A friend whose house is on the market said someone told her to bury a statue of Saint Joseph in her yard and her house will sell right away. I’ve heard that before. And after a chuckle at the superstition she asked if I would do it. Did she mean because I’m Jewish and I don’t know from Saint Joseph? Or did I believe that burying something in your yard have any affect on how quickly you sell your house?

Well, I told her if my house wasn’t selling I guess I’d try anything. And then she reminded me that as Jews we are prohibited from worshiping idols. It’s a big no no. And she was worried that God would look down upon her for committing idolatry. Ok. She’s got a point. But is burying a plastic statue in your yard really worshiping an idol?

And then it got me thinking. Remember a few years ago when all those celebrities were wearing the red string bracelet? Kabbalah, an ancient form of Jewish mysticism, says that one wearing the red string bracelet will be protected from the influences of the “evil eye”. Well, is it ok to do that if you’re not a Kabbalist?

Interestingly enough, you can find a whole slew of stuff on the web about both of these religious practices. There are websites after websites selling statues of Saint Joseph for the very purpose of selling your house. They come in “home sales kits”. Seriously. And you too can be protected from the evil eye with your very own “red string package” for $26. Ouch.

I know some of you detect my sarcasm but I mean no disrespect. To each his own. Really. If it works for you, great. (And you can find tons of testimonials about how effective these practices are. Especially Saint Joseph.) But the commercialization of these religious customs seems a bit cynical.

So, just a little food for thought. Good luck to my friends with their sale of their house. And anyone else out there trying to sell. Oh, and if you do decide to go the Saint Joseph route, it seems that burying him upside down facing the house is the most popular method.