Julian Ungar-Sargon

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Daf Ditty

A wide-ranging commentary on the daily page of Talmud.

Satan, Gustav Dore

Bava Batra 16: הוּא שָׂטָן, הוּא יֵצֶר הָרָע

jyungar July 11, 2024

For the source text click/tap here: Bava Batra 16

To download, click/tap here: PDF

Our daf covers a lot of agadaic ground. The Gemara begins by continuing the story of Job beginning with Job losing everything that he has been given. Job continues to praise G-d though even G-d tells Satan that Satan moved G-d against Job to destroy him without cause. G-d allowed Satan to cause Job further suffering - anything short of killing him. Rabbi Yitzchak suggests that Satan's suffering was worse than that of Job, for Satan found it so painful to restrict his cruelty.

Reish Lakish suggests that Satan is the same thing as yetzer hara, the evil inclination, and malach hamazet, the Angel of Death. Each is an aspect of the same essence.

We explore this most difficult of characters from different perspectives both Rabbinic and literary.

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Julian Ungar-Sargon

This is Julian Ungar-Sargon's personal website. It contains poems, essays, and podcasts for the spiritual seeker and interdisciplinary aficionado.​