Angel of Death (Primary)

R. Ishmael b. Elisha[2] said : Three things Suriel[3], the Prince of the Presence, related to me: Do not take thy shirt in the morning from the hand of the attendant and put it on[4]; do not let thy hands be washed by one who has not washed his own ; and do not return the cup of asparagus-beverage except to him who handed it to thee, because a band of demons (another version : a company of angels of destruction) lies in wait for a man, saying, "When will he commit one of these acts and be trapped ?" R. Joshua b. Levi said : Three[5] things did the Angel of Death tell me : Do not take thy shirt in the morning from the hand of the attendant and put it on ; do not let thy hands be washed by him who has not washed his own[6]; and do not stand before women when they return from being with a dead person, because I leap and go before them with my sword in my hand[7], and I have permission to destroy. But if one met [such women], what is the remedy? Let him move four cubits from his place ; or if there is a river let him cross it; or if there is another road let him proceed along it ; or if there is a wall let him stand behind it[8] ; but if not, let him turn his face away and say, "And the Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, O Satan" (Zech. iii. 2) until they have passed him by.

R. Yohanan stated: A man’s feet are his guarantors; they lead him to the place where he is wanted. There were once two Cushites who attended on Solomon, and these were Elihoreph and Ahyah, the sons of Shisha, scribes, of Solomon (I Kings 4:3). One day Solomon observed that the Angel of Death was distressed. He asked him: Why are you distressed? He responded: They have demanded from me the two Cushites who sit here. [Solomon] gave them over to the demons and sent them to the district of Luz. When they reached the district of Luz they died. On the following day he observed that the Angel of Death was smiling He said to him: Why are you smiling? He responded: To the place where they expected them from me, there did you send them!’ Solomon immediately began to say: A man’s feet are his guarantors; they lead him to the place where he is wanted.

R. Joseph, when he came upon this passage, wept, (Proverbs 13:23) "But there is that which is destroyed without judgment." He said, "Is there something that is taken before its time? Indeed, like that of R. Bibi bar Abaye. He had happened upon the Angel of Death. [The angel] said to his attendant, Go, bring me Miriam of Magdala, the women's hairdresser. He went and brought him Miriam of Magdala, the tender of children. He said to him, I said to you Miriam of Magdala, the women's hairdresser. He said to him, If so, I will bring her back. He said to him, Since you have brought her, let her be included. But how were you able [to get hold of her, since it was not yet her time]? She was holding the poker in her hand, and was stooping down

But Rabbi Yohan said: "From where [do we learn] that the words of Torah are effective at providing refuge? As it is said: 'Betzer in the wilderness...' (Deuteronomy 4:43), (and afterwards it is written) 'And this Torah' (Deuteronomy 4:44)"?! [I.e., why is a teacher being exiled at all? Why don't the words of Torah protect him?]. Not a difficulty. This one [the second statement] is [a case where] he is currently occupied with it [the Torah], and that one is [a case where] he is currently not occupied with it. And if you want to say [another solution]: What [does Rabbi Yohanan mean when he says the words of Torah] are effective at providing refuge? [Refuge] from the angel of death. For when Rav Hisda was sitting and studying in the yeshiva, the messenger, the angel of death, was not able to come near him since his mouth was never quiet from his learning. He climbed and sat on the cedar tree of the yeshiva. The cedar broke and he was silent, and [then] the [angel of death] was able [to take him].

