Lag Ba’Omer “Voodoo Judaism Day”!

 

Very apropos that on this Erev Lag Ba’Omer — the “Voodoo Judaism Day” when crowds rush to visit the dead and pray to deceased tzadikim (or, giving them the benefit of the doubt, merely ask the tzadikim to intercede and change God’s mind) so they can have children, wealth, and happiness — we are learning today’s daf in Chullin, daf 4 amud bet.

The gemara focuses on the word ויסיתהו (“entice”) as part of the Gemara’s core discussion about whether a mumar who worships idols can still be trusted with shechita.

For our Lag Ba’Omer conversation, I want to zero in on the ויסיתהו (“entice”) section.

The Gemara teaches that enticing someone is normally done with food and drink. (That’s probably why so many business deals are closed over lunch or dinner.) To prove the point, the Gemara brings several examples where the word always appears in the context of food-based enticement.

One classic case: when a person entices his friend to worship idols. The Gemara concludes that this, too, is typically done with food and alcohol. Maybe that’s why the Lag Ba’Omer and Uman “visits to the dead” parties almost always revolve around food and alcohol… :)

The Gemara then challenges this rule with the story of Iyov. The pasuk says about Satan (Iyov 2:3):

ותסיתני בו לבלעו חנם

(“You enticed Me against him to destroy him for no reason.”)

God is criticizing Satan for enticing Him to test Iyov with all kinds of yissurim (sufferings).

The Gemara immediately asks: Did Satan eat food and drink alcohol with God?! Obviously not. Therefore the Gemara answers that when the Torah speaks about God, its language is never literal. This is simply an exception.

The Ritva sharpens the point: the very concept of hasatah (enticement) cannot even apply to God, because God cannot be enticed.

So the big question remains: Why did the author of Iyov use the term “entice” about God in the first place? If God’s mind cannot be changed or enticed, why choose a word that could mislead the literal reader?

I believe the answer lies in the approach of the Rambam. The entire story of Iyov is allegorical. It is teaching a deep Jewish philosophical truth: real happiness is not found in physical pleasures — the very thing Satan represents. The narrative shows this by stripping Iyov of everything physical — wealth, children, family — forcing him to turn inward toward yedias Hashem (knowledge of God) through meditation and contemplation.

 Only through that painful process did Iyov reach perfection. When he eventually received back his riches and family, they were no longer primary; walking in the ways of God had become the true foundation of his life.

That is what God is telling Satan with the words ותסיתני (“you enticed Me”): “You enticed Me against him to swallow Iyov needlessly.” Had Iyov not been so attached to his physical desires, wealth, and needs from the beginning (enticement with food and drink represents the physical pleasures), none of this painful process would have been necessary. He could have reached the goal immediately — if only his priorities had been correct from the start.

It is only when a person is unhappy with what he has that he goes searching for meaning to fill the void. In Judaism, yedias Hashem — achieved by walking in God’s ways — is what actually brings us there.

That should be  the real Lag Ba’Omer lesson.

Asking the dead (or asking the dead to ask God) for our physical needs — believing they can convince a God who, by definition, does not change — is ultimately serving ourselves.

The authentic Jewish path is the opposite: we change ourselves, not God, so that we can serve Him better and walk in His ways.