Dear Shoshanna,
In Sefer Bamidbar (Numbers) chapter 22 verse 22 we read ×ï÷ ×ô÷º÷¥×ó÷ ×®-×ê÷ ×£
×ê÷±×ú÷¼×î÷¥×ô×ù, ×õ÷º÷¥×ô-×î×ï÷¼×ú÷µ×ö÷ ×î×ï÷º×ê, ×ï÷ ×ô÷º÷¥×÷×ô÷ ×¶÷º÷µ×ë ×û÷ ×ú÷×ê÷ ×ö÷ ×ô÷×î×ï÷½×î ×ë÷º÷ ×ì÷º÷×®÷×ö÷,
×ú÷ש×Ç÷½×ò÷½×ü ×ú×ï÷¼; ×ï÷×î×ï÷º×ê ×®÷¼×õ÷µ×ë ×¢÷ ×ú-×ê÷¾×÷¼×Ý×ï÷¼, ×ï÷º×©×Å÷×Ý÷µ×ô ×Ý÷×¢÷½×®÷½×ô×ï ×¢÷¥×û÷º×ï÷¼ which
suggests that in this situation it was ×û÷ ×ú÷×ê÷ ×ö÷ ×ô÷×î×ï÷½×î acting as ש×Ç÷½×ò÷½×ü,
right? Then in Sefer Shemu'el Alef (1 Samuel) 16:14 we read
×ï÷º×ë÷¥×¢÷¾×÷ ×÷º×ï÷º ×®×ï÷º×ó÷ -×®÷½×¢÷½×î,
×û÷µ×ê÷µ× ×ô÷×î×ï÷½×î that clearly denotes that an "evil spirit from YHWH" terrified
Sha'ul, and not merely "an evil spirit". Also in Sefer Divrei Hayammim Alef
(1 Chronicles) 21:1 we read ×ï÷ ×ô÷º÷ ×¢÷¾×û÷¼×ì ש×Ç÷½×ò÷½×ü, ×¢÷ ×ú-×ô÷¥×©×Ç÷×®÷½×ê÷µ×ú; ×ï÷ ×ô÷º÷½×°÷×,
×ê÷×-×ì÷º÷½×ï÷¥×ô×ì, ×ú÷¥×û÷×Ý×ï÷¼×, ×ê÷×-×ô÷¥×©×Ç÷×®÷½×ê÷µ×ú but in the same account in Sefer
Shemu'el Bet (2 Samuel) 24:1 we read ×ï÷ ×ô÷º÷¼×°÷×£, ×ê÷ ×£-×ô÷×î×ï÷½×î, ×ú÷ ×ó÷¾×®×ï÷¼×,
×ë÷º÷×ô÷¥×©×Ç÷×®÷½×ê÷µ×ú; ×ï÷ ×ô÷º÷½×°÷× ×ê÷×-×ì÷º÷½×ï÷¥×ì ×ë÷º÷½×î÷×ù ×ú÷µ×ê×û÷¼×®, ×ú÷µ×ö÷ ×û÷×Ý÷µ×î ×ê÷×-×ô÷¥×©×Ç÷×®÷½×ê÷µ×ú
×ï÷×ê÷×-×ô÷×î×ï÷º×ì÷½×î , suggesting that the ש×Ç÷½×ò÷½×ü of the account in Divrei
Hayammim is ×ê÷ ×£-×ô÷×î×ï÷½×î, much like it was in Sefer Bamidbar chapter 22.
All the above seem to point to ש×Ç÷½×ò÷½×ü being a servant of ×ô÷×î×ï÷½×î working on
His side against "evil men". So what else does the Miq'ra state about the
concept, or personality of ש×Ç÷½×ò÷½×ü?
We read in Sefer Zekaryah chapter 3 ×ï÷ ×ô÷º÷ ×®÷×ê÷µ×Ý÷¥×ô, ×ê÷×-×ô÷×î×ï÷¼×©×Å÷ª×¢÷ ×î÷ ×õ÷º÷¼×î÷µ×ü
×î÷ ×í÷º÷½×ì×ï÷¼×ú, ×¢÷¼×û÷µ×ì, ×ú÷¥×§÷×Ý÷µ×ô ×û÷ ×ú÷×ê÷ ×ö÷ ×ô÷×î×ï÷½×î; ×ï÷×î÷ ש÷º×Ç÷½×ò÷½×ü ×¢÷¼×û÷µ×ì ×¢÷ ×ú-×ô÷×û÷¥×ô×Ý×ï÷¼,
×ú÷ש×Ç÷¥×ò÷×Ý×ï÷¼ and then ×ï÷ ×ô÷º÷¼×ê×û÷×® ×ô÷×î×ï÷½×î ×ê÷×ú-×î÷ ש÷º×Ç÷½×ò÷½×ü, ×ô÷¥×í÷×¢÷ ×® ×ô÷×î×ï÷½×î ×ë÷º÷×ö÷½
×î÷ ש÷º×Ç÷½×ò÷½×ü, ×ï÷×ô÷¥×í÷×¢÷ ×® ×ô÷×î×ï÷½×î ×ë÷º÷×ö÷½, ×î÷ ×ë÷º÷¼×ó÷µ×® ×ë÷º÷¥×ô×®×ï÷º×©×Å÷½×ú÷½÷¥×ù; ×î÷¾×ú×ï÷¼×ê ×ñ÷×î ×ê×ï÷º×ì,
×û÷ª×¶÷º÷½×ú ×û÷µ×ê÷µ×©×Å which to some would appear as if ש÷º×Ç÷½×ò÷½×ü is the enemy of ×ô÷×î×ï÷½×î,
or at least opposes Him, but in truth the answer lies in the phrase
×ï÷¥×ô×î×ï÷¼×©×Å÷ª×¢÷ ,
×î÷½×ô÷½×î ×ú÷½×ë÷ª×©×Å ×ë÷º÷×í÷½×ì÷¥×ô×ù ×¶×ï÷¼×ê÷¥×ô×ù; ×ï÷×¢÷¼×û÷µ×ì, ×ú÷¥×§÷×Ý÷µ×ô ×î÷ ×û÷º÷ ×ú÷×ê÷½×ö÷, which when
linked with the idea of ×ï÷ ×Ý÷º÷×î÷¥×ô ×õ÷ ×ò÷º÷½×û÷µ×ê ×õ÷º÷ª×ú÷º÷½×Ý×ï÷º, ×ï÷º×õ÷×ë÷×í÷×ì ×¢÷¥×ì÷º÷¥×ô×ù
×õ÷º÷½×ú-×¶÷¥×ì÷×ß÷¼×÷µ×ô×Ý×ï÷º; ×ï÷ ×Ý÷º÷½×ë÷×ú ×õ÷º÷×¢÷½×ú÷×î ×õ÷º÷ª×ú÷º÷½×Ý×ï÷º, ×ï÷ ×¢÷¾×ïÄç÷¼×Ý÷µ×Ý×ï÷º ×õ÷º÷½×®×ï÷º×ó÷
×ô÷¥×©÷º×Ç÷½×ê÷ª×Ý×ï÷º found in Sefer Yishayahu (Isaiah) chapter 64 verse 5 seem to
show us that either Israel or Yohoshu'a had sinned.
And what about in Sefer Iyyov (Job) where it appears that ש÷º×Ç÷½×ò÷½×ü is
tempting Iyyov? Through out this text we see everything attributed to
×ô÷×î×ï÷½×îby Iyyov, and never to the idea of a
ש÷º×Ç÷½×ò÷½×ü, and we see that when the ש÷º×Ç÷½×ò÷½×ü is talking to ×ô÷×î×ï÷½×î that it is
made clear that the ש÷º×Ç÷½×ò÷½×ü can do nothing without the permission of ×ô÷×î×ï÷½×î,
right?
I think it is self-evident in the Miq'ra that the idea of ש÷º×Ç÷½×ò÷½×ü is one of
a messenger of ×ô÷×î×ï÷½×î, or ×ô÷×î×ï÷½×î, Himself, acting as an advesary to wicked
humans, or a test unto humans to see if they will remain loyal to ×ô÷×î×ï÷½×î,
never as an evil-being in opposition to ×ô÷×î×ï÷½×î and out to bring down the
fall of humankind, which in my humble opinion is a pagan idea.
Yohanan bin-Dawidh×ô÷
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