For Exorcism
Unknown
17th Century
To exorcise any spirit or any demon from a person [is] a kabbalistic power [ma‘aseh merkavah] with which King Solomon, peace be upon him, ruled all the demons. Fast for three consecutive days—Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday—and immerse twice daily, in the morning and evening. And on Wednesday which is ruled by Mercury, in the fifth hour which is ruled by the sun, while the moon is waxing, write on a kosher parchment with great intention [kavanah] while wrapped in a tallit and [wearing] tefillin: A Psalm of David. Ascribe unto the Lord, O you sons of might (Psalm 29)—the whole [Psalm] four times. The first time write these names: [Here there is a lengthy series of God’s Names]. After the second time, write the first [names] with the following: [A series of permutations on this list]. After the third time, write the first [names] and second [names] with the following: [A further list of mystical permutations of God’s Names]. After the fourth time, write the first [names], the second [names], and the third [names] with the following, so you will not be as a heretic [kotsets ba-neti‘ot]: [Another permutation of God’s Names, ending with] “Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom forever and ever.” And he should write And Let the Beauty (Psalms 90:17) [verse] seven times, and after the first time he should write “The Lord said unto Satan” in its entirety [with different permutations of God’s Names for each verse].
“And the Lord said unto Satan” with [a final permutation of] the name [before and after]. “They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.”
And he should write the priestly blessing seven times in the name of Ankatam, Pastam, Pasfasim, Diyonasim, Shema‘ Yisrael, Khozo, Bemokhsaz, Khozo, [ending with] “Blessed be the name of His glorious kingdom forever and ever.” And all these noted [names] should be written in Assyrian script with vocalization. And he should write:
May it be your will, Lord God and God of my fathers, for the sake of your thirteen attributes [quoting Exodus 34:6–7], for the sake of the great, pure, and awesome names written in this amulet, that you move from the Throne of Judgment, and sit on the Throne of Mercy, and save anyone bearing this amulet from spirits, demons, night spirits [leilin], evil demons [mezikin], and all of those who were born on the eve of the Sabbath, that they would not harm even a strand of his hair [ . . . ] and they will never get close to any place where this amulet is found. And save him from unnatural death, sudden death, calamity, bad times, the evil eye, slander, harsh and bad decrees, poverty and penury, a bad woman and bad people, the sword, famine, captivity, despoliation, sudden death, all trouble and distress, harm and destroyer, and from any harm and any manner of retribution, as it is written in your holy words: “I will set him on high, because he has known My name.” Yod Hey Vav Hey, “He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will rescue him and bring him to honor. With long life will I satisfy him and make him behold My salvation.” And it was said, “The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the righteous runs to it and is set up on high.” And grant him grace, kindness, and mercy in Your eyes and in the eyes of all who see and hear him. And you, the holy angels, Michael, Gabriel, Nuriel, Raphael—I adjure you, I, So-and-So, by the name Eheye Asher Eyehe Y-H-V-H Akatriel Y-H-V-H, God of Israel, and by all the names in this amulet, that you save the carrier of this amulet, as mentioned above, from “spirits and night spirits” until “in the eyes of all who see and hear him,” etc.
And he should write, again, all the names from the beginning until “and by the name of Metatron, Officer of the Countenance, you, the holy angels, Michael,” etc. “I adjure you and I decree upon you to save the carrier of this amulet,” as mentioned above, until “all who see and hear him,” etc. And:
You, the demons, will not enter the place where this amulet will be. And you know that any among you who hear the name of the living God spoken by the one who adjured you and fail to fulfill his desire—he [the demon] will die instantly. And now I already mentioned the name of God upon you, and I adjured, decreed, bound, sealed, and compelled you by His great names and by His holy servants to run away from anyone who carries this amulet when he wears it, and you will not delay in this place for even one moment, and you will never get close to him, and you will never harm even a strand of hair, Amen, enduring [victory], selah, forever.
And he should consecrate the amulet, and before hanging the amulet on the patient, he should circle him once and say all of “And Let the Beauty,” the entire “And the Lord said unto Satan,” and “I adjure you, So-and-So, decree and compel you, spirits, demons, night spirits, and harmful beings, in the name of Hey, etc., and by the living God, etc., and by all the names that are written in this amulet, which is in my right hand, and in the name of Metatron, Officer of the Countenance,” until “Amen, enduring [victory], selah, forever,” etc. And this should be recited in each encirclement until the seventh. And after the seventh encirclement he should hang the amulet on the patient, and he will be cured with the help of the Blessed Lord. And if it does not help know that he must die, and his iniquities are gone over his head, and he must be annihilated. And his cure is to repent, examine his evil actions and doings, and give charity. And after that he should hang the amulet, and he will be cured. For it is written: Return and be healed (Isaiah 6:10).
Credits
Published in: The Posen Library of Jewish Culture and Civilization, vol. 5.
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