May 22, 2006
Kosher Magic
Menachem Kellner (with the help of his daughter, Rivka Kellner) has gone and combined two of my favorite topics: Rambam and Harry Potter. At a recent conference they presented a paper entitled, "The Magic of Science and the Science of Magic: Harry Potter and Maimonides." In the paper, the Kellners discuss whether the magic used at Hogwarts is of a scientific or supernatural nature; the upshoot being that Rambam would acknowledge the possibility of the former, and disapprove of the later.
"Nothing in Harry Potter's world is based on anything that is in principle impossible to know," according to the Kellners. "The magic of that world is not supernatural. It is based on aspects of the natural universe of which we humans are simply unaware. There are no occult properties or forces beyond investigation. In principle, there is an explanation for everything, even if Albus Dumbledore [headmaster of the Hogwarts School] himself doesn't always know what it is."
I agree, to some extent, but to characterize the magic of Hogwarts as purely scientific is incorrect. There is no question that JK Rowling's magic is scientific in nature, and does not dabble in the occult or pagan (and pshaw to anyone who says that it does). It manifests itself as a technology, which can be studied and learned to some extent by any individual. But unlike our science and technology, there is an additional aspect to this magic that is not present in our technology. Modern science allows even the most numbskulled of persons to wield unimaginable power, without regard to any personal virtue. The Magic of Potter, on the other hand, is highly correlated to the individual's level of self-awareness and social conciousness. Although the basics of magic can be learned by just about anyone, just as you or I can surf the web or drive a car, the higher levels of magic require expression in one's soul before they can be accessed.
The perfect example: Harry is unable to cast an "avada k'dabra" curse, because he lacks sufficient hatred. In contrast, our science has enabled us to take another's life from a distance, with a bomb or a missle, without manifesting the requisite hatred in our souls; killing someone in cold blood, on the other hand, does. Rowling's magic is scientific, but not mechanical; it is pshchological.
For more, see this post on Harry Potter Prognostications.
If by chance anyone reading this has access to the Kellner's paper, and could arrange an owl to deliver it to me, I would be much obliged.
[via KesherTalk; hat tip SoccerDad]
My understanding of religion and magic is based on a book by William G. Dever - Did God Have a Wife? He explains that religion is, in a sense, a form of magic in the following manner. Both have a consistent view of how the world works and how divine powers could be appropriated. Through the use of amulets, incantations or proscribed texts of prayers the powers of nature (or the universe or god) can be accessed or controlled. So there really is no difference if you are manipulating a divine being or manipulating the forces of nature (if both can be achieved by use of some hidden remedy).
Posted by: smoo at May 22, 2006 12:23 AMI always like posts on the halachic implications of the Harry Potter movie. I find that the movie when taken literally has interesting implications, the discussions of those implications from the Torah point of view are fascinating. Thank you for this post. -Zoe
Posted by: Zoe Strickman at May 22, 2006 2:57 AMPS - I love the book selection on your home page. It reminds me of my book shelf, and because I think quite highly of my book selection, consequently I also think highly of yours. I'd be interested in seeing the full picture, because you can learn a lot about a person by looking at the selection of books on his book shelf. -Zoe
Posted by: Zoe Strickman at May 22, 2006 3:00 AMZoe's right. You can tell an awful lot about people based on which books are on their bookshelves.
(Nice use of "pshaw," by the way.
Posted by: Moishe Potemkin at May 22, 2006 7:53 AMZoe: thanks! If you enjoy deeper insights into Harry Potter, I invite you to take a look at my other site, Harry Potter Prognostications (http://hpprogs.blogspot.com). I haven't updated in a while, but there is plenty of stuff to go through.
Regarding the bookshelf: I agree; the shot was staged, however. I normally keep my books organized by genre (apart from the Potemkin Library).
Moishe: Now that you mention it, I seem to be missing a Fackenheim and a Berkovits...
Posted by: Greg at May 22, 2006 8:40 AMFunny story - we had friends over this past weekend, and the husband (nice guy, although maybe not the most open-minded person out there) espied the most recent Fackenheim ("What is Judaism?", as opposed to "Paths to Jewish Belief," which seems to have made itself permanently at home, and decided that he (i.e. Emil) must be "some guy who lived through the holohcaust, and decided he knows more than the gedolim do."
I'm telling this poorly. I guess you had to be there.
- Moishe P.
Posted by: Moishe Potemkin at May 22, 2006 9:15 AMShmoo: that sounds very interesting, but I don't personally believe in magic or religion having any of the powers of which you suggest.
Posted by: Greg at May 22, 2006 11:37 AMI don't believe in magic but there is plenty of magic in judaism (see definition of magic in the first comment above) . Red wristbands, hamsas, saying tehilim for a refuah, fasting in series to bring rain, etc.
AMULET of KETEF HINNOM found near Kidron Valley in the heart of Jerusalem has an inscription very similar to priestly blessing. It is the OLDEST SERVIVING SCRAP OF SCRIPTURE (400 yrs older than dead sea scrolls). Amulet is analogue to phylactery – box with slips of inscriptions. NOW SCRIPTURE BECOMES MAGIC. It is used as a good luck charm – APOTROPAIC DEVICE. (from Dever)
Posted by: smoo at May 22, 2006 7:18 PM