(10) (Fol. 30a) The following question was asked of R. Tanchum of Noy: "Is it permissible to extinguish the light on the Sabbath for the sake of a sick person ?" He began his answer by saying: "O thou King Solomon! Where is thy wisdom and where is thy understanding ? Not only do the words contradict your father's words but [they are at variance with] thine own utterances also. Thy father David said (Ps. 116, 17.) Not the dead can praise the Lord, and thou sayest (Ecc. 4, 2.) Thereupon praise I the dead that are already dead, and again thou sayest (Ib. 9., 4.) For a living dog fareth better than a dead lion. But this is not difficult to explain. When David said. Not the dead can praise the Lord, he meant thus: 'A man should always occupy himself with the study of the Torah and meritorious deeds before he dies; for, as soon as he dies, he becomes free from the obligation of [studying] the Torah and [fulfilling] meritorious deeds and the Holy One, praised be He! accepts no praise of him.' This is what R. Jochanan said : 'What is meant by the passage (Ps. 88, 61.) Free among the dead, i.e., as soon as a man dies he is freed from the obligation of [studying] the Torah and [fulfilling] meritorious deeds, And when Solomon says (Ecc. 4. 2.) Thereupon praise I the dead that are already dead, he refers to the time when Israel sinned in the deserts. Moses stood up before the Holy One, praised be He ! and offered many prayers and supplications unto Him but was not answered. However, as soon as he said (Ex 32, 13.) Remember Abraham, Isaac and Israel, Thy servants, he was forthwith answered. Now, did not Solomon say properly Thereupon praise I the dead that are already dead." It may be explained in another way also. The usage of the world is that if a mortal prince issue a decree, it is doubtful whether it will be complied with or not; even if it be complied with while the prince lives it may not be complied with when he is dead. But Moses, our teacher, has issued many decrees and established many ordinances and they endure forever and ever. Now did not Solomon say properly (Ecc. 4, 2.) Thereupon praise I the dead that are already dead! The passage, Thereupon praise I the dead, etc., may also be explained in another way, as R. Juda said in the name of Rab ; for R. Juda in the name of Rab said : "What is meant by the passage (Ps. 86, 17.) Display on me a sign for good that those who hate me may see it. Thus said David before the Holy One, praised be He! 'Sovereign of the universe, forgive me this sin [of Bath Sheba].' Thou art forgiven.' answered the Lord. David then said to the Lord : 'Show me a sign while I live.' Whereupon He answered, 'During thy life I shall not make it known but during the life of Solomon, thy son, I shall make it known.' When Solomon had built the Temple he desired to place the ark in the holy of holies, but the gates had become fastened to each other [and they could not be opened]. Solomon then offered twenty-four prayer-songs but was not answered. He then began the prayer (Ps. 24, 7.) Raise your heads, O ye gates and be raised wide, ye everlasting gates, and let the king of glory enter. Thereupon the gates ran after him and opened their mouths and wanted to swallow him up, saying: Who is the King of glory? (Ib.) Solomon replied. The Lord, strong and mighty (Ib.). He then repeated Raise your heads, O ye gates, and raise up, ye everlasting doors, and let the King of glory enter. Who is the King of glory, the Lord of Hosts, He is the King of glory, Selah (Ib.). Still he was not answered ; but as soon as he said O Lord God turn not away the face of thy anointed, remember the pious deeds of David thy servant, (II Chr. 6, 12), he was immediately answered. At that moment the faces of David's enemies turned black like the bottom of a pot and then it was known to all that the Holy One, praised be He! had forgiven David that sin. Therefore, did not Solomon properly say. Thereupon, praise I the dead, etc. This is meant by the passage (I Kings 8, 66.) On the eighth day he dismissed the people; they blessed the king and went unto their tents, glad of heart, because of all the good that the Lord had done for David his servant and for Israel his people, i.e.. And they went unto their tents, meaning they found their wives levitically pure. Joyful, because of having enjoyed the Divine Glory; glad of heart, each man's wife had become pregnant with a male child; because of all the good which God had done unto David his servant, that he forgave him that sin; and Israel his people, for they were forgiven their neglect of the observance of the day of Atonement. And when Solomon said (Ecc. 9, 4.) For a living dog fareth better than a dead lion, he meant that which R. Juda said in the name of Rab ; for R. Juda in the name of Rab, said: "What is meant by the passage (Ps. 39, 5.) Let me know, O Lord, my end, and what the measure of my days is, I wish to know when I shall cease to be, i.e., thus said David before the Holy One, praised be He ! 'Sovereign of the universe let me know my end.' Whereupon the Lord answered him : 'It has been decreed by me that the time of the death of mortal man shall not be known; And the measures of my days what are they (Ib.), David again asked. 'It is decreed by me answered the Lord,' that the measure of the days of a man shall not be known.' Again David asked: 'I wish to know when I shall cease to be.' The Lord then said to him : 'Thou wilt die on the Sabbath.' 'Let me die rather on the first day of the week,' begged David. 'The first day of the week is the day on which thy son Solomon shall be king, and one kingdom must not encroach on the other even by so much as a hair's breath.' 'Let me then die on the Sabbath eve,' pleaded David. Whereupon the Lord said Far better is a day in thy courts than a thousand (Ps. 84, 11), i.e., 'I like one day in which thou art studying the Torah better than a thousand burnt offerings which Solomon, thy son, will sacrifice before me upon the altar.' (Ib. b) Each Sabbath day he would sit and study. On that Sabbath when he was to die, the angel of death came and stood before him, but was unable to do anything because David never once ceased studying. [Said the angel to himself] What shall I do? There was an orchard in the back of David's house; the angel of death went there and shook the trees. David [hearing the noise] went out to see [the cause of the noise] ; as he ascended the ladder the angel caused it to break. David fell down and consequently stopped studying; whereupon the angel of death took his life. It so happened that Solomon sent to ask the following questions in the academy: 'My father died and lies in sun; what shall I do? [Am I allowed to remove him from the sun?] And the dogs of my father's house are hungry, what shall I do?' They answered him: 'Cut up a carrion and place the pieces before the dogs. As to thy father, place a loaf of bread or an infant upon his body and then you may carry it away from the sun.' Did not Solomon, therefore, say properly? For a living dog fareth better than a dead lion. And as to the question, which I have been asked in your presence, I say this: a lamp is called Ner and the soul is called Ner; it is better that a human light (lamp) be extinguished than that God's light (life) be extinguished."

