Samael, the Angel of Death, had not heard that God had taken Moses'
soul from his body and received it under the Throne of Glory. Believing
that Moses was still among the living, he betook himself to Moses'
house in order to seize his soul, for he feared to return before God
without having executed His command to take Moses' soul. He did not,
however, find Moses in his accustomed place, so he hastened into the
land of Israel, thinking, "Long did Moses pray to be permitted to enter
this land, and perhaps he is there." He said to the land of Israel, "Is
Moses perchance with thee?" But the land replied, "Nay, he is not found
in the land of the living."
Samael then thought: "I know that God once said to Moses, 'Lift up thy
rod and divide the sea,' so perhaps he is by the sea." He hastened to
the sea and said, "Is Moses here?" The sea replied: "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."
Samael then betook himself to Gehenna asking, "Hast thou seen Moses,
the son of Amram?" Gehenna replied, "With mine ears have I heard the
cry, but I have not seen him."
He betook himself to Sheol, Abaddon, and Tit-ha-Yawen, to whom he said,
"Have ye seen the son of Amram?" They replied: "Through Pharaoh, king
of Egypt, have we heard his call, but we have not seen him."
He betook himself to the Abyss and asked, "Hast thou seen the son of
Amram?" The answer arose, "I have not seen him, but heard indeed his
call."
He asked Korah's sons, that dwell with the Abyss, "Have ye seen the son
of Amram?" They replied. "We have not seen him since the day upon which
at Moses' bidding the earth opened its mouth and swallowed us."
He betook himself to the clouds of glory and asked, "Is Moses perchance
with you?" They answered, "He is his from the eyes of all living."
He went to the heavens and asked, "Have ye seen the son of Amram?" The
answer was, "We have not seen him since at God command he mounted to us
to receive the Torah."
He hastened to Paradise, but when the angels that guard its gates
beheld Samael, they drove him away and said, "Wicked one! Wicked one!
'This is the gate of the Lord; the righteous shall enter into it.'"
Samael thereupon flew over the gates of Paradise and asked Paradise,
"Hast thou perchance seen Moses?" Paradise answered, "Since in
Gabriel's company he visited me to look upon the reward of the pious, I
have not seen him."
He went to the tree of life, but even at the distance of three hundred
parasangs, it cried out to him: "Approach me not." He therefore asked
from afar, "Hast thou seen the son of Amram?" The tree replied, "Since
the day on which he came to me to cut him a staff, I have not seen
him."
He betook himself to the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, and
said, "Hast thou seen the son of Amram?" The tree replied, "Since the
day on which he came to me to get a writing reed, wherewith to write
the Torah, I have not seen him."
He betook himself to the mountains with his query. These replied,
"Since he hewed the two tables out of us, we have not seen him."
He went to the deserts and asked, "Have ye seen the son of Amram?"
These replied, "Since he has ceased to lead Israel to pasture upon us,
we have not seen him."
He betook himself to mount Sinai, for he thought God had formerly
commanded Moses to ascend it, and that he might now be there. He asked
Sinai, "Hast thou seen the son of Amram?" Sinai said, "Since the day on
which out of God's right hand he received the Torah upon me, I have not
seen him."
He betook himself to the birds and said, "Have ye seen Moses?" They
replied, "Since the say whereupon he separated the birds into clean and
unclean we have not seen him." He went to the quadrupeds and asked:
"Have ye seen Moses?" They answered: "Since the day on which he
determined which beasts might be eaten, and which might not, we have
not seen him." [958] The answer of the birds and beasts referred to the
day on which God assembled all the species of animals, led them before
Moses, and instructed him which of these were clean and which were not,
which might, and which might not be eaten. [959]
Samael then betook himself to the "Court of the Dead," where the angel
Dumah guards the souls of the deceased, and asked the angel, "Hast thou
seen the son of Amram?" He replied: "I heard the words of lamentation
for him in heaven, but I have not seen him."
He betook himself to the angels and asked, "Have ye seen the son of
Amram?" These made the same reply as Dumah, and advised him to go to
the mortals, who might possibly give him information concerning Moses'
whereabouts.
He betook himself to the mortals and asked, "Where is Moses?" These
replied: "Our teacher Moses is not like human beings. He is the peer of
the angels of ministry, for he ascended into heaven and dwelt in heaven
like the angels, 'he hath gathered the wind in his fists' like an
angel, and God took his soul to Himself in the place of His sanctity.
What connection then hast thou with the son of Amram?" [960]