Jewish Link – I have always been fascinated by the way each culture has of measuring time and the meaning we give to the changing of the seasons. Since ancient times, cereal or fruit harvests were moments that were used to meet and celebrate. In modern times we have lost connection with the cycles of the earth for which we have had to discover other ways of measuring time and our growth in it. For those who do not have faith, national, cultural or pagan holidays have become a good option to get together with the family and celebrate. Halloween and the Day of the Dead are the best example of this. Although they have a religious origin, today they are more an opportunity to meet with friends and family. In the case of Halloween through fun and costumes, in the case of the Day of the Dead remembering our loved ones.
One of the things I like the most about this time is the explosion of cultural and artistic elements towards mystery and terror. From the comic or from the serious Halloween It has become an excellent opportunity to explore our fears, the unknown, what we understand as evil and the thousands of dark mythological characters that have caught our attention. I love the construction of witches, ghosts, goblins, monsters that have emerged over the decades; for their playful or ridiculous nature, for the creativity they invite and for the human questioning they present.
Just as all cultures have their set of mysterious and macabre characters that distinguish them, Judaism is no exception. Since superstitions and characters that are born from popular expressions like dybuks, ghosts and goblins, or places and mythical figures such as the Leviathan and the Gueinom, or archetypes such as the angel satan that tell us about human passion and temptations, Judaism has never been short of exploring evil. The Torah has played a special role in all this, it is such a vast book that in the endless stories and characters it has, there are also villains. The following four are just an example in the vastness.
Villains Torah
Nimrod, the first tyrant
The first politician to appear in the Torah is Nimrod; he lived during the times of the tower of Babel and the construction of it is attributed to him. It is said that he was a great hunter and that he caught people with his tongue, he united all people under one mission. He is the prototype of the leader who stops being a leader to become a tyrant. The story does not reject in itself the union of society, nor the objective that it had at that time as such; what it rejects is the loss of individuality, the point at which the social goal became more important than individual well-being. Nimrod made the people forget God, forget themselves, and replaced it with a goal that was meant to be more glorious. The story of Babel is one of the many times in which the Torah rejects the use of force as a social cohesion, and reminds us that the union of individuals must be built on ethical bases, in search of spirituality, not under the desire of power or ability. The Torah constantly emphasizes the failure before God of the nations that seek power and strength, and the need to act morally in our alliances and ties is stressed.
The antithesis of Nimrod was precisely Abraham, his story appears after the story of the tower and the midrashim (stories of the oral Torah) show them as antagonistic; we are even told that Nimrod persecuted Abraham and once threw him and his uncle into a fiery furnace. The reason they are so antithetical lies in the fact that Abraham also had the ability to bring people together and unite them. However, Abraham did so from giving himself to his guests, as we see with the angels, and from uniting people through a spirituality.
The Reptile or the Serpent
Perhaps the most famous and well-known “villain” of the entire Torah is the Serpent, it appears in a large part of Renaissance paintings and is one of the stories that continues to impact as a symbol or figure within modern culture. There is no doubt that it is an icon; it is seen as evil incarnate, as a dark animal, as temptation, as the origin of human pain and in one way or another it has all these meanings. It should be noted that the passage itself leaves many enigmas and that it can be read in many ways. In the Talmud and in the commentaries the meanings of the story are expanded.
The first question that arises is whether it was indeed a snake. The answer is varied, some commentators mention it as a snake, others explain that it is not well known what it was, but the word refers to a kind of reptile that had human characteristics.
This animal did not have free will in itself, as such it was directed by its instincts to tempt Adam and Eve; he acted as any animal acts: mechanically. In effect, it is the representation of desire, which was a force external to man before eating from the tree of knowledge, a much clearer and more controllable force. When man ate from the tree, the reptile ceased to fulfill his function and became an animal like any other.
Esau, the brother of James
Another extremely enigmatic character that we see is that of Esau, Jacobo’s brother, who swears to kill him after losing his father’s first blessing. Many do not understand why for Judaism this man is seen as a bad man within the stories, however there are certain details that are highlighted within the Scriptures that more accurately delineate his character. Among them, for example, the similarity established between Nimrod and Esau is highlighted. Like Nimrod, his skill with weapons and his strength as a hunter stand out from him, and the suit they used when hunting is spoken of both. The literary form in which both characters are described is symmetrical and the midrashim (oral stories) tell us that they were not different outfits, that they both wore the same one, and that Nimrod had taught Esau how to hunt (this as a metaphor for the moral foundations and the form of behavior that Esau had decided to adopt).
Later, he is shown to us as a bloodthirsty man who promises to kill his brother even in front of his parents, who approaches idolatry and takes women who break the customs of his family into his house. His anger is so great that Jacobo finds it necessary to hide from him for several years, and his bad reputation grows to the point that when Jacobo finally decides to return to his family, he has to prepare several gifts and be willing to confront him militarily if necessary.
Needless to say, he is an extremely interesting character, the first time you read his story you can’t help but feel compassion for him and what happens to him (losing his birthright, losing his father’s blessing). However, it is his response that paints him in a less kind light. Throughout his story it is again emphasized that it is not military force that wins God’s favor but the person’s ethical behavior. Furthermore, we are taught that the spiritual heritage of the Torah as shown in Bereshit (Genesis) the first book, is not transmitted so much by the place of birth as by actions. When Isaac blesses James he does so because his voice “is the voice of James and the hands the hands of Esau.” Because the man in front of him congenial the best characteristics of his two sons.
Laban the liar
All the characters we have mentioned are the prototype of what is known as “rashá” or evil, people who put their passions and desires above, and end up taking advantage of or harming their contemporaries. Among all, Laban is the best example, he is not a violent or aggressive man, but he takes advantage of the weakness of those around him and uses lies and deceit as his best weapon. We see that in the way he constantly cheats on Jacobo and the way he alters the deals he makes. He is the example of the man who is utilitarian and takes advantage of others.
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