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Who Satan Really Is

Yanni

Active Member
So who is Satan? Well, I've heard some say Satan is the "root of all evil." I've also heard people say Satan is a fallen angel who is the arch enemy of God. Let's stop and give it some thought. The only way Satan could become the arch enemy of God is if God created angles with free will. And, if God is the Almighty and Everlasting God, Creator and Sustainer of the entire universe, then doesn't He have the power to just destroy Satan just by saying Satan should cease to exist? Isn't God perfect? Well, Orthodox Judaism believes that God is perfect, and that angels do NOT have free will. (To side track, Jewish tradition believes that humans are even greater than angels, precisely because we have free will and the power to decide whether we serve God properly and earn eternal reward, or to disobey God and get punished. Angels don't have the ability to earn eternal reward, and they therefore only exist for their particular missions that God commands them to do. This is very difficult to explain, but angels are merely a representation of the Divine will). If that's the case, then who is Satan?
The answer to this question is easy to comprehend and beautiful for those who truly wish to believe it. Angels do not have free will. Angels perform certain tasks that God commands them to perform (we won't get into the details). Satan was also given a task (and he is one heck of a master at what he does). Satan's task is to test us humans with various passions, cravings, and pleasures that ultimately disconnect ourselves from God and spiritual strivings by giving in too much to this world. This world is not the only existence. After we die, we go to a much better place. But what we earn in that much better place depends on how we behaved in this world. The simple understanding of Satan is that Satan's task is to try to make us sin. However, that is not entirely accurate. According to Orthodox Judaism, when Satan says "sin," he's really saying "DON'T sin and let me see you become great by passing my test." This is mind boggling! Everyone has assumed that Satan is evil. No. What Satan presents to us is evil; all he's doing is carrying out his mission in giving us humans the opportunities for real spiritual growth. Human beings have natural tendencies and cravings, just like animals. What really makes us great is when we transform ourselves from an animal being to a spiritual being; we transform our bodies into holy beings. It is precisely overcoming our natural tendencies to do the will of God that gains us the eternal benefits that we all desire.
One may ask, "Well, if Satan is not the cause of all evil, then how come bad things happen in the world (like illness, crime, natural disasters, terrorism, etc.). How can God, Who is perfectly good, allow such things to happen?"
The answer is not easy, but God truly is the ultimate Source of all goodness. But when bad things happen, we tend to lose our faith for a slight moment. Why? Because we can't perceive God as being bad. It must be Satan is the one who did it. No. What we perceive (with our limited human intelligence) to be bad is really part of God's Master Plan for the world. Whatever happens to a person is for his/her ultimate benefit. Although we may not see the good now, sometime later, the goodness will be revealed, either later in life through some insight into past and present events, or when we leave this world and heaven tells us the goodness. If we view the events in our lives that way, that Satan is really (quietly) cheering us on to overcome his tests, then life becomes much more beautiful. The reason why God allows bad things to happen sometimes is not about Him being angry and a God Who likes to punish. God wants everyone to earn the most pleasurable thing imaginable: basking in His Glory in the World to Come. We can't understand what that means, but the Sages say that one moment in the World to Come is more pleasurable than all the pleasures ever since the creation of the world placed into a bottle. God wants us to enjoy that, but not if we aren't first cleansed of our sins.
I hope this has given you an insight into the role Satan plays in Orthodox Judaism, and I hope my explanations can help give meaning to those in search for it.
 
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BruceDLimber

Well-Known Member
God is One, Supreme, and has no rival or equal! There is therefore no devil out there trying to "get us."

And "satan" merely refers to our own lower (animal) nature when we give it control instead of our higher (spiritual) nature.

Simple as that.

Peace, :)

Bruce
 

Orias

Left Hand Path
As a Satanist, I think I can speak more directly about the subject.

As some may know, Satan derives from the early Hebrew and Arabic terms, "Ha-Satan", and "Shaitan". So literally, Satan translates into Opposition or Adversary.

People can attach and tie any meaning they want into what they believe Satan is, like he was a fallen angel from Heaven, or is the lower (animalistic) spiritual form of ourselves.

Really, Satan is more of a scapegoat than a sincere justification of ourselves, which deeply saddens me.

