Do We Have a Mazal? The Disingenuous Borrowing of Holiness

by Ram ben Ze’ev

Do We Have a Mazal? The Disingenuous Borrowing of Holiness

In the high-end watch markets of New York City, and in other luxury trades, a curious phenomenon has taken hold. Non-Jewish dealers have begun to conclude their deals with the word “mazal.” Sometimes they even phrase it as a question: “Do we have a mazal?” To the casual observer, it might seem harmless, even charming — an echo of Jewish tradition.

But beneath the surface, this practice is neither authentic nor innocent. It is disingenuous.

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Among Jews, the use of mazal in commerce is ancient and holy. A deal sealed with the words “mazal u’brachah” (flow of Divine energy and blessing) was never about luck or superstition.

It was an acknowledgement that no success, no contract, and no profit is truly ours without the flow of Divine energy from HaShem. The word mazal itself, as explained in the Holy Zohar, refers to the channels through which HaShem sustains creation — the constant drip of supernal influence into our world. To invoke mazal was to place a transaction under that awareness, recognising HaShem as the Source of all blessing.

Now, in the mouths of those who have no connection to this covenant, mazal has been hollowed out and repurposed as a slogan: “deal closed.” It has been stripped of its depth and used as if it were a talisman, a good-luck charm, or a handshake word. That is not only shallow; it is disingenuous.

For what do they imagine they are doing? Do they believe that by parroting a Hebrew word, they channel blessing into their business? Do they imagine that HaShem is fooled, that His Divine flow can be invoked by mimicry? Or do they simply play-act at being Jewish, as though the outer garments of our covenant can be worn without the soul?

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The truth is that mazal cannot be borrowed. It cannot be hijacked. It cannot be uttered into existence by those outside the covenant of Torah and expect to carry weight. Mazal is not luck. It is not superstition. It is not a catchphrase. It is the very lifeblood of creation, bound to the covenant between HaShem and His people Israel.

What is happening here is part of a larger pattern. Time and again, the Nations take from us, distort our language, and flatten the holy into the profane. Torah becomes “Old Testament.” Pesach becomes “Passover.” Aseret HaDibrot becomes the “Ten Commandments.” And now, mazal — once a recognition of Divine flow — is degraded into a verbal tick at the close of a business deal.

But words are not empty vessels. They carry weight, truth, and holiness. To misuse them is to expose a profound misunderstanding. To imagine that one can reap the fruits of a covenant without standing under its obligations is, at its core, disingenuous.

When Jews say “mazal u’brachah,” it is a declaration of faith: our lives, our sustenance, our success, and our very breath come only from HaShem. When the Nations imitate this, it is no more than mimicry. And mimicry cannot carry blessing.

Mazal belongs to Israel. It always has, and it always will.

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Bill White (Ram ben Ze'ev) is CEO of WireNews Limited, Mayside Partners Limited, MEADHANAN Agency, Kestrel Assets Limited, SpudsToGo Limited and Executive Director of Hebrew Synagogue