THE EVIL EYE עין הרע HAS NO EFFECT ON YOSEF
(Gemara Bava Basra 118b)
בראשית פרק מט , כב ב ֵּן פ ֹּרָ ת יוֹּסֵּף ב ֵּן פ ֹּרָ ת עֲלֵּי -עָיִן ב ָנוֹּת צָעֲדָה עֲלֵּי-שׁ ו ר :
In Yaacov’s blessing (of the 12 sons) to Yosef, he says "Alei Ayin” (he has grace in the eyes of all that see him).
(R. Avahu): This may be read 'Olei Ayin' (his descendants prevail over an evil eye). Yosef and his descendants are “above” the evil eye, as it has no power over them (Rashbam).
בראשית פרק מח טו תֶא ךֶרָבְיַו- ֹּלֱאָה רַמאֹּ יַו ףֵּסֹּויקִ קָחְצִיְו םָהָרְבַא ויָנָפְל יַתֹּבֲא וכְ לַהְתִה רֶׁשֲא םי הָאֱלֹּ קִ ים הָרֹּעֶה אֹּתִי מֵּעוֹּדִ י עַד - םֹּו יַה הַז ֶה: טז לָ כִמ יִתֹּא לֵּאֹּ גַה ךָאְלַ מַה-תֶא ךֵּרָבְי עָר- יַתֹּבֲא םֵּׁשְו יִמְׁש םֶהָב אֵּרָ קִיְו םיִרָעְ נַה בֶרֶקְ ב בֹּרָל ו גְדִיְו קָחְצִיְו םָהָרְבַאהָאָרֶ ץ :
(R. Yosi Bar Chanina): We can learn from "V'Yidgu la'Rov" - just as fish are covered in water, so no evil eye prevails over them, similarly, the evil eye does not prevail over Yosef's seed. The simple meaning of this exposition is that just as fish are unaffected by the evil eye because they can not be seen, so too are the progeny of Yosef immune to the evil eye. (For a deeper explanation of this exposition, see Toras Chaim)
EXPLANATION OF AYIN HARA BY ARTSCROLL
Human thoughts can trigger a variety of natural phenomena that can cascade and eventually lead to the destruction of physical bodies. When something successful engenders the amazement of people, its future is endangered (Chazon Ish).
The ethical bases of the ayin hara can be explained as follows. The blessings bestowed by G-d upon an individual should not serve as a source of anguish to others. If one allows his blessings (e.g., wealth, children, etc.) to cause pain to others less fortunate – and certainly if one flaunts his blessings – one arouses a divine judgment against himself and a reevaluation of his fitness for those blessings. This can lead make him subject to the destructive forces of ayin hara. For a lengthy treatment of the subject see Maharal (Nesivos Olam, Nsiv Ayin Tov) and Michtav MeEliyahu vol. 4 pp 4-6.
Issues of עין הרע
One must ward against the evil eye דאיבעי ליה לאיניש לאיזדהורי מעינא בישא
The Gemara in Bava Metzia (107b) tells us that Rav entered into a cemetery and was able to determine that out of every one hundred people, ninety-nine had died due to “the evil eye”, while only one had died due to natural causes. This suggests that the evil eye is a terribly destructive force, one which has the ability to cause even death. Maharal (Chidushei Agados) explains that the power of the evil eye is due to its constitution being that of fire, which is one of the basic four elements of the world. It therefore has the ability to destroy by burn and consume, and it does so via the eye, and this is the reason its destructive power is so potent.
Tosafos (ibid.) notes that the tribe of Yosef is not affected by the evil eye, so it might seem that members of the tribe of Yosef would live much longer lives than members of other tribes. While they do not die due to the effect of the evil eye, when it comes time for any one of them to die, Hashem sends some other type of illness their way, and they succumb to it.
חיד"א explains that the evil eye does not have the power to cause death. It can, however, cause financial loss or ruin, and it can cause physical suffering and pain. When a person is approaching death and is generally weak, God sends the evil eye against him, and he succumbs due to the compounded factors of his illness and his inability to overcome the evil eye. This accounts for Rav’s observation in the cemetery that 99% of people died due to the evil eye.
In several places (Bava Basra 2b, Bava Metzia 30a, 107a, et al.) the Gemara notes that a person has the ability to harm the property of others with a jealous look of the evil eye. A person should therefore be careful not to cause others to notice his successes, and to thereby look upon his gains with a damaging glare.
The Gemara notes that fish are beyond the range of the evil eye. This might superficially seem to mean that the surface of the water conceals the movements of the fish, so they are beyond the vision of man. Toras Chaim explains that this is not accurate, because when clear water is calm, the movements of fish are noticeable from above. The comparison to the descendents of the tribe of Yosef would also not be parallel, because the movements of the descendents of Yosef are noticeable, as they move along the surface of the earth. In what way are they compared to fish, and thereby beyond the reach of the evil eye?
Toras Chaim therefore explains that the evil eye is a spark of negative influence which emanates from the eye, and it enters into the item being stared at and clings to it. If there is something to block this damage, it will not reach its victim and not cling to it. The surface of the water blocks the evil eye from reaching fish. The tribe of Yosef has similarly learned to stay out of direct sight of others. From www.dafdigest.org
“אמר להו לכו והחבאו עצמכם ביערים שלא תשלוט בכם עין הרע”
He said to them, “Go and hide yourselves in the forest so that you won’t be under the control of עין הרע”
The Gemara in Bava Basra (118a) records Yehoshua’s advice to the descendants of Yosef that they should hide in a forest in order to remain unaffected by the potentially harmful effects of עין הרע– the evil eye.
Chazon Ish offers the following explanation for how עין הרע works. Hashem created the world in a way that a person’s thoughts have the ability to trigger a process which could eventually result in damage to the person or objects that were the focus of another’s thoughts. Thus, for example, when people express astonishment about something or someone that is successful that thing or person is in a danger.
Nevertheless, everything is in the hands of Heaven and if a decree from Heaven was not issued that something should be destroyed it will be saved. It is just that Satan has the power to prosecute when someone or something is at risk and an עין הרע can put something into risk. Rav Moshe Feinstein writes that one should certainly be cautious with matters related to עין הרע but not overly cautious because regarding these types of matters we follow the rule that those who are not so cautious will not be dealt with strictly on these matters (מאן דלא קפיד לא קפדינן בהדיה ).
One example of a halachic expression of this concern is found in the halachos related to krias hatorah. Shulchan Aruch writes that technically it is permitted to call up two brothers for consecutive aliyahs and even a father and son may receive consecutive aliyahs and the only reason people refrain is out of concern with עין הרע. Rema adds that there is concern for עין הרע even if one gets the seventh aliyah and the other gets maftir.
Mishnah Berurah emphasizes that even if individuals were to come and claim that they are not concerned with matters of עין הרע we do not allow them to get consecutive aliyahs. Concerning hagbahah and glilah the author of Shearim M’tzuyanim B’halacha writes that when hagbahah and galilah are not called up by name it is permitted but when they are called by name it is prohibited. From www.dafdigest.org
