The Dybbuk

The dybbuk is a concept in Jewish folklore referring to the spirit of a dead person that is believed to possess a living body. This usually happens because the spirit has unresolved sin or unfinished business preventing it from resting. The word itself translates roughly to 'clinging' in Hebrew.

According to tradition, a dybbuk must be exorcised by a righteous rabbi, often a member of a Hasidic court. The rabbi performs a strict religious ritual to interview the spirit, discover its identity, and command it to leave the host. The exorcism usually concludes with the spirit being sent away for proper rest or punishment.

The figure was popularized by S. Ansky's Yiddish play 'The Dybbuk, or Between Two Worlds,' first staged in 1920. The play tells the tragic story of a young bride who is possessed by the malicious spirit of her dead lover. It is widely considered the most famous work in the Yiddish theatrical canon.

In Kabbalistic mythology, dybbuks are souls that have escaped from Gehenna, a realm of purification, or were denied entry to heaven. They are forced to wander the earth, searching for a living human host to cling to. Legends of dybbuks were particularly prevalent in Eastern European Jewish communities during the 16th and 17th centuries.