I have no disconnection with "God", and I certainly do not possess a lower level of intellect or spiritual guidance.

Satan at the core, is Opposition, and thats all thats to it. The rest is subject to the person and is interpreted to gratify their own psychological perception.

Which is why "Satan" is such a touchy issue because people want things to be what makes them most satisfied and/or comforted.

I can agree with your statement that "Satan is really (quietly) cheering us on to overcome his tests", simply because I believe that is true. Not that he is necessarily testing us, but guiding us, showing us by discipline. It is much like a Tae Kwon Do tournament, you face the Opposition but you don't try to kill him or completely incapacitate him, after the bout is over you show respect and bow. The same example can be used in MMA or any other competitive sport that involves challenging someone or something that is trying to overcome you and be better than you.

You learn from the Opposite side, to make yours better. That is the essential meaning that I have gained from being a Satanist.

Though I do my best to tolerate others propagandistic, and narrow minded views, explaining Satanism to someone is, in a nutshell, a pain the neck, since the word Satan was colloquially designed to be questioned and challenged, because it is was it is, Opposition.

Best regards and Xeper,

Orias
 

Yanni

Active Member
Let me provide the non–theistic, asuperstitious answer: Satan, like god, represents a human construct, the concept of which has evolved markedly over time.
And even it it were, I believe my (or Judaism's) view of Satan is the most logical, from a "everything being good" perspective. Those who made Satan out to be an evil force with independent power are those who, with their human intelligence, could not pair God up with being both the Source of good and the Source of the "seemingly" bad in this world.
 

Gjallarhorn

N'yog-Sothep
Satan is, if anything, an agent of God: the one who refines us via trials. There is no "ruler of hell" conspiring against the world to spite the Creator. Satan is a tester.

Well, assuming he doesn't take pleasure in his job...
 

McBell

Resident Sourpuss
So who is Satan? Well, I've heard some say Satan is the "root of all evil." I've also heard people say Satan is a fallen angel who is the arch enemy of God. Let's stop and give it some thought. The only way Satan could become the arch enemy of God is if God created angles with free will. And, if God is the Almighty and Everlasting God, Creator and Sustainer of the entire universe, then doesn't He have the power to just destroy Satan just by saying Satan should cease to exist? Isn't God perfect? Well, Orthodox Judaism believes that God is perfect, and that angels do NOT have free will. (To side track, Jewish tradition believes that humans are even greater than angels, precisely because we have free will and the power to decide whether we serve God properly and earn eternal reward, or to disobey God and get punished. Angels don't have the ability to earn eternal reward, and they therefore only exist for their particular missions that God commands them to do. This is very difficult to explain, but angels are merely a representation of the Divine will). If that's the case, then who is Satan?
The answer to this question is easy to comprehend and beautiful for those who truly wish to believe it. Angels do not have free will. Angels perform certain tasks that God commands them to perform (we won't get into the details). Satan was also given a task (and he is one heck of a master at what he does). Satan's task is to test us humans with various passions, cravings, and pleasures that ultimately disconnect ourselves from God and spiritual strivings by giving in too much to this world. This world is not the only existence. After we die, we go to a much better place. But what we earn in that much better place depends on how we behaved in this world. The simple understanding of Satan is that Satan's task is to try to make us sin. However, that is not entirely accurate. According to Orthodox Judaism, when Satan says "sin," he's really saying "DON'T sin and let me see you become great by passing my test." This is mind boggling! Everyone has assumed that Satan is evil. No. What Satan presents to us is evil; all he's doing is carrying out his mission in giving us humans the opportunities for real spiritual growth. Human beings have natural tendencies and cravings, just like animals. What really makes us great is when we transform ourselves from an animal being to a spiritual being; we transform our bodies into holy beings. It is precisely overcoming our natural tendencies to do the will of God that gains us the eternal benefits that we all desire.
One may ask, "Well, if Satan is not the cause of all evil, then how come bad things happen in the world (like illness, crime, natural disasters, terrorism, etc.). How can God, Who is perfectly good, allow such things to happen?"
The answer is not easy, but God truly is the ultimate Source of all goodness. But when bad things happen, we tend to lose our faith for a slight moment. Why? Because we can't perceive God as being bad. It must be Satan is the one who did it. No. What we perceive (with our limited human intelligence) to be bad is really part of God's Master Plan for the world. Whatever happens to a person is for his/her ultimate benefit. Although we may not see the good now, sometime later, the goodness will be revealed, either later in life through some insight into past and present events, or when we leave this world and heaven tells us the goodness. If we view the events in our lives that way, that Satan is really (quietly) cheering us on to overcome his tests, then life becomes much more beautiful. The reason why God allows bad things to happen sometimes is not about Him being angry and a God Who likes to punish. God wants everyone to earn the most pleasurable thing imaginable: basking in His Glory in the World to Come. We can't understand what that means, but the Sages say that one moment in the World to Come is more pleasurable than all the pleasures ever since the creation of the world placed into a bottle. God wants us to enjoy that, but not if we aren't first cleansed of our sins.
I hope this has given you an insight into the role Satan plays in Orthodox Judaism, and I hope my explanations can help give meaning to those in search for it.
I see you did not take your own advice....

