Judaism & Mediumship: A Complimentary Relationship
Monday, October 5, 2015
Judaism &
Mediumship: A Complimentary Relationship
"Without a
doubt, visiting spirit mediums is becoming amazingly popular,” author Cathy
Cash Spellman told the New York Times last October (La Ferla
2000).
The subject of mediumship has long been popular in many
segments of society. There are presently televised shows featuring famous
mediums and their work with individuals and groups, there have been reality
based shows which featured mediums in competition and there has been a famous
long running sitcom portraying a fictional story line based upon an actual
medium. With all of this mediumship going on it is not unusual for Jews to ask
themselves what Judaism has to say about this subject. Typically the response
of most Rabbi’s is to enforce the idea that Judaism is about this life and not
the next life and spiritual contemplation regarding an afterlife and whether we
can engage that other life are intrinsically opposed to the values and ethics
of Judaism. In a debate on Larry King Live, Rabbi Shmuely Boteach summarized
the mainstream Jewish position concerning psychic ability and mediumship:
“I believe that religion is supposed to get us to be
focused on this world, mastering relationships, being better parents, better
husbands, more ethical in business, not telling us what happens in the
afterlife. In fact, I even think that's quite dangerous. I don't want to be
pulled to the heavens. You know, we're supposed to be focused here on Earth.
But I just issue this simple challenge to the psychics, just tell us anything
that can help preserve life on this planet sometime in this program” (Are
Psychics for Real? Aired March 6, 2001).
