When it comes to scary stories, Jewish tradition has its fair share of eerie characters, with demons (Shedim) taking center stage.

What are they really? Do they even exist? Are they dangerous?

As most readers here can tell, these entities aren’t just fictional ghosts meant to frighten; they are complex beings that weave through Jewish History and Kabbalah. From the legends of the Talmud to the hidden wisdom in the Zohar, demons play a significant role in exploring the shadowy corners of existence and our spiritual battles.

I dare to say most of us are, to a greater or lesser extent, influenced by demons that we pass by on the public domain (reshut harabim). However, for most “normal” people, a demons’s influence is relatively small since a person’s aura naturally protects him.

The Jewish understanding of demons goes beyond Hollywood’s typical horror villains. These beings embody a mix of the mysterious and the moral, serving as reminders of the duality of creation and the consequences of human choices. A famous story is told in the Talmud (Meilah 17b) where Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai used a demon called Ben Temalion to possess the caesar’s daughter. He’d then go to the palace to “heal her” (i.e. ask the demon to leave) and then curry favor with the caesar to annul the harsh decrees against the Jews.

Let’s dive into the origins of these creatures, their nature, and why they’ve intrigued rabbis, Kabbalists, and storytellers for centuries.

1. Origins and Nature of Demons in Jewish Tradition

The Talmud (specifically Chagigah 16a) gives some fascinating insights into these creatures, explaining that they were created during twilight on the sixth day of creation.

According to this account, Hashem began to create them but did not finish the work (purposely, obviously), leaving them in a half-formed state without physical bodies. This strange origin story sets the tone for why demons are considered less tangible and more supernatural than other beings.

But what are these beings, really?

In Kabbalistic teachings, demons are said to inhabit the space between the spiritual and material realms. The Zohar, the central work of Kabbalah, offers deeper context, describing them as entities born from the “husks” or Klipot, representing impure or negative forces in the universe. The Klipot serve as barriers that obscure divine light and represent the darker aspects of creation. Demons are, therefore, seen as the manifestations of spiritual imbalance, embodying chaos and testing human resolve to adhere to spiritual laws.

2. The Creation and Characteristics of Demons

The Talmud (Chagigah 16a, Avot 5:6) and Midrashic tradition locate the creation of demons at a supremely liminal moment: twilight on the Sixth Day of Creation, at the precise boundary between the completion of creation and the sanctification of Shabbat.

According to Midrash Rabbah (Bereishit 7:5), demons appear on the list of ten things created during twilight (bein ha-shmashot), alongside the Shamir (the stone-cutting worm), and other miraculous objects. The Midrash relates: “Rabbi says: These are the demons. God created their souls, but when He came to create their bodies, He sanctified Shabbat and did not create them.”

This timing is not accidental; it defines their essential nature as incomplete. They are “unfinished” beings, stuck eternally in the twilight, neither fully spiritual like angels nor fully physical like humans. Their lack of completion drives their behavior: they are often described as envious of humanity’s physical form, seeking to attach themselves to the material world.

We learn in the Talmud (Chagigah 16b) about a specific biological classification for shedim, describing them as a hybrid species sharing three traits with angels and three with humans:

Like Angels:

1. They have wings (or can fly).
2. They can move from one end of the world to the other.
3. They have foreknowledge of the future (though they only “hear” it from behind the heavenly curtain).

Like Humans:

1. They eat and drink.
2. They procreate and multiply.
3. They eventually die.

This duality means they have physical needs but supernatural capabilities. The Talmud states that they are often invisible to the naked eye, and those with spiritual perception state that if one were to see the thousands of shedim that surround us daily, “no creature could withstand the terror.”

The Zohar’s Cosmic Vision: The Wine and the Yeast

We find in the Zohar (III:178a-b) a very interesting passage that reframes the creation of demons within the Kabbalistic understanding of the Spiritual Worlds. The text explains that when the sixth day of creation was complete and Adam had been formed, the spirits of demons emerged seeking bodies. But as the sun set, ushering in Shabbat, the work of creation halted.

The Zohar states: “When the time came for the sanctification of that day between the setting of the sun and the shining of the stars on Friday night, the spirits of the demons came out so that a body would be created for them. But the day was sanctified and creation was not completed and the world remained blemished and the acts of Creation were lacking.”

This blemish (i.e. the unfinished left side of creation) remained until Israel received the Torah and was organized into their proper rungs (Priests, Levites, and Israelites). The Zohar continues: “The service of the Levites, which corresponds to the left side, consummated the blemished dimension of the left axis [in the mystical Tree of Life diagram], from which the demons emerged. It was then that the bodies of the demons were completed.”