Satan is a title, not a specific entity.
Just like Lucifer is a title, not a specific entity.
 

HeatherAnn

Active Member
I'd agree that Satan represents the "shadow self" we try to hide.
While it's nice to think we're all great & to feel all nice, but the reality is that without the opposite, we wouldn't know happiness.
 

McBell

Resident Sourpuss
So do you mean to say that a succession of sentient beings have, over time, called themselves Satan?
The title of satan is used for several entities in the Bible.
Jesus even calls Peter Satan in Matthew 16:23.

(ASV)
But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art a stumbling-block unto me: for thou mindest not the things of God, but the things of men.

(BBE)
But he, turning to Peter, said, Get out of my way, Satan: you are a danger to me because your mind is not on the things of God, but on the things of men.

(Bishops)
But he turned hym about, and sayde vnto Peter: go after me Satan, thou art an offence vnto me: for thou sauerest not the thynges that be of God, but those that be of men.

(CEV)
Jesus turned to Peter and said, "Satan, get away from me! You're in my way because you think like everyone else and not like God."

(Darby)
But turning round, he said to Peter, Get away behind me, Satan; thou art an offence to me, for thy mind is not on the things that are of God, but on the things that are of men.

(DRB)
Who turning, said to Peter: Go behind me, Satan, thou art a scandal unto me: because thou savourest not the things that are of God, but the things that are of men.

(EMTV)
But He turned and said to Peter, "Get behind Me, Satan! You are a stumbling block unto Me, because you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men."

(ERV) Then Jesus said to Peter, "Get away from me, Satan! You are not helping me! You don't care about the same things God does. You care only about things that people think are important."

(ESV) But he turned and said to Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man."

(Geneva)
Then he turned backe, and said vnto Peter, Get thee behinde me, Satan: thou art an offence vnto me, because thou vnderstandest not the thinges that are of God, but the thinges that are of men.

(GNB)
Jesus turned around and said to Peter, "Get away from me, Satan! You are an obstacle in my way, because these thoughts of yours don't come from God, but from human nature."

(GW)
But Jesus turned and said to Peter, "Get out of my way, Satan! You are tempting me to sin. You aren't thinking the way God thinks but the way humans think."

(ISV)
But Jesus turned and told Peter, "Get behind me, Satan! You are an offense to me, because you are not thinking God's thoughts but human thoughts!"

(KJV)
But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men.

(LITV)
But turning He said to Peter, Go behind Me, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you do not think of the things of God, but the things of men.

(MKJV) But He turned and said to Peter, Go, Satan! You are an offense to Me, for you do not savor the things that are of God, but those that are of men.

(Murdock)
But he turned, and said to Cephas: Get thee behind me, Satan: Thou art a stumbling block to me; for thou thinkest not the things of God, but the things of men.

(RV)
But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art a stumbling–block unto me: for thou mindest not the things of God, but the things of men.

(Webster)
But he turned, and said to Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan; thou art an offense to me: for thou savorest not the things that are of God, but those that are of men.





 
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Yanni

Active Member
Satan is, if anything, an agent of God: the one who refines us via trials. There is no "ruler of hell" conspiring against the world to spite the Creator. Satan is a tester.

Well, assuming he doesn't take pleasure in his job...
Thank you for realizing how your view (and my view) of Satan makes the most sense.
 

