Jewish mysticism and magic in Harry Potter trailer

ARAMAIC DAY: Nina Amir finds Jewish mystical (and magical) themes in the new Harry Potter trailer:

While some religions, Christianity included, don’t approve of magic, and some parents won’t let their children read the Harry Potter books or see the movies, Judaism has a long history of magic. Although Jewish mysticism, or Kabbalah, was not (and is not) only used for magic, stories of the golem and such do come from this magical Kabbalistic tradition. We are told that the magical Kabbalistic tradition actually must be used only by those most knowledgeable and only on rare and special occasions. The other types of Kabbalah, theoretical and practical, can be used by anyone and are extremely useful. You will find Kabbalah in many aspects of Judaism, such as in the daily prayer services.

Words like “abracadabra,” which have been used by magicians for years, have their origins in Judaism. This Aramaic word literally means “He has created as he has spoken”—or manifestation according to the power of words. This word comes from the verb “daber,” which refers to organizing “speech.” Thus, when the magician says something—casts the spell or incantation—things are created by making order out of chaos. No wonder so many magicians have chosen this word as their incantation when creating something from nothing. Aramaic preceded Hebrew and was spoken by many during the Biblical period.

For the etymology of Abracadabra, see here and follow the links.