Beware of the dybbuk

The dybbuk is a fascinating and intriguing figure in Jewish lore. Unable to find peace after death, the spirit seeks the body of a living person to fulfill what it left undone in life. In the 16th century, the concept gained importance in Polish Kabbalistic contexts, and over time, it became an integral part of Jewish folklore. Tales of dybbuks, such as Szymon Anska's drama or Hanna Krall's short story, depict the tragic fates of heroes whose lives are guided by spiritual forces. As Jewish culture is rediscovered in Poland, the story of the dybbuk is becoming increasingly popular in art and literature.

A spirit that cannot find peace after death wanders until it finds the body of a living person to enter. It becomes a dybbuk.

As Jewish culture in Poland is rediscovered, we are also discovering the beliefs of this once-large segment of our society. One of the most interesting figures in Jewish belief is the dybbuk. In recent times, numerous performances about the dybbuk have been produced in Poland, enjoying great success

Possessions and exorcisms are usually associated with the Catholic faith. However, they also function in Jewish beliefs. The concept of dybbuk arose in 16th-century Kabbalistic circles in Poland. It is a contraction of the phrase dibbuk me - ruach raa, meaning "the adhesion of an evil spirit." Over time, the word "dybbuk" became independent, becoming a term for the spirit itself. It has no form and cannot be identified with the Christian Satan.

Need an exorcist

Anyone can become a dybbuk. A spirit, unable to find peace after death due to a sinful life, wanders until it finds the body of a living person to enter. The same applies to those who die suddenly. With the help of the body of a living person, such a spirit seeks to complete what it was unable to do in life. Unfortunately, it is unaware that this will make life very difficult for the living person

Dybbuk possession is no different from the descriptions of possessions in the Catholic Church. A living person feels that another entity is operating within their body. Often, this "other" takes over the living person's body. The possessed person then speaks with an alien voice and is not responsible for their actions. A person suspected of possession was sent to a miracle-working rabbi (ba'al shem), who was believed to be able to exorcise the malignant dybbuk using an exorcism ritual.

The Ghost in the Girl

Belief in the dybbuk became particularly widespread in the 17th century. This is not surprising, as during the numerous invasions that plagued the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth at that time, various mystical movements enjoyed increasing popularity among the poorer sections of the Jewish population. In more peaceful times, the dybbuk became part of Jewish folklore and is treated as such by mainstream Judaism.

The Dybbuk was made famous by the Jewish writer Szymon Anski, who wrote in Yiddish. In his play "The Dybbuk," he used materials collected during his ethnographic expedition to Jewish villages in Volhynia and Podolia, which he conducted between 1911 and 1914. The expedition resulted in a story about the tragic love of two young people - Leah and Chanan. Leah's father, having become wealthy, forgets his promise to Chanan's father and finds his daughter a wealthy fiancé. Chanan, in love with Leah, dies, and his spirit enters the girl.

Despite the tzaddikim's efforts, the spirit cannot be exorcised. Leah, longing to be reunited with her beloved, prevents this. The renowned Polish writer Hanna Krall exploited the dybbuk legend. She wrote a story about an American who harbors the spirit of his half-brother, who died in a ghetto during the war. However, the story's protagonist refuses to expel the spirit. Its presence will forever remind him of the Holocaust and his beloved Polish Jewish culture.