbag.
1) The term “Ain Mazal Li’Yisroel” (There is no Mazal for Klal Yisroel) is actaully part of a longer sentence. The sentence is actually:
Ain mazal l’yisroel AVAL MAZAL l’YISROEL MAZAL DLI”
Translation:
“There is no mazal for Yisroel, but the mazal of Yisroel is Mazal Dli”
Mazal Dli is Aquarius and its ruling star/planet is Saturn. Saturn in Hebrew is “Shabtai” and is actually spelled out as the letters SHIN BAIS TUF YUD
Getting into the deeper meaning behind this sentence is ebyond the scope of a response on Yehsiva World, however, I will explain this point in relation to how it was discussed above.
Klal Yisroel – WHEN OBSERVING THE TORAH AND MITZVOS – AND VERY MOST IMPORTANTLY THE MITZVA OF SHABBOS – is not subject to the planetary influences. It is a novel concept, since, Jewish astrology stipulates that NO NATION and NO INDIVIDUAL is subject to this exclusion, except us.
Also, contrary to popular belief, the mazal a person is born under, is not only the month they are born under. It is far more complex than that. An accurate birth chart would require an exact birth time (e.g. 5:16am ) and an exact birth dat as well as birth location.
There is so much astrological misinformation that is distributed as fact, and unfortunately many Rebbeim do not have the knowledge on this topic.
Also, one of the GREATEST MISCONCEPTIONS ( and it is clearly expressed by some posters above), is that Astrology is a “Kabbalistic” tool/power. It is not.
ASTROLOGY IS TEVA (nature) and is considered a pure science in Jewish perspective (as it was with the astrologers of old: Chaldeans, Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans). It is no different than Physics, Chemistry, or Biology. We know everything we know about astrology through thousands of years of observation.
Kabbala has MANY correlations with astrology, as Hashem created the planets and the constellations as a way to have an order in the world. Klal Yisroel, through Koach Hatfilla and being shomrei Mitzvos can overcome the negative energies of the planets.
Here are some interesting tidbits I will leave you with:
1) The term “Mazal Tov” when a child is born or when a couple gets married, is a very old saying and is rooted from Tanach (Melachim Bais, Perek 23, Pasuk Heh). Sephardim and Ashkenazim, and way before there was such a thing as Sephardim and Askhenazim, have been using this saying for a very long time.
It is a wishing that the mazal of the moment will be a glad time and it should be a Bracha.
2) The old term “Bshaah Tova” “Good Time”which is said to a pregnant Jewish woman, is a wishing or a Bracha, to a woman that the child should be born at “Good/Positive Time”.
This is rooted in Jewish astrology as well
3) The power of Saturn is Greatly FEARED amongst non-Jewish Astrologers. They straight out admit to its harmful negative consequences if it is badly aspected in an individuals astrological chart.
A Jew becomes subject to its influences if he is not Shomer Shabbos.
There is truly an endless amount I can write here, but this should get anyone who was fed misinformation about the topic to be able to look out and learn more.