Hebraic Beasts and Where to Find Them Part 5: The Shamir

(6) Ten things were created on the eve of the Sabbath at twilight, and these are they: [1] the mouth of the earth, [2] the mouth of the well, [3] the mouth of the donkey, [4] the rainbow, [5] the manna, [6] the staff [of Moses], [7] the shamir, [8] the letters, [9] the writing, [10] and the tablets. And some say: also the demons, the grave of Moses, and the ram of Abraham, our father. And some say: and also tongs, made with tongs.

(1) Also the [first human-made] tongs, made with [Divine] tongs: [As] who made the first ones? We have already mentioned in the eighth chapter (Eight Chapters 8:9-10) that they would not believe in creation by the (Divine) will at every instant. Rather, at the beginning of things, He placed into [their] nature that they should do everything that they would do [in the future] - whether they be things that would happen constantly, that being a natural thing; or whether it be [something unusual], that being a miracle. It is all one [regarding this]. Therefore they said that on the sixth day, He placed into the nature of the earth that it would sink [under] Korach and his community, and into the well that it would give out water and into the donkey that it should speak, and so [too] for the rest. And ketav (letters) is the Torah that was written in front of Him, may He be blessed, as it is stated. And we do not know how it was - and that is its stating (Exodus 24:12), "and I will give you the stone tablets." And the miktav (writing) is the writing on the tablets, as it stated (Exodus 32:16), "and the writing was God’s writing, inscribed upon the tablets." And maybe you will say [that] since all of the wonders are all placed into the nature of things from the six days of creation, why did he distinguish these ten things. You should [hence] know that he did not distinguish these ten things to say that no other miracle was placed into the nature of things except for these. Rather, he said that these alone were done at twilight and the rest of the wonders and miracles were placed into the nature of things that they were put into at the time of their original creation. And they said by way of example that [on] the second day in the division of the waters, it was placed into the nature [of water] that the Reed Sea would divide for Moshe, and that the Jordan would divide for Yehoshua and also for Eliyahu and also for Elisha. And [on] the fourth day when the sun was created, it was placed into its nature that it would stop at time x by the word of Yehoshua to it. And so [too] with the other wonders except for these ten that were put into the nature of these things at twilight. And the shamir is a small creeping thing that chisels big stones when it goes on top of them, and Shlomo built the Temple with it. And tongs are a tool with which the blacksmith holds the hot iron until he makes what he wants to make with it.

(8) and the shamir: It is like a type of worm, the [size of a grain of] barley in its entirety. When they would [place] it on the stones that were marked with ink [to demark what they wanted cut, the stones] would become indented on their own. And with it did they engrave the stones of the vest (ephod) and the breastplate, as it is written about them, "in their fullness."

(7) and the shamir: It was a type of long worm. And King Shlomo built the Temple with it, as he would place it on the stone and it would split (Gittin 68a). "And no hammer or ax or any iron tool was heard in the House while it was being built" (I Kings 6:7).

