§ The Gemara returns to discussing the heavenly beings. The Sages taught: Six statements were said with regard to demons: In three ways they are like ministering angels, and in three ways they are like humans. The baraita specifies:
In three ways they are like ministering angels: They have wings like ministering angels; and they fly from one end of the world to the other like ministering angels; and they know what will be in the future like ministering angels. The Gemara is puzzled by this last statement: Should it enter your mind that they know this? Not even the angels are privy to the future. Rather, they hear from behind the curtain when God reveals something of the future, like ministering angels.
And in three ways they are similar to humans: They eat and drink like humans; they multiply like humans; and they die like humans.
Six statements were said with regard to humans: In three ways, they are like ministering angels, and in three ways they are like animals. The baraita explains: In three ways they are like ministering angels: They have intelligence like ministering angels; and they walk upright like ministering angels; and they speak in the holy tongue like ministering angels.
In three ways humans are like animals: They eat and drink like animals; and they multiply like animals; and they emit excrement like animals.
What do we learn about angels, demons, and humans from this passage?
Angels: wings, fly, know the future, intelligence, walk upright, speak holy tongue
Demons: wings, fly, know the future, eat and drink, multiply, die
Humans: eat and drink, multiply, die, intelligence, walk upright, speak holy tongue, emit excrement
In another baraita it was taught that Abba Binyamin says: If the eye was given permission to see, no creature would be able to withstand the abundance and ubiquity of the demons and continue to live unaffected by them. Similarly, Abaye said: They are more numerous than we are and they stand over us like mounds of earth surrounding a pit. Rav Huna said: Each and every one of us has a thousand demons to his left and ten thousand to his right. God protects man from these demons, as it says in the verse: “A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; they will not approach you” (Psalms 91:7).
Summarizing the effects of the demons, Rava said:
The crowding at the kalla, the gatherings for Torah study during Elul and Adar, is from the demons;
those knees that are fatigued even though one did not exert himself is from the demons;
those clothes of the Sages that wear out, despite the fact that they do not engage in physical labor, is from friction with the demons;
those feet that are in pain is from the demons.
One who seeks to know that the demons exist should place fine ashes around his bed, and in the morning the demons’ footprints appear like chickens’ footprints, in the ash.
One who seeks to see them should take the afterbirth of a firstborn female black cat, born to a firstborn female black cat, burn it in the fire, grind it and place it in his eyes, and he will see them. He must then place the ashes in an iron tube sealed with an iron seal [gushpanka] lest the demons steal it from him, and then seal the opening so he will not be harmed. Rav Beivai bar Abaye performed this procedure, saw the demons, and was harmed. The Sages prayed for mercy on his behalf and he was healed.
ת"ר לא ישתה אדם מים בלילה ואם שתה דמו בראשו מפני הסכנה מאי סכנה סכנת שברירי ואם צחי מאי תקנתיה אי איכא אחרינא בהדיה ליתרייה ולימא ליה צחינא מיא ואי לא נקרקש בנכתמא אחצבא ונימא איהו לנפשיה פלניא בר פלניתא אמרה לך אימך אזדהר משברירי ברירי רירי ירי רי בכסי חיורי:
The Sages taught: A person should not drink water at night. And if he drank, his blood is upon his own head, due to the danger. The Gemara asks: What is this danger? The Gemara answers: The danger of the shavrirei, an evil spirit that rules over water. And if he is thirsty, what is his remedy? If there is another person with him, he should wake him and say to him: I thirst for water, and then he may drink. And if there is no other person with him, he should knock with the lid on the jug and say to himself: So-and-so, son of so-and-so, your mother said to you to beware of the shavrirei verirei rirei yirei rei, found in white cups. This is an incantation against the evil spirit.
One who encounters witches should say this incantation: Hot feces in torn date baskets in your mouth, witches; may your hairs fall out; your crumbs scatter; your spices should scatter; the wind should carry away the fresh saffron that you witches hold.
