He then began to discourse on the verse: AND THESE ARE THE CHILDREN OF ZIBEON: AIAH AND ANAH-THIS IS ANAH WHO FOUND THE YEMIM IN THE WILDERNESS. In regard to this verse,’ he said, ‘it is agreed that these yemim are not the same as the Emim mentioned in the verse: “The Emim dwelt therein aforetime… but the children of Esau succeeded them” (Deut. 2, 10-11).
They were an unnatural kind of being which was first created from the side of evil spirits and goblins at the moment when the Sabbath was about to be sanctified, and they remained unsubstantial and bodiless, since neither the sixth day nor the seventh day would own them.
When, however, Cain was driven from the face of the earth and dwelt in the land of Nod, they spread from his side and became corporeal, but not for any length of time.
They are therefore called yamim (days), spelt in the same way as yemim here, without a yod, in allusion to the fact that they appear occasionally to men as they haunt the mountains, and for one moment in the day assume bodily shape, but forthwith lose it again.
Anah found them and they taught him to bring bastards into the world. For Anah himself was a bastard, the offspring of an incestuous intercourse between Zibeon and his own mother; and this came about through the side of the unclean spirit that attached itself to him.
Those and numerous other monstrous beings of many varieties are derived from that side and roam about in the wilderness and can be seen there, as the wilderness is a desolate place and therefore is a suitable haunt for them. For all that, whoever walks in the ways of the Holy One, blessed be He, and fears Him, has no cause to fear them.’ The two then went on and ascended the mountain.
Said R. Isaac: ‘Are they found in all desert mountains like these?’ Said R. Eleazar: ‘That is so, but of all those who labour in the Torah it is written: “The Lord shall keep thee from all evil; he shall keep thy soul. The Lord shall guard thy going out and thy coming in, from this time forth and for ever” (Ps. 121, 74).
פָּתַח וְאָמַר. וְאֵלֶּה בְּנֵי צִבְעוֹן וְאַיָּה וַעֲנָה וְגו' הוּא עֲנָה אֲשֶׁר מָצָא אֶת הַיֵּמִים וְגו', הַאי קְרָא אוּקְמוּהָ, אֲבָל תָּא חֲזֵי, לָאו אִלֵּין אִינוּן דִּכְתִיב בְּהוּ (דברים ב׳:י״ב) הָאֵימִים לְפָנִים יָשְׁבוּ בָהּ וְגו' וּבְנֵי עֵשָׂו יִירָשׁוּם וְגו'.
He then began to discourse on the verse: AND THESE ARE THE CHILDREN OF ZIBEON: AIAH AND ANAH-THIS IS ANAH WHO FOUND THE YEMIM IN THE WILDERNESS. In regard to this verse,’ he said, ‘it is agreed that these yemim are not the same as the Emim mentioned in the verse: “The Emim dwelt therein aforetime… but the children of Esau succeeded them” (Deut. 2, 10-11).
אֲבָל אִלֵּין דְּקָאֲמַר קְרָא אֲשֶׁר מָצָא אֶת הַיֵּמִים בַּמִּדְבָּר, יֵמִם כְּתִיב. אִלֵּין הֲווּ בְּרִיָּין מְשַׁנְיָין. דְּכַד הֲוָה אִתָּרַךְ קַיִן מֵעַל אַפֵּי אַרְעָא כְּדִכְתִיב, (בראשית ד׳:י״ד) הֵן גֵּרַשְׁתָּ אֹתִי הַיּוֹם מֵעַל פְּנֵי הָאֲדָמָה וּמִפָּנְיךָ אֶסָּתֵר, וּכְתִיב וַיֵּשֶׁב בְּאֶרֶץ נוֹד וְאוּקְמוּהָ.
They were an unnatural kind of being which was first created from the side of evil spirits and goblins at the moment when the Sabbath was about to be sanctified, and they remained unsubstantial and bodiless, since neither the sixth day nor the seventh day would own them.
מִבְּנֵי בְּנוֹי בְּסִטְרָא (ויקרא עו ע"ב) דְּרוּחִין וְעִלְעוּלִין וּמַזִּיקִין וְאִלֵּין קָיְימוּ, דְּהָא כַּד בָּעָא לְאִתְקַדְּשָׁא יוֹמָא דְשַׁבַּתָּא, אִתָּבְרוּן מֵהַהוּא סִטְרָא רוּחִין קָיְימִין טְסִירִין (נ"א טהירין) בְּלָא גוּפָא. וְאִלֵין לָאו אִינוּן מִיּוֹמָא דְשַׁבַּתָּא וְלָא מִיּוֹמָא שְׁתִיתָאָה, וְאִשְׁתָּאֲרוּ אִלֵּין תְּרֵין יוֹמִין בְּהוּ בִּסְפֵקָא, וּבְגִין כָּךְ לָא אִתְקָיְימוּ לָא מֵהַאי וְלָא מֵהַאי.
