# Zohar on the Many-Eyed Demon of Seduction and Death *Sourcesheet for Liz* ## *Sitrei Torah*, Zohar 1:148a–b Aramaic (vocalized): Sefaria edition · English: Daniel C. Matt, *The Zohar: Pritzker Edition*, vol. 11 | | | |---|---| |1. Mystery of mysteries: Out of the scorching noon of Isaac, out of the dregs of wine, a cramped cluster—male and female together, crimson as a rose, splitting in many directions and paths. The male, called Samael, his female always contained within him. Just as it is on the side of holiness, so it is on the Other Side: male and female embracing one another. Samael's woman is called Serpent, Woman of Whoredom, End of All Flesh, End of Days. Two vile spirits joined as one: spirit of the male is subtle; the spirit of the female diffused in many ways and paths, but joined to the spirit of the male. [162]|**א. סִתְּרָא דְסִתְּרִין, מִגּוֹ דְתּוּקְפָּא דְטִיהֲרָא דְיִצְּחָק (נפק), מִגּוֹ דוּרְדַּיָא דְחַמְרָא, נָפַּק חַד נְעִיצּוּ קְטִירָא, כָּלִיל חַד דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא, סוּמְקָא כְּוַורְדָא, מִתְּפָּרְשָׁן לְכַמָּה סִטְרִין וּשְׁבִילִין. דְּכוּרָא אִקְרֵי סמאל, נוּקְבֵיהּ כְּלִילָא בְּגַוִּיהּ תָּדִיר. כְּמָה דְאִיהוּ בִּסְטַר קְדוּשָׁה, הָכִי נָמֵי בְּסִטְרָא אָחֳרָא, דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא כְּלִילָן דָּא בְּדָא. נוּקְבָא דִּסמאל, נָחָשׁ, אִקְרֵי אשתּ זְנוּנִים, (בראשית י) [צ"ל הושע א] קֵץ כָּל בָּשָׂר, קֵץ הַיָּמִים. תְּרֵין רוּחִין בִּישִׁין מִתְּדַּבְּקָן כְּחֲדָא, רוּחָא דִדְכוּרָא דַּקִּיק. רוּחָא דְּנוּקְבָא, בְּכַמָּה אוֹרְחִין וּשְׁבִילִין מִתְּפַּרְשָׁא, וּמִתְּדַּבְּקָא בְּהַהוּא רוּחא דִּדְכוּרָא.**| |2. She bedecks herself with all sorts of jewelry, like a repulsive prostitute loitering at the crossroads to seduce men. The fool who approaches her—she grabs him and kisses him, pouring him wine from the dregs, from the venom of vipers. Once he drinks, he strays after her. Seeing him stray from the path of truth, she strips herself of all her finery that she dangled before that fool. [163]|**ב. קַשִׁיטַתּ גַּרְמָהּ בְּכַמָּה תַּכְשִׁיטִין סִתְּרָא (ס"א סטרא) דְרָזָא כְּזוֹנָה, מְרַחֲקָא קָיְימַתּ בְּרֵישׁ אוֹרְחִין וּשְׁבִילִין, לְפַּתָּאָה בְּנֵי נָשָׁא. שַׁטְיָא דְּקָרִיב בַּהֲדָהּ, אַתְּקִיפַּתּ בֵּיהּ וְנַשְׁקַתּ לֵיהּ, מָסְכַתּ לֵיהּ חַמְרָא דְּדוּרְדַיָא, דִּמְרוֹרַתּ פְּתָּנִים. כֵּיוָן דְּשָׁתֵּי, אַסְטֵי אֲבַתְּרָהּ, לְבָתַּר דְּחָמַאתּ לֵיהּ סָטֵי אֲבַתְּרָהּ מֵאוֹרְחָא דִקְשׁוֹט, אַפְּשִׁיטַתּ גַּרְמָהּ מִכָּל אִינוּן תִּקּוּנִין דְּהֲוַתּ מִתְּתַּקְנָא לְגַבֵּי דְהַהוּא שַׁטְיָא.**| |3. Her adornments for seducing men: her hair all coiffed, rosy-red, her face white and scarlet, six trinkets dangling from her ears, [her bed covered] with Egyptian linen, on her neck all the laurels of the East, her mouth slightly puckered, gorgeously decked-out! Tongue pointed like a sword, her words smooth like oil, her lips ravishing, crimson as a rose, sweet with all the sweetness of the world. Attired in purple, she is adorned with forty