While the average citizen would probably be petrified if a demon suddenly materialized on the front porch, Rabbi Aaron Hecht would not. And though the public perception of demons calls forth images of foul, sulfurous-smelling beasts, possessed souls and spinning heads, Hecht insists demons really aren’t that bad. They’re just under-appreciated.
“A demon is actually an angel; you just have to go back to the definition of angel. In Hebrew, the word malach means ‘messenger.’ A demon is just the lowest level of angel,” said Hecht, director of the Richmond Torah Center of Chabad.
These heavenly messengers are sent to earth for tasks requiring God’s personal touch, said the rabbi, who will teach a four-part series, “Is There Room for the Supernatural in Judaism?” at the Jewish Community Center of San Francisco starting Wednesday.
After all, said Hecht, “If you wanted someone to propose marriage to you, would you rather get a Hallmark card that says, ‘I love you, marry me,’ or a handwritten poem…in person?
“There’s a talmudic story in which some sages of old must present themselves in front of a ruler, but it’s impossible to get there in time. A demon — it says clearly, not an angel — is sent to transport them a great distance. And once they got there, they had to go through some boiling water as a test. And the demon went into the water to cool it off for them. But the popular conception is that angels are the good guys and demons are not.”
While few see demons or imps anymore, Hecht believes occult practices are on the rise, and thinks many of these traditions are antithetical to Judaism.
A quick Internet search reveals thousands of covens and sites devoted to pagan practices or witchcraft, said Hecht.
“As we become more sophisticated in terms of learning how to be healthy, protecting ourselves and explaining everything, more people seem to be going back to old beliefs. And there are good and bad beliefs.”
Many people “try to take shortcuts,” he said, referring to the use of magical rituals. “Why do I need to get God’s blessing? Why not somehow punch in the right button, do the following practice and get what I need?…Why work hard to become successful when there’s an incantation to make you invincible or put someone else down?”
Not that every superstition is illogical. Hecht points out that it sense to avoid walking beneath a ladder — a bucket of paint or clumsy person might fall on your head! But other superstitions make little sense to either a rational secular person or one knowledgeable in the Jewish tradition.
“If you don’t go any farther when a black cat crosses your path, that doesn’t have any logic,” he said.
And when it comes to Friday the 13th, Friday begins Shabbat and 13 “is considered one of the nicer numbers.”
While much of Hecht’s course will focus on angels, demons and the occult, he stresses that the most important thing is to recognize the value of one’s fellow human beings.
“Even if you can be saved or helped by an angel, the highest compliment of God is to send you a person,” he said.
Rabbi Aaron Hecht’s class meets 7:30 p.m. Wednesdays, Nov. 7 to Dec. 5 at the JCC of S.F., 1808 Wedemeyer St. in the Presidio. Information: Yossi Offenberg, (415) 292-1237.