Now in the depth of the great abyss there is a certain hot fiery female spirit named Lilith, who at first cohabited with man. For when man was created and his body completed, a thousand spirits from the left side assembled round that body, each endeavouring to enter, until at last
a cloud descended and drove them away and God said, “Let the earth bring forth a living soul” (Gen. 1, 24), and it then brought forth a spirit to breathe into man, who thus became complete with two sides, as it says, “And he breathed in his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living soul” (Gen. 2, 7).
When man arose, his female was affixed to his side, and the holy spirit in him spread to each side, thus perfecting itself. Afterwards God sawed the man in two and fashioned his female and brought her to him like a bride to the canopy.
When Lilith saw this she fled, and she is still in the cities of the sea coast trying to snare mankind. And when the Almighty will destroy the wicked Rome, He will settle Lilith among the ruins, since she is the ruin of the world, as it is written: “For there Lilith shall settle and find her a place of rest” (Isa. 34, 14).
In ancient books it says that she fled from man before this, but we have learnt differently, that she associated with man until this soul (neshamah) was placed in him, and then she fled to the seaside, where she tries to harm mankind.
The remedy is this. When a man unites with his wife, he should sanctify his heart to his Master and say: “She that is wrapped in a robe is here. Thou shalt not enter nor take out; it is neither of thee nor of thy lot. Return, return, the sea is heaving, its waves await thee. I cleave to the holy portion, I am wrapped in the holiness of the King.”
He should then cover his head and the head of his wife for a short time. In the book which Ashmedai gave to King Solomon, it says that he should then sprinkle clean water round the bed.
תָּא חֲזִי, מִנוּקְבָּא דִּתְהוֹמָא רַבָּא עִלָּאָה, אִשְׁתְּכַחַת חַד נוּקְבָּא רוּחַתָא דְּכָל רוּחִין, וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא לִילִית שְׁמָהּ. וְהִיא אִשְׁתְּכַחַת בְּקַדְמִיתָא לְגַבֵּי אָדָם. וּבְשַׁעֲתָא דְּאִתְבְּרֵי אָדָם, וְאִשְׁתְּלִים גּוּפֵיהּ, אִזְדְּמָנוּ עַל הַהוּא גּוּפָא אֶלֶף רוּחִין מִסִּטְרָא דִּשְׂמָאלָא. דָּא בְּדָא לְאַעֲלָא בֵּיהּ, וְדָא בָּעָא לְאַעֲלָא בֵּיהּ, וְלָא הֲווֹ יַכְלֵי, עַד דְּגָעַר בְּהוּ קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, וְאָדָם הֲוָה שָׁכִיב גּוּפָא בְּלָא רוּחָא, וְחֵיזוּ דִּילֵיהּ יְרוֹקָא הֲוָה, וְכָל אִינּוּן רוּחִין סָחֲרָן עָלֵיהּ.
Now in the depth of the great abyss there is a certain hot fiery female spirit named Lilith, who at first cohabited with man. For when man was created and his body completed, a thousand spirits from the left side assembled round that body, each endeavouring to enter, until at last
בְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא נָחִית עֲנָנָא חַד, ודָחָא (וזריק) לְכָל אִינּוּן רוּחִין. וּבְשַׁעֲתָא דָּא כְּתִיב, (בראשית א׳:כ״ד) וַיֹאמֶר אֱלהִים תּוֹצֵא הָאָרֶץ נֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה וְהָא אוֹקִימְנָא, דְּנוּקְבָּא אִתְעַבְּרַת מִן דְּכוּרָא מִן הַהוּא נֶפֶשׁ דְּאָדָם, וְהִיא אַפִּיקַת הַהוּא רוּחָא, לְנָשְׁבָא בֵּיהּ בָּאָדָם, כָּלִיל מִתְּרֵין סִטְרִין כַּדְקָא חֲזִי, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (בראשיתב) וַיִּפַּח בְּאַפָּיו נִשְׁמַת חַיִּים וַיְהִי הָאָדָם לְנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה. לְנֶפֶשׁ חַיָּה מַמָּשׁ. וּמַאן דְּאִסְתָּפַּק בְּהַאי, בְּגִין דְּלָא יָדַע, אִי חַיָּה זוֹ הִיא חַיָּה תַּתָּאָה, אוֹ חַיָּה דִּשְׁמָהּ יִשְׂרָאֵל, אוֹ מִדְּכוּרָא אוֹ מִנוּקְבָּא. אֲבָל לָא כְּתִיב לְנֶפֶשׁ הַחַיָּה, אֶלָּא לְנְפֶשׁ חַיָּה סְתָם, דְּמַשְׁמַע כֹּלָּא.
a cloud descended and drove them away and God said, “Let the earth bring forth a living soul” (Gen. 1, 24), and it then brought forth a spirit to breathe into man, who thus became complete with two sides, as it says, “And he breathed in his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living soul” (Gen. 2, 7).
