Werewolf in the Torah

Question

I have been told that there are Pirushim on the Torah who speak of werewolves.

Can anyone locate them?

score 18 · Accepted Answer · answered Feb 01 '11 at 15:15

18

The (rarely-seen) commentary of Rabbeinu Ephraim ben Shimshon on the Torah states that Benjamin was a werewolf; the fear that he would die should he leave his father Jacob is that he would turn back into a werewolf and be killed in self-defense by some person. Make of it what you will. Hat tip to Yitzhak of Bein Din L'Din. (See link for more.)

answered Feb 01 '11 at 15:15

Shalom

132,602
8
193
489

6

I wonder (a little facetiously) how Rabbeinu Ephraim would explain the berachos of the other shevatim. Would he say that Yissachar had long ears, or Dan a forked tongue, etc.? (Also, this gives a whole new meaning to Shifra and Puah's argument to Pharaoh, כי חיות הנה!) – Alex Feb 01 '11 at 20:03
I don't see it at http://hebrewbooks.org/20294. – msh210 Feb 03 '11 at 00:18
@msh210: looks like you want this version of the sefer: http://books.google.com/books/about/%D7%A4%D7%99%D7%A8%D7%95%D7%A9_%D7%A8%D7%91%D7%99%D7%A0%D7%95_%D7%90%D7%A4%D7%A8%D7%99%D7%9D_%D7%91_%D7%A8.html?id=d9AYkgAACAAJ – Menachem Aug 15 '11 at 03:15
3

@msh210: Natan Slifkin posted a pdf of the relevant pages from the Rabbeinu Ephraim here: http://www.rationalistjudaism.com/2011/12/was-eisav-vampire.html --- direct link to pdf - http://www.zootorah.com/RationalistJudaism/RabbeinuEphraimWerewolves.pdf – Menachem Jan 20 '12 at 04:05
@Matt did you see the text at Bein Din L'Din? Pretty clear. כשיפרד מאביו יהפך לזאב לעוברי דרכים והיה כל מוצאו יהרגהו – Shalom Dec 17 '14 at 15:13
It is important to note in regard to this whole discussion of Rabbeinu Ephraim’s commentary that it is not to be taken literally like is stated explicitly in the introduction to the book by Rabbi Shimon Schwab. The suggestion, if there is one, by Rabbi Slifkin that this comment is to be taken literally is like placing a stumbling block in front of a blind person. Rabbeinu Ephraim is offering one explanation that addresses the personality traits of Binyamin, that in some bad settings, like Mitzrayim, Benyamin can be influenced into negative, predatory behavior. – Yaacov Deane Feb 28 '20 at 15:48

הנער הזה · Answer 2 · 2014-12-17T16:23:13.600

14

Despite this being an old question, it recently came up in conversation, so I'll take a stab at it. Three of these sources (the exception being the Chizkuni, which I found myself) come from a footnote to Eliezer Brodt's article on ברכות הראייה printed in Yeshurun vol. 26

There are indeed a few commentaries that mention werewolves:

Rashi, in his commentary to Iyov 5:23, explains that חית השדה there means 'gerusah', which, according to this scholarly blog post quoting the Otzar Haloazim no. 4208 means 'werewolf'. Eliezer Brodt, however, believed that this is a misprint in Rashi and in fact might contradict what he writes elsewhere. (I myself find this translation hard to believe anyway, due to Rashi's use of this word in Koheles 12:11 to mean 'round heads')
Chizkuni to Beraishis 16:12 explains that Yishmael was destined to be a פרא אדם, which, according to one explanation, is a werewolf (at least according to the footnote in Moshe Menachem Aharon's edition, pg 88)
R. Menachem Tzioni, at the end of Parshas Noach, writes that the men of the dor haflagah (those who participated in the Tower of Babel) were punished by being turned into werewolves, among other things
R. Yehudah HaChassid, in Sefer Chassidim no. 464 (pg. 318 in Margolios edition), also mentions werewolves (and dragons, etc.) and how to avoid them
Rabbeinu Efraim, in his commentary on the Torah (49:27), compares Binyamin to a werewolf, and he also discusses the creation of werewolves in his comments to Beraishis 2:28. In his comment to Beriashis 44:29, Rabbienu Efraim actually posits, according to one interpretation, that Binyamin actually was a werewolf, and this fairly shocking claim is noted by this blog author, as well as by R. Slifkin, here.
R. Moshe Taku in the fragment we have of Ksav Tamim apparently mentions werewolves and their category in creation, though I haven't yet looked at this source myself

