א. יֵשׁ שֵׁדִים שֶׁמְּצוּיִים בַּבָּתִּים, שֶׁהֵם מְקַלְקְלִין הַשְּׁלוֹם בַּיִת, וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה כַּעַס וּקְטָטוֹת בַּבַּיִת. וְעִקַּר הַבַּיִת הוּא הָאִשָּׁה כִּי בֵּיתוֹ זוֹ אִשְׁתּוֹ, וְעַל כֵּן עַל פִּי רֹב עִקַּר הַקְּטָטוֹת מִמֶּנָּהּ. וְלִפְעָמִים נֶאֱחָזִים בִּשְׁאָר בְּנֵי הַבַּיִת, וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה נַעֲשִׂים הַקְּטָטוֹת וְהַמְּרִיבוֹת כַּנַּ"ל, וְעַל יְדֵי זֶה בָּאִים יִסּוּרִים עַל בְּנֵי הַבַּיִת. וְזֶה מְפֹרָשׁ בַּפָּסוּק: "בָּתֵּיהֶם שָׁלוֹם מִפַּחַד", וְדָרְשׁוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ, זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה: מִפַּחַד אֵלּוּ שֵׁדִים, וְזֶהוּ "שָּׁלוֹם מִפַּחַד" כִּי הַשָּׁלוֹם הֵפֶךְ הַפַּחַד, שֶׁהֵם הַשֵּׁדִים הַמְקַלְקְלִים הַשָּׁלוֹם כַּנַּ"ל, וְזֶהוּ: "וְלא שֵבֶט אֱלוֹהַּ" וְכוּ', הַיְנוּ הַיִּסּוּרִים כַּנַּ"ל. There are demons found in a person’s house that destroy domestic harmony by bringing anger and quarreling into the home. This is the why the woman is most often the initiator of dispute, as she is the essence of the home, as in: ‘“His house’ refers to his wife” (Yoma 2a). However, sometimes, the demons attach themselves to the other members of the household, causing them to suffer as a result of their quarreling and contentiousness. This is explicitly found in the verse, “Their homes are peaceful, without fear...” (Job 21:9), about which the Sages teach: “without fear”—these are the demons. And this is “peaceful, without fear,” because peace and fear are opposites; fear being the demons that destroy peace. Thus, the verse concludes, “and the rod of God is not upon them,” which alludes to the abovementioned suffering.