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b-hebrew - Re: [b-hebrew] Satan

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  • From: Peter Kirk <peter AT qaya.org>
  • To: Yigal Levin <leviny1 AT mail.biu.ac.il>
  • Cc: b-hebrew <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Satan
  • Date: Tue, 05 Sep 2006 23:56:34 +0100

On 05/09/2006 23:41, Yigal Levin wrote:
...
First of all, there is no "Satan", as an individual being, in the Tanakh. "Ha-satan" means "the adversary", and I'm not even sure if the same being is meant in all cases. Note 1 Kings 11:14 and 23, in which God sends a "satan" against Solomon - in both cases mere humans!

Perhaps you need to direct this comment at Shoshanna, who seems to consider Satan to be an individual being in the Tanakh. But I agree that the word is also used as a common noun. This is a bit like Hebrew 'adam, which is regularly a common noun, but does not imply that Adam is not an individual person in the Tanakh.
Second, in Jewish tradition, the snake of Gen. 3 has nothing at all to do with Satan. He's just a jealous, clever, talking snake. At most, he represents our own human "yetser ha-ra", our "evil inclination", which is ours to overcome.

Now I'm confused. Liz Fried wrote:
Satan is mentioned in the Talmud as the source of sin and temptation and is
identified with the serpent in the garden of Eden (Sota 9b, Sanh. 29a).

And Shoshanna agreed when she replied:
Yes, that is what I said - that Satan is an angel whose job it is to tempt man to disobey G-d, hence sin, and that the serpent was Satan.

Perhaps Jewish tradition is divided on this point.

God, as Creator of all, is also the creator of evil. If there were no evil, there would be no free choise and no reward for overcoming evil. The idea of there being a powerful, almost god-like, evil being that carries on a cosmic struggle against God is a pagan one, which found its way into some parts of post-biblical Judaism and from there into Christianity.

Understood, although I might dispute the origin of this idea. But it seems to be in Shoshanna's version of Judaism, if not yours, as well as in my Christianity.

--
Peter Kirk
E-mail: peter AT qaya.org
Blog: http://speakertruth.blogspot.com/
Website: http://www.qaya.org/





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