“Mazel tov!” It’s one of the most popular and widely used phrases in the Jewish tradition, but even if you aren’t Jewish, it’s hard to escape mazel tov. Although customarily heard at events such as B’nai Mitzvot or weddings, in recent years it’s even found its way into mainstream radio hits. (Who doesn’t love The Black Eyed Peas singing Fill up my cup! Mazel tov! in “I Gotta Feeling”?). Nevertheless, few people know the origins of the phrase, and while it’s most commonly used to mean “congratulations,” that translation of mazel tov is inaccurate.
Mazal tov pronunciation
In Hebrew, the phrase is pronounced “mazal tov” and the emphasis is on the second part of mazal, creating the pronunciation Mah-ZAWL tov. In Yiddish, the phrase is pronounced “mazel tov,” as in MAH-zuhl tahv.
What does Mazel tov mean?
In Hebrew, tov means “good,” and although mazal is translated as “luck” in modern Hebrew, the phrase is derived from biblical Hebrew, where mazal means “planet” or “constellation.” Hence, when a person exclaims “Mazel tov!” they are technically wishing you a good constellation. Although it may sound awkward, the term’s true meaning reveals that its origin is actually rooted in astrology.
Jewish zodiacs?
Wishing someone “mazel tov” acknowledges that they’re experiencing a significant life event at a fortunate time, when the stars are aligned. The Talmud, an extensive collection of rabbinic law and biblical commentary written between 200 and 500 CE, alludes to the idea that the arrangement of the stars at one’s birth influences the trajectory of one’s life. These arrangements are described in the earliest versions of the Talmud as mazalot. While later medieval Hebrew translated mazalot directly to “zodiacs,” Reimund Leicht, professor of Jewish thought at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, states that in the Talmudic context, the word more technically refers to the “ruling planet” of the hour. Famed 18th-century Italian scholar and kabbalist Rabbi Moshe Hayyim Luzzatto theorized in his book on Jewish spirituality, Derekh Hashem, that God sends divine energy to the mazalot, which pass it on to all of creation. In his interpretation, astrology is the study of the mazalot as energy that has yet to be sent to humankind. The meaning of the word mazal thus roots the term mazel tov in celestial significance.
Is Judaism against astrology?
Astrology’s lack of self-determination puts it in contention with a key tenet of Judaism—that Jews determine their fate through their own actions.
To be clear, the Talmud’s recognition of the stars’ influence doesn’t necessarily mean that Jews should embrace astrology to determine their fates. The reason why not is especially evident in astrology’s frequent comparison to kabbalist practice. Some modern scholars, such as former Trinity College Religious Studies Professor Ronald Kiener, have referenced the similarities between astrology and the kabbalistic view of Judaism, in which all elements of the material realm have a “higher realm” correlate. This connection has been linked to the kabbalistic belief in the seven sefirot. According to kabbalists, the sefirot are divine attributes that all people possess, and Jews should continually strive to achieve a balance amongst them. Just as astrologists can infer a person’s fate from the constellations, kabbalists believe a person’s character can be judged by their sefirot. The key difference, however, is that in the kabbalist view, the individual has agency over their balance of sefirot, while in astrology, a person has no control over the arrangement of the stars.
Astrology’s lack of self-determination puts it in contention with a key tenet of Judaism—that Jews determine their fate through their own actions. This principle underlies the most sacred Jewish holiday, Yom Kippur, which centers on repentance for sins committed throughout the year so that individuals may be declared righteous by God. A big proponent of a Jew’s necessity to chart their future was Maimonides, the influential Middle Ages rabbi and philosopher. In his writings, Maimonides adamantly opposed practicing astrology, associating it with divination, which is prohibited in the Torah.
How true is astrology according to Judaism?
Although using astrology to determine one’s future is frowned upon in Judaism (the Shulchan Aruch, a Jewish code of law written in 1563, even forbids it), the Talmud’s mention of the mazalot indicates that astrology was not outwardly criticized in Talmudic times. According to Jewish author and modern Talmudic scholar Ilana Kurshan, some ancient rabbis concluded that there is truth to astrology. As evidence of their claims, they cited stories from the Torah such as Abraham claiming that the stars foretold he would be childless. Rather than dismiss his astrological reading, God’s response to Abraham, according to the rabbis’ interpretation, was that divine intervention could overrule his zodiac’s prediction.
This story aligns with the teachings of Judah Halevi, a 12th-century Spanish physician and philosopher who wrote extensively about the influence of the constellations in “terrestrial matters.” According to Halevi, astrology is a valid measure of an individual’s fate, but only because the mazalot are created and modified by God. In his prominent philosophical book Kuzari he states, “We cannot deny that the heavenly spheres exercise influence on terrestrial matters. We must admit that the material components of growth and decay are dependent on the spheres, whilst the forms take their origin from Him who arranges and guides them, and makes them the instruments for the preservation of all the things which He wishes should exist.”
This explains the Talmud’s statement “Ain mazal l’yisrael,” or “there is no constellation for the Jewish people.” Although the expression sounds explicitly opposed to astrology, as Halevi attests, it rather recognizes that it’s not the stars themselves that matter in deciding a person’s fate, but rather God’s intervention in their arrangement. The distinguished 11th-century sage and interpreter of Torah, Rashi, was among the first to offer this explanation. He noted that in the story of Abraham, Abraham’s perspective evolved to understand that God can change the mazalot at will, which dispelled his worries about being childless. In his work Jewish and Christian Astrology in Late Antiquity–A New Approach, Kocku Von Stuckrad, professor of religious studies at the University of Groningen, concludes that pre-modern Jewish scholars didn’t so much reject astrology as reconceptualize it according to Jewish theology, as Halevi and Rashi did. According to them, while astrology can be true, Jews shouldn’t turn to the stars for answers but to their relationship with God.
The evolution of mazel tov
How “mazel tov” became detached from its astrological roots remains a mystery. What the term’s origin can tell us, however, is how scholars of Jewish ideology continuously strive to interpret biblical teachings within the context of their contemporary environment. The rabbis in the Talmud spoke at length about astrologists who lived around their communities, exploring whether Jewish participation in such practices was appropriate. It was from these observations they were able to engage in passionate discourse on the topic that spanned the centuries. So the next time you use mazel tov in a toast or a congratulatory card, consider how you’re contributing to its evolution. Who knows if it will mean the same thing in 500 years? Maybe it’s all written in the stars!