Rewriting Radiance - Rashi for Keter/Crown

It's been a while since I posted an update on my Kabbalistic Fantasy novel, Radiance (check out the first draft here), and honestly, it's been a while since I worked on it.

But recently I started working on the final chapter of the book, before the epilogue, that I wrote in the style of Biblical prophecy. While I enjoyed the conceit, and felt like it worked for the novel, I realised that it made the ending quite ambiguous. Rather than offer total clarity however, which seemed to fly in the face of the reason for writing in Biblical style in the first place, I thought I would write a Rashi-style commentary to go along with it, in the best of Jewish traditions.

If you want to read the first draft of this chapter, check it out here. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy the beginning of the 10th section of Radiance - Keter/Crown. Rashi commentary begins with the bold words quoting the text:


The word of the Lord came to Asher son of Eliav when he dwelt in the city of New York, saying:

            Thus proclaims the Lord:
       I have waited for you, My people, years I have waited beyond measure;
      And still you stir up My anger against you.
      Why do you sit in silence when My world cries out for justice?
      When My people suffer under the yoke of oppression, why were your words not heard?



    The city of New York: This is not coming to tell us a new word but rather a word that was created at the dawn of time, only now revealed to flesh and blood. Or alternatively, the verse is only coming to tell us where Asher son of Eliav lived, but the prophecy came when he was in the holy land of Israel.

    I have waited for you: This is what the verse says “The Lord, the Lord, God, merciful and gracious, slow to anger…” (Exodus 34:6).

    My world cries out for justice: This is according to its simple meaning, but according to the legend, in the future to come the earth will open its mouth and say ‘woe to me, that blood has been spilt on my back and it has not been avenged’

Rewriting Radiance - The floods raise up a roar

Few major changes this week than in the past, but in the 'villain' scene at the end of Tiferet/Splendour (you can read the original here) I wanted to add some clarity to Ashmedai's objectives, and make him a little more understandable, so that his actions in the final scene make a little more sense.

Originally, he merely says the following:

    “Where is my payment?” demanded Ashmedai as Samael stepped away from the captives and walked back down the tunnel towards him. Ashmedai took on the angel’s face as he spoke, twisting the features of fire and stone into the shadows that surrounded him.

But this didn't seem expressive enough of the King of Demons' desire for the sensations of the flesh. The updated version is after the jump:

Samael in Jewish Tradition- Evil Within, Evil Without

One of my most popular posts of all time is an innocuous looking article about the differences I see between Satan and Samael (read it here). In that post, I tried to distinguish between Satan and Samael in Jewish tradition as different aspects of death, Satan as a natural, better kind of death, and Samael as death as a great evil.

Today I want to focus on a different aspect of Samael, namely his role in the great early medieval midrash, Pirkei d'Rabbi Eliezer (the chapters of Rabbi Eliezer). Written in the early Muslim period, this amazing work revitalises much earlier mythic ideas latent in rabbinic Judaism, creating a running narrative from the first day of creation onwards, harmonising all of scripture with powerful mythic symbolism.

The author of the midrash seems to be fascinated by the figure of Samael, and depicts him in a way that we might find strikingly Christian and not a little disturbing:

Samael vs. Satan

Chapter 28 of Radiance, with its vision of Divine Justice, raises the question of Jewish views of Satan, especially as compared to Samael or Ashmedai. While in my story, Satan is a member of the heavenly court not the Sitra Achra, in the tradition things aren't quite so simple.

So what can we say about Jewish views of Satan, and how do they compare to Samael and other more obviously villainous characters from Jewish mythology?

SaTaN
In Hebrew, words are generally built out of three letter roots that are then conjugated in different ways to produce multiple meanings. The three base letters of Satan are שטן which means to oppose or to be an adversary against.

Now the Bible uses the root of the Satan 4 times in reference to some kind of divine being, in Numbers 22, Zechariah 3, Job 1-2 and 1 Chronicles 21. But to understand these references we should bear in mind that the word is also used for human characters (for example 1 Samuel 29) - because in the human sphere, the word Satan has two distinct but related uses, one is a military opponent, and the other is a more formal court prosecutor.

Its the use of Satan as a formal court prosecutor that really interests me, an aspect that is really played up in Zechariah 3 and Job 1-2, where Satan seems to be a role that angels sometimes play in the divine court, rather than the personal name of a particular creature. 

Radiance 26 - He will in no way cleanse the guilty

   Pain exploded through Asher’s body as he felt at least two ribs fracture under Samael’s fists.
    The creature of stone and flame had emerged from hiding once the Leviathan had begun to rise and seemed to be taking great pleasure in hammering Asher’s prone form - and he found he had no fight left to defend himself.
    “Ha!” Samael laughed, deep and growling. “Is this the one who has been causing us so much trouble?” A powerful kick lifted Asher crashing into the stone wall. “This mewling whelp is nothing. I will rip out his heart as I did his father’s.”

Radiance 10 - In the morning he devours his prey

The final chapter of Yesod is here. Look out for some Behind the Scenes before we begin the third section of Radiance - Hod (Splendour).

   Deep in the dark, something was stirring - something vast, sinuous and twisting, uncoiling in the salty depths.
    The watchers, in their infinite guardianship, did not move at all, keeping their eternal vigilance beneath the earth. But something was changing, a shift was occurring in the constantly shifting chaos lurking before their gaze. But if they noticed, the watchers gave no sign.
    Scales shifted, spines fluttered and split the black, foaming surf; unblinking, midnight eyes stared skyward, casting jealous glances towards the open skies, forever hidden by miles of stone and rock.

Radiance 5 - They smote me, they wounded me

  This is the final (and rather short) chapter of the first section of the novel, the section of Malchut - Kingship. Next week begins the second section, Yesod - Foundation.

    Samael was furious. Rage blistered across his blackened skin, escaping in hisses of steam and sulphur. How could this have happened?
    With a molten fist he thundered open the door, melting the metal frame.
    “Samael, so good of you to join us,” whispered the woman at the head of the table, her eyes, as always, hidden beneath her midnight hood.
    “How could this happen? Why does the unborn prince still live? He has met with the seven, even now he is with Virgo, beginning his induction.”
    “Calm yourself, my love,” Lillith rose from her place and came to Samael’s side, stroking his cheek with her pale talons.
    “Calm myself Lillith? Calm myself? Did we not summon Ashmedai himself to destroy him? Why does he still live?”
    “I told you we should never have called a demon to do a woman’s job,” whispered the cloaked woman.