Demons, Angels, People, and Animals: Chagigah 16b

My previous post on demons led me to this interesting piece in the Talmud.

Our Rabbis taught:  Six things are said of demons.  They are like the ministering angels in three ways, and like people in three ways.  They are like ministering angels in that they they have wings, and fly from one end of the earth to the other, and know the future.

But is it really possible that the demons know the future?  Rather, they hear (rumors) from behind the Curtain (where G-d dwells in Heaven about the future.)

Demons are like people in that they eat and drink, have sex, and die.

Six things are said of people.  People are like the ministering angels in three ways, and like animals in three ways.  People are like ministering angels in that they have intelligence, walk upright, and speak the Holy Tongue (Hebrew).  People are like animals in that they eat and drink, have sex, and eliminate.

Demons: Genesis 6:19

Thanks to Rabbi Shmuel Herzfeld's inspiration, I'm trying to keep up with Rashi's commentary on the weekly Torah portion.  This week, Rashi has a brief comment on Genesis 6:19 which sparked my interest:

Genesis 6:19:  [Noah] brought two from all forms of life, all flesh, into the Ark, to keep them alive; they were male and female.

Responding to the seemingly superfluous word 'life,' which according to traditional Rabbinic reading should teach us something other than creatures of 'flesh' were brought aboard the Ark, Rashi comments:

Rashi on Genesis 6:19: [Noah] even brought demons [aboard the Ark.]