Long ago there was a wealthy merchant who had only one son, whom he instructed in the Torah and all of the other sacred books.
Now his son grew older and married, and the merchant saw his son's children in his own lifetime. And when the merchant lay on his deathbed he called his son to him and said: Know that I possess great riches, and I am leaving all of these to you on one condition—that you swear never to sail across the sea. For I have made my fortune through sea voyages, and I have learned all too well the dangers lurking at sea. Therefore, if you should break the vow, then I bequeath all my property to heaven instead. Then the son solemnly swore that he would never undertake a voyage at sea, and shortly after that his father passed away from the world.
A year or two later a ship reached the harbor of that town, loaded with gold, silver, and many precious gems. When the men of that ship had disembarked, they tried to seek out the rich merchant, and when they discovered that he had died, they came instead to his son. They told him that the ship they had arrived in and all of its treasures had belonged to his father, who had entrusted it to them. And now that he had died, it belonged to his son. So it was that the happy man went with them to the ship, and carried back many loads of riches to his home. And afterward he had a great feast for the sailors of that ship, and thanked them many times for their honesty, for less scrupulous men might have kept the treasures for themselves once they had discovered that the merchant who had hired them had died. And while they feasted, one of the men said: What did your father tell you about his properties beyond the sea? And the man replied that his father had said nothing about them, and furthermore had made him vow never to set foot in a ship. In that case your father was not fully conscious of what he was doing, said the sailor, for his holdings over the sea are immense, ten times more than the treasures we brought with us on this voyage. And they tried to convince the merchant's son that in such a case the vow he had made was null and void, and that he should accompany them across the sea to recover the properties that were rightfully his.
Now at first the merchant's son resisted their entreaties, but eventually he decided that it made no sense to abandon such riches, and in the end he accompanied the sailors, and set sail on a voyage across the sea. And the Holy One, angered at the breaking of an oath, raised a great storm, causing the ship to founder and sink. So it was that all of the sailors who had convinced the merchant's son to accompany them were drowned, and as for the young man who had broken the vow, he was cast up upon a desert island at the end of the world. There he found himself naked and barely alive, and he knew that he had roused the wrath of the Lord.
In his great exhaustion the man fell into a deep sleep, and when he finally woke up he realized that he was very hungry and thirsty, so he set out to explore the island on which he had been exiled. After wandering for a day he reached an immense tree, whose boughs hung over the sea, and he wondered who might have planted it. That night he slept in the boughs of the tree, and kept warm by wrapping himself in its large leaves.
Around midnight the man was suddenly awakened by a great roaring, and he discovered, to his horror, a lion prowling at the bottom of the tree. And when the lion roared again, the man began to panic and climbed higher into the branches of the tree, until he was out of reach of the lion. But there he suddenly found himself confronted with a mighty bird, as great in size as the legendary Ziz of old. And when this bird saw him, it opened its mouth and tried to swallow him, and the man saved his life only by quickly mounting upon the back of the bird, and taking hold of the feathers around its neck with both hands. But then the bird, startled to have this strange being on its back, immediately flapped its wings and took flight, hoping to shake the rider off into the sea.
Thus the terrified man found himself flying on the back of a giant bird, with nothing but the sea beneath him. And as he clung to that bird's crown of feathers, he prayed to God to deliver him in his hour of peril. The bird continued to fly all day, and toward evening the man saw that they had reached a country, for he saw land beneath him on which houses had been built. And as the bird flew low over the land, the man threw himself from its back and went tumbling to the ground. There he lay hurt and bruised by the fall, and he shivered with cold all night. And by dawn he was very faint, since he had not eaten for more than two days. Still he raised himself and began to walk until he reached a town, and there he found a synagogue, and when he saw it, he wept with joy, for he knew that he had found Jews, who might take pity on him and help him to return to his home.
Entering the synagogue he found only the shammash, and told his tale to him. And he was very shocked when the man did not reassure him but said: I am sorry to tell you that all the trials you have suffered so far will be as nothing compared to those which await you in this land. Now the man could not understand this at all, for Jews are commanded by the Torah to be merciful, and he asked the shammash to explain what he meant.
Then the shammash said: The country you have reached is not a land of men, but the kingdom of demons, which is ruled by Asmodeus, king of demons. And when it is discovered that a man of flesh and blood has come here, your life will be as good as lost. For humans are not permitted to set foot in this kingdom. And when the man heard that he had reached the land of demons, he began to tremble and almost fainted. Then he fell at the feet of the shammash, and pleaded with him to help him escape. And the shammash, who was a pious demon, took pity on him, and placed him under his protection.
Soon afterward other demons began to arrive for the morning services, and before long one of them suddenly cried out: I smell the smell of one born of woman! and all of the others shouted in agreement and they soon discovered the man among them. But then the shammash spoke up and said: You must not harm this man, for he is under my protection. And because of the respect they had for that demon, they agreed not to harm him, but they wanted to know how he had reached their kingdom, so remote from all human habitation.
Then the merchant's son told them his sad tale, without omitting anything that had happened. And when the demons learned that he had broken the vow he had made to his father, they were filled with wrath and said: How can we permit one who has broken a holy oath to remain among us? For the penalty for this transgression is death! But the shammash replied: He cannot be killed until he has been brought before our king to decide his fate. And the others said: Well spoken. So it was agreed to leave his fate in the hands of Asmodeus, their king.
