בני האלהים. בני השופטים שהיו עושים בארץ משפט אלהים. ויש אומרים כי האלהים במקום הזה קודש. והבנים הם הקדושים אשר בארץ כטעם בנים אתם. ויש אומרים כי בני האלהים בני שת ובנות האדם בנות משפחת קין. והישר בעיני להיות בני האלהי' היודעי' דעת עליון בחרו להם נשים שהיתה מערכת שמים כל אחת נמשלת לכל אחד והתולדות כתולדות על כן יצאו מהם גבורים ויתכן שלקחו הנשים גם בחזקה:
THE SONS OF GOD. The term bene Elohim (the sons of god) refers to the sons of the judges who dispensed God’s (Elohim) justice. Others say that Elohim refers to God Himself and the sons of God are holy ones (saints) living on earth. They are called sons of God in the sense of Ye are the children of the Lord your God (Deut. 14:1). Others say that the sons of God refers to the children of Seth and that the daughters of man refers to women of Cain’s family. However, it appears to me that the sons of God refers to those who know the will of the most High. These men chose women who matched them astrologically and physically. Hence they produced mighty men. It is possible that they took women even against their will.
אֲמַר לְהוּ רַבִּי חֲנִינָא, פּוּקוּ אֱמַרוּ לֵיהּ לְבַר לֵיוַאי: לֹא מַזַּל יוֹם גּוֹרֵם אֶלָּא מַזַּל שָׁעָה גּוֹרֵם. הַאי מַאן דִּבְחַמָּה — יְהֵי גְּבַר זִיוְתָן, יְהֵי אָכֵיל מִדִּילֵיהּ וְשָׁתֵי מִדִּילֵיהּ, וְרָזוֹהִי גַּלְיִין, אִם גָּנֵיב — לָא מַצְלַח. הַאי מַאן דִּבְכוֹכָב נוֹגַהּ — יְהֵי גְּבַר עַתִּיר וְזַנַּאי יְהֵי. מַאי טַעְמָא? מִשּׁוּם דְּאִיתְיְלִיד בֵּיהּ נוּרָא. הַאי מַאן דִּבְכוֹכָב — יְהֵי גְּבַר נָהִיר וְחַכִּים, מִשּׁוּם דְּסָפְרָא דְחַמָּה הוּא. הַאי מַאן דְּבִלְבָנָה — יְהֵי גְּבַר סָבֵיל מַרְעִין, בָּנֵי וְסָתַר, סָתַר וּבָנֵי, אָכֵיל דְּלָא דִּילֵיהּ וְשָׁתֵי דְּלָא דִּילֵיהּ וְרָזוֹהִי כַּסְיִין אִם גָּנֵב — מַצְלַח. הַאי מַאן דִּבְשַׁבְּתַאי — יְהֵי גְּבַר מַחְשְׁבָתֵיהּ בָּטְלִין. וְאִית דְּאָמְרִי: כׇּל דִּמְחַשְּׁבִין עֲלֵיהּ בָּטְלִין. הַאי מַאן דִּבְצֶדֶק — יְהֵי גְּבַר צִדְקָן. אָמַר רַב נַחְמָן בַּר יִצְחָק: וְצַדְקָן בְּמִצְוֹת. הַאי מַאן דִּבְמַאְדִּים — יְהֵי גְּבַר אָשֵׁיד דְּמָא. אָמַר רַב אָשֵׁי: אִי אוּמָּנָא, אִי גַּנָּבָא, אִי טַבָּחָא, אִי מָהוֹלָא. אָמַר רַבָּה: אֲנָא בְּמַאְדִּים הֲוַאי. אָמַר אַבָּיֵי: מָר נָמֵי עָנֵישׁ וְקָטֵיל.
Rabbi Ḥanina said to his students who heard all this: Go and tell the son of Leiva’i, Rabbi Yehoshua ben Levi: It is not the constellation of the day of the week that determines a person’s nature; rather, it is the constellation of the hour that determines his nature.
One who was born under the influence of the sun will be a radiant person; he will eat from his own resources and drink from his own resources, and his secrets will be exposed. If he steals he will not succeed, because he will be like the sun that shines and is revealed to all.
One who was born under the influence of Venus will be a rich and promiscuous person. What is the reason for this? Because fire was born during the hour of Venus, he will be subject the fire of the evil inclination, which burns perpetually.
One who was born under the influence of Mercury will be an enlightened and expert man, because Mercury is the sun’s scribe, as it is closest to the sun.
One who was born under the influence of the moon will be a man who suffers pains, who builds and destroys, and destroys and builds. He will be a man who eats not from his own resources and drinks not from his own resources, and whose secrets are hidden. If he steals he will succeed, as he is like the moon that constantly changes form, whose light is not its own, and who is at times exposed and at times hidden.
