Q: Is it permitted to predict the future using various divination tools – by asking a child for a verse, or by opening the Bible randomly – to decide how to act in the future?
A: To answer this, we must first explain the prohibition of menahesh (divination).
The Prohibition of Divination
It is written (Deuteronomy 18:10-13): “There shall not be found among you… a necromancer, a soothsayer, a diviner, or a sorcerer… for anyone who does these things is an abomination to the Lord… You shall be wholehearted with the Lord your God.” The term “diviner” in Hebrew comes from the root meaning ‘to hasten’ (Ramban). Naturally, a person does not know what will happen in the future until it happens, whereas the diviner wants to hasten, and know the future based on events that happen to him now, without any logical or causal connection between what has happened, and what he predicts will happen.
As our Sages said (Sanhedrin 65b), a diviner is one who says, “If my bread falls from my mouth,” and then takes precautions based on that, worrying that something bad will happen that day. “If his staff falls from his hand, if his son calls him from behind, if a raven caws, if a deer crosses his path, if a snake is on his right, or a fox on his left” — these are all considered bad omens. If he had planned to go on a journey, or do business, he should avoid doing so. Similarly, there are other signs, such as seeing a black cat, which some people consider a bad omen, even though there is no rational basis for such beliefs. In summary, anyone who refrains from doing something he planned, due to these superstitions, transgresses the prohibition of divination.
Also, “those who divine through rats, birds, fish, or stars” violate the prohibition of divination (Sanhedrin 66a). That is, there was a superstition that if a person saw certain things in birds, fish, or stars, it would be a sign for him, either to proceed with something, or to avoid it.
Wholeheartedness with God
One who transgresses the prohibition of divination, as well as other prohibitions related to magic and sorcery, for the purpose of knowing the future, also negates the commandment to act with wholeheartedness before God, as it is written: “You shall be wholehearted with the Lord your God” (Deuteronomy 18:13). This means that it is a commandment to act with simplicity before God, trusting that everything is for the good.
Even though a person may long to know the future, he is commanded to restrain himself, and wait until things happen naturally. If a hardship comes upon him, he should not try to escape it through unnatural means, but should face it according to God’s guidance in the Torah, and the natural laws He established. Through this, he will purify and elevate himself, and progress genuinely. This also includes praying to God, as prayer is one of the means God gave man to draw closer to Him and to correct himself, and through this, God will bless him. Even to advance good goals,
it is forbidden to use divination or sorcery, because Israel must add goodness and blessing to the world through the way of the Torah, which, though it may be long, brings about deep and foundational correction, gradually leading to the perfection of man, and the world.
Nonetheless, with true prophets, it is permissible to inquire about the future, because all their words are true, and meant to guide us on the path of the Torah.
Asking a Child for a Verse
It is permissible to ask a child for a verse, as is mentioned in the Talmud (Chulin 98b). Our Sages would sometimes, when uncertain whether to go on a journey, or do something, ask a child studying Scripture: “Give me your verse” — meaning, “Tell me the verse you studied today,” and based on the verse, they would resolve their uncertainty.
It is also told of Rabbi Yochanan, one of the greatest Sages of his time, who, uncertain whether to go to Babylonia to meet Rabbi Shmuel, asked a child, “What is the verse you have learned?” The child replied: “And Samuel died, and all Israel mourned for him…” (1 Samuel 28:3). From this, Rabbi Yochanan concluded that Samuel had passed away, and he did not go to Babylonia. However, the Gemara concludes that in fact, Samuel was still alive, but in order to prevent Rabbi Yochanan from making the trip, Heaven arranged for the child to recite that particular verse (Chulin 98b).
Similarly, it is told (Gittin 68a) that Rav Sheshet, who was blind, feared that the servants of the Exilarch (Reish Galuta), would try to kill him. He asked a child for a verse, and the child replied: “Turn to the right or to the left” (2 Samuel 2:21). Based on this, Rav Sheshet turned toward the wall, and avoided falling into the pit they had prepared to kill him.
Some Halahic Authorities Say Not to Rely on the Verse
According to Rambam (Maimonides), it is forbidden to act based on the verse a child says, except to rejoice if the verse is a good one, and to be strengthened by it, as a good sign concerning something already done (Mishneh Torah, Avodah Zarah 11:5). This is also the opinion of the Tur (Yoreh De’ah 118:4), and the Sefer HaBatim (33).
According to their view, it should be explained that Rabbi Yochanan was already hesitant to go to Babylonia because of his advanced age, and in his heart, he had decided not to go, and the verse from the child merely reinforced his decision.
Similarly, regarding Rav Sheshet, it was his understanding of the situation that led him to be cautious, suspecting the Exilarch’s servants wanted to harm him, and the verse simply served to strengthen his resolve (Kesef Mishneh, there).
Most Authorities Permit Acting Based on the Verse
However, according to most authorities, it is permitted to act based on the verse that the child says, as long as the guidance derived from it does not contradict the Torah’s teachings, or logic. This is the opinion of the Sefer HaMitzvot Gadol (Negative Commandments 51), the Ran (Chulin 98b), the Meiri (Sanhedrin 68a), and many others. They explain that there is no prohibition of divination here, because divination involves relying on signs that lack rationality, while asking a child for a verse is akin to receiving a small prophecy.
As our Sages said (Bava Batra 12b): “Since the destruction of the Temple, prophecy was taken from the prophets and given to fools and children.” This is the view of most later authorities (Levush 118:4; Prisha 11; Turei Zahav 3; Shakh 5; Kitzur Shulchan Aruch 165:2).
It should be noted, however, that throughout the generations, most rabbis did not rely on asking for a verse, but rather, made decisions based on their understanding of the Torah, and their own reasoning.
Opening a Book
Just as our Sages sometimes resolved doubts by asking for a verse, sometimes they did so by randomly opening a Torah scroll and looking at the verse that appeared at the top of the page. It is also told in the Talmud (Chulin 98b), that the Amora Shmuel would occasionally open a book at random, to see which verse appeared to him.
However, as mentioned, according to Maimonides (Mishneh Torah, Avodah Zarah 11:5), it is forbidden to act based on this, except to rejoice if a good verse appears, and be strengthened by it, as a good omen for something already done. However, according to most authorities, it is permissible to act based on the verse that appears, as long as the guidance derived from it does not contradict Torah, or logic.
The Gra’s Lottery
In recent generations, some rabbis used a sophisticated method of opening a book, known as “the Gra’s Lottery ” (goral HaGra). According to this method, a Torah scroll or Bible is opened at random, and seven pages are counted from the opening. The eighth page is then examined, and guidance is sought from the eighth line of the eighth column.
However, it seems that there is no source for this method from the Gaon of Vilna, since for many generations, there is no record of his students using this form of chance. The rumor that this was a method of the Gaon of Vilna only began to spread over 100 years after his passing. Additionally, the term “lottery” seems to be a mistake, as it is ruled in the Shulchan Aruch (Yoreh De’ah 118:1) that it is forbidden to use lots, and this method is indeed not considered a “lottery,” but a sophisticated version of “opening a book.”
In practice, during the difficult times of World War I and II, some rabbis from Lithuania used this method to decide whether to flee or stay, among other things, including the Chafetz Chaim, Rabbi Eliyahu Lopian, and Rabbi Eliyahu Dessler. They would pray before opening the book, asking God to guide them through it. On the other hand, some rabbis, such as the Chazon Ish and his brother-in-law, Rabbi Yaakov Yisrael Kanievsky, opposed this practice, and Rabbi Kanievsky even rebuked those who used it, saying, “I know people who have made their lives miserable through the answers they received from this method” (‘Orchot Rabbeinu’ Vol. 1, pg. 218).
Is It Appropriate to Use These Methods?
In practice, it is preferable not to use the method of opening a book to make decisions, including the method called “the Gra’s lottery.” First, because it is not a reliable method for decision-making, and historically, most rabbis did not use “opening a book” or “asking for a verse,” but rather made decisions based on the Torah’s guidance as understood through their intellect. Second, some authorities hold that it is forbidden to make decisions based on opening a book (Maimonides and the Tur), even though most authorities are lenient in this regard. Ideally, one should be stringent.
Only in special circumstances, when both options are equally reasonable and there is no way to decide, can those interested use these methods, as was the practice of the Chafetz Chaim.
Rabbi Aryeh Levin ztz”l
In cases where the decision is not about the future, but is intended to prevent great sorrow, there is room to use the method called “the Gra’s lot.” This was done by Rabbi Aryeh Levin ztz”l, when, after a year, the bodies of the 35 holy soldiers from the convoy that went to rescue Gush Etzion during the War of Independence were brought, and there was no way to identify the fallen. Rabbi Frank, the Rabbi of Jerusalem, turned to Rabbi Aryeh Levin ztz”l, to perform a lottery to determine the identities of the fallen soldiers, and place a tombstone on their graves (seeIsh Tzaddik Hayah, pp. 113-117).
This article appears in the ‘Besheva’ newspaper and was translated from Hebrew.