Thus the terrified man found himself flying on the back of a giant bird, with nothing but the sea beneath him. And as he clung to that bird’s crown of feathers, he prayed to God to deliver him in his hour of peril. The bird continued to fly all day, and toward evening the man saw that they had reached a country, for he saw land beneath him on which houses had been built. And as the bird flew low over the land, the man threw himself from its back and went tumbling to the ground. There he lay hurt and bruised by the fall, and he shivered with cold all night. And by dawn he was very faint, since he had not eaten for more than two days. Still he raised himself and began to walk until he reached a town, and there he found a synagogue, and when he saw it, he wept with joy, for he knew that he had found Jews, who might take pity on him and help him to return to his home. Entering the synagogue he found only the shammash, and told his tale to him. And he was very shocked when the man did not reassure him but said: “I am sorry to tell you that all the trials you have suffered so far will be as nothing compared to those which await you in this land.” Now the man could not understand this at all, for Jews are commanded by the Torah to be merciful, and he asked the shammash to explain what he meant. Then the shammash said: “The country you have reached is not a land of men, but the kingdom of demons, which is ruled by Asmodeus, king of demons. And when it is discovered that a man of flesh and blood has come here, your life will be as good as lost. For humans are not permitted to set foot in this kingdom.” And when the man heard that he had reached the land of demons, he began to tremble and almost fainted.
Then he fell at the feet of the shammash, and pleaded with him to help him escape. And the shammash, who was a pious demon, took pity on him, and placed him under his protection. Soon afterward other demons began to arrive for the morning services, and before long one of them suddenly cried out: “I smell the smell of one born of woman!” and all of the others shouted in agreement and they soon discovered the man among them. But then the shammash spoke up and said: “You must not harm this man, for he is under my protection.” And because of the respect they had for that demon, they agreed not to harm him, but they wanted to know how he had reached their kingdom, so remote from all human habitation.
(15) And [Jacob] blessed Joseph, saying, “The God in whose ways my fathers Abraham and Isaac walked, the God who has been my shepherd from my birth to this day— (16) the angel (המלאך) who has redeemed me from all harm— Bless the lads. In them may my name be recalled, and the names of my fathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they be teeming multitudes upon the earth.”
Original Word: מֲלְאָךְ
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: malak
Phonetic Spelling: (mal-awk')
Definition: a messenger
(Strong's Concordance)
(א) אמנם שהמלאכים נמצאים - זה ממה שאין צריך שתובא עליו ראיה תוריה כי זה כתוב ב'תורה' במקומות רבים. וכבר ידעת כי 'אלוקים' - שם השופטים "עד האלוקים יבוא דבר שניהם"; ולזה הושאל השם למלאכים ולאלוה - להיות שופט על המלאכים; ולזה אמר כי יי' אלוקיכם" - וזה סיפור למין האדם כולו - ואחר כך אמר "הוא אלוקי האלוקים" - רצונו לומר אלוה המלאכים - "ואדוני האדונים" - אדון הגלגלים והכוכבים שהם 'אדונים' לכל גוף זולתם. זהו הענין לא שיהיה 'אלוקי' ו'אדונים' ממין האדם שהם יותר פחותים מזה; וכל שכן שאמרו 'אלוקיכם' כולל כל מין האדם ראשיו ונעבדיו. ואי אפשר שיהיה הנרצה בו גם כן שהוא ית' אדון על כל מה שיחשב בו אלוהות מאבן ועץ שאין הגדלה וכבוד בהיות האלוה אדון האבן והעץ וחתיכת מתכת; ואמנם הנרצה - שהוא ית' השופט על השופטים - רצוני לומר המלאכים - ואדון הגלגלים:
(ב) וכבר קדם לנו בזה המאמר פרק בבאור המלאכים אינם גופות. וזה גם כן הוא מה שאמרו אריסטו; אלא שהנה - התחלפות שם הוא יאמר שכלים נפרדים ואנו נאמר 'מלאכים'. ואמנם אמרו הוא שאלו השכלים הנפרדים הם גם כן אמצעיים בין האלוה ית' ובין הנמצאות ושבאמצעותם יתנועעו הגלגלים אשר הוא סיבת היות ההוות - זה גם כן כתוב בכל הספרים שאתה לא תמצא כלל פועל שיעשהו האלוה אלא 'על ידי מלאך'. וכבר ידעת שענין 'מלאך' שליח וכל עושה מעשה מצוה הוא 'מלאך' עד שתנועות בעלי החיים ואפילו שאינם מדברים סיפר הכתוב עליהם שהם 'על ידי מלאך' כשתאות התנועה ההיא לכונת האלוה אשר שם בו כח יניעהו התנועה ההיא. אמר "אלוקי שלחני מלאכה וסגר פום אריותא ולא חבלוני" - ותנועות 'אתון בלעם' כולם 'על ידי מלאך'; עד שהיסודות יקראו גם כן 'מלאכים' "עושה מלאכיו רוחות משרתיו אש לוהט". והנה יתבאר לך ש'מלאך' יאמר על השליח מן האנשים "וישלח יעקב מלאכים"; ויאמר על הנביא "ויעל מלאך יי מן הגלגל אל הבוכים"; "וישלח מלאך ויוציאנו ממצרים"; ויאמר על השכלים הנפרדים שיראו לנביאים 'במראה הנבואה'; ויאמר על הכוחות החיוניות כמו שנבאר.