(2) WERE CREATED AT THE DUSK OF THE SABBATH, AND THEY ARE: THE MOUTH OF THE EARTH, ETC. Even according to Rambam above, these things were singled out as having happened specifically at this time. Many ideas have been put forth to explain why this is; you can find them in Midrash Shmuel. I haven’t seen fit to reproduce a single one of them, as I don’t see that any of them have succeded.
I see that on the previous mishna of the ten miracles that were done for our ancestors in the Temple Maharal writes in Derech Chaim that the mishna starts with a woman, “no woman miscarried”, and ends with “no man ever said that there was not enough room” because these things correspond to the ten sefirot of blimah²¹¹The ten sefirot, lit. “countings”, often popularly translated as “emanations”, are one of the central elements of the Kabbalah. They are called “the sefirot of blimah” in Sefer Yetzirah, one of the earliest Kabbalistic works.; he explains them one by one, see there. I felt it would be just as appropriate and even more so to expound that way here. For the world, certainly including these ten things, was created through the ten sefirot of blimah. And the mishna starts from the mouth of the earth the same way that the previous one starts with the miracles that happened to women. But I will not speak of what is beyond me.
I will rather speak in terms of the exoteric, and say that these ten things correspond to the ten utterances through which the world was created. In the first utterance, the verses spoke of the earth, which was formlessness and void. The mouth of the well corresponds to the utterance “let there be light”, for that light was hidden away (Chagigah 12a) and the well was also hidden away in the sea of Tiberias (Shabbat 35a). The mouth of the donkey corresponds to the utterance “let there be a firmament… and let it separate”, in which the waters supernaturally became the Upper Waters; in the case of the mouth of the donkey, a higher force was also supernaturally placed in a coarse material being. The rainbow corresponds to the utterance “let the waters be gathered... and let the dry land be seen”, for the rainbow comes about from the humidity of moist earth that the rains have made wet. The manna corresponds to the utterance “let the earth bring forth vegetation… fruit trees…”, for these are man’s bread and his fruit that grows in its season, and corresponding to them G-d rained down the heavenly produce of manna. The staff corresponds to the utterance “let there be lights” of which it is said that “they will be signs”, and G-d sent Moses His servant with the staff that he was to use for giving signs. The verse “do not fear the signs of the heavens” (Jeremiah 10:2) is related to this. The shamir is a worm-like creature that comes from the utterance “let the waters swarm, etc.” The script and the inscription correspond to the two utterances “let the earth bring forth living things of every kind” and “let Us make man”, for both have to do with life and spirit, as do the script and the inscription. The inscription has more of a spiritual dimension, for it could be read from all four directions, as Rav writes. Similarly, man became a superior living creature that speaks and rules over the four corners of the earth. The tablets correspond to the utterance “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth” with the seed of man, which are created in the image of G-d. The tablets are likewise the “work of G-d” (Exodus 32:16).
Behold, this is what I consider the straight path. “Give to a wise man, and he will grow wiser” (Proverbs 9:9) and think of more satisfying explanations. This approach also explains why our tanna did not keep to any chronological order in his list.

(12) From the time when the early prophets died the Urim VeTummim was nullified. From the time when the Second Temple was destroyed the shamir worm ceased to exist and also the sweetness of the honeycomb, as the verse says with regard to the laws of the Torah: “More to be desired are they than gold, indeed, than much fine gold; sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb” (Psalms 19:11). And men of faith ceased from being among the Jewish people, as it is stated: “Help, Lord, for the pious man is finished; for the faithful fail from among the children of men” (Psalms 12:2). Rabban Shimon ben Gamliel says that Rabbi Yehoshua testified: From the day the Temple was destroyed there is no day that does not include some form of curse. And since then the dew has not descended for blessing, and the taste has been removed from fruit. Rabbi Yosei says: Since then, the fat of fruit has also been removed.

(2) השמיר – a kind of worm-like creature like the size of a barley-corn that they would show it–place it upon the stones marked with ink and they would split open on their own, [and through it] would open the stones of the Ephod and the Breastplate, as it is written concerning them (Exodus 28:20 – see also Talmud Sotah 48b): “in their mountings,” that they would be complete and not lacking [but he would write on them with ink] and the Shamir would show them outside upon the ink.

