Sacred Writing
Lilith in the Early Kabalah
Rabbi Isaac Ben Jacob Ha-Kohen "Treatise on the Left Emanation" quoted in The Early Kabalah, Joseph Dan ed., Paulist Press, 1986.
"19. In answer to your question concerning Lilith, I shall explain to you the essence of the matter. Concerning this point there is a received tradition from the ancient Sages who made use of the Secret Knowledge of the Lesser Palaces, which is the manipulation of demons and a ladder by which one ascends to the prophetic levels. In this tradition it is made clear that Samael and Lilith were born as one similar to the form of Adam and Eve who were also born as one, reflecting what is above. his is the account of Lilith which was received by the Sages in the Secret Knowledge of the Palaces. The Matron Lilith is the mate of Samael. Both of them were born at the same hour in the image of Adam and Eve, intertwined in each other. Asmodeus the great king of the demons has a mate the Lesser (younger) Lilith, daughter of the kind whose name is Qafsefoni. The name of his mate is Mehetabel daughter of Matred, and their daughter is Lilith.
This is the exact text of what is written in the Chapters of the Lesser Palaces as we have received it, word for word, and letter for letter. And the scholars of this wisdom possess a very profound tradition from the ancients. They found it stated in those Chapters that Samael, the great prince of them all, grew exceedingly jealous of Asmodeus the kind of the demons because of this Lilith who is called Lilith the Maiden (the young). She is in the form of a beautiful woman from her head to her waist. But from the waist down she is burning fite- like mother like daughter. She is called Mehetabel daughter of Matred, and the meaning is something immersed (mahu tabal). The meaning here is that her intentions are never for the good. She only seeks to incite wars and various demons of war and the war between Daughter Lilith and Matron Lilith.
They say that from Asmodeus and his mate Lilith a great prince was born in heaven. He is the rule of the eighty thousand destructive demons and is called "the sword of king Asmodeus." His name is Alefpene'ash and his face burns like a raging fire ('esh). He is also called Gurigur, for he antagonizes and struggles with the prince of Judah, who is called Gur Aryeh Yehudah (Lion-cub of Judah). From the same form that gave birth to this war-demon another prince, a prince whose root is in Kingdom was born in heaven. He is called "the sword of the Messiah." He too has two names: Meshihi'el and Kokvi'el. When the time comes and when God wishes, this sword will leave its sheath and verses of prophecy will come true: "For My sword shall be drunk in the heavens; Lo, it shall come down upon Edom" (Isaiah 34:5). "A star rises from Jacob" (Numbers 24:17). Amen. Soon in our days may we merit to see the face of the Messiah our righteous one; we and all our people....
22.I shall now teach you a wonderful innovation. You already know that evil Samael and wicked Lilith are like a sexual pair who, by means of an intermediary, receive an evil and wicked emanation from one and emanate to the other. I shall explain this relying on the esoteric meaning in the verse "In that day the Lord will pun ish with his great, cruel, mighty sword Leviathan thee twisted serpent and Leviathan the tortuous serpent" -- this is Lilith --"and He will slay the dragon of the sea" (Isaiah 27:1). As there is a pure Leviathan in the sea and it is called a serpent, so there is a great defiled serpent in the sea in the literal sense. The same holds true above in a hidden way. The heavenly serpent is a blind prince, the image of an intermediary between Samael and Lilith. Its name is Tanin'iver. The masters of tradition said that just as this serpent slithers without eyes, so the supernal serpent has the image of a spiritual form without color -- these are "the eyes." The traditionalists call it an eyeless creature, therefore its name is Tanin'iver. He is the bond, the accompaniment, and the union between Samael and Lilith. If he were created whole in the fullness of his emanation he would have destroyed the world in an instant....
When the divine Will arrives and the emanation of Samael and Lilith weakens the emanation achieved by the blind prince they will be completely annhilated by Gabriel prince of Strength, who instigates war against them with the aid of the prince of Lovingkindness. Then the verse which we have expounded according to its secret meaning will come true."
Recent Books
- The Book of Lilith
- Barbara Black Koltuv / Paperback / Published 1987
- Lilith (Heeley, D. A. Darkness and Light, Bk. 1.)
- D. A. Heeley / Paperback / Published 1996
- Which Lilith? : Feminist Writers Re-Create the World's First Woman
- Enid Dame(Editor), et al / Hardcover / Published 1998
- Lilith : The Edge of Forever (Woman in History, V. 18)
- Filomena Maria Pereira / Paperback / Published 1998