QUEERKEIT▽COVEN

something fun for all my other Jewish demon enthusiasts out there - a beautiful Asmodai joker card by Bezalel artist & teacher Ze’ev Raban (c. 1920-1930), courtesy of the fantastic new Bezalel Narkiss Index of Jewish Art!

still going through the archive - here’s Asmodai again in a painting by Raban. the index page doesn’t list Asmodai as the subject here, but the character design is pretty recognizable from the card, which makes me wonder if the seated man is Solomon?

Now for possibly my favorite demon story….

So Rav Yoseph and Rav Papa had a demon friend named Yoseph (I don’t know if Rav Yoseph named it after himself or if they just happened to share a name) who would hang out with them and give them helpful tips on (bad) demon avoidance. It’s so cool. They’re so cool. My friend calls Yoseph “Rav Papa’s pet demon” (although I’m sure Yoseph would object). I want a pet demon

Anyway, “אמר רב יוסף אמר לי יוסף שידא אשמדאי מלכא דשידי ממונה הוא אכולהו זוגי ומלכא לא איקרי מזיק.”

“R. Joseph said: The demon Joseph told me [that] Ashmedai the king of the demons is appointed over all ‘pairs,’ and a king is not designated a harmful spirit.”

So by nature of its position, Ashmedai becomes a Good Demon?

“לעשות לו דרך ואין מוחין בידו אמר רב פפא אמר לי יוסף שידא בתרי קטלינן בארבעה לא קטלינן בארבעה מזקינן בתרי בין בשוגג בין במזיד בארבעה במזיד אין בשוגג לא ואי אישתלי ואיקרי ונפק מאי תקנתיה לינקוט זקפא דידיה דימיניה בידא דשמאליה וזקפא דשמאליה בידא דימיניה ונימא הכי אתון ואנא הא תלתא ואי שמיע ליה דאמר אתון ואנא הא ארבעה נימא ליה אתון ואנא הא חמשה ואי שמיע ליה דאמר אתון ואנא הא שיתא נימא ליה אתון ואנא הא שבעה הוה עובדא עד מאה וחד ופקע שידא”

“R. Papa said, Joseph the demon told me: for two [[if one drinks two cups]] we kill; for four [[because demons like even numbers, which is why Ashmedai is “appointed over all ‘pairs’”]] we do not kill, but for four we harm [the drinker]. For two [we hurt] whether [they are drunk] wittingly or deliberately; for four, only if it is deliberate, but not if it is unwitting. And if a man forgot himself and happened to go out, what is his remedy? Let him take his right-hand thumb in his left hand and his left-hand thumb in his right hand and say thus: ‘Ye [two thumbs] and I, surely that is three!’ But if he hears one saying, ‘Ye and I, surely that is four!’ let him retort to him, ‘Ye and I are surely five!’ And if he hears one saying, ‘Ye and I are six,’ let him retort to him, ‘Ye and I are seven.’ This once happened until a hundred and one, and the demon burst [with mortification].”

.פסחים קי

Pesakhim 110a

The English is, again, from the Soncino Talmud, except for my [[additions]]. I don’t know where they get the “[with mortification],” but I trust them (sort of), and also I really want the demon to have burst with shame at having been tricked into counting up to 101, or possibly at not knowing what number comes next.

How do you get rid of Jewish demons? Math.