"One who inquires of the dead"

Synopsis

The rabbis discuss the last of the lower unholy Sfirot, Malchut of the Other Side. They say that the souls of evildoers who died are the demons of the world, and while they are punished part of the time in Gehenom they also hover over the world and mislead wicked people. The souls mourn for their bodies which are being eaten by worms, and the sorcerers perform their witchcraft at the graves.

Demons Other Side Sorcery Soul, The Ten Witchcraft

252. Rabbi Chiya said the last of these lower unholy Sfirot is that which is mentioned in the verse, "Or one who inquires of the dead" (Devarim 18:11). This is the tenth of all THE SFIROT, NAMELY MALCHUT OF OTHER SIDE. THERE ARE TEN TYPES OF SORCERY IN THE VERSE CORRESPONDING TO THE TEN SFIROT OF THE OTHER SIDE. According to what we have learned, Rabbi Yitzchak said: The souls of evildoers THAT DIED are the demons of the world, AND ABOUT THEM, THE VERSE DESCRIBES "WHO INQUIRES OF THE DEAD."

252. אָמַר ר' חִיָּיא, בַּתְרַיְיתָא דְּאִינּוּן כִּתְרִין תַּתָּאִין דְּלָא קַדִּישִׁין, הַאי הוּא הה"ד וְדוֹרֵשׁ אֶל הַמֵּתִים, וְדָּא הוּא עֲשִׁירָאָה דְּכֺלָּא. דְּתַנְיָא א"ר יִצְחָק אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, נַפְשָׁתָא דְּרַשִׁיעַיָּיא אִלֵּין אִינּוּן מַזִּיקִין דְּעָלְמָא.

Demons Gehenom (Hell) Hell (Gehenom) Prosecution Repentance Soul, The Wicked Wickedness

253. Rabbi Yosi said: If so, it is pleasing to the wicked to become harming forces in the world. Where is the punishment of Gehenom and where is the bad that awaits them in that world? Rabbi Chiya replied: We have learned and established that many prosecutors are ready to receive the souls of the wicked at the time they depart the world and deliver them to Gehenom. They receive three punishments daily in Gehenom. Later, DEMONS join them and the souls go, hover over the world and mislead the wicked people against whom repentance has been closed. Then they are returned to Gehenom to be punished there - and this continues daily.

253. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, אִי הָכִי טַב לְהוּ לְחַיָּיבַיָּא דְּאִתְעַבְּדִין מַזִּיקִין בְּעָלְמָא, אָן הוּא עוֹנְשָׁא דְּגֵיהִנָּם. אָן הוּא בִּישָׁא דִּזְמִינָא לְהוֹן בְּהַהוּא עָלְמָא. אָמַר רִבִּי חִיָּיא, הָכִי תָּנֵינָן, וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא מִלֵּי, נַפְשָׁתָא דְּרַשִׁיעַיָּיא בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּנָפְקִין מֵעָלְמָא, כַּמָה גַּרְדִּינֵי נִמוּסִין מִזְדַּמְּנֵי לְקַבְּלָא לְהוּ, וּלְאַעְלָאָה לְהוּ לְגֵּיהִנָם, וְעַאָלִין לְהוּ בִּתְלַת דִּינִין בְּכָל יוֹמָא, בַּגֵיהִנָּם. לְבָתַר מִזְדַּוְּוגֵי בְּהוּ, וְאַזְלִין וְשָׁאטִין בְּעָלְמָא, וּמַטְעָן לְהוּ לְרַשִׁיעַיָּיא, לְאִינּוּן דְּקָא אַסְתִּים תְּשׁוּבָה מִקַּמַּיְיהוּ. לְבָתַר תַּיְיבִין לְהוּ לְגֵּיהִנָם, וְאִתְדְּנוּן תַּמָּן, וְכַךְ בְּכָל יוֹמָא.

Boaz Corners Demons Directions Evil Flesh Form Goats Sorcery Soul, The Witchcraft

254. After THE DEMONS go with them through the world, they return them to their graves and they see body worms picking at THEIR flesh. THE SOULS mourn for them, FOR THE BODIES. These sorcerers go to the cemeteries and perform their sorcery, make an image of a human form and slaughter before it a goat. Later, they bring that goat to that grave and that image they shatter to four directions and raise it to the four corners of the grave. Then they perform their sorcery. All these groups assemble with evil kinds and bring this soul, which enters the grave, and speaks with them.

254. לְבָתַר דְּאַזְלִין בְּהוּ, וְשָׁאטִין בְּהוּ בְּעָלְמָא, מְהַדְּרִין לְקִבְרַיְיהוּ, וְחַמָּן תּוֹלַעְתָּא דְּגוּפָא מְנַקְּרֵי בִּשְׂרָא וּמִתְאַבְּלָן עָלַיְיהוּ, וְאִינּוּן חַרְשִׁין הֲווֹ אַזְלֵי לְבֵי קִבְרֵי, וְחַרְשֵׁי בְּחַרְשַׁיְיהוּ, וְעַבְדִין חַד צַלְמָא דְּבַר נָשׁ, וְדַבְחִין קַמֵּיהּ חַד צְפִירָא. לְבָתַר עָאלִין לְהַהוּא צְפִירָא, בְּהַהוּא קִבְרָא, וְהַהוּא צַלְמָא מֲתַּבְּרִין לֵיהּ לְאַרְבַּע סִטְרִין, וּמַעֲלִין לֵיהּ לְאַרְבַּע זִיוְויָין דְּקִבְרָא. כְּדֵין מְחָרְשֵׁי בְּחַרְשַׁיְיהוּ, וּמִתְכַּנְּפֵי אִינּוּן כִּנּוּפֵי, וְאִינּוּן זִינִין בִּישִׁין, וּמַיְיתִין הַהִיא נַפְשָׁתָא, וְעָאל בְּקִבְרָא וּמִשְׁתָּעֵי בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ.