525) Tashlich, water and 'bribing' demons

Introduction

Although the Jewish world after Maimonides (1138–1205) gradually embraced a mystical ethos—particularly following the publication of the Zohar some eighty years after his death—his followers remained wary of the burgeoning mystical practices that took root within Judaism, often approaching them with scepticism, if not outright rejection. Drawing on rationalist principles and a commitment to biblical authenticity, Maimonides challenged many mystical rituals, which he saw as later additions rooted in superstition or non-Jewish origins. His opposition reflects a broader philosophical stance: that religious expression should be grounded in reason, ethical clarity, and Torah-based tradition. This article—based extensively on the research by Rabbi Dr Israel Drazin[1]—examines the Tashlich ceremony and attempts to understand Tashlich within the broader context of medieval Jewish thought and its Maimonidean/rationalist reinterpretation. 

Tashlich

Although the name ‘Tashlich’ is derived from Micah 7:19, according to most scholars, the custom to perform this ceremony in the afternoon of the first day of Rosh Hashanah was only instituted during the Middle Ages. Although there appears to be a reference to it in the Zohar (Vayikra 101a), R. Shlomo Zvi Schick, (Rashban, 1844-1916), claims there is a biblical precedent for this custom (Nechemiah 8:1). The rite takes place near a body of water such as a pond or river, preferably containing fish. Crumbs are usually thrown into the water to symbolise the fish carrying our sins away, although some authorities prohibit the feeding of fish on the Yom Tov.

This custom was rejected by the rationalist rabbis, such as followers of Maimonides, as it involved the superstitious belief of ‘bribing’ Satan with breadcrumbs so that he would not remind God of our sins: 

“Underlying the practice is the belief that God and demons are always near water” (Drazin n.d.: 1). 

Tashlish, thus, presents an opportunity for all three ‘participants,’ God, Satan and the repentant sinner, to gather together around water for the theurgic ceremony. Tashlich is an example of how the often-fanciful writings of Midrash are adapted and adopted by later generations who take them literally and regard them as quasi-Halachic, even though we know that we are not supposed to derive practical instruction from Midrash. 

The Midrash (Bereishit Rabbah 8:3) interprets the use of the plural “us” and “our” in the verse, “And God said, Let us make man in our image” (Genesis 1:26),  to refer to God seeking advice from “two advisors”—the angels and demons—before He does anything. 

This is bolstered by the Babylonian Talmud—which has far more references to angelology and demonology than the Jerusalem Talmud[2]—which clearly articulates this perception: 

“God does not do anything without first consulting the heavenly beings” (b. Sanhedrin 38b). 

These heavenly beings, whether good or evil, and God are portrayed by much of the Babylonian Talmudic and other Midrashic sources as being predominantly located at sources of water. Some examples follow: 

God, spirits and demons are found near water

1) Bribing Satan—whose existence, importantly, is entirely disputed by the rationalist rabbis—is found in other sources like Midrash Sifra and Targum Pseudo-Jonathan to Leviticus 9. There, it is conceived that: 

“Moses advised his brother, the priest Aaron, to bribe Satan with a gift before entering the Holies of Holies to obtain forgiveness from God. Moses was telling his brother that the bribe would stop Satan from interfering with his goal of obtaining forgiveness” (Drazin n.d.:3). 

2) The Babylonian Talmud (b. Chulin 105b) discusses the case of a man pursued by the ‘demon of poverty,’ who could never get the man to succumb because he was “exceptionally careful with regard to crumbs”: 

ההוא גברא דהוה מהדר עליה שרא דעניותא ולא הוה יכיל ליה דקא זהיר אנשוורא טובא יומא חד כרך ליפתא איבלי אמר השתא ודאי נפל בידאי בתר דאכיל אייתי מרא עקרינהו ליבלי שדינהו לנהרא שמעיה דקאמר ווי דאפקיה ההוא גברא מביתיה

There are different ways of interpreting this story, but when the demon once saw the man eating bread over grass, where it would be difficult to collect all the crumbs, he thought he would finally get his victim and impose poverty upon him. Meanwhile, the man took a spade and removed the grass and the crumbs and threw them into a river. This acted, as Drazin understands it, as a ‘bribe’ for the ‘good spirit’ in the water to vanquish the ‘demon of poverty.’ To this day, the custom remains not to leave bread crumbs on the table after the Shabbat meal, as it may lead to poverty.

3) Midrash Kohelet Rabbah describes a similar story of feeding spirits in the water. Every day, a certain man would throw a loaf of bread into the sea. One day, he caught a fish and found a treasure inside its belly. This was the way the well-fed spirit in the water repaid the man. 

4) Rashi and his grandson Rashbam were often in deep theological tension with each other. Rashi always leaned to the Midrashim and the side of mysticism, while Rashbam rejected the mystics and said he was writing for the “maskilim” or rationalists [see: Kotzk Blog: 406) Rashbam as Rashi’s exegetical ‘enfant terrible’?[1]]. The Babylonian Talmud (b. Pesachim 112a) instructs people never to drink water from a river at night, as they may be afflicted by ‘Shavrirei’: 

תָּנוּ רַבָּנַן: לֹא יִשְׁתֶּה אָדָם מַיִם לֹא מִן הַנְּהָרוֹת וְלֹא מִן הָאֲגַמִּים בַּלַּיְלָה, וְאִם שָׁתָה — דָּמוֹ בְּרֹאשׁוֹ, מִפְּנֵי הַסַּכָּנָה. מַאי סַכָּנָה? סַכָּנַת שַׁבְרִירֵי. וְאִי צַחֵי מַאי תַּקַּנְתֵּיהּ? אִי אִיכָּא אִינִישׁ בַּהֲדֵיהּ — לֵימָא לֵיהּ: ״פְּלָנְיָא בַּר פְּלָנִתָא, צָחֵינָא מַיָּא״. וְאִי לָא, (נֵימָא) אִיהוּ לְנַפְשֵׁיהּ: ״פְּלָנְיָא, אֲמַרָה לִי אִימִּי אִיזְדְּהַר מִשַּׁבְרִירֵי שַׁבְרִירֵי בְּרִירֵי רִירֵי יְרֵי רֵי — צָחֵינָא מַיָּא בְּכָסֵי חִיוָּרֵי״

“The Sages taught: A person should not drink water from rivers or from ponds at night. And if he drank, his blood is upon his own head due to the danger. The Gemara explains: What is this danger? The danger of blindness. The Gemara asks: And if he is thirsty, what is his remedy? If there is another person with him, he should say to him: So-and-so, son of so-and-so, I thirst for water. And if there is no one else with him, he should say to himself: So-and-so, my mother said to me to beware of shavrirei, the demon of blindness. He should continue to say the following incantation, in the first part of which the demon’s name gradually disappears: ‘Shavrirei berirei rirei yerei rei; I thirst for water in white earthenware cups.’ This is an incantation against those demons” (b. Pesachim 112a). 

Rashi maintains that ‘Shavrirei’  is the demon of blindness who dwells in the water, and bothering him at night might make him so angry that he will impose blindness on the one who disturbs him. However, his grandson, Rashbam, maintains that the act of drinking water in darkness simply means that one cannot ensure the cleanliness of the water, and contaminated water could damage the eyes and also make one ill. 

5) Another example of the conceptualisation of demons inhabiting collections of water can be seen in Midrash Tehillim: 

מלמד שהכל צריכין סיוע ומעשה היה באותו הרוח שהיה בימי רבי אבא בר דוסאי שהיה עובר על המעין ובא אליו הרוח ואמר לו ראה הנה אני כמה ימים כאן ולא היתה בריה נזוקת כאן בשבילי ועכשיו מריב עמי רוח אחר ורוצה לטרדני מזה המקום והוא רע מאוד ולא יניח חיים לכל בריה. ואם רצונך שלא ינזקו הבריות סייעני עמו שאמיתנו. אמר לו והיאך אסייעך. אמר לו כשיבוא אודיעך ובא אתה עם תלמידיך. ואמרו אתם תנו לו והכוהו וישמע אתכם ויהא סבור שעל סיועי אתם באים ויפחד ואוכל להרגו. ועשו כן וראו כמין טיפת דם על המעין וידעו שנהרג. ומכאן שאפילו הרוחות צריכין סיוע

