Our Gemara on amud aleph describes what appears to be some kind of good luck charm or talisman, that was used by typical Jewish Babylonian Householders. It was called a Arsa DeGaddah, which translates as a “good luck bed“. Rashi he describes it as a bad that was not used but somehow symbolically conferred good mazal. You can imagine, in some households where there was great poverty and disarray, it could be one area that you could keep perfectly neat and clean, perhaps even elegant. It’s an understandable human archetypal behavior. It’s for the same reason that some people enjoy making miniatures and dioramas as a hobby. They aren’t able to have a 16 bedroom Victorian mansion, but in miniature they can create that and summon that feeling.

We do have a potential problem why is it not considered a kind of magic or idolatry? it is discussed in Shulkhan Arukh (YD 178:3) as a potentially problematic practice, especially if one puts bread or food on a table specifically to summon blessing as this was once a kind of sacrifice for a deity known as “Gad”. However, it is also discussed that leaving lechem Mishne on the table brings blessings and that honors the Sabbath. We have discussed elsewhere in psychology of the Daf  (Rosh Hashana 29) The many ways in which symbolic activities can channel blessings. 

Yad Ramah (Sanhedrin 20a) makes this distinction explicitly. If it is done for a Siman that is somehow a good sign, it is not idolatrous. However, if it is done as some kind of sacrifice or service to a god that is forbidden.

Shita Mekubetzes (Nedarim 56a) provides a different formulation. It is idolatrous hen it is a sacrifice to a deity. However, sometimes, there is an activity that directs the angel or minister that is in charge of that particular physical process. He says, this is no different than the share of Elijah that we use at the Bris. In other words, we are allowed in some way to channel or activate angels that bring blessings.

It is an old controversy about certain prayers that seem to be directed toward angels instead of God, and the question of its permissibility. There are three prayers within liturgy that seem to be addressing themselves to angels as opposed to God Himself. 

The three prayers are:

Sholom Aleichem, which is sung every Friday night at home before Kiddush.  This piyut is of unknown authorship. However, it is clearly based on the aggadah from Gemara Shabbos (119b):

 “It was taught, R. Jose son of R. Judah said: Two ministering angels accompany man on the eve of the Sabbath from the synagogue to his home, one a good [angel], and one an evil [one]. And when he arrives home and finds the lamp burning, the table laid and the couch [bed] covered with a spread, the good angel exclaims, ‘May it be even thus on another Sabbath [too], and the evil angel unwillingly responds ‘amen’. But if not, the evil angel exclaims, ‘May it be even thus on another Sabbath [too,’ and the good angel unwillingly responds, ‘amen’.

This prayer, written in Hebrew, seems to be imploring the angels of the above aggadah to bless the home.

Machnise Rachamim, a prayer recited at the conclusion of Selichos imploring the angels to bring the supplications to G-d. This prayer is already found in Siddur of Saadia Gaon.

Hiskabdu Mekubadim, which is based on Talmud Berachos (60b):

“‎One who enters a bathroom says to the angels who accompany him at all times:  Be honored, honorable holy ones, servants of the One on High, give honor to the G-d of Israel, leave me until I enter and do my will and come back to you. Abaye said: A person should not say this, lest they abandon him and go. Rather he should say: Guard me, guard me, help me, help me, support me, support me, wait for me, wait for me until I enter and come out, as this is the way of man.”

The fundamental problem with all three of these prayers is that these petitions are directed toward angels, not G-d. Generally, it is accepted that Judaism prohibits prayer to any other force or power, even when recognizing that G-d is superior to all of them. Therefore, supplication of any kind to a recognized spiritual power or entity is potentially idolatry. While one can argue that it is in the poetic spirit of the prayer, to speak indirectly to G-d, or to act humbly as if one is beseeching a minister of the king, it is anathema to the letter of the law.

Maharal (Nesiv Avodah 12), states that Machnise Rachamim “is not a fit prayer”. He also comments on the custom of praying by the graves of zaddikim as a allowing the soul of the zaddik to join us in praying along with us, but not that we would beseech the zaddik to pray for us. He points out that one human can request of another human to pray for him, but may not request the same of a spiritual entity. To justify the custom of reciting the Machnise Rachamim prayer, Maharal suggests that it is not a prayer at all, but rather a command to the angels to bring the human prayers before G-d. Based on this he recommends a slight grammatical change in the text from hachnisu (“bring” in the Hebrew form as a request to bring), to yachnisu (“bring” in the Hebrew form as a directive, more accurately translated as “you will bring”.)

Translations Courtesy of Sefaria, except when, sometimes, I disagree with the translation

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