Hexed

I find it striking that some peoples' lives seem to be marked by difficulty, chaos, or disaster–one apparent nuisance or tragedy after another. Wherever they go, whatever they do, they seem to have trouble, whether it's problems with their cars, computers, pets, or gardens, or with the postal service, credit cards, personal injuries, ordering products on the Internet, using household appliances, making routine repairs around the house, or making everyday purchases. 

There's even a Yiddish term for a person who suffers so regularly and conspicuously: shlemazel…Shlemazels are what we might call unlucky souls, people who seem to be victimized by impersonal forces or by the universe at large.

One reason I take this seriously is that I've known a number of shlemazels. In fact, I believe I was once married to one (actually, many of her family seemed to be lightning rods for misfortune). But for various reasons, it's probably wiser that I tell you instead about some former neighbors…For example, it seems as if everything my neighbors bought was defective. Brand new appliances and other electronic equipment routinely failed to work and had to be returned or exchanged; an apparently solid rocking chair collapsed within the first days of ownership (with the infant sitting on it), and their cars frequently needed repair, even though they owned brands noted for reliability. S. Braude, The Gold Leaf Lady and Other Parapsychological Investigations (University of Chicago 2007), 148-9. 

Assuming this is true, what's the explanation? As an atheist, Braude proposes a secular, albeit paranormal explanation. But from a Christian standpoint, an obvious explanation is that these people were hexed. Victims of witchcraft.

In Scripture, Balaam is the best-known example of a seer and sorcerer who's hired to cast an evil spell on the Israelites. He's a spectacular failure, but that's due to divine intervention. A more effective example is Ezk 13:17-23. 

Another possibility is individuals or their ancestors who dabbled in the occult. That might produce a family curse that dogs them, even if a descendent had no direct dealings with the occult.