He's looking for Moses, but why? The legends don't always tell us everything directly, leaving room for interpretation. Perhaps he wants to thwart God's plan, maybe he wants to test Moses, or maybe something else is at play. Whatever the reason, his search is quite determined.
His first thought? "I know that God once said to Moses, 'Lift up thy rod and divide the sea,' so perhaps he is by the sea." It's a logical place to start. The parting of the Red Sea is one of Moses' most iconic miracles, a testament to his connection with the divine.
So, Samael hastens to the sea and asks, "Is Moses here?"
The sea's response is wonderfully evocative: "He is not here, and I have not seen him since the day when he clove me into twelve parts, and with the twelve tribes passed through me." The sea, a powerful force of nature, acknowledges Moses' authority and the miracle he performed. It speaks of being "cloven into twelve parts," a direct reference to the twelve tribes of Israel passing through (Legends of the Jews). The sea isn't just water; it's a witness to history, a character in this grand drama.
Unsuccessful, Samael doesn't give up. He descends to Gehenna. Gehenna is a term often translated as Hell, a place of punishment and fire. He asks, "Hast thou seen Moses, the son of Amram?"
Even Gehenna, a place of suffering, acknowledges Moses' power. "With mine ears have I heard the cry, but I have not seen him." It's an intriguing statement. Gehenna hears Moses' voice, perhaps referring to the prayers and pleas of the Israelites, but it hasn't seen the man himself.
Still, Samael persists. He ventures even deeper, to Sheol (the underworld), Abaddon (a place of destruction), and Tit-ha-Yawen (a particularly dark corner, perhaps a gatekeeper of the abyss). To each, he poses the same question: "Have ye seen the son of Amram?"
The entities of the deepest darkness reply: "Through Pharaoh, king of Egypt, have we heard his call, but we have not seen him." Again, we encounter this indirect acknowledgement of Moses' presence. They heard his call through Pharaoh, hinting at the plagues and the struggle for liberation. They experienced the repercussions of Moses' actions, but they didn't see him directly.
What does this all mean? Ginzberg's Legends of the Jews provides us with these tantalizing glimpses into the unseen world, the world behind the stories we know so well. Samael's fruitless search highlights Moses' power, his pervasive influence, and his connection to both the divine and the earthly realms. Even the darkest corners of creation acknowledge his presence, even if they haven't seen him face-to-face.
So, the next time you read about Moses, remember this cosmic game of hide-and-seek. Remember the sea, Gehenna, and the denizens of the underworld. They're all part of the story, whispering in the background, reminding us that there's always more to discover in these ancient tales.