(2) (Ecc. 2, 8) I procured men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, and Shidda and Shidath; i.e., men singers and women singers, refers to different musical instruments and the delight of the sons of men refers to swimming pools and bath houses. As to Shidda and Shiddath here (in Babylon) it was interpreted to signify male demons and female demons, while in the West (the land of Israel) they said it means carriages [for lords and ladies, respectively]. Said R. Jochanan: "Three hundred" different kinds of demons were to be found in Sichin [all of whom were known to me], nevertheless the kind called Shidda is unknown to me." The master said above: "Here (in Babylon) it was interpreted to signify male demons and female demons." For what purpose did King Solomon require them? The following passage will answer (I Kings 6, 7) And the house, when it was in building, was built of stone made ready before it was brought thither, etc. For before the operation [of the Temple] commenced Solomon asked the Rabbis: "How shall I accomplish this?" (without using tools of iron.) Whereupon they replied: "There is the Shamir, with which Moses cut the precious stones of the Ephod." "Where is it to be found?" Solomon asked the Rabbis. To which they replied, "Let a male demon, and a female come' and do thou coerce them both; perhaps they know and will reveal it to thee." He then conjured into his presence a male and a female demon, and tortured them. But in vain, for they said: "We do not know his whereabouts, and cannot tell; perhaps Ashmedai, the king of the demons, knows." "But where is he to be found?" Solomon inquired of them. They answered: "In yonder mount is his residence. There he has a pit and, after filling it with water, covered it over with a stone and sealed with his own seal. Daily he ascends to heaven and studies in the school up there; then he comes down and studies in the school down here. After this he goes and examines the seal, then opens the pit and after quenching his thirst covers it up again and seals it and departs."

(3) Solomon thereupon sent Benayahu, the son of Yehoyadu, providing him with a chain and a ring, upon both of which the name of God was engraved. He also provided him with a fleece of wool and sundry skins of wine. Then Benayahu went and dug a pit below that of Ashmedai from which he drained off the water and plugged the duct between with the fleece. Then he set to work and dug another hole higher up which he provided with a channel leading into the emptied pit of Ashmedai, by which means the pit was filled with the wine he had brought. Having leveled the ground [so as not to arouse suspicion] he ascended a tree close by [to watch the result]. After a while Ashmedai came and examined the seal and seeing that everything was well he raised the stone, but [to his surprise] found wine in the pit. For a time he stood muttering: "It is written (Pr. 20, 1) Wine is a mocker; strong drink is riotous, and whosoever reeleth thereby is not wise. And again, (Hos. 4, 11) Harlotry, wine and new wine take away the heart. I shall therefore not drink it." But when he became thirsty he could no longer resist the temptation. He proceeded to drink therefrom when, becoming intoxicated, he lay down to sleep. Then Benayahu came forth [from his ambush] and fastened the chain around the sleeper's neck. Ashmedai. when he awoke, began to fret and fume, and would have torn off the chain that bound him, had not Benayahu warned him, saying: "The name of thy Lord is upon thee." As they journeyed along [while on their way to Solomon] they came to a palm tree, against which Ashmedai rubbed himself, until he uprooted it and threw it down. When they approached a hut, the poor widow who inhabited it came out and entreated him not to rub himself against it, upon which, as he suddenly bent himself back, he snapped a bone of his body, remarking, "This exemplifies the passage (Pr. 25, 15) And a gentle answer breaks the bone." Observing a blind man straying out of his way, he directed him aright. He did the same to a man who had been overcome with wine, directing him aright. At sight of a wedding party that passed rejoicing along, he wept; but he burst into a laughter when at a shoemaker's he heard a man order a pair of shoes that would last seven years; and when he saw a magician at his work he broke forth into cries of scorn.

(4) On arriving at the royal city, three days elapsed before he was introduced to King Solomon. On the first day he asked: "Why does not the king invite me into his presence?" "Because he has drank too much and is not sober," came the reply. Ashmedai thereupon lifted a brick and placed it upon another. When King Solomon was informed of this he said: "He meant by this, go and make him drunk again. On the day following Ashmedai again asked: "Why does not the king invite me into his presence?" The reply came, "He has eaten too much." Upon which Ashmedai removed the brick from the top of the other. When this was reported, to the king the latter said: "He meant by this, stint him in his food." After the third day he was introduced to the fling. He took a stick, and with it measured off four subits upon the floor and then threw it before the king, remarking: "When thou diest, thou wilt not possess in this world more than four cubits of earth; now, when thou hast conquered the entire world, thou wert not satisfied until thou hadst overcome me also." Whereupon the king replied to him: "I want nothing of thee, but I wish to build the Temple and have need of the Shamir." To which Ashmedai immediately answered: "The Shamir is not committed into my charge, but to the Prince of the sea, and that only upon an oath that he return it to him again." "But what does the wild cock do with the Shamir?" Solomon asked. To which Ashmedai replied: "He takes it to a barren rocky mountain, and by means of it he cleaves the mountain asunder, into the cleft of which, formed into a valley, he drops the seeds of trees, and thus the place becomes fit for habitation." It is therefore understood why Unkelos interprets Shamir [in the Targum] Nagger Tura (mountainsplitter). Immediately they ordered a search for the nest of the wild cock which, they found, contained a young brood. This they covered with a glass (that the bird might see its young, but not be able to get at them). When the bird came and found his nest impenetrably glazed over he went and brought the Shamir. Just as he was about to apply it to the glass in order to cut it, the messenger gave a startling shout, which frightened the bird so much that he dropped the Shamir, and Solomon's messenger caught it up and made off with it. The cock thereupon strangled himself, because he was unable to keep the oath which he had made [to return the Shamir to the prince of the sea].

