The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1881-05-02
[St. James's Gazette.]
ASmOdeOuS among the RabbinS.


The central figure of rabbinical demonology
is Asmodeus -"Ashmedai' he is called-the
demon prince, known also as SamaGl, the
"Malach d'mavtha." or Angel of Death.
Round him cluster the most interesting of the
Agadoth regarding evil spirits and demons.
The Ashmedai OF tho Talmud is quite unlike
his irrecaimably wicked namesake, notorious
in medieval church annals. The Jewish do
mon prince has different origin. He has Pc
culiarities that SAVIOR, so to speak, of the syna-
gogue. He was formed, runs the Agadic leg
end, of the vaporous ether that flecks the
moons surface. He is skilled in every kind of
knowledge, is an adept in heavenly
and earthly sciences, and can fore
tell the future. Every day he ascends to heav-
en- and attends with other angels, the celestial
academies of learning. Every day he descends
again to earth, and visits in human form the
rabbinical colleges, and hears the disputations
and discussions on Halacha and Agada-Law
and Legend. He and his subordinates occa-
s:onally do the Jews good turn Thus when
Esther was married to Ahasuerus-contrary
to Jewish custom-the Persian monarch was
tricked. An obliging demon took the shape
and form of the Jewish maiden in the harem,
while she herself, removed by another spirit
was at home with her uncle Mordecai Ash
medal is altogether an odd mixture of good
and bad, of noble impulses and degrading ten
denotes. A legend connected with King Solo
mon and the Temple building will show the
Jewish demon prince in the most favorable
light. Tradition records that none of the
stones used for the Temple were cut by mans
agency. They were quarred, shaped and
| squared by worm-the Shameer. Thus runs
| the story: When Solomon commenced to
| build he asked the rabbins how he was to
| square the stones. "There is a worm," they
said, "the 'Shameer,' created at the beginning
| of the world, which cleaves every substance
upon which it is placed" Where can OBJ
| tain it?" asked the king. The rabbins advised
him to consult a male and female demon and
| compel them to disclose to him where the
| worm was to be found. He accordingly con-
| lured two demons into his presence. They
knew nothing of the Shameer but suggested
that Solomon should apply to their king Ash
dim, sin a neighboring mountain and covered
| it with stone impressed with his own seal.
Every day he comes to drink, ,s6rst seeing that
the seal is untouched, and then rcseals it, so
that none can open it," Beniah, the wise son
| OF Jehodiah, was thereupon dispatched to trap
the Tempter. He took with him Solomon )
seal and heavy chain, upon both of which
| was the ineffable name-the Shem- ham-foresh
| and several skins of wine. Benaiah went to
work as follows: He first dug pit below the
demons well, and making passage between
the two, the water ran off into the former.
The passage was then plugged up. He now
dug another pit on a higher level than the
well, with underground communication be-
| tween them. Into this he emptied the wine,
which Of course filled the demons reservoir.
Smoothing the ground, Benaiah waited. Ash
medal came as usual, found his seal un-
touched. opened the we'll, and discovered
wine! The temptation proved great, and
he drank; drank till the wine got into his head
and he slept. Benaiah then threw upon his neck
the chain with the "Wondrous Name" upon it,
and the Ashmedai was led off to Jerusalem. On
the way the demons conduct was extremely
characteristic. He met a blind man going
astray, and showed HIM the right way. He
saw a drunkard staggering along, aud went
forward TO assist him. He passed where a
marriage ceremony was taking place. and wept
aloud. He heard man order a pair of san
dals to last seven years, and laughed outright
Lastly, he came upon wizard who was en'
gagged in divnation, and he roared with laugh
ter. Benaiah asked him TO explain all this.
"Why did you put the blind man right" "Be
cause" said Ashmedai, che was just man;
and Heaven has decreed that whosoever shows
him a kindness will have portion in the
world to come!" "Why, then, did you helI
the drunkard?" Because he is utterly bad
and will enjoy no after-life; l therefore wished
to rende- him at least trifiing service in thi
i World ny uiU you weep Wnen you saw
the wedding processon?" "Because the bride.
groom was doomed to uie within thirty days
"Why did you laugh when the man ordered
his sanda!s?" Because he wanted them t.
last seven years, aud he knew not that h
would live seven days" "And why, lastly
did you laugh so immoderately at the wizard?'
Because the impostor, pretending to sorcery
was actually sitting on an immense treasure
and knew nothing of it" When brought be
fore Solomon, Ashmedai informed the kim
where the Shameer was to be found, and tn,
stones were then cut by the worm The con
duct of Ashmedai and the conversation be
tween him and Benaiah show how different i
the Satan of rabbinical tradition from the me
nastic representations of the devil.