A small number of East European manuscripts of magic and practical kabbalah enumerate recipes directed at disabling a specific function of Lilith focused on replacing or substituting a healthy human child with a disformed, physically, or mentally disabled demonic one. Designated by the Yiddish term, banem ביינעם (to take, replace, or substitute), which appears in these manuscripts with an abundance of variant spellings, expose the influence of local dialects and diverse linguistic usage. As several recipes attest, the switching could occur either in utero or within a few weeks after birth. The wealth of magical formulas, designed to chain Lilith’s power to carry out child substitution or replacement, reflect pervasive anxieties among Jews concerning the mental and physical health of newborns. Dread and fear were powerful emotional triggers in the mythical presentation of Lilith’s child stealing activities prompting individuals and members of the Jewish community to seek effective cures from Jewish miracle healers, designated as Ba’alei Shem or Masters of the Name. My talk will trace six types of curative options against child switching: nature-based formulas; the use of Hebrew divine and angelic names, amplified by the ten sefirot; historiolae; diagrammatic-visual amulets; illocutionary speech acts; and combined formulas to highlight that concerns about children’s wellbeing comprised a shared cultural-religious space between Jews and their Slavic neighbors and occupied a place of vital importance for the care and wellbeing of Jewish family and communal life.

This is a hybrid event. For Zoom attendance, please register here: https://myumi.ch/R3RNX