adornments minus one. [164]|**ג. תִּקּוּנִין דִּילָהּ, לְפַּתָּאָה לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא. שַׂעֲרָהָא מְתַּקְנִין סוּמְקָן כְּוַורְדָא, אַנְפָּהָא חִוְורִין וְסוּמְקִין. בְּאוּדְנָהָא תַּלְיָין שִׁיתָּא תִּקּוּנִין אַטוּנָא דְמִצְּרַיִם, תַּלְיָין עַל קַדְלָהָא כָּל חֵילֵי דְאַרְעָא דְּקָדָם. פִּיהָ מִתְּתַּקְנא בִּפְּתִּיחוּ דַּקִּיק יָאֶה בְּתִּקּוּנהָא, לִישָׁנָא חֲדִידָא כְּחַרְבָּא, שְׁעִיעָן מִלָּהָא כְּמִשְׁחָא. שִׂפְּוָוהָא יָאָן סוּמְקִין כְּוַורְדָא, מְתִּיקוּ בְּכָל מְתִּיקוּ דְעַלְמָא, אַרְגְּוְונָא לְבָשַׁתּ, אִתְּתַּקָּנַתּ בְּאַרְבָּעִין תִּקּוּנִין, חָסֵר (ויקרא קי"ד ע"ב) חַד.**| |4. This fool follows her and drinks from the cup of wine. He fornicates with her, straying after her. What does she do? She deserts him lying asleep in bed. She ascends, denounces him, obtains permission, and descends. That fool awakens, planning to cavort with her as before, but she has discarded her embellishments, returning as a fierce warrior confronting him. Arrayed in armor of flashing fire, his awesome terror induces tremors [148b] in body and soul. Full of fearsome eyes, sharp-edged sword in his hand, bitter drops suspended there. He kills that fool, and flings him into Hell. [165]|**ד. שַׁטְיָא (דא) סָטֵי אֲבַתְּרָהָא, וְשָׁתֵּי מִכַּסָּא דְחַמְרָא וְעֲבִיד בָּהּ נִיאוּפִּין ואַסְטֵי אֲבַתְּרָהּ. מָה עָבְדַתּ, שַׁבְקַתּ לֵיהּ נָאִים בְּעַרְסָא, וְסָלְקַתּ לְעֵילָא וְאַלְשִׁינַתּ עֲלֵיהּ, וְנָטְלָא רשוּ וְנַחֲתָּא. אִתְּעַר הַהוּא שַׁטְיָא וְחָשַׁב לְחַיְיכָא בַּהֲדָהּ כְּקַדְמִיתָּא, וְהִיא אַעֲדִיאַתּ תִּקּוּנָהָא מִינָהּ, וְאִתְּהַדְּרַתּ גִּיבַּר תַּקִּיף קָאִים לְקֳבְלֵיהּ, לָבִישׁ לְבוּשָׁא דְּנוּרָא מְלַהֲטָא, בִּדְחִילוּ תַּקִּיף מְרַתְּתָּא גַּרְמָא וְנַפְּשָׁא (ערומה). מַלְיָיא דְּעַיְינִין דַּחֲלָן, חַרְבָּא שְׁנָנָא בִּידֵיהּ (בידה), טִיפִּין מְרִירָן תַּלְיָין מֵהַהוּא חַרְבָּא, קָטִיל לֵיהּ לְהַהוּא שַׁטְיָא, וְאַרְמֵי לֵיהּ לְגוֹ גֵּיהִנֹּם.**| ## Commentary by Daniel Matt **[162] Scorching noon of Isaac…** Isaac signifies גְּבוּרָה (*gevurah*, might/judgment), exercising judgment in the world. When its fire rages out of control, the Other Side is aroused from the refuse ("dregs") of the side of holiness, wreaking fury. Samael's female consort is Lilith, but here *Sitrei Torah* avoids mentioning her name. The entire passage is a parable describing the wiles of temptation. The phrase אֵשֶׁת זְנוּנִים (*eshet zenunim*, Woman of Whoredom) is from Hosea 1:2. "End of All Flesh" and "End of Days" are hyperliteral personifications of biblical phrases. On "End of All Flesh," see Genesis 6:13. On "End of Days," see Genesis 4:3; 2 Samuel 14:26; 1 Kings 17:7; Jeremiah 13:6; Nehemiah 13:6. Cf. *Zohar* 1:35b, 54a–b, 58a, 75a (*ST*), 152b; 62b–63a; 2:33a, 134a–b; *ZḤ* 63c (*ShS*), 83b (*MhN, Rut*); Moses de León, *Sefer ha-Rimmon*, 75, 315; idem, *Sheqel ha-Qodesh*, 80–81 (102–3); idem, *Sefer Mishkan ha-Edut*, 134; Todros Abulafia, *Otsar ha-Kavod, Pesaḥim* 56a (14a). "Cramped" renders נְעִיצּוּ (*ne'itsu*), deriving from נָעִיץ (*na'its*, wedge-like ditch); נָעַץ (*na'ats*, to prick, perforate, stick); or נַעֲצוּץ (*na'atsuts*, thorn or wicked person). On this parable of the "woman of whoredom," who signifies temptation, cf. *Zohar* 3:231b; Moses de León, *Sefer Mishkan ha-Edut*, 48–49. On this passage, see Tishby, *Wisdom of the Zohar*, 2:538–39. Cf. Scholem. **[163] She bedecks herself with all sorts of jewelry…** At first, sin entices with various lures, but ultimately those charms fall away. On the whore's dupe as a שַׁטְיָא (*shatya*, fool), see BT *Sotah* 3a, in the name of Resh Lakish: *A person does not commit a transgression unless a spirit of folly enters into him.* This depiction of the whore's advances derives from Proverbs 7:13. On the venom of vipers, see Job 20:14. **[164] Her adornments…** On the "[bed covered] with Egyptian linen," see Proverbs 7:16. "Forty adornments minus one" corresponds to the number of lashes administered by the court for certain violations. Ultimately, her embellishments turn into punishments. On the number of lashes, see M *Makkot* 3:10. On these adornments, see *Or Yaqar*; *Ketem Paz*; *Matoq mi-Devash*. **[165] Fierce warrior…** Lilith reveals that she and her stint as a harlot were a guise adopted by Samael—who is her inner essence, and who is represented here as the Angel of Death. She leaves the sinner while he is sleeping, without an opportunity to repent. On Lilith's betrayal of the fool, see the description of Satan's activity in BT *Bava Batra* 16a: *He descends and leads astray, ascends and arouses wrath, obtains authorization and seizes the soul.* See *Zohar* 2:33b, 268b (*Heikh*). On the arrival of the Angel of Death, see BT *Avodah Zarah* 20b: *It has been said of the Angel of Death that he is completely full of eyes. When a sick person is about to die, he stands above the head of the bed. In his hand is a drawn sword with a bitter drop suspended. When the sick person sees him, he is terrified and opens his mouth. The angel flings the drop inside. From this drop he dies; from this drop he turns putrid; from this drop his face turns green.* On the Angel of Death's fire, see BT *Mo'ed Qatan* 28a. On seeing his drawn sword, see *Ḥibbut ha-Qever* (in *Beit ha-Midrash*, 1:150, 152; ed. Higger, 258–61); *Kallah Rabbati* 3:1; *Zohar* 3:126b; Moses de León, *Sefer ha-Rimmon*, 393. Cf. idem, *Sefer Mishkan ha-Edut*, 52. On the Angel of Death (or other celestial or demonic entities) as being "full of eyes," see Ezekiel 1:18; 10:12; *Eikhah Rabbah* 1:29; Schäfer, *Synopse zur Hekhalot-Literatur*, §§29, 33, 40–41, 596, 873; *Ḥibbut ha-Qever*, ed. Higger, 258; *Beit ha-Midrash*, 1:150, 152; *Kallah Rabbati* 3:1; *Bemidbar Rabbah* 12:3; *Zohar* 2:202a; 3:126b; *Matoq mi-Devash*. Cf. *Zohar* 2:98b. Concerning the bitter drops on the sword of the Angel of Death, see *Zohar* 2:264a, 267a (both *Heikh*). Cf. *Zohar* 3:231b. On this passage, see *Or Yaqar*; Mopsik; *Matoq mi-Devash*. ![[2605.png]]