One who was born under the influence of Saturn will be a man whose thoughts are for naught. And some say that everything that others think about him and plan to do to him is for naught.
One who was born under the influence of Jupiter [tzedek] will be a just person [tzadkan]. Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: And just in this context means just in the performance of mitzvot.
One who was born under the influence of Mars will be one who spills blood. Rav Ashi said: He will be either a blood letter, or a thief, or a slaughterer of animals, or a circumciser. Rabba said: I was born under the influence of Mars and I do not perform any of those activities. Abaye said: My Master also punishes and kills as a judge.
One who was born under the influence of the sun will be a radiant person; he will eat from his own resources and drink from his own resources, and his secrets will be exposed. If he steals he will not succeed, because he will be like the sun that shines and is revealed to all.
One who was born under the influence of Venus will be a rich and promiscuous person. What is the reason for this? Because fire was born during the hour of Venus, he will be subject the fire of the evil inclination, which burns perpetually.
One who was born under the influence of Mercury will be an enlightened and expert man, because Mercury is the sun’s scribe, as it is closest to the sun.
One who was born under the influence of the moon will be a man who suffers pains, who builds and destroys, and destroys and builds. He will be a man who eats not from his own resources and drinks not from his own resources, and whose secrets are hidden. If he steals he will succeed, as he is like the moon that constantly changes form, whose light is not its own, and who is at times exposed and at times hidden.
One who was born under the influence of Saturn will be a man whose thoughts are for naught. And some say that everything that others think about him and plan to do to him is for naught.
One who was born under the influence of Jupiter [tzedek] will be a just person [tzadkan]. Rav Naḥman bar Yitzḥak said: And just in this context means just in the performance of mitzvot.
One who was born under the influence of Mars will be one who spills blood. Rav Ashi said: He will be either a blood letter, or a thief, or a slaughterer of animals, or a circumciser. Rabba said: I was born under the influence of Mars and I do not perform any of those activities. Abaye said: My Master also punishes and kills as a judge.
אֵיזֶהוּ מְעוֹנֵן אֵלּוּ נוֹתְנֵי עִתִּים שֶׁאוֹמְרִים בְּאִצְטַגְנִינוּת יוֹם פְּלוֹנִי טוֹב יוֹם פְּלוֹנִי רַע יוֹם פְּלוֹנִי רָאוּי לַעֲשׂוֹת בּוֹ מְלָאכָה פְּלוֹנִית שָׁנָה פְּלוֹנִית אוֹ חֹדֶשׁ פְּלוֹנִי רַע לְדָבָר פְּלוֹנִי:
Maimonides (12th cent., Morocco and Egypt)
Who is a soothsayer? They that point at times, saying astrologically: "That day is a good one, that day is a bad one; that day is fit to do that particular work, but that year, or that month, is bad for that particular thing.11Ibid. G.
Nachmanides (13th cent. Spain) - Responsum 282
The study of astrology is not forbidden. Even though the Talmud (Shabbat 156a) states: “There is no mazal (celestial, source of influence) for Israel,” there were sages who did not share that view. Thus, even though the latter was a minority opinion, the fact that it exists demonstrates that astrology is not nonsense, nor is involvement in its study forbidden.
אִיתְּמַר, רַבִּי חֲנִינָא אוֹמֵר: מַזָּל מַחְכִּים, מַזָּל מַעֲשִׁיר, וְיֵשׁ מַזָּל לְיִשְׂרָאֵל. רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן אָמַר: אֵין מַזָּל לְיִשְׂרָאֵל. וְאַזְדָּא רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן לְטַעְמֵיהּ, דְּאָמַר רַבִּי יוֹחָנָן: מִנַּיִין שֶׁאֵין מַזָּל לְיִשְׂרָאֵל? שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר: ״כֹּה אָמַר יהוה אֶל דֶּרֶךְ הַגּוֹיִם אַל תִּלְמָדוּ וּמֵאוֹתוֹת הַשָּׁמַיִם אַל תֵּחָתּוּ כִּי יֵחַתּוּ הַגּוֹיִם מֵהֵמָּה״ — הֵם יֵחַתּוּ, וְלֹא יִשְׂרָאֵל.
It was stated that Rabbi Ḥanina says: A constellation makes one wise and a constellation makes one wealthy, and there is a constellation for the Jewish people that influences them. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: There is no constellation for the Jewish people. And Rabbi Yoḥanan follows his own reasoning, as Rabbi Yoḥanan said: From where is it derived that there is no constellation for the Jewish people? As it is stated: “Thus said the Lord: Learn not the way of the nations, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the nations are dismayed at them” (Jeremiah 10:2). The nations will be dismayed by them, but not the Jewish people.