What is Satan?

What is Satan?

Let us first learn that Satan or ha-satan (הַשָּׂטָן) is a hebrew word that means adversary of God. In Torah and Jewish thought, the concept of Satan and the Ha-Satans (plural) refers to all the fallen angels. Satan is seen as an agent subservient to God, typically regarded as a metaphor for the yetzer hara, or "evil inclination". The Satans job in this world is to trick humanity into accepting distortions of truth or distortion of God's laws.

This perspective differs from Christianity and Islam, where it is taught that Satan is seen as a falen angel or jinn who has rebelled against God, who nevertheless allows him power of the fallen world and a host of demons. In the Quran, Shaitan, also known as Iblis, is an entity made of fire who was cast out of Heaven because he refused to bow before the newly created Adam and incites humans to sin by infecting their minds with waswās ("evil suggestions").

Is Satan Real?

Satan is depicted as an adversary to humanity, whose role is to mislead and tempt people by whispering evil suggestions, known as waswās, into their hearts and minds. His objective is to lead people away from righteousness and towards sin. Demons can influence our thoughts much in the same way as other human beings can. So then what is Satan and what are demons?

Satan and demons are an energetic manifestation of thought and emotion. The inclination to do evil is very real. Evil exists and is active in the world. So who is doing the evil?

Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. James 1:14

We do the evil. We the people have free will choice. We can choose to do whatever we want. We can be disciplined and eat healthy or we can eat unhealthy, the choice is our and so are the karmas. Many people choose to do good in this world and there are souls who choose to do evil. No one made them choose to be evil.

Satan in the Torah:

1. Role and Function:

   • In the Torah, "Satan" is not a specific entity of evil but rather an adversarial role or function. The term "Satan" (שָּׂטָן) comes from a root meaning "to oppose" or "to obstruct."

   • The Satan in the Torah acts as an accuser or an adversary. This is evident in the Book of Job, where Satan appears as a member of the divine council who tests Job’s righteousness.

2. The Book of Job:

   • In Job 1 and 2, Satan is portrayed as one of the "sons of God" who has the role of challenging Job’s piety.

   • He is not necessarily evil but serves as a tester or accuser within the divine plan. His role is to present challenges to test and strengthen faith.

3. Divine Adversary:

   • The role of Satan in the Torah is more about testing and challenging rather than embodying inherent evil. He is seen as fulfilling a necessary role in the divine justice system.

Ha-Satans (Plural):

1. Multiple Adversaries:

   • The term "ha-Satans" (הַשָּׂטָנִים) refers to multiple adversarial forces or entities that can act against individuals. In this context, they are not considered inherently evil but rather forces or roles that test and challenge.

2. Satan as an Angelic Being:

   • In some Jewish traditions, Satan is considered one of the heavenly hosts who serves God’s purposes. This contrasts with later Christian depictions of Satan as a rebellious fallen angel.

3. Role in Trials:

   • In the Jewish tradition, various beings or forces can act as adversaries in life, contributing to tests and challenges. These roles are seen as part of the divine plan to ensure righteousness and moral growth.

Summary:

In summary, in the Torah, Satan is more of a functionary or adversarial role rather than a personification of evil. His primary function is to challenge and test, rather than to act out of malice. The idea of Satan and the ha-Satans reflects a view of challenges and opposition as essential parts of spiritual and moral development, rather than as embodiments of ultimate evil.

When we as children of God accept our responsibility for co-creating this world, then we can accept our responsibility for bringing balance to the force of light and darkness. We as children of God have chosen to participate in a collective exercise over thousands of years where we gave away our power. By giving away our power, we empowered the yetzer hara (darkness or evil) in the world.

In this way evil has spread and led to the development of the Babylonian empire. This empire which worships the false idol of the ego only understands a world based on power and worship of self. However; this is the great lie of Satan. The temptation of Satan is to see if you will worship yourself over God. The temptation of Satan is to see if you will worship the flesh of this world over God. The role of Satan is to reveal to God our hearts and our minds when we are given the ability to choose freely. Satan's role is to help us learn to make choices in alignment with God's laws. Satan's role is to help God see whom should receive salvation and whom should receive judgement.

In this way, Satan represents the shadow within the duality of our being. We are capable of both infinite good and infinite evil. We must learn to find balance in the world through spiritual discipline and take back our power to create new systems that empower the collective wellbeing of the human family and our shared home mother earth.