Zohar (1:58a) THE
NEFILIM WERE IN THE EARTH. R. Jose says, following a tradition, that these were
Uzza and Azael, whom, as already mentioned, God deprived of their supernal
sanctity. How, it may be asked, can they exist in this world? R. Hiya answers, that
they were of the class of spirits referred to in the words “And birds which fly
on the earth” (Gen. I, 20), and these, as we have said, appear to men in the
form of human beings. If it is asked, how can they transform themselves? The
answer is, as has been said, that they do in fact transform themselves into all
kinds of shapes, because when they come down from heaven they become as
concrete as air and take human shape. These are Uzza and Azael, who rebelled in
heaven, and were cast down by God, and became corporeal on the earth and
remained on it, not being able to divest themselves of their earthly form.
Subsequently they went astray after women, and up to this day they exist and
teach men the arts of magic. They begat children whom they called Anakim
(giants), while the Nefilim themselves were called “sons of God”, as has been
elsewhere explained.
Zohar (1:126b)
Said R. Jose: ‘Why is it that many kinds of magic and divination are only
found in women?’ R. Isaac replied: ‘Thus I have learnt, that when the serpent
had intercourse with Eve he injected defilement into her but not into her
husband.’ R. Jose then went up to R. Isaac and kissed him, saying, ‘Many a time
have I asked this question, but not until now have I received a real answer.’
R. Jose further asked him: ‘In which place and from whom did Balaam derive all
his magical practices and knowledge?’ R. Isaac replied: ‘He learned it first
from his father, but it was in the “mountains of the East”, which are in an
eastern country, that he obtained a mastery of all the arts of magic and
divination. For those mountains are the abode of the angels Uzza and Azael whom
the Holy One cast down from heaven, and who were chained there in iron fetters.
It is they who impart to the sons of men a knowledge of magic. Hence the
Scripture says: “From Aram Balak bringeth me, the King of Moab, from the
mountains of the East” (Num. XXIII, 7).’ ‘But,’ said R. Jose, ‘is it not
written, “and he went not as at the other times to meet with enchantments, but
he set his face toward the wilderness” (Ibid. XXIV, 1)?’ Said R. Isaac to him:
‘The lower side, which comes from the unclean spirit above, was the unclean
spirit prevailing in the wilderness when Israel made the calf in order to
defile themselves therewith; and Balaam tried every device of magic
Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer (22:4) Rabbi said: The angels
who fell from their holy place in heaven saw the daughters of the generations
of Cain walking about naked, with their eyes painted like harlots, and they
went astray after them, and took wives from amongst them, as it is said, "And
the sons of Elohim saw the daughters of men that they were fair; and they took
them wives of all that they chose" (Gen. 6:2).
Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer (22:6) Rabbi Zadok said: From
them were born the giants (Anakim), who walked with pride in their heart, and
who stretched forth their hand to all (kinds of) robbery and violence, and
shedding of blood, as it is said, "And there we saw the Nephilim, the sons
of Anak" (Num. 13:33); and it says, "The Nephilim were on the earth
in those days" (Gen. 6:4).
Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer (22:7) Rabbi Joshua said: ||
The Israelites are called "Sons of God," as it is said, "Ye are
the sons of the Lord your God" (Deut. 14:1). The angels are called
"Sons of God," as it is said, "When the morning stars sang
together, and all the sons of God shouted for joy" (Job 38:7); and whilst
they were still in their holy place in heaven, these were called "Sons of
God," as it is said, "And also after that, when the sons of God came
in unto the daughters of men, and they bare children to them; the same became
the mighty men, which were of old, men of renown" (Gen. 6:4).
Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer (22:8) Rabbi Levi said: They
bare their sons and increased and multiplied like a great reptile, six children
at each birth. In that very hour they stood on their feet, and spoke the holy
language, and danced before them like sheep, as it is said, "They cast
their young like sheep, and their children danced" (Job 21:11).
Pirkei DeRabbi Eliezer (22:0) Noah said to them: Turn
from your ways and evil deeds, so that He bring not upon you the waters of the
Flood, and destroy all the seed of the children of men. They said to him:
Behold, we will restrain ourselves from multiplying and increasing, so as not
to produce the offspring of the children of men. What did they do? When they
came to their wives they spilled the issue of their seed upon the earth so as
not to produce offspring of the children of men, as it is said, "And God
saw the earth, and behold it was spilled" (Gen. 6:12). They said: If He
bring from heaven the waters of the Flood upon us, behold, we are of high
stature, and the waters will not reach || up to our necks; and if He bring the
waters of the depths against us, behold, the soles of our feet can close up all
the depths. What did they do? They put forth the soles of their feet, and
closed up all the depths. What did the Holy One, blessed be He, do? He heated
the waters of the deep, and they arose and burnt their flesh, and peeled off
their skin from them, as it is said, "What time they wax warm, they
vanish; when it is hot, they are consumed out of their place" (Job 6:17).
Do not read thus ("When it is hot," בחֻמו), but (read) "in his hot waters"
(בחמימיו).
Ramban (Bereishis 6:4) But the Midrash of Rabbi
Eliezer the Great, in the chapters concerning the angels that fell from their
place of holiness in heaven — as is mentioned in the Gemara of Tractate Yoma
—fits into the language of the verse more than all other interpretations. But
it would necessitate delving at length into the secret of this subject.
