Not to consult the Yidoni
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This Mitzvah's Summary
It is forbidden to consult a Yidoni, a medium who claims to channel voices through bone rituals.
The prohibition of Yidoni forbids consulting a medium who claims to reveal knowledge through rituals involving a bird’s bone placed in the mouth, from which a voice seems to speak. The Talmud (Sanhedrin 65b) explains that Yidoni differs from Ov: while Ov produces hollow voices from under the arm or mouth, Yidoni uses a ritual with bones to channel speech. Rambam (Hilchot Avodat Kochavim 11:17) codifies that both Ov and Yidoni are prohibited forms of necromancy, fraudulently imitating prophecy. Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 514) explains that both Ov and Yidoni represent superstition, falsehood, and deception, drawing Jews away from Torah and Hashem. Rashi clarifies that Yidoni was believed to provide supernatural answers, but in truth it was a deception rooted in idolatry. Ramban emphasizes that these prohibitions guard Israel’s emunah and elevate them above pagan cults.
Commentary & Classical Explanation:
- Rambam (Sefer HaMitzvot, Lo Ta’aseh 36; Hilchot Avodat Kochavim 11:17): Defines Yidoni as consulting spirits through a bone ritual, equivalent in severity to Ov.
- Talmud (Sanhedrin 65b): Differentiates Ov (voice from underarm or mouth) and Yidoni (voice through a bird’s bone placed in the mouth).
- Rashi (Deut. 18:11; Sanhedrin 65b): Explains Yidoni as placing a bone in the mouth to channel deceptive voices.
- Ramban (Deut. 18:9–11): Notes that both Ov and Yidoni were central in pagan cults; Torah uproots them to preserve Israel’s prophetic destiny.
- Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 514): Teaches that Yidoni is falsehood, designed to mislead, and Torah prohibits it to strengthen Israel’s reliance on Hashem.
- Midrash Tanchuma (Shoftim 8): Contrasts Israel with nations that rely on mediums; Israel seeks Hashem’s word directly.
Contrast with Ov (Mitzvah 65):
- Ov uses hidden or hollow voices to deceive, Yidoni uses bone-based rituals to mimic spiritual communication.
- Rambam (Avodat Kochavim 11:16–17): Both are equally prohibited but involve different techniques of fraud.
Parallel to Prophecy (Mitzvah 9):
- Ramban emphasizes prophecy replaces Ov and Yidoni. While nations sought false mediums, Israel received prophets from Hashem.
- Talmud (Sanhedrin 90a) underscores that true guidance comes through Torah and prophecy, not from counterfeit voices.
Commentaries
Applying this Mitzvah Today
Psychics with Ritual Objects
- Rambam (Avodat Kochavim 11:17) equates Yidoni with ritual deception. Today, mediums who use crystals, bones, or objects in rituals to “channel voices” are modern parallels.
“Spirit Devices” and Channeling Tools
- Talmud (Sanhedrin 65b) describes Yidoni’s bone ritual. Modern equivalents include electronic “spirit boxes” or ritual devices used in séances.
Performance Mediums
- Rashi notes Yidoni creates deceptive “voices.” In modern entertainment, stage mediums using props to simulate spirit voices mirror this.
New Age Practices with Ritual Props
- Sefer HaChinuch (514) explains these practices are falsehood. Today, New Age rituals that claim spirits speak through objects (bones, stones, pendulums) continue this forbidden behavior.
Digital “Spirit Simulators”
- Apps or programs that simulate “spirit voices” with props may not be literal Yidoni, but they echo its structure — replacing Torah’s truth with illusions of communication.
Healthy Alternatives
- Ramban (Deut. 18:15) insists prophecy replaces Ov and Yidoni. Today, prayer, Torah learning, and seeking Torah scholars provide true spiritual guidance. Judaism channels memory and meaning into mitzvot, not illusions.
Notes on this Mitzvah's Fundamentals
Idolatry – עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה
- Ramban (Deut. 18:11) explains Yidoni as part of the idolatrous cults of the nations. Rambam treats it as a branch of avodah zarah, since it misdirects Israel’s devotion to pagan-style rituals instead of Hashem.
Speech – דָּבָר
- Talmud (Sanhedrin 65b) describes Yidoni as producing voices through a bone. Rashi adds that the medium’s speech is altered to create an illusion. This mitzvah disciplines Jewish speech to be truthful and sanctified, rejecting manipulation.
Thought – מַחֲשָׁבָה
- Sefer HaChinuch (514) warns that Yidoni corrupts thought by filling the mind with false beliefs. Rambam calls it divrei sheker, empty illusions. The mitzvah guards Jewish thought from superstition.
Faith – אֱמוּנָה
- Rambam (Avodat Kochavim 11:17) labels Yidoni a deception that undermines faith in Hashem. Sefer HaChinuch stresses that emunah is preserved by rejecting such false practices.
Prophecy – נְבוּאָה
- Ramban (Deut. 18:15) insists prophecy is Hashem’s gift to Israel instead of Ov and Yidoni. This mitzvah keeps Israel’s spiritual focus on prophets and Torah, not fraudulent mediums.
Reverence – יִרְאַת שָׁמַיִם
- Midrash Tanchuma (Shoftim 8) contrasts Israel’s reverence for Hashem with nations’ reliance on mediums. Avoiding Yidoni is an act of yirat shamayim, showing awe for Heaven rather than false voices.
Holiness – קְדֻשָּׁה
- Rambam emphasizes that Israel’s kedushah comes from rejecting pagan-style practices like Yidoni. The mitzvah elevates Israel by detaching them from superstition and idolatry.
Between a person and G-d – בֵּין אָדָם לְמָקוֹם
- This mitzvah protects the covenant by preventing Jews from interposing fraudulent intermediaries. Rambam and Ramban highlight that Hashem gave Torah and prophecy so Israel would rely on Him directly.
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