Satan in Goray

wrath from us and expel Satan and his like for ever and ever Amen:

    AND IT CAME TO PASS in the town of Goray that lay among the hills near the holy communities of Zamosc, Turbin, Krashnik et al. where formerly dwelt the author of the work Holy Offering and where latterly Rabbi Benish Ashkenazy occupied the rabbinic chair (the remembrance of the righteous be a blessing to us all). It happened in that terrible year when the pillars of the earth trembled with the deed of Sabbatai Zevi (may the memory of him be blotted out): Who (for our sins are great) was himself converted and did seduce many others from the paths of righteousness and many pious amongst them and he lighted a fire in every corner of the Exile: May God who is a jealous and an avenging God give him his due and repay the wicked for his wickedness as he deserveth and may we all be deemed worthy to witness a true and a full redemption speedily and in our days and let us say Amen:

    AND IN THE TOWN of Goray there dwelt a man renowned far and wide for he was a Godfearing man and had a pleasing countenance and his deeds were good and the name of this man was Gedaliya: And this man was versed in the uses of the cabala and in the mysteries: To wit he could draw wine from a wall and was expert in the science of alchemy and every Sabbath eve he created a third-born calf like unto the tradition concerning our holy Amoraim: This man also knew many nostrums for he was a sage and he found favor in the eyes Of all men with his under-standing and smooth tongue: But in fact he was a son of Belial and entirely wicked and all that he did he did to provoke the blessed Creator: For in secret he invoked the name of the profane and he conjured up Lilith Naamah Machlot and all the other destroyer demons that they might do his will and that he might do their will: And after this fashion he amassed treasures of gold, silver, diamonds and precious stones: And he deceived the townspeople and knew their wives and fathered bastards without number: And in his lust and license he did shameful things such as are not proper to be written in a book and a word to the wise should be sufficient: AND LO (for his sins that were many) his own wife too (whom he had cunningly stolen from her husband a most righteous man) fell prisoner in the net of the Outer Ones and a dybbuk possessed her: And for that she had the name of a righteous woman and Elijah revealed himself to her; no son of man could rightly believe the tidings that came to his ears and all were curious to ascertain whether or no there was truth in the report: And there was: For the young woman (Rechele was her name) lay naked in her house and her shame was uncovered and all the utensils were broken and the bed linen was torn and she cried a loud and a bitter cry: And when all the elders of the town and its leaders gathered together they could not recognize her: For her shape was completely changed and her face was as chalk and her lips were twisted as with a seizure (God save us) and the pupils of her eyes were turned back after an unnatural fashion: And the voice that cried from her was not her voice: For her voice was a woman's voice and the dybbuk cried with the voice of a man with such weeping and wailing that terror seized all that were there and their hearts dissolved with fear and their knees trembled: And for that she lay with parted legs like a woman in labor on the stool the women desired to put her legs together for it was a shame before the men and they also did cover her: But at once her garments fell from her body for the evil spirit cast them off: And the strength in her limbs was unnaturally great so that even the men could not prevail and the thing was a marvel to all and a mystery indeed:

    AND IT CAME TO PASS that when Reb Gedaliya saw what had transpired and what had occurred to him that he was greatly ashamed and shame did cover his face: For he thought in his heart, What will people say: If the spirit has taken possession of Reb Gedaliya's wife and he has discovered no counsel to prevent it then surely he is no righteous man and all his amulets are false and people would mock him and revenge themselves upon him: And therefore in his cunning he said, You see now she is out of her mind and all her words are the words of a madwoman: Then the dybbuk began to scream: Alas and alack to thee thou wicked man Thou hast worked unrighteousness and thou hast polluted thy soul with every un-worthy thing and thou hast lain