ila says, "He shall be eminently holy." Rabbi
Chanina says, "The influence of the stars makes wise, the influence of the
stars makes rich, and Israel is under the influence of the stars." Rabbi
Jochanan says, "Israel is not under the influence of the stars. Whence is
it proved? 'Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be
not dismayed at the signs of heaven, for the heathen are dismayed at them'
(Jer. x. 2). The heathen, but not Israel." "An eclipse of the sun is an
evil sign to the nations of the world; an eclipse of the moon is an evil
sign to Israel, for Israel reckons by the moon, the nations of the world
by the sun." It is also said that Saturn and Mars are the baleful stars,
and whosoever begins a work, or walks in the way, when either of these two
is in the ascendant, will come to sorrow. Astrology naturally leads to
amulets and charms. Amulets are divided into two classes, approved and
disapproved. An approved amulet is "one that has cured three persons, or
has been made by a man who has cured three persons with other amulets."

Charms are abundantly provided against accidents. "For bleeding of the
nose let a man be brought to a priest named Levi, and let the name Levi be
written backward. If there be not a priest, get a layman, who is to write
backward 'Ana pipi Shila bar Sumki,' or 'Taam dli bemi ceseph, taam dli
bemi pagam'; or let him take a root of grass, and the cord of an old bed,
and paper, and saffron, and the red part of the inside of a palm tree, and
let him burn them together, and let him take some wool, and twist two
threads, and dip them in vinegar, and roll them in ashes, and put them
into his nose; or let him look out for a stream of water which flows from
east to west, and let him go and stand with one leg on each side of it,
and let him take with his right hand some mud from under his left foot,
and with his left hand from under his right foot, and let him twist two
threads of wool, and dip them in the mud, and put them into his nose." If
a man be bitten by a mad dog he must die, unless some remedy be found for
him. "Abai says he must take the skin of a male adder, and write upon it,
'I, M, the son of the woman N, upon the skin of a male adder, write
against thee, Kanti Kanti Klirus, but some say, Kandi Kandi Klurus, Lord
of Hosts. Amen. Selah.' Let him also cast off his clothes, and bury them
in a graveyard for twelve months of a year; then let him take them up, and
burn them i