(ג)
Moses ben Maimon/Maimonides (Spain/Egypt 1138-1204)
(1) As for the existence of angels, there is no necessity to cite any proof from Scripture, where the fact is frequently mentioned.
(2) We have already stated above that the angels are incorporeal. This agrees with the opinion of Aristotle: there is only this difference in the names employed--he uses the term "Intelligences," and we say instead "angels." ... But "angel" means "messenger"; hence every one that is entrusted with a certain mission is an angel.
The elements are also called angels. ... It is also used of ideals, perceived by prophets in prophetic visions, and of man's animal powers, as will be explained in another place.
(3) [As for the texts that say] "God does nothing without consulting the host above..."
These passages do not convey the idea that God spoke, thought, reflected, or that God consulted and employed the opinion of other beings, as ignorant persons have believed. How could the Creator be assisted by those whom God created! They only show that all parts of the Universe, even the limbs of animals in their actual form, are produced through angels: for natural forces and angels are identical. How bad and injurious is the blindness of ignorance!
Our Sages have already stated--for those who have understanding--that all forces that reside in a body are angels, much more the forces that are active in the Universe. The theory that each force acts only in one particular way, is expressed in Beresheet Rabba (chap. 1.) as follows: "One angel does not perform two things, and two angels do not perform one thing"; this is exactly the property of all forces.
"R. Jochanan said that Judah was about to pass by [without noticing Tamar], but God caused the angel of lust, i.e., the libidinous disposition, to present himself to him." Man's disposition is here called an angel.
(4) We have already stated that the forms in which angels appear form part of the prophetic vision. Some prophets see angels in the form of man, others perceive an angel as a fearful and terrible being, others see them as fire,
Another passage in Beresheet Rabba (ibid.) runs thus: "Before the angels have accomplished their task they are called men, when they have accomplished it they are angels."
R. Shimon said: There is not a single blade of grass in the heavens that does not have an angel which strikes it and says, “Grow, grow!”
(ה) וּמִ֨תּוֹכָ֔הּ דְּמ֖וּת אַרְבַּ֣ע חַיּ֑וֹת וְזֶה֙ מַרְאֵֽיהֶ֔ן דְּמ֥וּת אָדָ֖ם לָהֵֽנָּה׃ (ו) וְאַרְבָּעָ֥ה פָנִ֖ים לְאֶחָ֑ת וְאַרְבַּ֥ע כְּנָפַ֖יִם לְאַחַ֥ת לָהֶֽם׃ (ז) וְרַגְלֵיהֶ֖ם רֶ֣גֶל יְשָׁרָ֑ה וְכַ֣ף רַגְלֵיהֶ֗ם כְּכַף֙ רֶ֣גֶל עֵ֔גֶל וְנֹ֣צְצִ֔ים כְּעֵ֖ין נְחֹ֥שֶׁת קָלָֽל׃ (ח) וידו [וִידֵ֣י] אָדָ֗ם מִתַּ֙חַת֙ כַּנְפֵיהֶ֔ם עַ֖ל אַרְבַּ֣עַת רִבְעֵיהֶ֑ם וּפְנֵיהֶ֥ם וְכַנְפֵיהֶ֖ם לְאַרְבַּעְתָּֽם׃ (ט) חֹֽבְרֹ֛ת אִשָּׁ֥ה אֶל־אֲחוֹתָ֖הּ כַּנְפֵיהֶ֑ם לֹא־יִסַּ֣בּוּ בְלֶכְתָּ֔ן אִ֛ישׁ אֶל־עֵ֥בֶר פָּנָ֖יו יֵלֵֽכוּ׃ (י) וּדְמ֣וּת פְּנֵיהֶם֮ פְּנֵ֣י אָדָם֒ וּפְנֵ֨י אַרְיֵ֤ה אֶל־הַיָּמִין֙ לְאַרְבַּעְתָּ֔ם וּפְנֵי־שׁ֥וֹר מֵֽהַשְּׂמֹ֖אול לְאַרְבַּעְתָּ֑ן וּפְנֵי־נֶ֖שֶׁר