Sheidim, fact or fiction?

Question

Are there really such thing as sheidim? If so, what are they? Please include sources.

Answer 1

Unless we assume it is all allegory, the Talmud is replete with references to Mazikin, aka Sheidim, and they sure sound real.

Rabbis even had conversations with them (e.g.Chullin 105b), provided a way to see them (Berachot 6a), overheard them (Succa 28a) and established laws based on their existence (e.g. Berachot 3b and Pesachim 100b).

King Solomon and the king of Sheidim, Asmodai, were acquaintences, so to speak. Read all about it in Gittin (68b). The Egyptians were adept at both magic and harnessing sheidim (Sanhedrin 67b).

Abaye decreed upon the Mazikin that they should no longer bother us, which may explain why we don't know much about their existence today.

Answer 2

The gemara clearly mentions sheidim, and there were certainly Rishonim (e.g. Rashi) and Acharonim who took these mentions literally.

The Rambam takes them non-literally, as he writes in Moreh Nevuchim 1:7 and in his perush haMishnayot to Avodah Zarah 4:7.

The Kotzker Rebbe has a famous elu veElu in which he explains that the Rambam effectively paskened sheidim out of existence. However, if one looks at the actual words of the Rambam, it seems rather unlikely that the Rambam would agree to this harmonization.

I discuss this in depth, giving the text of the actual sources, in this parshablog post: http://parsha.blogspot.com/2010/10/demons-on-ark-and-kotzkers-famous-elu.html

Answer 3

The straight forward understanding of Chazal that their are sheidim and they are a trouble making species which are somewhat physical, somewhat spiritual.

Our Rabbis taught: Six things are said concerning demons: in regard to three, they are like the ministering angels; and in regard to three like human beings.‘In regard to three they are like ministering angels’: they have wings like ministering angels; and they fly from one end of the world to on the other like ministering angels; and they…hear from behind the Veil like ministering angels. ‘And in regard to three, they are like human beings’: they eat and drink like human beings, they propagate like human beings, and they die like human beings. (Hagigah 16a, Traditional Press)

Our Rabbis taught: there are three reasons why one must not go into a ruin: because of suspicion, of falling debris and of demons [sheidim]… To one [person] an evil spirit may show itself and harm him; to two it may show itself, but without harming them; to three it will not even show itself (Berakoth 3a, 43b, Traditional Press, New York City New York, translated by Maurice Simon, M.A., edited by Rabbi Dr. I. Epstein B.A., Ph.D., D. Lit.)

http://machzikeihadas.blogspot.com/2008/09/endangered-species-sheidim-and-habitat.html

Answer 4

The Previous Lubavitcher Rebbe, in his memoirs, recounts a story about the Alter Rebbe's (Rabbi Schneur Zalman, the first Chabad Rebbe) great-grandfather, R' Baruch Batlan. Apparently, he was a tenant in a building which became inhabited by sheidim after the passing of the building's owners. After trying several ways to remove them, his Rebbe, R' Yoel, the Baal Shem of Zamoshtch, came and called them to a "Din Torah". The story is fascinating in its entirety, but in short, the Beis Din paskened that they must leave the building, so they did.

Interestingly, it appears that they are held by the ban to avoid inhabited places, and only violated it in this case on the orders of Ashmedai. The sheidim held that they were the legal heirs to the building's owners, because the owners' curses had created them.

This story took place in the mid-1600's

Answer 5

It is true that the Talmud Bavli clearly mentions shedim in many places. As in other areas, they followed the science of the time, so something that seems unscientific now was a reasonable belief back then.
However, that doesn't mean they were completely wrong. They felt there were certain harmful invisible forces that existed in the world and that one must protect himself from. Although we wouldn't call these forces 'demons' nowadays, we do know of other microscopic forces that can cause harm. So if they said one should wash his hands to get rid of "ruach rah" or "bad spirits", it wasn't exactly wrong. Washing hands does help get rid of the "bad spirits" of bacteria. While its true not all cases can be explained like this, the overall belief in 'demons' can often be connected to many real phenomena.