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| Sefer Tziyoni, Korets, 1785. |
This article, following the theme of the previous post, further pursues the notion of demonology within Kabbalistic theology. I have drawn extensively upon the research by Professor Boaz Huss[1], a leading contemporary scholar in Kabbalah. This brief study will show just how far into the occult the mystical tradition is sometimes prepared to go.
Sefer Tziyoni
R. Menachem ben
Meir of Speyer (c.1340 - c.1410), also known as Menachem Tziyoni, was an early
and therefore authoritative Kabbalist. He was a student of a student of
Nachmanides (Ramban) the father of Jewish mysticism. Menachem Tziyoni had spent
some in Jerusalem and when he returned to Germany, he referred to himself as Tziyoni
(the ‘zionist’). In 1384, he wrote a commentary on the Torah entitled Sefer
Tziyoni or Tziyoni al haTorah.
Tzefunei
Tziyoni
Menachem
Tziyoni wrote another work, Tzefunei Tziyoni which shows a focussed kabbalistic
interest in the practice not just of magic but of demonology as well. This book
survives in only two manuscripts and was published for the first time in 1985.
Demonology
Huss (2004:56)
explains that:
“[f]irst and foremost, R. Menachem Ziyyoni was interested in
demons. He enumerates a wide variety of demons and evil powers, and describes
their hierarchy and their emanation from the divine world of the Sefirot.”
Influence from
Zohar
Huss (2004:67)
explains that Menachen Tziyoni:
“connects the various demonological and magical traditions…with
the kabbalistic notion of the left, impure emanations (Sefirot), a concept
developed by thirteenth century Castilian kabbalists, including the Zohar.”
The Zohar was only published for the first time at around 1290. Huss (2004:68)
continues to show that Menachem Tziyoni regarded the left (or negative)
energies of the zoharic Sefirot to be particularly powerful.
Tziyoni writes:
“Know that the emanation and creation that comes forth from the
left side are very deep issues, which are hidden from most of the Kabbalists.
Even great and truthful (kabbalists) who were expert and renown in the secrets
of the Torah, did not notice them…”[2]
Cantillation marks
According to
Menachem Tziyoni, the cantillation marks, or ‘trop’, correlate to
certain divine and demonic energies. This idea was taken from the Castilian kabbalist,
R. Yitzchak haCohen who wrote about such matters in his Ta’amei haTa’amin
(reasons for the cantillation marks).
Seven Demon Kings, Werewolves, Striga and Mares
Tzefunei
Tziyoni describes ‘seven demon kings’ who each
rule on one day of the week.[3] The
Torah commentary Sefer Tziyoni shows a belief in Werewolves, Striga (a
human woman transformed into a monster or vampiress by a curse, who is filled
with hatred towards all living beings and who often has red hair and is four
cubits high, it sometimes transforms into an owl to hunt humans at night) and Mares (a malicious entity in that rides on people's chests while they sleep,
bringing on nightmares.)
Huss (2004:57) informs
us that Menachem Tziyoni cites a number of stories concerning such beings,
which he took from the literature of Chasidei Ashkenaz. According to
Professor Joseph Dan, both these stories were most likely taken from a
compilation written by R. Yehuda heChassid of Chasidei Ashkenaz.
[See Kotzk Blog: 228) CHASIDEI ASHKENAZ – ‘THESE ARE NOT SUPERSTITIONS’!]
In one section
of his Sefer Tziyoni, which was censored from the printed editions, he
writes about a person who was captured by demons, as retribution for writing
amulets to ward off evil spirits, and then forced to marry a demon’s daughter.[4]
Another story
tells of a man who locked a cat in a chest and it turned into a woman he knew.[5]
Angels control
the demons
According to Tzefunei
Tziyoni, angels can be used to control and subdue demons. These angels have
special seals and names “which are known to us”:
“And know, that each party (of demons) is (subordinated) to
certain archons [according to Gnosticism these are builders of the physical
universe][6]
and divine angels, as it is known among men of understanding. And each angel
has a seal and a pennant. And when he shows his subordinate the sign of his
pennant he will immediately exercise his mission.”[7]
Magic circles
of protection
Tzefunei
Tziyoni also believes that the practitioner of such
techniques can be protected by magic circles, sometimes made from burning coal
which prevents any harm befalling him. Such techniques are also discussed in
Menachem Recanati’s Torah commentary.[8]
Controlling the
demon active on Sundays
According to Tzefunei
Tziyoni the following technique can be used to control Almudhab, the
demon active on Sundays:
אלמודהב ממונה על יום ראשון מהנץ החמה עד הלילה וכוכו רב מאוד לאהבה ולמצוא חן, ואם תרצה לדעת כוחו ולנסותו קח כלי מתכות וצייר עליו צורת חומהו וצורת לבנה בעיגול וכתוב על שני הצורות כ״ב פעמים אלמודהב ומחוץ של העיגול ואח״ך תיגע באותו כלי מתכות שזכרנו כל מי שתרצה ותראה פלאות
“Almudhab governs Sundays, from dawn till night. And his power
is very great for love and gaining sympathy. And if you want to know his power
and make use of him, take a vessel made of metals and paint on it the shape of
the sun and moon in a circle, and write on these two shapes twenty-two times
the name Almudhab, as well as outside of the circle. And then touch with this
metallic vessel whomever you want, and you’ll experience wonders.”[9]
Necromancy
Huss (2004:60)
writes (cf., Kotzk Blog: 368) Ramban and his surprising references to
‘necromancy’):
“Following Nahmandes, R. Menachem Ziyyoni describes demon
worship and refers to it as Necromancy. In Sefer Ziyyoni he explains that
necromancers are demonic human beings who anoint themselves with special oil
that enables them to fly and change themselves into animals.”
Looking at cups
In a section
that was again censored from the printed version of Sefer Tzioni, he
describes a technique (which he happens to condemn) taken from sources from Chasidei
Ashkenaz, where the practitioner gazes at cups, fingernails and salt.
Ornithomancy
Menachem
Tziyoni again cites Nachmanides (Ramban) and this time his reference is to
ornithomancy (reading omens from the actions of birds) but he reminds the
practitioner that such techniques require much concentration.
Divining with
the dead
Although Menachem
Tziyoni does not acknowledge his source for divining with the dead, Huss
(2004:62) shows that he also took it from Nachmanides:
“I have received this procedure from those who know how to
practice it. To start[,] a man and a woman station themselves at the head and
foot of a grave and set a rattle between them, similar to the rattles used in
Idolatry. And he says adjurations and strikes the rattle. The man asks the
questions and the woman sees things and tells the future. This kind of
divination is more evident and accurate than divining with demons.”[10]
The reason why divination with the dead is more accurate than divination with demons is most likely because of the belief that demons have a limited ability to see the future as their power only extends to the near future, while the dead see much further into the future.
Huss (2004:64)
writes that because Menachem Tziyoni does not always attribute his sources, his
writing is more of an anthology than an original work. He does not always
approve of the practices, but he still openly describes them in great
detail. For an Ashkenazi rabbi to refer to Sefaradic Kabbalistic sources
(such as Nachmanides) is unusual for that period. This leads Huss (2004:65) to
suggest that he may have become acquainted with such writings while in
Jerusalem, and possibly also from his time in Candia (Crete, the largest of the
Greek isles).
Tziyoni’s
reaction to those who did not believe in demons
The rationalist
tradition of Maimonides did not believe in demons. Menachem Tziyoni had some
sharp reactions to those who did not believe that demons and magic were part of
the Jewish tradition and who simply believed them to be part of a vivid
imagination. Tziyoni regarded such opponents to his mysticism as heretics:
“I hate with all my heart those who hate God, and they are my
enemies. I will smash their brains with a stylus of iron…I will fight them, as
I feel a perfect hatred toward them, (תַּכְלִ֣ית
שִׂנְאָ֣ה, Psalms 139:22)...my sword and my bow are drawn. ”[11]
Huss (2004:72)
points out that a similar anti-rational stance was taken by R. Shem Tov ibn
Shem Tov in his Sefer haEmunot:
“The intention…is to strengthen the belief in the existence of
demons, and evil spirits and impure powers, and angels of destruction and
magic, which is the opinion of the Torah, according to its plain meaning, and
of the sages, and is of general consent. And the philosophers denied these
things because they have not experienced them, nor have they found them
rational. They rejected everything that is denied by reason and not proved by
experience, and they do not rely on tradition…and they bring pretexts against
the books of prophets and kabbalah and deny the existence of evil spirits, and
magic and demons and devils.”
Huss (2004:72)
concludes that Menachem Tziyoni’s writings:
“provide a rich source for the knowledge of 14th
century Jewish magic and demonology, [and] contributed to the inclusion of
these diverse demonological and magical traditions within the kabbalistic body
of knowledge.”
Analysis
Listening to
people speaking about Kabbalah and mysticism today, we get the distinct
impression that we are dealing with ideas similar to quantum physics, modern
psychology and contemporary philosophy. This is how mysticism is presented in modern
times. Yet much of the foundational backbone of this ideology is rooted in the
type of folk superstitions and belief systems which were commonplace in the
past - which appear to originate in first-century Gnosticism - and, as we have
seen, incorporate some very dark notions having more connection to ‘spirits’
than to spirituality.
Further reading
Kotzk Blog: 241) FOLKLORE – ALIVE AND WELL IN A MODERN WORLD:
Kotzk Blog: 261) A WINDOW INTO PRE-ZOHARIC MYSTICAL LITERATURE:
Kotzk Blog: 259) CREATING A PREHISTORY FOR THE ZOHAR?
Kotzk Blog: 262) HOW TO CATCH A THIEF:
Kotzk Blog: 249) WHY WERE THE TEACHINGS OF CHASIDEI ASHKENAZ SO
ELUSIVE?
Kotzk Blog: 255) THE 'LOST RELIGION' OF MAIMONIDES:
Kotzk Blog: 236) THE SOUTH WILL RISE AGAIN?
Kotzk Blog: 245) R. YOSEF KAPACH - THE SUPPRESSION OF A RATIONALIST
TRADITION?
Kotzk Blog: 243) TWO MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE NOTIONS OF HOLINESS:
Kotzk Blog: 240) TWO MUTUALLY EXCLUSIVE NOTIONS OF PRAYER:
[1] Huss, B.,
2004, “Demonology and Magic in the Writings of R. Menahem Ziyyoni” in Kabbalah:
Journal for the Study of Mystical Texts, vol 10, 55-72.
[2] Tzefunei
Tziyoni, p. 47.
[3] Tzefunei
Tziyoni, p. 74, 76-80.
[4] MS. London 1626,
fols. 35 a-b.
[5] MS. London
770, fols. 94 a-b on Parshat Acharei Mot.
[6] Parenthesis
mine.
[7] MS. London
770, fols. 94b on Parshat Acharei Mot.
[8] Rabbi Menachem
Recanati’s Torah Commentary, Jerusalem 1961, fol. 48a.
[9] Tzefunei
Tziyoni, p. 78.
[10] Tzefunei
Tziyoni, p. 63. Cf. Nachmanides Torat Hashem Temimah, Kitve Ramban,
H. Chavel (ed.), Jerusalem 1963, I, 149.
[11] Tzefunei
Tziyoni, p. 27.
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