276. As they were walking together, Rabbi Yosi asks Rabbi Elazar about the verse, "And there came forth a spirit, and stood before Hashem, and said, 'I will persuade him.' And Hashem said to him, 'With what?' And he said, 'I will go out, and I will be a lying spirit in the mouth of all his prophets.' And He said, 'You shall persuade him, and prevail also: go out, and do so'" (I Melachim 22:21-22). We have learned that this was the spirit of Navot the Yizraeli. HE ASKS, Could it be that the souls, after ascending and staying above, return to this world? It is astonishing that he said, "I will go out and I will be a lying spirit..."
276. רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, וְרִבִּי יוֹסֵי הֲווֹ אָזְלֵי בְאָרְחָא, אֲמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי לְר' אֶלְעָזָר, הַאי דִכְתִיב, וַיֵּצֵא הָרוּחַ וַיַּעֲמֹד לִפְנֵי ה' וַיֹּאמֶר אָנֹכִי אֲפַתֶּנּוּ וַיֹּאמֶר ה' אֵלָיו בַּמָּה וַיֹּאמֶר אֵצֵא וְהָיִיתִי רוּחַ שֶׁקֶר בְּפִי כָּל נְבִיאָיו וַיֹּאמֶר תְּפַתֶּה וְגַם תּוּכָל צֵא וַעֲשֵׂה כֵן. וְתָנִינָן, דַּהֲוָה רוּחַ נָבוֹת הַיִּזְרְעֵאלִי, וְכִי נִשְׁמָתִין, כֵּיוָן דְּסָלְקִין וְקָיְימִין לְעֵילָא, אִינוּן יָכְלִין לַאֲתָבָא בְּהַאי עַלְמָא, וּמִלָּה תְּמִיהָה, דַּאֲמַר אֵצֵא וְהָיִיתִי רוּחַ שֶׁקֶר בְּפִי וגו.'
277. Also, why was Ahab punished for what he did? It was a law decreed by Samuel to Yisrael, as it is written, "And he will take your fields, and your vineyards, and your best olive yards" (I Shmuel 8:14). If Ahab took the vineyard from Navot, he was within his rights. Moreover, Ahab offered him a vineyard or gold in exchange, but he refused. WHY, THEREFORE, WAS HE PUNISHED?
277. וְתוּ מַ"ט אִתְעֲנַשׁ עֲלֵיהּ אַחְאָב, דְּהָא דִינָא דְאוֹרַיְיתָא, דְּשַׁוֵּי שְׁמוּאֵל, קַמַּיְיהוּ דְיִשְׂרָאֵל, הָכֵי הוּא. דִּכְתִיב, אֶת שְׂדוֹתֵיכֶם וְכַרְמֵיכֶם וְזֵיתֵיכֶם הַטּוֹבִים יִקָּח, וְאִי אַחְאָב נָטַל הַהוּא כֶּרֶם בְּנָבוֹת, דִּינָא הֲוָה. וְתוּ דַּהֲוָה יָהֵיב לֵיהּ כַּרְמָא אָחֳרָא, אוֹ דַּהֲבָא, וְלָא בָעָא.
278. Rabbi Elazar replied, This is well asked. Come and behold, we have to look at the assumption that this was Navot's spirit. Could his spirit have risen and stood in the presence of the Holy One, blessed be He, and asked to lie, as it is written, "And there came a spirit ...'I WILL GO OUT, AND I WILL BE A LYING SPIRIT'" (I Melachim 22:22). If he were righteous, how could he have asked to lie in that world, which is the World of Truth? A righteous man will not ask to lie in this world, let alone in that world. And if he were not righteous, how could he have stood in the presence of the Holy One, blessed be He?
