(ז) וְלָקַ֖ח אֶת־שְׁנֵ֣י הַשְּׂעִירִ֑ם וְהֶעֱמִ֤יד אֹתָם֙ לִפְנֵ֣י יהוה פֶּ֖תַח אֹ֥הֶל מוֹעֵֽד׃ (ח) וְנָתַ֧ן אַהֲרֹ֛ן עַל־שְׁנֵ֥י הַשְּׂעִירִ֖ם גֹּרָל֑וֹת גּוֹרָ֤ל אֶחָד֙ לַיהוה וְגוֹרָ֥ל אֶחָ֖ד לַעֲזָאזֵֽל׃ (ט) וְהִקְרִ֤יב אַהֲרֹן֙ אֶת־הַשָּׂעִ֔יר אֲשֶׁ֨ר עָלָ֥ה עָלָ֛יו הַגּוֹרָ֖ל לַיהוה וְעָשָׂ֖הוּ חַטָּֽאת׃ (י) וְהַשָּׂעִ֗יר אֲשֶׁר֩ עָלָ֨ה עָלָ֤יו הַגּוֹרָל֙ לַעֲזָאזֵ֔ל יׇֽעֳמַד־חַ֛י לִפְנֵ֥י יהוה לְכַפֵּ֣ר עָלָ֑יו לְשַׁלַּ֥ח אֹת֛וֹ לַעֲזָאזֵ֖ל הַמִּדְבָּֽרָה׃
(7) Aaron shall take the two he-goats and let them stand before God at the entrance of the Tent of Meeting; (8) and he shall place lots upon the two goats, one marked for God and the other marked for Azazel. (9) Aaron shall bring forward the goat designated by lot for God, which he is to offer as a sin offering; (10) while the goat designated by lot for Azazel shall be left standing alive before God, to make atonement with it and to send it off to the wilderness for Azazel.
When Roman Emperor Varus died, Rabbi Simeon ben Yochai was sent to Rome to intercede with Emperor Antoninus Marcus Aurelius and to obtain the nullification of the decrees Varus made against the Jews. Although they knew that Marcus Aurelius was not favorably inclined toward the Jews they trusted his sense of justice for he was known as a kindly and philosophical man.
To accompany Rabbi Simeon the scholars sent Rabbi Elazar, the son of Rabbi Jose ben Chalafta, who could speak Latin. Both arrived in Rome and, with the aid of the Roman Jews, they successfully completed their mission.
Legend relates the following miracle to have occurred during this journey. The emperor’s daughter Lucilla was then possessed by a “devil” or “dybbuk” with the name Bar Tamalion. Rabbi Simeon ben Yochai expelled the spirit and as a reward the emperor told him to enter the treasury and to choose the most valuable gift. Rabbi Simeon entered the royal treasury and selected the document of Varus’ decrees against the Jews and he forthwith tore it before the emperor.
Chagigah 16a
Demons resemble angels in three ways: They have wings, they can fly throughout the universe, and they hear what transpires in heaven. They also resemble mortals in that they procreate, eat, and die. They are always invisible, except under special conditions.
The malevolent effects of demons are many: they cause illness and death, especially for the vulnerable (children, women in childbirth); they trouble and deceive the mind, and cause contention in the community of mortals.
(ו) עשרה דברים נבראו בערב שבת בין השמשות, ואלו הן: (1) המזיקין, (2) וקבורתו של משה, (3) ואילו של אברהם אבינו. (4) ויש אומרים, אף צבת בצבת עשויה.
(6) Ten things were created on the eve of the [first] Sabbath at twilight, And these are they... Also the destructive spirits, And the burial place of Moses, our teacher, And the ram of Abraham, our father. And some say: Also the [first human-made] tongs, made with [Divine] tongs.
Rabbeinu Bahya Vayikra 17:7:2
These “demons” were primarily composed of only 2 of the 4 elements which man is made of, i.e. of fire and air (spirit). Seeing that they are also light in weight they can fly all over at will. At the time of their creation they were composed of only two elements instead of the four elements which human beings, animals, as well as the plants have in common. As a result, instead of possessing solid bodies such as human beings and animals which therefore are tangible and easily recognizable, these demons are of such transparent shape that they cannot be easily seen and identified. However, they are able to assume a visible form when they so desire by “dressing up” as if they were humans or animals. Their “bodies” are essentially spiritual in nature The creatures composed of four elements are germane to their environment being a composition of the elements in which they exist, i.e. earth, and they fall sick when the correct balance of their four elements is disturbed so that they die as a result and the respective elements disintegrate each to merge again with its constituent part. These demons experience a similar fate when there is an imbalance in the two elements they consist of.This is what our sages (Chagigah 16) meant when they said that we have been told of six features possessed by these demons to help us identify them. In three respects they are like human beings, whereas in another three respects they are like angels, i.e. disembodied creatures. These demons have wings, can fly, and have foreknowledge of future events just like the angels.
וּפָגְשׁ֤וּ צִיִּים֙ אֶת־אִיִּ֔ים וְשָׂעִ֖יר עַל־רֵעֵ֣הוּ יִקְרָ֑א אַךְ־שָׁם֙ הִרְגִּ֣יעָה לִּילִ֔ית וּמָצְאָ֥ה לָ֖הּ מָנֽוֹחַ׃
Wildcats shall meet hyenas,Goat-demons shall greet each other;There too the lilith shall reposeAnd find herself a resting place.
(אלא) א"ר ירמיה בר אלעזר נחלקו לג' כיתות אחת אומרת נעלה ונשב שם ואחת אומרת נעלה ונעבוד עבודת כוכבים ואחת אומרת נעלה ונעשה מלחמה זו שאומרת נעלה ונשב שם הפיצם ה' וזו שאומרת נעלה ונעשה מלחמה נעשו קופים ורוחות ושידים ולילין וזו שאומרת נעלה ונעבוד עבודת כוכבים (בראשית יא, ט) כי שם בלל ה' שפת כל הארץ
Rather, Rabbi Yirmeya bar Elazar says: They divided into three factions; one said: Let us ascend to the top of the tower and dwell there. And one said: Let us ascend to the top of the tower and engage in idol worship. And one said: Let us ascend to the top of the tower and wage war. With regard to that faction that said: Let us ascend to the top of the tower and dwell there, God dispersed them. And that faction that said: Let us ascend to the top of the tower and wage war, became apes, and spirits, and demons, and female demons. And with regard to that faction that said: Let us ascend to the top of the tower and engage in idol wor-ship, it is written: “Because there the Lord confounded the language of all the earth” (Genesis 11:9).
Guide to Sources:
For each source above, answer the following questions:
1. What dies this source alone teach you about dybbuks, demons, or the supernatural?
2. What response does the source suggest in response to the supernatural?
3. What question(s) or background information would be helpful for you to understand?