וכַד קָם אָדָם, הֲוַות נוּקְבָתֵיהּ תְּקוּעָה בְּסִטְרוֹי. וְהַהִיא נִשְׁמְתָא קַדִּישָׁא דְּבֵיהּ, הֲוָה אַסְגֵּי לְהַאי סִטְרָא, וּלְהַאי סִטְרָא, וְסַגֵי לְהַאי וּלְהַאי, בְּגִין דְּהָכִי אִתְכְּלִילַת. לְבָתַר נָסַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְאָדָם, וְתָקִין לְנוּקְבֵיהּ, הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב (בראשית ב׳:כ״ב) וַיִּבֶן יְיָ' אֱלֹהִים אֶת הַצֵּלָע וְגוֹ'. אֶת הַצֵּלָע הָא אוֹקִימְנָא, כְּמָה דְאַתְּ אָמֵר (שמות כ״ו:כ׳) וּלְצֶלַע הַמִּשְׁכָּן. וַיְבִיאֶהָ אֶל הָאָדָם, בְּתִקּוּנָהָא כְּכַלָּה לַחוּפָּה.
When man arose, his female was affixed to his side, and the holy spirit in him spread to each side, thus perfecting itself. Afterwards God sawed the man in two and fashioned his female and brought her to him like a bride to the canopy.
כֵּיון דְּחָמַת לִילִית דָּא, עַרְקַת, וְהִיא בִּכְרַכֵי יַמָּא, וְעַד כְּעַן הִיא זְמִינָא לְאַבְאָשָׁא בְּנֵי עָלְמָא. וְכַד זַמִּין קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לְחַרְבָּא רוֹמִי רְשִׁיעָתָא, וּלְמֶהֱוֵי חוֹרְבָּן לְעָלְמִין, יְסַלֵּק לְהַאי לִילִית, וְיִשְׁרֵי לָהּ לְהַאי חוּרְבָּא, בְּגִין דְּהִיא חוֹרְבְּנָא דְּעָלְמָא. הֲדָא הוּא דִכְתִיב, (ישעיה לה) אַךְ שָׁם הִרְגִּיעָה לִילִית וּמָצְאָה לָהּ מָנוֹחַ.
When Lilith saw this she fled, and she is still in the cities of the sea coast trying to snare mankind. And when the Almighty will destroy the wicked Rome, He will settle Lilith among the ruins, since she is the ruin of the world, as it is written: “For there Lilith shall settle and find her a place of rest” (Isa. 34, 14).
וּבְסִפְרֵי קַדְמָאֵי אַמְרֵי, דְּאִיהִי עַרְקַת מִן אָדָם מִקַּדְמַת דְּנָא, וַאֲנָן לָא תָּנֵינָן הָכֵי, בְּגִין דְּהָא נוּקְבָּא דָּא אִשְׁתְּכָּחַת עִמֵּיהּ, אֲבָל עַד לָא קַמָת הַאי נֶפֶשׁ (ס"א דהא נוקבא דא לא אשתכחת עמיה אבל עד לא אתתקנת נוקבא דא) עִמֵּיהּ דְּאָדָם כְּדְקָא יֵאוֹת, הֲוַת מִזְדַּוְוגָא עִמֵּיהּ וְכַד הַאי אִתְתַּקְּנַת עִמֵּיהּ כְּדְקָא יֵאוֹת, עַרְקַת הִיא לְיַמָא, וּזְמִינָא לְאַבְאָשָׁא בְּנִי עָלְמָא.
In ancient books it says that she fled from man before this, but we have learnt differently, that she associated with man until this soul (neshamah) was placed in him, and then she fled to the seaside, where she tries to harm mankind.
אַסְוָותָא לְהַאי, בְּהַהִיא שַׁעֲתָא דְּאִזְדָּוַּוג בַּר נָשׁ בְּאִתְּתֵיהּ, יְכַוִּון לִבֵּיהּ בִּקְדוּשָּׁה דְּמָארֵי, וְלֵימָא הָכֵי, עֲטִיפָא בְּקִטְפָא אִזְדַּמְּנַת, שָׁארֵי שָׁארֵי, לָא תִּעוֹל וְלָא תִּנְפּוֹק, לָא דִּידָךְ וְלָא בְּעַדְבָךְ. תּוּב תּוּב, יַמָּא אִתְרְגִישָׁא, גַּלְגַּלּוֹי לִיךְ קָרָאן, בְּחוּלָקָא קַדִּישָׁא אֲחִידְנָא, בִּקְדוּשָּׁה דְּמַלְכָּא אִתְעָטַּפְנָא.
The remedy is this. When a man unites with his wife, he should sanctify his heart to his Master and say: “She that is wrapped in a robe is here. Thou shalt not enter nor take out; it is neither of thee nor of thy lot. Return, return, the sea is heaving, its waves await thee. I cleave to the holy portion, I am wrapped in the holiness of the King.”
וּלְחַפְיָא לֵיהּ לְרֵישֵׁיהּ וּלְאִתְּתֵיהּ עַד שַׁעֲתָא חֲדָא, וְכֵן בְּכָל זִמְנָא, עַד ג' יוֹמִין לַקְּלִיטָה, דְּכָל הַרְכָּבָה דְּלָא קוֹלֶטֶת לְג' יוֹמִין, תּוּב לֵיתָא קוֹלֶטֶת. וּבְסִפְרָא דְּאָנַח אַשְׁמְדָאי לִשְׁלֹמֹה מַלְכָּא אָמַר, תְּלָתִין יוֹמִין. וְאָמַר דִּלְבָתַר דְּסִיֵּים עוֹבָדָא, לִישְׁדֵי מַיִין צְלִילָן סוֹחֲרָנֵיהּ לְעַרְסֵיהּ. וּנְטוּרָא דְּכֹלָּא. (לבתר)
He should then cover his head and the head of his wife for a short time. In the book which Ashmedai gave to King Solomon, it says that he should then sprinkle clean water round the bed.