We have learnt that these ten species of wisdom came down to this world, and all were concentrated in Egypt, save one which spread through the rest of the world.1v. T. B. Kiddushin, 49b. They are all species of sorcery, and through them the Egyptians were more skilled in sorcery than all other men. When the Egyptians desired to consort with the demons, they used to go out to certain high mountains and offer sacrifices and make trenches in the ground and pour some of the blood around the trenches and the rest into them and put flesh over it, and bring offerings to the demons. Then the demons used to collect and consort with them on the mountain.
Israel, being subject to the Egyptians, learnt their ways and went astray after them; hence God said to them: “After the doings of the land of Egypt in which ye have dwelt shall ye not do”, and also, “And they shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices unto the satyrs after whom they go a-whoring”, since, as we have learnt, the demons used to appear to them in the form of he-goats.
וְתָאנָא, עֲשְׂרָה זִינֵי חָכְמוֹת אִלֵּין נַחְתּוּ לְעָלְמָא. וְכֻלְּהוּ אִסְתְּאָבוּ (ס"א אשתאבו) בְּמִצְרַיִם, בַּר מֵחַד דְּאִתְפְּשַׁט בְּעָלְמָא, וְכֻלְּהוּ זִינֵי חַרְשֵׁי אִינּוּן, וּמִנַּיְיהוּ יַדְעֵי מִצְרַיִם חַרְשִׁין, עַל כָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא. וְכַד מִצְרָאֵי בָּעָאן לְמֶעְבַּד כְּנוּפְיָיא בְּחַרְשַׁיְיהוּ לְעוֹבָדֵיהוֹן, הֲווֹ נַפְקֵי לְחַקְלָא לְטוּרֵי רָמַאֵי, וְדַבְחִין דְּבָחִין, וְעַבְדִין גּוּמִּין בְּאַרְעָא, וְסַחֲרִין הַהוּא דָּמָא סוֹחֲרָנֵיהּ דְּהָנֵי גּוּמִּין, וּשְׁאָר דָּמָא מִתְכַּנְּפֵי בְּהַנְהוּ גּוּמִּין, וּבִשְׂרָא שָׁוִין עָלַיְיהוּ. וּקַרְבִין קָרְבְּנֵיהוֹן, לְאִינּוּן זִינִין בִּישִׁין, וְאִינּוּן זִינִין בִּישִׁין מִתְכַּנְּשִׁין וּמִתְקָרְבִין כַּחֲדָא, וּמִתְפַּיְּיסִין בַּהֲדַיְיהוּ בְּהַהוּא טוּרָא.
We have learnt that these ten species of wisdom came down to this world, and all were concentrated in Egypt, save one which spread through the rest of the world.1v. T. B. Kiddushin, 49b. They are all species of sorcery, and through them the Egyptians were more skilled in sorcery than all other men. When the Egyptians desired to consort with the demons, they used to go out to certain high mountains and offer sacrifices and make trenches in the ground and pour some of the blood around the trenches and the rest into them and put flesh over it, and bring offerings to the demons. Then the demons used to collect and consort with them on the mountain.
יִשְׂרָאֵל דַּהֲווֹ בְּשִׁעְבּוּדֵיהוֹן, הָווֹ מִתְקָרְבִין לְהוֹן, וְאוֹלְפוּ מִנַּיְיהוּ, וַהֲווּ טָעָאן בַּתְרַיְיהוּ, וְהַיְינוּ דִּכְתִּיב כְּמַעֲשֵׂה אֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם אֲשֶׁר יְשַׁבְתֶּם בָּהּ לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ וּכְמַעֲשֵׂה אֶרֶץ כְּנַעַן וְגוֹ', וּכְתִיב וְלֹא יִזְבְּחוּ עוֹד אֶת זִבְחֵיהֶם לַשְּׂעִירִים וְגוֹ'. תָּאנָא, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דַּהֲווֹ מְקָרְבִין לְהוֹן עַל גַּבֵּי חַקְלָא, וַהֲווּ מְזַמְּנֵי הַהוּא דָּמָא, וּמְקָרְבֵי קָרְבְּנַיְיהוּ, הֲווֹ מִתְכַּנְּפֵי כָּל אִינּוּן זִינִין בִּישִׁין, וְחָמָאן לְהוֹן כְּגַוְונָא דִשְׂעִירִים, כֻּלְּהוּ מַלְיָין שַׂעֲרָא, וּמוֹדָעֵי לְהוּ מַה דְּאִינּוּן בַּעְיָין.
Israel, being subject to the Egyptians, learnt their ways and went astray after them; hence God said to them: “After the doings of the land of Egypt in which ye have dwelt shall ye not do”, and also, “And they shall no more sacrifice their sacrifices unto the satyrs after whom they go a-whoring”, since, as we have learnt, the demons used to appear to them in the form of he-goats.
תָּא חֲזֵי, יִצְחָק מַה כְּתִיב בֵּיהּ, (בראשית כ״ז:כ״ב) וַיִּגַּשׁ יַעֲקֹב אֶל יִצְחָק אָבִיו וַיְמֻשֵּׁהוּ, אָמַר, דָּא לָא אִתְעָדֵי (ס"א הכא לא אתער), אֶלָּא מִטַּלָּא דִּשְׁמַיָּא דְּנָגִיד עַל אַרְעָא. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, וּמִשְׁמַנֵּי הָאָרֶץ, בְּכֹלָּא בְּרָכֵיהּ. מַאי טַעְמָא. בְּגִין דְּחָמָא לֵיהּ בְּשַׂעְרָא, אָמַר לְמֶעְבַּר דָּא, וּמִשְׁמַנֵּי הָאָרֶץ אִצְטְרִיךְ, וְלָא זוּהֲמָא דְּאַרְעָא, דְּהַאי זוּהֲמָא הוּא דְּאַרְעָא, וְכַד טַלָּא דִּשְׁמַיָּא וּמִגְדָּא דְּאַרְעָא מִתְחַבְּרָאן אִתְעַבָּר הַאי זוּהֲמָא.