Yanni

Active Member
‘Seemingly’ bad?!
Well, you don't hold of any religion, but according to Orthodox Judaism, everything that transpires in this world is for everyone's ultimate benefit, and the goal of life is to accumulate merits by doing good deeds and performing God's commandments so that we can earn our treasure house of reward in the World to Come. However, we must be pure and free of sin to get to that point. To be purified, one may have to go to "hell" temporarily to have that spiritual purification. However, the pains of "hell" are much worse than anything you can imagine here on earth. Therefore, in God's mercy, He sometimes allows bad things to happen to good people on Earth to give then the purification they need here and would not have to go to "hell." Whatever we humans perceive as bad is in reality something good and for our benefit, although we may not realize it at first.
 

Kodanshi

StygnosticA
Thanks for your explanation. It’s very interesting to read this. I’ve always considered Jews more rational in their religion than any others I’d encountered (especially Muslims). However, since I realised I didn’t believe in god whatsoever, I couldn’t ascribe to any particular deity–centred spiritual philosophy.

What would you consider the mercy and and ultimate benefit of the Holocaust?
 

Yanni

Active Member
Thanks for your explanation. It’s very interesting to read this. I’ve always considered Jews more rational in their religion than any others I’d encountered (especially Muslims). However, since I realised I didn’t believe in god whatsoever, I couldn’t ascribe to any particular deity–centred spiritual philosophy.

What would you consider the mercy and and ultimate benefit of the Holocaust?
That is a very difficult question to answer and that question has been raised numerous times. As I said, those "seemingly bad" occurrences in life have an ultimate purpose (both in the short run and in the long run). Of course, God doesn't "cause" evil to happen or to exist; He created human beings with one of the greatest gifts there is: free will. Free will is so great because it gives humans the opportunities to transcend their nature towards animalistic desires and rather to perform good deeds and perform God's commandments, which through performing them one accumulates merits for himself, his family, and his descendants, and ultimately for his "cash in" (so to speak) for his eternal reward that God has in store for him in the World to Come. Now, regarding animalistic desires, God doesn't expect us to completely separate ourselves from the pleasures of this world; on the contrary, He wants us to enjoy this world, but to a point. For example, sex is a natural aspect of human (and animal) existence. However, sex also has the ability to be transformed into a highly emotional and spiritual act. Instead of having sex with anyone at one time and has the high possibility of being discarded after a while, Jewish law requires that a man and a woman decide to consecrate themselves to each other and no one else. In fact, when the man puts the ring on the woman's finger, he says (in Hebrew), "Behold! You are consecrated to me through this ring, according to the law of Moses and Israel." The man consequently makes the woman forbidden to any other man in the world. One of the man's marriage obligation written in the marriage contract is that he is required to give his wife three things: food, clothing, and sex. God doesn't want us to refrain from sex; He just wants us use sex for a higher purpose and to elevate humans to a different level than animals. He also commanded us to attempt to have children.
Having said that (and going slightly off topic), God created this world with many pleasures. God also created humans with the ability to make choices, and those choices can either reap great benefits or can create evil. God didn't "cause" the Holocaust to happen; for reasons that are His alone (which we must believe are inherently good), God allowed evil men to carry out their desires, up to a point. We will never know (and are not entitled yet to know) why God allowed the Nazis to do what they did. We believe that one day, our Messiah will reveal himself to the world, and the existence of God will become evident throughout the world. At that time, God will reveal to the world what His Master Plan was and will show all mankind how every single event that took place in the history of the world, whether good or bad, was for humanity's ultimate benefit. We are only human, and with our limited intelligence, we can't perceive bad things as being good. But what gets, and has always gotten, the Jewish people going on their feet, despite all the bad things that has happened to us in our history, is this concrete knowledge that everything God does is for the good, although we don't yet see it. And although the Holocaust did happen, God still promised the Jewish people that they would never be completely eradicated from the earth, and that is why through all the persecutions and annihilation attempts and exiles, etc. the Jewish people is still around and is still following the tradition that dates back to the time of Abraham our forefather, more than 3,000 years ago.
 