(15) R. Joshua b. Levi said also : "When Moses ascended to heaven, the ministering angels said unto the Holy One, praised be He! 'Sovereign of the universe, what has one born of a woman to do among us?' 'He has come to receive the Torah,' was the Divine answer. 'What !' said they unto Him. 'Art Thou about to bestow upon frail man that cherished treasure which has been with Thee for nine hundred and seventy-four generations before the world was created? What is mortal man that Thou art mindful of him, and the son of the earth that Thou thus visiteth him? O God, our Lord, is not Thy name already sufficiently exalted in the earth ? Confer Thy glory upon the heavens! (Ps. 8, 2-5).' The Holy One, praised be He! then called upon Moses to refute their objection. Whereupon Moses thus pleaded, 'Sovereign of the universe, I fear lest they consume me with the fiery breath of their mouths.' Thereupon God told Moses to take hold of the throne of His Divine Majesty: as it is said (Job 26, 9.) He lays hold of the face of His throne and spreads His cloud over him. Concerning this R. Nachum said : 'This is intended to inform us that the Almighty spread the brightness of the Shechina, and beclouded Moses with encouragement.' Moses then said unto Him : 'Sovereign of the universe, what is written in the Torah which you are about to give me.' 'I am the Lord, thy God, who brought you forth out of Egypt' (Ex. 20, 2), was the reply. Moses then said to the angels: "Did you go to Egypt and serve Pharaoh? Of what use can the Torah be to you? Further, what else is written in it? Thou shalt not have other Gods before me (Ib. ib. 3). Are you living among nations who are worshipping idols [that you need this] ? Furthermore, what else is written in it? Remember the Sabbath and keep it holy (Ib. ib. 8). Are you doing any work that you need rest? Again what is written there? Honor thy father and thy mother (Ib. ib. 12). Have you a father and a mother ? And again, what is written in it? Thou shalt not murder, thou shall not commit adultery, thou, shalt not steal (Ib. ib. 13). Does jealousy exist among you ? Does an evil impulse exist among you ?' The angels at once confessed that the Holy One, praised be He ! was right, for it is written (Pr. 8, 10.) O Lord, how excellent is Thy name in all the earth, and no longer is written Confer Thy glory upon the heavens. Soon after this, every one of them became so befriended with Moses, that each of them disclosed to him some useful secrets, for it is said (Ib. 68, 19.) Thou hast ascended unto Heaven; thou captured the spoils; thou hast received gifts because they have contemptuously called thee, man, i.e., because they called you man hast thou taken presents as a reward. And even the Angel of Death revealed something to him, for it is written (Num. 17, 13) And he (Aaron) put on the incense and made atonement for the people, and it is said (Ib.) And he stood between the dead and the living. If the Angel of Death did not disclose this secret unto Moses, how did he know [so that he could tell Aaron that such a thing would stop the plague] ?"