Well, another Friday the 13th has passed, and millions of people are presumably breathing a big sigh of relief. According to Dr. Donald Dossey, the psychotherapist who gave the name “paraskevidekatriaphobia” to this superstition (a scary one for the orthologically-challenged), the figure may be as high as 21 million, some eight percent of Americans.*

The superstition explains why many cities have no 13th Street, and many buildings are missing a 13th floor (you might get off on the 13th floor, but who knows if you’ll ever get back on). And some are careful not to spell their names with 13 letters, like Jack the Ripper, Charles Manson and Albert De Salvo (the Boston Strangler).

Sufferers may take dubious comfort from a 1993 study in the British Medical Journal which appears to substantiate their fears. The study found that “Friday the 13th is unlucky for some. The risk of hospital admission as a result of a transport accident may be increased by as much as 52 percent. Staying at home is recommended.” (Of course, drivers in the grip of paraskevidekatriaphobia may indeed be accidents looking for a place to happen…)

The origin of the superstition is not known, though it has been variously attributed to the ancient Hindus, Egyptians, Vikings and early Teutons. There were 13 guests at the Last Supper, after which a certain Jew of Nazareth was put to death on a Friday. More recently, the bestselling Da Vinci Code pinned it on the brutal purge of the Knights Templar, the order of warrior monks who rose to prominence during the Crusades. It commenced on Friday, October 13, 1307, at the order of King Philip IV of France. **

From the Jewish perspective there is nothing to fear. On the contrary, we are not supposed to heed the superstitions of the world. They are often rooted not only in ignorance, but idolatrous beliefs and practices. Friday the 13th is a good example. Most of those who take some cognizance of it have no idea where it came from. But the hypothesized origins are not encouraging. If there is any truth to them, then taking Friday the 13th seriously would be tantamount to giving credence to ideas that are anathema to Judaism.

Furthermore, as it happens, the number 13 has a decidedly positive connotation in Jewish tradition. One of the pillars of the Oral Tradition is Rabbi Yishmael’s 13 rules by which the Written Torah is interpreted. Kal v’chomer (a fortiori), gezerah shava and 11 other exegetical principles are found in the siddur in the pages before the morning service.***

The 13 Articles of Faith appear in the siddur after the morning service. It’s often referred to as the Ani Ma’amim’s (the “I Believe’s”), since each one begins with the declaratory “I believe…” It begins with belief in the Creator and concludes with resurrection of the dead. Although it is commonly attributed to Maimonides, they are not his words, but are based on his much more elaborate treatise on the subject in his commentary to the Mishnah, Sanhedrin, Chapter 10.

The Midrash describes the eternal reward awaiting the righteous in terms of 13 rivers of fragrant afarsimon (Bereishis Rabba, Chayay Sarah, 52b; Anaf Yosef to Sanhedrin 70a). Not meant to be taken literally (the next world is not a physical one), it does suggest that it’s not an unlucky place to be.

We do have a certain aversion to Friday. Not the day, but the name, which comes from a mythological deity. Instead, we call it Yom HaShishi, the sixth day of the week. It’s a day which partakes of the holiness of Shabbat, the seventh day, because so much of it is given over to preparations for the latter.

Even if it happens to fall out on the thirteenth of the month.

* The term is based on the Greek words paraskevi (‘Friday’) and dekatria (‘thirteen’) with -phobia as a suffix to indicate ‘fear’.

** A less threatening, if less credible, theory has it that “fears surrounding the number 13 are as ancient as the act of counting. Primitive man had only his 10 fingers and two feet to represent units, this explanation goes, so he could count no higher than 12. What lay beyond that—13—was an impenetrable mystery to our prehistoric forebears, hence an object of superstition” (David Emery, About.com). Don’t look for the Tosafos on this one.

*** See Artscroll Siddur, Pp. 49-52, for a concise discussion.

by Rabbi Yisrael Rutman

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