When, however, Cain was driven from the face of the earth and dwelt in the land of Nod, they spread from his side and became corporeal, but not for any length of time.
וְאֲזְלוּ וְאִתְפַּשְּׁטוּ בְּהַהוּא סִטְרָא דְקַיִן וְאִגְלִימוּ בְּהַהוּא סִטְרָא וְלָא אִתְגְּלִימוּ לְאִתְקָיְימָא וְאִקְרוּן יֵמִ"ם חָסֵר, דְּלָא אִתְקָיְימוּ לָא בְּיוֹמָא דָא וְלָא בְּיוֹמָא דָא, וְאִתְחֲזוּן לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא. וְאִיהוּ אַשְׁכַּח לוֹן וְאוֹלְפֵי לֵיהּ לְאַיְיתָאָה מַמְזֵרִין לְעַלְמָא. וְאִינוּן אָזְלֵי בֵּינֵי טוּרַיָא וְקָיְימִין בְּגוּפָא זִמְנָא חָדָא בְּיוֹמָא, וּלְבָתַר מִתְפַּשְׁטֵי מִנֵּיהּ.
They are therefore called yamim (days), spelt in the same way as yemim here, without a yod, in allusion to the fact that they appear occasionally to men as they haunt the mountains, and for one moment in the day assume bodily shape, but forthwith lose it again.
תָּא חֲזֵי, עֲנָה דָא אִיהוּ מַמְזֵרָא הֲוָה, דְּאֲתָא צִבְעוֹן עַל אִמֵּיהּ וְאוֹלִיד מַמְזֵרָא, וְדָא אֲתָא מִסִּטְרָא דְרוּחַ מְסָאֲבָא דְּאִתְדָּבַּק בֵּיהּ. וּבְגִין כָּךְ אַשְׁכַּח לוֹן וְהֲווּ אוֹלְפֵי לֵיהּ כָּל זִינִין דִּסְטַר מְסָאֲבָא בְּגִין דָּא.
Anah found them and they taught him to bring bastards into the world. For Anah himself was a bastard, the offspring of an incestuous intercourse between Zibeon and his own mother; and this came about through the side of the unclean spirit that attached itself to him.
וְתָּא חֲזֵי, אִלֵּין אִינוּן וְכַמָּה אָחֳרָנִין מִתְפַּרְשָׁן אִלֵּין מֵאִלֵּין, כֻּלְּהוּ אַתְיָין מֵהַהוּא סִטְרָא וְאָזְלֵי בְּמַדְבְּרָא וְאִתְחֲזוּן תַמָּן. בְּגִין דְּמַדְבְּרָא אֲתַר חָרוּב וְאִיהוּ בֵּי מוֹתָבָא דִלְהוֹן. וְעִם כָּל דָּא, כָּל בַר נָשׁ דְּאָזִיל בְּאוֹרְחוֹי דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא וְדָחִיל לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא מִסְתָּפֵי מִנַּיְיהוּ. אֲזְלוּ וְאָעֳלוּ בְּטוּרָא.
Those and numerous other monstrous beings of many varieties are derived from that side and roam about in the wilderness and can be seen there, as the wilderness is a desolate place and therefore is a suitable haunt for them. For all that, whoever walks in the ways of the Holy One, blessed be He, and fears Him, has no cause to fear them.’ The two then went on and ascended the mountain.
אָמַר רִבִּי יִצְחָק, כְּגַוְונָא דָא כָּל אִינוּן טוּרִין חֲרוּבִין אֲתַר בֵּי מוֹתָבָא דִלְהוֹן. אָמַר לֵיהּ, הָכִי הוּא, וְכָל אִינוּן דְּמִשְׁתַּדְּלוּ בְּאוֹרַיְיתָא עֲלַיְיהוּ כְּתִיב, (תהילים קכ״א:ז׳-ח׳) יְיָ יִשְׁמָרְךָ מִכָּל רָע יִשְׁמֹר אֶת נַפְשֶׁךָ יְיָ יִשְׁמָר צֵאתְךָ וּבוֹאֶךָ מֵעַתָּה וְעַד עוֹלָם.
Said R. Isaac: ‘Are they found in all desert mountains like these?’ Said R. Eleazar: ‘That is so, but of all those who labour in the Torah it is written: “The Lord shall keep thee from all evil; he shall keep thy soul. The Lord shall guard thy going out and thy coming in, from this time forth and for ever” (Ps. 121, 74).