“[E]veryone needs assistance [even spirits]… Rabbi Abba bar Dosai passed by a well and a spirit came to him and said, ‘Look, I have been here for many days, and no creature has been harmed here because of me. But now, another spirit [a demon] is quarreling with me and wants to disturb me from this place. He is very evil and will not spare any creature's life. If you want to prevent harm to creatures, help me with this true matter.’ Rabbi Abba asked, ‘How can I help you?’ The spirit replied, ‘When he comes, I will inform you, and you come with your students. Then, tell them to hit him, and he will hear you, and he will be afraid and think that you are coming to help me. Then, he will flee, and I will be able to kill him.’ They did as the spirit had instructed them, and they saw a drop of blood on the well, and they knew that the evil spirit had been killed. From here, we learn that even spirits need help” (Midrash Tehillim 20). 

6) A similar case can also be found in Vayikra Rabbah: 

דָּבָר אַחֵר, קְדשִׁים תִּהְיוּ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (תהלים ך, ג): יִשְׁלַח עֶזְרְךָ מִקֹּדֶשׁ, רַבִּי בֶּרֶכְיָה בְּשֵׁם רַבִּי סִימוֹן אָמַר, מַעֲשֶׂה בְּקַרְתָּנִי בְּאַבָּא יוֹסֵי אִישׁ צַיְתוּר שֶׁהָיָה יוֹשֵׁב וְשׁוֹנֶה עַל פֶּתַח מַעְיָן, אִתְגַּלֵּי עֲלוֹי הַהוּא רוּחָא דַּהֲוָה שָׁרֵי תַּמָּן, אֲמַר לֵיהּ אַתּוּן יָדְעִין כַּמָּה שְׁנִין אֲנָא שָׁרֵי הָכָא וְאָתִין וְנָפְקִין אַתּוּן וּנְשֵׁיכוֹן בְּרַמְשָׁא וּבְטִיהֲרָא וְלֵית אַתּוּן מִתְנַזְּקִין, וְכַדּוּן תֶּהֱווֹן יָדְעִין דְּהָא רוּחַ בִּישׁ בָּעֵי מֵישְׁרָא הָכָא וְהָא מַזִּיק בְּרִיָּתָא, אֲמַר לֵיהּ וּמָה נַעֲבֵיד, אֲמַר לֵיהּ אָזֵיל וְאַסְהֵיד בִּבְנֵי מָתָא וֶאֱמָר לְהוֹן מַאן דְּאִית לֵיהּ מַכּוּשׁ מַאן דְּאִית לֵיהּ פָּס מַאן דְּאִית לֵיהּ מַגְרוֹפֵי, יִפְקוּן הָכָא לְמָחָר עִם מַצְמְחֵיהּ דְּיוֹמָא וִיהוֹן מִסְתַּכְּלִין עַל אַפֵּי מַיָא, וְכַד אִינוּן חָמְיָין עִרְבּוּבְיָא דְמַיָא יְהוֹן מַקְשִׁין בְּפַרְזְלַיָא וְאָמְרִין דִּידָן נָצַח וְלָא יִפְקוּן מִן הָכָא עַד זְמַן דְּיֶחֱמוּן חֲרָדָה דְּדָמָא עַל אַפֵּי מַיָא. אָזַל וְאַסְהֵיד בִּבְנֵי קַרְתָּא וְאָמַר לְהוֹן מַאן דַּהֲוָה לֵיהּ מַכּוּשׁ מַאן דַּהֲוָה לֵיהּ פָּס מַאן דַּהֲוָה לֵיהּ מַגְרוֹפֵי, נָפְקוּן לְמָחָר לְתַמָּן עִם מַצְמְחֵיהּ דְּיוֹמָא וִיהוֹן מִסְתַּכְּלִין כְּלַפֵּי מַיָא, כֵּיוָן דְּחָמוֹ עִרְבּוּבְיָא בְּמַיָא הֲווֹן מַקְשִׁין בְּפַרְזְלַיָא וַאֲמָרוּ דִּידָן נָצַח דִּידָן נָצַח, וְלָא עָלוּן מִן תַּמָּן עַד זְמַן דְּחָמוּן כְּמִין חֲרָדָא דְּדָמָא עַל אַפֵּי מַיָא, וַהֲרֵי דְבָרִים קַל וָחֹמֶר וּמָה אִם הָרוּחוֹת שֶׁלֹּא נִבְרְאוּ לְשׁוּם סִיּוּעַ צְרִיכִין סִיּוּעַ, אָנוּ שֶׁנִּבְרֵאנוּ לְסִיּוּעַ עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה, הֱוֵי: יִשְׁלַח עֶזְרְךָ מִקֹּדֶשׁ