edited Dec 17 '14 at 16:23

answered Dec 17 '14 at 01:48

הנער הזה

22,239
1
82
127

the strya he mentions there and the next couple of simanim sounds somewhat like a vampiress. – user6591 Dec 17 '14 at 13:30
And here we go. Strigoi is a vampire sorcerer whatnot. http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strigoi – user6591 Dec 17 '14 at 13:33
@user6591 actually, I take it back. I now think that Rabbeinu Efraim does actually call Binyamin a werewolf, just not in the place that I thought, it's in Vayigash 44:29. I still think such an explanation is ludicrous, but hey, the Chassidei Ashkenaz said crazy things – הנער הזה Dec 17 '14 at 15:34
Ha. I see it. You're right:) Something off topic that hit me from what he writes in Vayichi with the whole wolf/beis hamikdosh comparison was the cohen's daughter saying Lucas Lucas. – user6591 Dec 17 '14 at 15:47
Talking about werewolfs isn't worse than chazzal talking about mermaids. This is why agadata is taken with a grain of salt. – user6591 Dec 17 '14 at 15:49
@user6591 of course, but calling one of the Biblical tzaddikim a werewolf? that's another ball game... though I guess Rabbeinu Efraim would tell us (me) not to be so racist to assume that being a werewolf is a negative attribute... on the other hand he also indicates (in parshas beraishis) that werewolves are a different species, so how one could be born of human beings, I'm not so sure... – הנער הזה Dec 17 '14 at 15:51
Good point. Avos hakidoshim. Well he assumes Yaakov was also trying hard to keep WereBinyamin in check so he agrees to their destructive nature, eating people and all. Where is the one in bereishis? – user6591 Dec 17 '14 at 15:56
To 2:28 - אותם בני אדם שמשתנין לזאב, נברא מששת ימי בראשית, ואין חוזרין לקדמותן עד שאוכלים דם אדם או אשה – הנער הזה Dec 17 '14 at 16:24

score 2 · Answer 3 · answered May 13 '12 at 19:44

2

Rabbi Yehuda Hachasid talks about a werewolf and another type of being.

answered May 13 '12 at 19:44

sam

41,686
4
80
141

score 0 · Answer 4 · edited Sep 08 '16 at 13:59

0

Besides the reference to Rabbi Slifkin's general post on werewolves here is a more recent post of his were he continues the discussion: Was Rachel Imeinu Killed By A Werewolf? . He also references a good post by the seforim blog (see note 9) which continues the discussion

edited Sep 08 '16 at 13:59

Ken Graham

583
1
6
13

answered May 13 '12 at 20:33

fakeID

299
1
5

An ironic seforim blog entry to post, don't you think @Alex? – Double AA May 13 '12 at 20:43

score 0 · Answer 5 · answered Feb 01 '11 at 14:50

0

There is a Christian belief that at the end of Nevuchadnetzar's life he turned into a werewolf, however I have never seen any Jewish Perush saying so.

answered Feb 01 '11 at 14:50

Gershon Gold

139,471
12
231
553

2

Depends on how you interpret what happened to him in Daniel ch. 4, I guess. He definitely became animal-like for "seven periods" (years?); but does that mean that he actually turned into an animal, or that he had a human body but the mentality of an animal (sort of like a feral child)? – Alex Feb 01 '11 at 15:04
2

My understanding of a werewolf is that it also changes back into a human. That would not match Nevuchadnetzar who became animal like and stayed animal like. – Gershon Gold Feb 01 '11 at 17:03
3

...until the seven periods were up; then he recovered his human nature. – Alex Feb 01 '11 at 19:59
however not constantly changing – Gershon Gold Feb 01 '11 at 20:25
Check the Meam Loez – SimchasTorah Feb 01 '11 at 23:11
5

Meam Loez where? – Gershon Gold Feb 02 '11 at 00:18
@GershonGold. There are lots of different versions of the werewolf myth. – TRiG Jul 19 '12 at 21:12
Titus or him was half man half animal - G Shabbos last Perek – FalseMessiah Sep 08 '20 at 19:53

Werewolf in the Torah

5 Answers5

Linked