Pulsa deNura, Pulsa diNura or Pulsa Denoura is a purportedly Kabbalistic ceremony in which the destroying angels are invoked to block heavenly forgiveness of the subject's sins, allegedly causing all the curses named in the Bible to befall him resulting in his death. It is controversial for having been allegedly invoked against several contemporary political figures, including Yitzchak Rabin prior to his assassination.
Etymology
Pulsa is an Aramaic noun derived from the Latin word pulsus meaning a "blow" or "stroke". Nura is an Aramaic noun meaning "fire".
Recent usage
Accusations of the use of this curse by religious Jews against Jewish figures who have committed major transgressions has been made often over the past 50 years and quoted mostly in Israeli media. As the saying goes in Israel "you have not made it in Israeli politics until you've been cursed by the Pulsa DiNura." Early in the 20th century, Haredi Jews in Jerusalem were accused by the media of having recited the curse against the linguist Eliezer Ben Yehuda. However, there is no proof of the curse being performed before 1948. There have been unsubstantiated media reports of the curse being recited against archaeologists and authors. Prior to the assassination of Israeli Prime MinisterYitzhak Rabin, there were reports that the curse had been recited against him. On February 26, 2012, Tamar Yonah of IsraelNationalNews.com interviewed Yosef Dayan, who, with rabbinical guidance, was involved in the Pulsa DiNura of Yitzhak Rabin and Ariel Sharon. Avigdor Eskin, a member of the Gush Emunim, claimed to have recited the following maledictions of the Pulsa diNura on the night of October 2, 1995: This was preceded by a similar ceremony in Safed. Rabin was assassinated within the month. In July 2005, the Israeli media, without citing sources, reported that opponents of the Israeli disengagement from Gaza recited the Pulsa deNura in the old cemetery of Rosh Pina, asking the "Angel of Death" to kill Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon. Six months later Sharon suffered two strokes and was in a coma, fighting for his life, until his death on January 11, 2014. However, most analysts link this to his age and obesity. On November 7, 2006, the Edah HaChareidis said it was considering placing the curse on the organizers of the Pride parade scheduled to march in Jerusalem on November 10, 2006. Army Radio interviewed Rabbi Shmuel Papenheim, who announced, "The Rabbinical Court has held a special session and discussed placing a 'pulsa denura' on those who have had a hand in organizing the march." Papenheim, editor of the Haredi religious umbrella organization's weekly magazine, added that the rabbis were also considering placing the curse "against the policemen who beat Haredi Jews". In 2013, Naftali Bennett received the pulsa denura.