There was an incident involving Abba Yosei of Tzaitur, a villager, who was sitting and studying at the entrance to a spring. A certain spirit that dwelled there appeared to him. It said to him: ‘You know, how many years I have been dwelling here, and you and your wives come and go at night and in the morning, and you are not harmed. Now, you should know, that an evil spirit seeks to dwell here, and it harms people.’ He said to it: ‘What shall we do?’ It said to him: ‘Go and warn the residents of the city: Anyone who has a hoe, anyone who has a spade, anyone who has a rake, let him come out here tomorrow at daybreak, and let him look at the water’s surface. When they see a whirlpool in the water, let them strike with their iron and say: Ours is victorious, and they shall not go from here until they see congealed blood on the water’s surface.’ He went and he warned the residents of the city, and said to them: ‘Anyone who has a hoe, anyone who has a spade, anyone who has a rake, let them come out there tomorrow at daybreak, and let them look at the water. When you see a whirlpool in the water, strike with the iron and say: Ours is victorious, ours is victorious, and do not go from here until you see congealed blood on the water’s surface.’ Can the matters not be inferred a fortiori? If the spirits, that were not created to [require] assistance, require assistance, we who were created to [require] assistance, all the more so. That is, ‘may He send you help from the Sanctuary’ (Ps. 20) (Vayikra Rabbah 24:3). 

7) According to Mechilta deRabbi Yishmael (Shemot 12:1), God is to be found everywhere in the Land of Israel, but outside of the Holy Land, He is only found near water. 

Sympathetic magical practices

Based on the rich mystical source material we have examined above, it follows that a ceremony like Tashlich, must also take place at a body of water: 

“It should therefore surprise no one that the superstitious rite of tashlich arose, sending Jews to seek the demons at bodies of water in order to persuade the demons not to harm them” (Drazin n.d.:7). 

These types of practices would fall under the category known as sympathetic magic, which was not only performed by Jewish mystics but was widespread in the ancient world. Drazin explains that some Native Americans, for example, used sympathetic magic to try to bring down the rain by imitating falling rain with their dances. Similarly, the sixteenth-century mystics of Safed performed the Tashlich ceremony at water, symbolising chessed (mercy), to protect from the accusations of Satan. As part of the ceremony, they shook out their garments and emptied their pockets over the water—still practised today—symbolically casting off evil and invoking the ‘drowning’ of Satan in its depths. 

Attempts at symbolising the mysticism and magic

1) R. Moshe Isserless (Ramah, 1520–1572) attempted to provide new symbolism for the Tashlich ceremony to situate it more within accepted rational norms. Tashlish becomes a neutral symbol of the Akeidah (sacrifice of Isaac)—drawing on the Midrashic account in which Avraham was forced to cross a deep and obstructive river en route to the designated site—as well as a blessing to be as plentiful as fish. 

2) R. Mordechai Jaffe (Levush, 1530–1612), a student of the Ramah, similarly interprets the Tashlich ceremony as a symbolic echo of the Akeidah. The fish also reminds the practitioner that Jews can easily be caught in a net. 

3) R. Yeshyahu Horowitz (Shnei Luchot haBrit, 1555–1630) suggests that a lesson is to be learned from fish: just as they have no eyelids, so should Jews always keep their eyes open to God. 

