If according to the Torah we are not allowed to believe in superstitions are we allowed to believe in ein hara and kaballah?
Answer:
In general you are right in that the Torah warns us to avoid superstitions and irrational behavior. This is the Rambam’s interpretation of the Torah instruction “tamim tihiyeh im Hashem Elokecha” (see Idolatry 11:16; see also Moreh Nevuchim III:37), and certain practices will fall under the category of Darkei Ha-Emori (Radak, Yeshayahu 40:21).
Yet, this does not mean that every metaphysical concept is out of bounds. The Talmud includes many references to metaphysical concepts, and ayin hara, the power of the Evil Eye, is one of them. According to the Talmudic understanding, human sight is also a power, and when a person looks at something or somebody with an “Evil Eye” he affects it for the bad. There are even halachot (legal material) that are based on this concept.
Kaballah also has a foundation in the Talmud. Although it seems that the Rambam would not have approved of the study of Kaballah (and some Yemenite communities continue to oppose it), his “rational” leaning was not accepted by most Torah leaders, who categorize Kaballah not as superstition but as a means of gaining a deeper insight into Judaism and into faith in Hashem.
There is much to expound on your question, but unfortunately I cannot do so in this forum.
Best wishes.
How does one determine Kaballah as deeper insight into the Torah or some, way out there, concept that ends up not even being connected to the real meaning of the Torah? Is there then, a good side of Kaballah, being used for good, and a bad side, which is promoted out there from different groups who are supposedly teaching Kaballah from a different perspective? Many people will be led astray by this, I think.
Many good things can be used for the bad. This is especially true of mysticism. The most important thing is that the person teaching Kaballah should be God-fearing, and that he himself is a student of God-fearing mentors who handed the Kaballah to him from teachings of previous generations. The presence of “Kaballah centers” and the like (pop-Kaballah) should not detract from the true depth and true importance of Kaballah study.
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