The humble garlic bulb sure packs a punch in flavor, health benefits, and even spiritual powers! Read on for nine exotic and esoteric things Jews do with this kitchen staple.
1. Distribute It at a Firstborn Redemption Ceremony
Thirty days after the birth of a firstborn son, a special ceremony called pidyon haben takes place, in which the father “redeems” the baby from a Kohen by giving him five silver coins. Many have the custom to distribute sugar cubes and garlic cloves to the guests.
Why garlic and sugar? One explanation is that joining the meal accompanying this celebration carries great spiritual merit—equal to eighty-four fasts of repentance!1 Sugar and garlic are inexpensive, long-lasting, and can flavor large quantities of food, so sharing them lets everyone partake in the spiritual bounty of the event.2
2. Eat It to Increase Fertility
The Talmud tells us that Ezra the Scribe established the custom for married couples to eat garlic on Friday night to promote fertility.3 In fact, this became such a well-known habit that Jews were once nicknamed “garlic eaters”!4 Over time, the practice faded, and it’s not commonly observed today.5
3. Avoid Leaving It Peeled Overnight
The Talmud warns us not to leave peeled garlic overnight, as an “evil spirit” may rest upon it. (The same applies to onions and eggs.) The solution? Leave a bit of peel on.6
4. Use It to Ward Off the Evil Eye
In many Jewish communities, garlic was employed to protect against ayin hara—the evil eye. Some hung garlic on their doorposts, while others carried a dried clove in their pocket for protection.7 Why garlic? Many say that it is because its Hebrew name שום (shum) has the same numerical value as רצון (ratzon), which means G‑d’s desire to bestow kindness upon us.8
Read: What Is the “Evil Eye”?
5. In Salonika: Keep It Next to a New Mother
In the ancient Jewish community of Salonika, Greece, garlic was used to protect vulnerable new mothers and babies from harm. A garlic clove and a sprig of rue—two plants known to ward off the evil eye—would be attached to the bed with a pin.9
6. Placed on Tombstones on Tisha B’Av
In certain communities, it was once customary to visit the cemetery on Tisha B’Av and place garlic on the graves. The cemetery was seen as a place where harmful forces could dwell. Throughout the year, Torah study keeps those forces at bay, but on Tisha B’Av, when Torah study is limited, garlic was thought to provide a similar kind of spiritual protection.10
Read: What Is Tisha B’Av?
7. Avoid Eating It on Passover
Some families have the custom to avoid garlic on Passover, though the reason for this tradition isn’t clear. Others do use it, provided, of course, that it did not come into contact with chametz.11
8. Pregnant Women Avoided It
In ancient times, pregnant women avoided eating garlic, fearing it could harm the fetus.12 (This is why the manna in the desert could taste like any type of food one desired, except garlic and several other vegetables.) This custom seems to have fallen out of practice—perhaps because the nature of the human body has changed,13 and what was once a concern might no longer apply.
Read: What Was the Manna?
9. Use It to Garnish Expressions
Garlic has also worked its way into Jewish sayings across languages and cultures:
- Hebrew (Land of Israel, Mishnaic era): “If you ate garlic and your breath smells, should you eat more garlic so your breath will smell even more?!”14 In other words: two wrongs don’t make a right.
- Ladino (Sephardic communities): “Al ajo ke se la vaiga—let it go to the garlic.” This was said to deflect envy or the evil eye after someone gave a compliment.
- Yiddish (Eastern Europe): “Az men est nisht keyn knobl, shtinkt men nisht—if you don’t eat garlic, you won’t smell.” Meaning: if you live honestly, you have nothing to hide.
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