(17) "Also the use of the Shamir had stopped." Our Rabbis were taught: The Shamir is that with which Solomon built the Temple, as it is said (I Kinfis 6, 7) And the house, when it was in building was built of entire stones, etc. R. Juda says: "This is to be taken literally." R. Nechemia said to him: "How is it possible to think so? Behold, it is said (Ib., 7, 9) All this were of heavy stones hewn after a fixed measure sawed with the saw inside and outside? We must therefore say that the meaning of the passage (Ib. 6, 7) [So that neither hammer, nor axe nor any tool of iron] heard in the house while it was in building, means that it was prepared outside and then brought inside." R. Nachman said: "The opinion of R. Juda concerning the stones of the Temple, appeals to me and likewise the words of R. Nachemia, as far as the stones of Solomon's own palace that every kind of tool was used." But according to R. Nechemia, then why was the Shamir necessary? The latter was necessary for the stones of Ephod, as we are taught in a Baraitha; The Stones of the Ephod, it was not written upon them with ink, because it is said (Ex. 28, 11) Like the engraving of a signet, nor was it marked with a cutting tool, for it is said Bemiluotham, which means that nothing should miss. We must therefore say that they wrote with ink on the stone and they brought the Shamir and the marks which were outside, were shown to it which caused the stones to split by themselves like a date which splits itself during the summer time and nothing is missing of it, or like the earth that divides itself during the winter time in places and nothing is missing. Our Rabbis were taught: The Shamir was created as big as a barley and she exists since the day of creation and no hard thing can withstand it. How is it preserved? She is kept covered with tufts of wool and placed in a leaden tube filled with barley bran.

(12) (Fol. 63) R. Juda said: "The comorant (Lev. 11, 17) is that bird which catches fish out of the sea; the hoopoe (Ib.) is that bird which has a double crest." We are also taught in a Baraitha to the same effect: The hoopoe is that bird which has a double crest, and it is the same bird which brought the worm shamir for the [building] of the Temple. R. Jochanan, upon seeing a comorant would recite the following verse (Ps. 36, 7) Thy judgments are like the great deep; and upon seeing an ant he would recite the beginning of that passage, Thy righteousness is like the mighty mountains. R. Juda said: "The gier-eagle (Lev. 11, 17) refers to the bird which produces the sound Sh'rakrak, and why is it called Racham [which means mercy]?" Said R. Jochanan: "Because as soon as the Rahcam (gier-eagle) appears, mercy comes upon the world." Said R. Bibi b. Abaye: "This refers only when it stands upon something and produces the sound Sh'rakrak, and we have a tradition that when she will sit upon the ground and pronounce that sound, then it be a sign for the Messianic period, as it is said (Zech. 10, 8) I will hiss (esh'rka) for them, and gather them." R. Ada b. R. Shimi said unto R. Idai: "Did it not happen that one of them were sitting on a cultivated field making the above sound when a stone fell upon it and pierced its brains [hence the sign is not positive]? "That one was a liar [and was therefore killed]," came the reply.