It is difficult to give a proper categorization of demons since Jewish tradition speaks about them sparsely. While we have accounts of Kabbalists like R’ Chaim Vital, the Ben Ish Chai and R’ Yehuda Fetaya dealing with them, we don’t really know what distinguishes one from another because each can have many different aspects that would put it in different categories altogether.

In Kabbalah, demons are said to inhabit the space between the spiritual and material realms. The Zohar describes them as entities born from the Klipot (i.e. “husks” or “shells”) representing impure or negative forces in Creation.

The Klipot serve as barriers that obscure divine light. In the Zohar on Bereishit, the creation of the moon is interpreted mystically: when the moon “dimmed” and descended into a lower realm, its diminishment gave birth to the Klipot. This resulted in darkness and from darkness emerged the demonic forces.

These demons are then the manifestations of spiritual imbalance, embodying chaos and testing human resolve to adhere to spiritual laws. The teaching indicates that demons can be generated by human action: wasted potential, squandered energy, and impure thoughts create “husks” into which negative forces flow (in particular, caused by seminal emission).

Below are some of the most well-known demons in our tradition.

The Hierarchy of the “Other Side” (Sitra Achra)

Jewish demonology is not a disorganized mob; it has structure, kings, and specific classes of entities.

A. Famous Figures

Ashmedai (Asmodeus): The King of Demons. Unlike the purely evil Satan of Christian lore, Ashmedai is depicted in the Talmud (Gittin 68a) as a complex, sometimes humorous character. He studies Torah in the heavenly academy and observes Jewish law, yet is prone to mischief and vice.

The most famous legend involves King Solomon capturing Ashmedai to discover the location of the Shamir (a stone-cutting worm) to build the Holy Temple without metal tools. This story reflects the Kabbalistic principle that even negative forces have their purpose within the divine plan, Ashmedai, when properly constrained, can serve the building of holiness.

Lilith: Lilith stands as the archetypal demoness in Kabbalah. In Zohar 1:19b, the origins of Lilith are described in mystical detail. Like Adam, her body was created from the dust of earth on the sixth day of creation. However, she became the vessel for the Samekh Mem’s (Samael) defective light, while Adam received the perfect light from Hashem.

According to the Alphabet of Ben Sira and later Kabbalistic sources, Lilith was Adam’s first wife before Eve. Cast out from the Garden of Eden for her refusal to submit, she becomes a symbol of rebellion and autonomy, but twisted into a dark expression. We find in Siddurim and many sources that Lilith embodies the dark feminine aspect and is linked to the Sitra Achra (the “Other Side”) which represents the forces of impurity, tempting men to sin.

Stories of Lilith often serve as cautionary tales, blending social, moral, and mystical themes. In Lurianic Kabbalah, there are multiple Liliths (I guess they’d be her spawns), each with different roles and degrees of power. The most fearsome is associated with the threat to newborn infants and pregnant women, particularly during the vulnerable times when Divine protection is weakest.

Agrat bat Mahlat: A powerful demoness mentioned in Pesachim 112b, described as the “dancing roof demon” who travels with a retinue of 18,000 destroying angels. The Talmud specifically warns that she is most dangerous on Tuesday and Friday nights; historically, Rabbis advised against walking alone during these times to avoid her influence.

Ketev Meriri: The “Demon of the Midday.” Based on Psalms 91:6, this entity is active during the hot afternoon hours, specifically during the “Three Weeks” of mourning (between Tammuz 17 and Av 9). Midrashic sources describe it terrifyingly: a rolling ball of eyes and scales that sees through the heart, bringing sudden sickness and plague.

B. General Categories

Shedim (שֵׁדִים): General Demons – The most common term for demons in Jewish texts, shedim are spirits that can cause harm or mischief. They appear only twice in the Biblical text (Psalm 106:37 and Deuteronomy 32:17), both times in contexts of foreign worship and child sacrifice.

Ruach Ra’ah (רוח רעה): Evil Spirits – These are impure or harmful spirits that can influence human behavior, cause illness, or bring bad luck. They are often associated with ritual impurity, and various Jewish customs (such as washing hands upon waking) are meant to protect against them. The difference between Shedim and Ruach Ra’ah is that the former can materialize while the latter cannot.

Mazzikim (מַזִּיקִים): Harmful Entities – The word literally means “harmers” or “damagers.” These spirits are believed to cause accidents, misfortune, and disease. The Talmud describes them as invisible beings that lurk in dark or abandoned places. Yet according to the Zohar, a man can create Mazikin by wasting his seed, which will then exact vengeance upon him when he dies. According to the Ben Ish Chai, a woman can also create Mazikin by “wasting her seed.” Mazikin can be destroyed with the Shema Israel of the night.

Se’irim (שְׂעִירִים): Goat-Demons – These spirits, mentioned in the Torah (Leviticus 17:7, Isaiah 13:21), are associated with wilderness and desolate places. Some traditions link them to satyr-like beings that were worshipped in ancient times, later reinterpreted as demonic.

Lilin (לִילִין): Night Spirits – Derived from Lilith, these are nocturnal demons that haunt the night and target humans, particularly newborns and pregnant women. They are often considered offspring of Lilith and Samael.
Dybbuk (דיבוק): Possessing Spirits. A Dybbuk is the soul of a deceased person that has not found rest and possesses a living body. This concept is more prominent in later Jewish mysticism and folklore, particularly in the 16th century, representing a distinctly different category from the Shedim.

Shedim Nezikin (שדים מזיקים): Demons of Punishment – These demons act as agents of divine retribution, carrying out punishments for sins. Some mystical traditions view them as fallen angels or corrupted spirits caught between worlds.

Protective Practices and Amulets (kameot) in Jewish Tradition

Throughout history, Jewish communities have adopted various practices and rituals to protect themselves from demonic forces when they posed a greater danger. One of the most common protective measures is the use of amulets and talismans (i.e. kameot) inscribed with divine names and verses.

The Talmud (Shabbat 67a) references the use of such items as a way to ward off harmful spirits, which tells us how deeply embedded this practice is in Jewish life in ancient times. The Priestly Blessing (Numbers 6:24-26) and specific angelic names are often written on parchment and placed inside amulets to invoke divine protection.

Mezuzah: The Zohar states that a kosher Mezuzah on the doorpost acts as a shield, preventing Mazzikim from entering the home. The holy name Shaddai written on the outside is an acronym for Shomer Daltot Yisrael (Guardian of the Doors of Israel). It was also common for Jews to gift non-Jews mezuzot.

Netilat Yadayim (Hand Washing): Upon waking, Jews wash their hands three times. The explanation, found in the Shulchan Aruch, is that during sleep, the soul ascends, leaving the body in a state of minor death (impurity). A Ruach Ra’ah settles on the extremities (fingertips). Washing removes this spiritual residue.

Recitation of Shema: Reciting the Shema before bed is described as a “sword” that protects the sleeper from the “terrors of the night” (Mazzikim).

Kabbalistic Symbols: The Sefer Raziel HaMalakh, a medieval Kabbalistic text attributed to the angel Raziel, is filled with references to secret prayers and sacred names that can protect individuals from demonic interference.

The Deeper Kabbalistic Symbolism: Demons as Inner Challenges

While demons are often viewed as literal beings, Kabbalistic teachings interpret them on a deeper, more symbolic level. According to the Zohar (Volume 1, 148b), demons can be understood as manifestations of human flaws, fears, and unbridled desires. They are reflections of our inner struggles, symbolizing the challenges that must be confronted for spiritual growth.

This perspective offers another insight: demons are not just external threats but reminders of the spiritual work necessary to overcome one’s darker impulses and align more closely with God’s will.

The teachings of Arizal elaborate on this idea, suggesting that confronting these dark forces, whether internal or external, strengthens the soul’s capacity for light. This mystical approach shifts the narrative from fear to empowerment, reminding practitioners that overcoming challenges, both demonic and personal, is a pathway to spiritual refinement.

The Future Rectification: When Demons Will Serve Holiness

One of the most mystifying teachings in the Zohar concerns the ultimate destiny of demons. The text suggests that in the future redemption, the bodies of demons will be completed, not to destroy them, but to rectify and elevate them.

Indeed, the Klipot (shells) are not eternal obstacles but temporary barriers. In the World to Come, all sparks of holiness trapped within the husks will be elevated and restored to their source. The very forces that now oppose the Divine will become channels for its expression, amplifying it.

This revolutionary concept reflects the Kabbalistic principle that nothing in creation is truly evil or beyond redemption, only misdirected or incomplete (except maybe Amalek). When the forces of the “left axis” (associated with severity, judgment, and the demonic realm) are properly balanced with the “right axis” (compassion and mercy), harmony and wholeness emerge.

Conclusion

The Jewish understanding of Shedim transcends simple demonology. These beings embody the paradoxes of creation itself: incomplete yet real, destructive yet purposeful, external yet reflections of our inner state. From the twilight of the sixth day, when they emerged unfinished, to their ultimate rectification in the age of Mashiach, demons serve as warnings that are best kept internalized, but away from us.

Whether viewed through the lens of the Talmud realism or Kabbalah, Shedim challenge us to recognize that Creation is neither purely good nor purely evil, but rather a complex interplay of forces through which souls are tested, refined, and elevated. They remind us that spiritual mastery is not about denying darkness but about understanding it, integrating it, and ultimately transforming it into light.