smidjit

Member
So who is Satan? Well, I've heard some say Satan is the "root of all evil." I've also heard people say Satan is a fallen angel who is the arch enemy of God. Let's stop and give it some thought. The only way Satan could become the arch enemy of God is if God created angles with free will. And, if God is the Almighty and Everlasting God, Creator and Sustainer of the entire universe, then doesn't He have the power to just destroy Satan just by saying Satan should cease to exist? Isn't God perfect? Well, Orthodox Judaism believes that God is perfect, and that angels do NOT have free will. (To side track, Jewish tradition believes that humans are even greater than angels, precisely because we have free will and the power to decide whether we serve God properly and earn eternal reward, or to disobey God and get punished. Angels don't have the ability to earn eternal reward, and they therefore only exist for their particular missions that God commands them to do. This is very difficult to explain, but angels are merely a representation of the Divine will). If that's the case, then who is Satan?
The answer to this question is easy to comprehend and beautiful for those who truly wish to believe it. Angels do not have free will. Angels perform certain tasks that God commands them to perform (we won't get into the details). Satan was also given a task (and he is one heck of a master at what he does). Satan's task is to test us humans with various passions, cravings, and pleasures that ultimately disconnect ourselves from God and spiritual strivings by giving in too much to this world. This world is not the only existence. After we die, we go to a much better place. But what we earn in that much better place depends on how we behaved in this world. The simple understanding of Satan is that Satan's task is to try to make us sin. However, that is not entirely accurate. According to Orthodox Judaism, when Satan says "sin," he's really saying "DON'T sin and let me see you become great by passing my test." This is mind boggling! Everyone has assumed that Satan is evil. No. What Satan presents to us is evil; all he's doing is carrying out his mission in giving us humans the opportunities for real spiritual growth. Human beings have natural tendencies and cravings, just like animals. What really makes us great is when we transform ourselves from an animal being to a spiritual being; we transform our bodies into holy beings. It is precisely overcoming our natural tendencies to do the will of God that gains us the eternal benefits that we all desire.
One may ask, "Well, if Satan is not the cause of all evil, then how come bad things happen in the world (like illness, crime, natural disasters, terrorism, etc.). How can God, Who is perfectly good, allow such things to happen?"
The answer is not easy, but God truly is the ultimate Source of all goodness. But when bad things happen, we tend to lose our faith for a slight moment. Why? Because we can't perceive God as being bad. It must be Satan is the one who did it. No. What we perceive (with our limited human intelligence) to be bad is really part of God's Master Plan for the world. Whatever happens to a person is for his/her ultimate benefit. Although we may not see the good now, sometime later, the goodness will be revealed, either later in life through some insight into past and present events, or when we leave this world and heaven tells us the goodness. If we view the events in our lives that way, that Satan is really (quietly) cheering us on to overcome his tests, then life becomes much more beautiful. The reason why God allows bad things to happen sometimes is not about Him being angry and a God Who likes to punish. God wants everyone to earn the most pleasurable thing imaginable: basking in His Glory in the World to Come. We can't understand what that means, but the Sages say that one moment in the World to Come is more pleasurable than all the pleasures ever since the creation of the world placed into a bottle. God wants us to enjoy that, but not if we aren't first cleansed of our sins.
I hope this has given you an insight into the role Satan plays in Orthodox Judaism, and I hope my explanations can help give meaning to those in search for it.

Satan isn't God, but evidently wants to be. Or else why did you ask the question? As for God creatiing other moral living beings, he simotaneously created satan when he created free will, and put restrictions on it. You cannot have a restricted free will without a satan. Love cannot be forced.
 

Yanni

Active Member
Satan isn't God, but evidently wants to be. Or else why did you ask the question? As for God creatiing other moral living beings, he simotaneously created satan when he created free will, and put restrictions on it. You cannot have a restricted free will without a satan. Love cannot be forced.
First of all, what do you mean by a "restricted free will?" Second, God is omnipotent. If Satan decided to become God's adversary, then God can just will him out of existence; it doesn't take God any effort. I don't know where you're getting your point of view from, but what I presented was Judaism's tradition as to the essence of Satan: that he is an angel of God with a specific God-given mission: to test human beings with certain challenges so that with their free will, they can choose between good and evil and either accumulate merits for themselves to be "cashed in" (so to speak) for the eternal reward God has in store for them, or to be punished for involving themselves in that which God has forbade. And my question was rhetorical.
 
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