לְאַרְבַּעְתָּֽן׃ (יא) וּפְנֵיהֶ֕ם וְכַנְפֵיהֶ֥ם פְּרֻד֖וֹת מִלְמָ֑עְלָה לְאִ֗ישׁ שְׁ֚תַּיִם חֹבְר֣וֹת אִ֔ישׁ וּשְׁתַּ֣יִם מְכַסּ֔וֹת אֵ֖ת גְּוִיֹתֵיהֶֽנָה׃ (יב) וְאִ֛ישׁ אֶל־עֵ֥בֶר פָּנָ֖יו יֵלֵ֑כוּ אֶ֣ל אֲשֶׁר֩ יִֽהְיֶה־שָׁ֨מָּה הָר֤וּחַ לָלֶ֙כֶת֙ יֵלֵ֔כוּ לֹ֥א יִסַּ֖בּוּ בְּלֶכְתָּֽן׃ (יג) וּדְמ֨וּת הַחַיּ֜וֹת מַרְאֵיהֶ֣ם כְּגַחֲלֵי־אֵ֗שׁ בֹּֽעֲרוֹת֙ כְּמַרְאֵ֣ה הַלַּפִּדִ֔ים הִ֕יא מִתְהַלֶּ֖כֶת בֵּ֣ין הַחַיּ֑וֹת וְנֹ֣גַהּ לָאֵ֔שׁ וּמִן־הָאֵ֖שׁ יוֹצֵ֥א בָרָֽק׃ (יד) וְהַחַיּ֖וֹת רָצ֣וֹא וָשׁ֑וֹב כְּמַרְאֵ֖ה הַבָּזָֽק׃
(5) And out of the midst thereof came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man. (6) And every one had four faces, and every one of them had four wings. (7) And their feet were straight feet; and the sole of their feet was like the sole of a calf’s foot; and they sparkled like the colour of burnished brass. (8) And they had the hands of a man under their wings on their four sides; and as for the faces and wings of them four, (9) their wings were joined one to another; they turned not when they went; they went every one straight forward. (10) As for the likeness of their faces, they had the face of a man; and they four had the face of a lion on the right side; and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four had also the face of an eagle. (11) Thus were their faces; and their wings were stretched upward; two wings of every one were joined one to another, and two covered their bodies. (12) And they went every one straight forward; whither the spirit was to go, they went; they turned not when they went. (13) As for the likeness of the living creatures, their appearance was like coals of fire, burning like the appearance of torches; it flashed up and down among the living creatures; and there was brightness to the fire, and out of the fire went forth lightning. (14) And the living creatures ran and returned as the appearance of a flash of lightning.
(24) So He drove out the man; and He placed at the east of the garden of Eden the cherubim, and the flaming sword which turned every way, to keep the way to the tree of life.
(2) and he lifted up his eyes and looked, and, lo, three men stood over against him; and when he saw them, he ran to meet them from the tent door, and bowed down to the earth,
(ב) והנה שלשה אנשים אֶחָד לְבַשֵׂר אֶת שָׂרָה וְאֶחָד לַהֲפֹךְ אֶת סְדוֹם וְאֶחָד לְרַפְּאוֹת אֶת אַבְרָהָם, שֶׁאֵין מַלְאָךְ אֶחָד עוֹשֶׂה שְׁתֵּי שְׁלִיחֻיּוֹת (בראשית רבה)
(2) והנה שלשה אנשים AND BEHOLD THREE MEN — one to announce to Sarah the birth of a son, one to overthrow Sodom, and one to cure Abraham, for one angel does not carry out two commissions (Genesis Rabbah 50).
(יא) רבי אליעזר בן יעקב אומר, העושה מצוה אחת, קונה לו פרקליט אחד.והעובר עברה אחת, קונה לו קטיגור אחד.תשובה ומעשים טובים , כתריס בפני הפרענות .
(11) Rabbi Eliezer ben Yaakov says: One who does a single commandment acquires a single defender. One who does a single sin acquires a single prosecutor. Repentance and good deeds are like a shield against punishment.
(יא) פרקליט מלאך מליץ טוב:
(11) "Defender": A good interceding angel.