“Some rabbis understood the pagan roots of tashlich but chose to allow the continuation of the custom because of the rabbinic principle minhag avoteinu Torah hi, ‘the customs of our ancestors is law [for us].’ However, they set about disguising its origin, rationalizing it and turning it into a symbolic ceremony with religious significance” (Drazin n.d.,8). 

De-mystifying the timing

The moving of the time for Tashlich—from immediately after lunch on Rosh Hashana, as it was originally—to later in the afternoon, after the Mincha (afternoon) prayer, is significant. In its earlier formulation, Tashlich was performed straight after the midday meal, so as not to anger the Satan if he was kept waiting and given his bribe of crumbs well after humans had eaten. However, once the mystical notion of bribing Satan had been subtly detached from the narrative, the timing was moved to later in the afternoon because, according to the Talmud, the Mincha prayer is the most likely prayer to be answered: 

“A person should be careful with the Mincha service because Elijah [the prophet] was only answered [by God] with the Mincha prayers” (b. Berachot 6b). 

Rabbinic objection to Tashlich

1) Maimonides, the father of Jewish rationalism, identified many obscure mystical and magical practices and strongly opposed them. He (intentionally or otherwise) excluded the Tashlich ceremony from his legal code. 

2) R. Yakov Moelin (Maharil, 1365-1427) initially expressed scepticism about Tashlich, although he later softened his opposition. Many regard the Maharil as the originator of the Tashlich custom. 

3) Many Yemenite authorities, like the Dor Deah [see: Kotzk Blog: 086) A TRADITIONAL SCHOOL OF YEMENITE RATIONALISM:], rejected the custom of Tashlish because of its mystical associations. R. Yihye Qafih, a leader of the Maimonidean Yemenite rationalists, omitted the Tashlich ceremony and other mystical references from his prayerbook, known as the Baladi Siddur. 

4) Similarly, the Vilna Gaon (1720-1797) and his students did not observe the Tashlich ceremony because they recognised its pagan and superstitious origins. 

Conclusion

Tashlich reflects deep-rooted mystical, magical—if not pagan—associations between water and spiritual beings, and the efficacy of bribing these perceived evil energies. Drazin challenges us to re-examine Tashlich’s ritual origins, revealing how ancient fears and metaphysical beliefs shape even familiar and popular customs and practices. The echoes of these mystical fears remind us that tradition often walks hand-in-hand with folklore and superstition. The rabbinic response to this is varied. In the case of Tashlich, some rabbis are aware of these ancient fears and theurgic attempts at escaping them, and introduce a layer of symbolism to sanitise the ancient custom. 

Interestingly, while some rabbis have discouraged the Tashlich ceremony or omitted it completely from their liturgical practice, and others have voiced philosophical or Halachic concerns, there appears to be no clear record of any rabbi explicitly and unequivocally rejecting the ritual in its entirety. Despite the questionable origins of the custom, it does not seem to have ever been banned or prohibited.

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[1] Drazin, I., n.d., The Tashlich Ceremony: Another Bribe to Silence Satan.

[2] Kotzk Blog: 284) THE BAVLI ON ‘TWO POWERS IN HEAVEN’:

Further Reading

Kotzk Blog: 241) FOLKLORE – ALIVE AND WELL IN A MODERN WORLD:

Kotzk Blog: 133) THE MAGIC OF KIDDUSH LEVANA:

Kotzk Blog: 199) ASTROLOGY – IGNORED BY THE YERUSHALMI, EMBRACED BY THE BAVLI:

Kotzk Blog: 171) NETILAT YADAYIM – A MEANS OF EXPELLING EVIL SPIRITS OR A SIMPLE ABLUTION?

Kotzk Blog: 197) BABYLONIAN INFLUENCES ON THE BABYLONIAN TALMUD:

Kotzk Blog: 279) A BABYLONIAN CONTEXT TO THE BABYLONIAN TALMUD:

Kotzk Blog: 199) ASTROLOGY – IGNORED BY THE YERUSHALMI, EMBRACED BY THE BAVLI:

Kotzk Blog: 104) PRAYING TO ANGELS?

Kotzk Blog: 149) REVENGE OF THE TALMUD YERUSHALMI: