Last Word On The Dybbuk

ParshaBlog has a great writeup on the relative importance, or the lack thereof, of the dybbuk, in terms of Jewsih beliefs. A ParshaBlog classic.

Last I heard, a final exorcism attempt last night failed and the Brazilian man was sent back to Brazil, along with the dybbuk.

I wonder how they are allowed to give up. Shouldn't this be a matter of pikuach nefesh? Reminds me, that when Rav Batzri warned the dybbuk not to hurt (or kill) the man, I thought that theres good reason for him not wanting to allow the dybbuk to hurt him, because should he try to hurt him, nothing would happen, and the whole show would be over.

It reminds me of another good story: When the old Slonimer Rebbe died, some continued to believe that he remained alive. (I'm not aware of any meshichist tendencies.) They even gave him aliyos to the Torah. When the Gerrer Rebbe, the Beis Yisrael, heard this, he said 'let them give him hagba, then we'll see.'

But, after all this, there are still people who believe this to be for real. Is anyone surprised?