Rabbinic Astrology: Shabat 155b-156a

A fairly famous statement appears on Shabat 155b: "Rabbi Hannina says: 'The stars make one wise, the stars make one rich, and the stars influence Israel.' Rabbi Yochanan says, "The stars do not influence Israel.' Rashi explains that both sages thought that the stars influenced Jews' fate, and their argument was whether prayer and charity can change one's fortune.

Following a discussion of the two positions comes a story that supports Rabbi Yochanan's position, that good deeds can change the stars' decree. It may seem a bit pious, but I love the idea that good deeds have a larger significance and am motivated to share it anyway.

Shmuel [a sage] and Avlet [a prominent gentile] were sitting and saw men going to a pond [to gather reeds.] Avlet said to Shmuel, 'This man [one of the reed gatherers] will go but not return. A snake will bite him and he will die' Shmuel said, 'If he is a Jew, he will go and return.' He [the reed gatherer] went and returned. Avlet got up, looked in the reed bundle, and found hidden in it a snake that had been sliced in half [presumably by accident as the reed gatherer was cutting the reeds.] Shmuel asked [the reed gatherer], 'What did you do [to merit this good fortune?]' He [the reed gatherer] said, 'Every day, we share our bread and eat it. Today, one of our group had no bread to share and was ashamed. I said to the group, 'I'll gather the bread today. When I came to that man, I pretended to take bread from him in order to save him from shame.' Shmuel said, 'You did a mitzvah!'

Shmuel then quoted [Proverbs 10:2], 'Charity saves from death,' and not just from strange deaths, but even from death itself.

This is my last post from Ma'asechet Shabat on this trip through the Talmud. We will return to you, Ma'asechet Shabat!