The Concept of >Ruach Ra'ah< in Contemporary Rabbinic Responsa (1945-2000): Possible Relations between Knowledge of the Physical World and Traditional Knowledge in Rabbinic Judaism

The concept of ‘Ruakh Ra‘ah’ (Evil Spirit), is extremely rare in the Tanach, but is found much more frequently in post-Biblical rabbinic literature and even more in publications by rabbis of the last two centuries. This study focuses on the quite neglected period of responsa literature after the Second World War until the present. This literature consist fo answers given to questions about religious rules. The notion of the 'evil spirit' is strongly connected to the ritual of washing hands ...