Chapter 1 (PDF) - Stanford University Press

the zohar [1:6b]
over its prey, 274 consuming sacrifices like a fierce warrior, while all
crouching 275
hid themselves away, not venturing out.
dogs
``When sins prevailed, He descended to the rungs below, 276
lion, no longer willing to provide its prey. He, as it were, killed it. He slew
that
lion, really! Within the pit (ibid.)Ðin plain sight of the evil OtherSide. 277
the
dogÐits face a dog. 279
image of a lion . . . See BT Yoma
274.
``Five things were reported about the
21b:
of the pile of wood on the Temple altar:
fire
crouched like a lion, it was as clear as
it
its flame was of substance, it devoured
sunlight,
wet wood like dry wood, and it
no smoke to rise.'' Cf. Zohar 3:32b,
caused
241a; Todros Abulafia, Sha'ar ha-Ra-
211a,
90. zim,
dogs The demonic powers.
275.
He descended . . . Sin severed the
276.
between Yesod and Shekhinah,
connection
the flow of emanation became available
and
``the rungs below,'' the demonic forces.
to
holy lion no longer received its prey
The
was thus killed, as it were, by Yesod.
and
aḥra bisha), the demonic realm, which
(Sitra
the shadow of the divine.
represents
light,'' though here connected by the
my
the similar-sounding B FKZ
Zoharwith
(Ariel), sym-
of the Temple. Uriel is one of the four
bol
of the Presence (along with Michael,
angels
and Raphael), who surround the
Gabriel,
throne. In Kabbalah these angels of
divine
Presence are identified with the four
the
creatures seen by Ezekiel. Uriel appears
holy
as the figure of the eagle, sometimes
sometimes
as the lion.
1 Enoch 9:1; 2 Esdras 4:1; Pesiqta
See
46; Bemidbar Rabbah 2:10; Midrash
Rabbati
(Beit ha-Midrash, 2:39); cf. Zohar
Konen
211a. 3:32b,
king of Babylon (722±710 b.c.e.),
Baladan,
whom King Hezekiah of Judea had
with
See 2 Kings 20:12±13; Isaiah 39:1±2,
contact.
he is named Merodach Baladan son
where
Baladan. On this the Talmud (BT Sanhedrin
of
96a) comments: ``Why was he called
the son of Baladan?
[Merodach-]Baladan
has been told: Baladan was a king whose
It
turned into that of a dog, so his son
face
upon his throne instead. In his docu-
sat
he wrote his own name and the
ments
of his father, King Baladan.'' Bala-
name
dog-face is probably a rabbinic explanatiodan's
of the dogs seen on Assyrian-
monuments (Ginzberg, Legends,
Babylonian
n. 82).
6:368,
of the demons. See OY; Shoshan
prince
104; Scholem, in Madda'ei ha-Yahadut
Sodot,
(1926): 112±27. In the continuation of the
1
cited above (note 274), BT Yoma 21b
passage
that in the First Temple the fire on
observes
altarappeared crouching like a lion,
the
in the Second Temple it crouched like a
while
See Zohar 3:32b, 211a.
dog.
the donkey-driver blends several of
Here
traditions to describe a demonic figure
these
the face of a dog who is empowered to
with
sacrifices.
devourthe
and He killed
Seeing this, that OtherSide was emboldened to send a dog to eat the offerings.
is the name of that lion? B BKZG N (Uri'el), forhis face is the face of B FKZ
What
a lion. 278 What is the name of that dog? C EBN Q (Bal'adan) isitsname,
(aryeh),
is excluded from the category of B E O (adam), human, but is rather a
forit
On a snowy dayÐa day when sins prevailed, and
name of that dog? C EBN Q
279.
(Bal'adan)...
The name derives from Merodach
40
evil Other Side S BZJ BZIB B[KC
277.
EBN
Q
(Bal'adan) is a demonic figure
Here
C
(bal
B BKZG N (Uri'el)... Literally, ``God is
278.
whose name is taken to mean:
NC
EB
O
adam), ``not human.'' KP refers to non-Jewish
traditions concerning C BNK E (Bil'ad),
magical
B
BKZ
(aryeh), ``lion'' and with
N