Similarly Joshua the high priest was taken up for trial to that Heavenly Academy when he departed this world. He was “standing before the angel of the Lord”: this is the “youth”,1Metatron. the head of the Academy, who pronounces sentence on all. The “Satan” is he who has charge of the souls in Gehinnom, who ever craves for more and says “give, give”, more souls to Gehinnom. Then, “The Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, Satan, and the Lord rebuke thee….” Why two rebukes here? One for Dumah and one for him who comes out of Gehinnom to lead astray.
That higher Satan, as we have stated elsewhere, goes down to earth in the form of an ox, and all those wicked spirits which have been condemned to Gehinnom he licks up in one moment and hands over to Dumah after he has swallowed them.
Therefore it was that Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now shall this multitude lick up all that is round about us as the ox licketh up the grass of the field”, since it is known that the ox is there to do evil to all mankind.’
Said R. Jose: ‘If so, Balak was clever?’ He replied: ‘Certainly; and he had to know all the ways of that ox, as otherwise he would not have been able to practise his magic arts.’
תָּא חֲזֵי, (זכריה ג׳:א׳) וַיַּרְאֵנִי אֶת יְהוֹשֻׁעַ הַכֹּהֵן הַגָּדוֹל עוֹמֵד לִפְנֵי מַלְאַךְ וְגוֹ', דְּסָלִיקוּ לֵיהּ לְדִינָא, גּוֹ הַהוּא מְתִיבְתָּא דִּרְקִיעָא, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּאִתְפְּטָר מֵהַאי עָלְמָא. עוֹמֵד לִפְנֵי מַלְאַךְ יְיָ, דָּא הוּא הַהוּא נַעַר, רֵישׁ מְתִיבְתָּא, דְּאִיהוּ חָתִיךְ דִּינָא עַל כֹּלָּא.
Similarly Joshua the high priest was taken up for trial to that Heavenly Academy when he departed this world. He was “standing before the angel of the Lord”: this is the “youth”,1Metatron. the head of the Academy, who pronounces sentence on all. The “Satan” is he who has charge of the souls in Gehinnom, who ever craves for more and says “give, give”, more souls to Gehinnom. Then, “The Lord said unto Satan, The Lord rebuke thee, Satan, and the Lord rebuke thee….” Why two rebukes here? One for Dumah and one for him who comes out of Gehinnom to lead astray.
וְהַשָּׂטָן, מַאן וְהַשָּׂטָן. הַהוּא דִּמְמָנָא, עַל נַפְשָׁתָא בְּגֵיהִנָּם, דְּתִיאוּבְתֵּיה לְמֵיסַב לֵיהּ, וְתָדִיר קַיְּימָא וְאָמַר הַב הַב, הָבוּ חַיָּיבִין לְגֵּיהִנָם. לְשִׂטְנוֹ, לְאַדְכְּרָא חוֹבוֹי. כְּדֵין וַיֹּאמֶר יְיָ אֶל הַשָּׂטָן יִגְעַר בְּךָ הַשָּׂטָן וְיִגְעַר ה' בְּךָ, תְּרֵין גְּעָרוֹת אֲמַאי. אֶלָּא חַד לְדוּמָה. וְחַד, לְהַהוּא דְּנָפְקָא מִגֵּיהִנָּם, דְּקַיְּימָא תָּדִיר לְאַסְטָאָה.
That higher Satan, as we have stated elsewhere, goes down to earth in the form of an ox, and all those wicked spirits which have been condemned to Gehinnom he licks up in one moment and hands over to Dumah after he has swallowed them.
תָּא חֲזֵי, הַהוּא שָׂטָן עִלָּאָה נָחִית כְּמָה דְּאוּקְמוּהָ, דְּאַגְלִים בְּדִיּוּקְנָא דְּשׁוֹר, וְכָל אִינּוּן רוּחִין בִּישִׁין, דְּאִתְּדָנוּ לְאַעֲלָא בַּגֵיהִנָּם, לָחִיךְ לוֹן בְּרִגְעָא חֲדָא, וְחָטַף לוֹן, וְנָחִית וְיָהַב לוֹן לְדוּמָה, לְבָתַר דְּבָלַע לוֹן. וְדָא הוּא דִּכְתִּיב, וַיֹּאמֶר מוֹאָב אֶל זִקְנֵי מִדְיָן עַתָּה יְלַחֲכוּ הַקָּהָל אֶת כָּל סְבִיבוֹתֵינוּ כִּלְחוֹךְ הַשּׁוֹר, דְּאִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע, הַשּׁוֹר דְּקַיְּימָא לְבִישׁ עַל כָּל בְּנֵי עָלְמָא. אֵת יְרֶק הַשָּׂדֶה, אִינּוּן רוּחִין דִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא, דְּאִינּוּן יֶרֶק הַשָּׂדֶה. הַשָּׂדֶה, הַהוּא שָׂדֶה דְּאִשְׁתְּמוֹדַע.
Therefore it was that Moab said to the elders of Midian, “Now shall this multitude lick up all that is round about us as the ox licketh up the grass of the field”, since it is known that the ox is there to do evil to all mankind.’
אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי, אִי הָכִי, חַכִּים הֲוָה בָּלָק. אָמַר לֵיהּ וַדַּאי, וְהָכִי אִצְטְרִיךְ לֵיהּ לְמִנְדַּע כָּל אָרְחוֹי דְּהַהוּא שׁוֹר, וְאִי לָא יַדְעֵי לְהוּ, לָא יָכִיל לְמֶעְבַּד חֲרָשׁוֹי וְקִסְמוֹי. אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹסֵי וַדַּאי הָכִי הוּא, וְיָאוּת אַמָרְת. וְתוּקְפֵּיהּ דְּהַהוּא שׁוֹר, מִכִּי מַכְרִיזוּ עַל הַתְּבוּאָה. (כאן חסר) כָּל אִינּוּן יוֹמִין דְּמַכְרִיזִין וְכָל יוֹמִין דְּמַכְרִיזֵי עַל רוּחֵיהוֹן דִּבְנֵי נָשָׁא. וְאִינּוּן (קצ"ו ע"ב, ר' אלעזר וכו' שייך כאן) יוֹמֵי נִיסָן, וְיוֹמֵי תִּשְׁרֵי, וְהָא אִתְּמַר. (כאן מתחיל זהר אלה הדברים כי שם שייך ינוקא דפרשת בלק)
Said R. Jose: ‘If so, Balak was clever?’ He replied: ‘Certainly; and he had to know all the ways of that ox, as otherwise he would not have been able to practise his magic arts.’