278. אָמַר לוֹ יָאוֹת שְׁאַלְתְּ, תָּא חֲזֵי, הַאי רוּחַ דְּקָאֲמָרוּ דְאִיהוּ רוּחַ דְּנָבוֹת, הָכָא אִית לְאִסְתַּכָּלָא, וְכִי רוּחָא דְנָבוֹת, יָכֵיל לְסַלְּקָא וּלְקַיְּימָא קַמֵּיהּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, לְמִתְבַּע שִׁקְרָא, דִּכְתִיב וַיֵּצֵא הָרוּחַ. וְאִי צַדִּיקָא הוּא, אֵיךְ יִבָּעֵי שִׁקְרָא בְּהַהוּא עַלְמָא, דְּאִיהוּ עַלְמָא דִקְשׁוֹט, וּמַה בְּהַאי עַלְמָא, לָא בָעֵי זַכָּאָה שִׁקְרָא, בְּהַהוּא עַלְמָא לָא כ"ש. וְאִי לָאו זַכָּאָה אִיהוּ, הֵיךְ יָכֵיל לְקָיְימָא קַמִּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא.
279. But surely Navot was not righteous enough to stand before the Holy One, blessed be He. It is another spirit that rules over the world, the spirit that always ascends to stand before the Holy One, blessed be He - NAMELY, THE SATAN. He is the one who leads men astray by lying, FOR HE LIES BY THE HOLY NAME. He is wont to lie and constantly resorts to lies. Therefore he said, "I will go out, and I will be a lying spirit." The Holy One, blessed be He, replied, "Go out, and do so." Get you hence, for it has been explained that "He that tells lies shall not remain in my sight" (Tehilim 101:7). He is therefore assuredly a Lying Spirit.
279. אֶלָּא וַדַּאי נָבוֹת לָאו זַכָּאָה הֲוָה כ"כ, לְקָיְימָא קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אֶלָּא רוּחָא אָחֳרָא הֲוָה, דְּשָׁלְטָא בְּעַלְמָא, דְּדָא הוּא רוּחָא דְּקָיְימָא תָּדִיר, וְסָלְקָא קַמֵּי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְדָא הוּא דְאַסְטֵי לִבְנֵי עַלְמָא בְּשִׁקְרָא, וּמַאן דְּאִיהוּ רָגִיל בְּשִׁקְרָא, אִשְׁתַּדַּל תָּדִיר בְּשִׁקְרָא, וְעַל דָּא אֲמַר אֵצֵא וְהָיִיתִי רוּחַ שֶׁקֶר וגו,' וְע"ד קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא אָמַר לוֹ צֵא, וַעֲשֵׂה כֵן, פּוֹק מֵהָכָא, כְּמָה דְאוֹקְמוּהָ דִּכְתִיב, דּוֹבֵר שְׁקָרִים לֹא יִכּוֹן לְנֶגֶד עֵינָי. וּבְגִין דָּא אִיהוּ רוּחַ שֶׁקֶר וַדַּאי.
280. Further, WE HAVE TO EXPLAIN WHY HE WAS PUNISHED. IT WAS BECAUSE he killed Navot. If he already took his vineyard, why kill him? It was because he killed him without cause that he was punished. He first killed unjustly and then took his vineyard. Thus, it is written, "Have you killed, and also taken possession?" (I Melachim 21:19). Therefore he was punished. Come and behold, there are innumerable people in the world, whom the Lying Spirit has led astray. He has dominion over the world, using several devices and actions, as we have already explained.
280. וְתוּ. עַל מַה דְּקָטַל לֵיהּ לְנָבוֹת, וְנָטַל כַּרְמָא דִילֵיהּ, קָטוֹלָא אַמַּאי קָטֵיל לֵיהּ. אֶלָּא עַל דְּקָטֵיל לֵיהּ בְּלָא דִינָא אִתְעַנַּשׁ. קָטַל לֵיהּ בְּלָא דִינָא, וּנְסֵיב כַּרְמָא דִילֵיהּ. וּבְגִין כָּך כְּתִיב, הֲרָצַחְתָּ וְגַם יָרַשְׁתָּ, וְע"ד אִתְעַנַּשׁ. וְתָא חֲזֵי, כַּמָּה אִינוּן בְּנֵי נָשָׁא בְּעַלְמָא, דְאַסְטֵי לוֹן הַאי רוּחַ שִׁקְרָא בְּשִׁקְרָא, וְשַׁלִּיט אִיהוּ בְּעַלְמָא, בְּכַמָּה סִטְרִין, וּבְכַמָּה עוֹבָדִין וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא מִלֵּי.