Now it had been a very long time since any other human being had been in that kingdom, and Asmodeus invited him to spend the night in his palace until he had reached a decision concerning him. There Asmodeus spoke with the man and asked him if he had studied Torah, and when he discovered that he was well versed in all of the sacred texts, the demon king said: Because you are a scholar, you have found grace in my eyes, and I will spare your life. For the Holy One has already seen to it that you have been well punished for the sin of breaking the vow you made to your father. And if you will swear to me that you will teach my son all that you know, you may remain in the safety of my palace. Now the man was very grateful and relieved to hear this, and he swore to that effect. So it was that Asmodeus took him into his palace, presented him to his son, and treated him with the reverence due to a teacher.
Three years passed, during which the man diligently taught the son of Asmodeus all the Torah he knew. Then it happened that Asmodeus had to go off to war, and before he left he placed the man in charge of the palace, for he had grown to trust and respect him. Asmodeus gave him the keys to all of his treasuries, and ordered the servants to obey him. Then Asmodeus said:
Now you have the keys to every room in this palace except one, and you are permitted to enter every room except that one. And after that Asmodeus went off to war.
In the days that followed the man took charge of the palace, and happened to pass by the room which Asmodeus had forbidden him to enter, and he wondered what might be in there, since Asmodeus had permitted him to enter every other room.
So he went to the door and looked through the keyhole, and saw the daughter of Asmodeus seated upon a golden throne, with servant girls dancing and playing around her. And when the man saw the great beauty of the demon princess, he could not tear his eyes away from her, and at last he decided to enter there. So he tried to open the door, and discovered that it was unlocked. But no sooner did he enter than the daughter of Asmodeus pointed to him and said: O foolish man, why have you disobeyed the command of my father? For no man is permitted to see my unveiled face. My father is already aware of your transgression, for he sees in his magic mirror everything that takes place, and he will soon arrive to punish you with death! And when the man heard this, he threw himself at the feet of the demon princess and implored her to save him from her father's anger. And the princess took pity on him and said: When my father arrives, tell him that you entered here because of your love for me, and say that you wish for us to be married. I know that this will please him, because he has often mentioned that we should be wed, since you are such a learned man. And the man thanked her with all his heart for this advice.
Before long the enraged king of demons returned to the palace and demanded to know why the man had disobeyed him and entered his daughter's chamber. Then the man said what the princess had told him to say. And when Asmodeus heard that this was his reason for disobeying the order, his anger vanished, and he smiled and said: I shall gladly give you my daughter for your wife. Then he commanded that a festive wedding be prepared, and he invited not only all of the demons who inhabited that kingdom, but also all the birds and beasts as well. So too was a marriage contract written, and the man received as the dowry innumerable treasures, which made his wealth second only to that of Asmodeus himself. And after the wedding, when the man was alone with his bride, he promised her that he would love her always and never forsake her. The demon princess had him swear to this, and write down the oath, which he did, and give it to her for safekeeping, Before a year was out the demon princess gave birth to their child, a boy whom they circumcised on the eighth day and named Solomon. One day, as the man sat playing with his child, he suddenly sighed deeply. Why do you sigh? she asked. He replied: For the wife and children I left so far behind in my native land. Now the demon princess was deeply hurt when she heard this, and she said: Is there anything you want for? Am I not beautiful in your eyes? Are there any riches or honors that you long for? Tell me, and I will fulfill your wish. Then the man said: There is nothing that I lack. It is just that when I hold my son Solomon, I am reminded of my other children. So it was that more and more often the daughter of Asmodeus found her husband sighing for the family he had lost. At last she decided that she must let him return to them for a while, for otherwise he would never be satisfied. So she said to him: I will grant you one year to spend with your family. All I ask is that you take an oath to return to me at that time, and put it in writing. The man was exceedingly grateful for this opportunity, and he made the vow and set it down in writing. Then the demon princess commanded one of her servants to fly the man to his country, for demons have wings, and can travel great distances in the wink of an eye. So too did she command the demon to accornpany him while he was there. And the servant demon swept up the man in his arms, and in a flash they stood before the door of his home in his long-lost country. There the man had a joyous reunion with his family, who had given him up for dead.
Now as soon as the servant demon had arrived in that country, he had taken on human form, and appeared to be as normal as any man. When the man saw that this change had taken place, he decided not to inform his family of the demon's true identity, for fear that it might frighten them. So too did he decide not to reveal the fact that he had married the daughter of Asmodeus, king of demons. He preferred to regard his trials and tribulations as a bad nightmare, which at last had come to an end.
So it was that the merchant's son resumed his old life, and his days were joyous and full. But one thing darkened his life: each time he encountered the servant demon in the marketplace or synagogue he would be reminded of his vows to the demon princess. For the disguised demon had taken up residence in the Jewish section of that town in order to keep an eye on the man, and to ensure his return at the end of the year. One day when the man could not bear it any longer, he went up to the demon and said: You are wasting your time here. I will never return with you to the land of demons. The demon said: And what of the marriage vows you have made, and the oath that you would return to your wife at the end of the year? Those vows were forced on me, and I only made them to save my life. Therefore they are null and void, according to the law. When the demon realized that the man was not about to change his mind, he departed from that town and returned to the kingdom of demons.
There he informed the demon princess of her husband's intentions.
But the daughter of Asmodeus grew angry with the servant demon and insisted this could not be true, as the man had signed an oath. And she told the demon that they would wait until the end of the year to see if the man would keep his vow.
At the end of the year the demon princess sent for the same servant demon, and told him to go to the man and to remind him that it was time to return to her. This the demon did, but when he approached the man as he was leaving the House of Study, the man shouted for him to depart at once, for he had already made it clear that he would never return with him. So the servant demon came back to the princess, and reported what the man had said. Still, the princess could not believe he would dare to break a written oath. And she went to her father, Asmodeus, and asked him what she should do. Asmodeus thought the matter over and said: Take your son with you and go to this man, and I will send my army with you to his city. First send his son, Solomon, to ask him to return to you, and if he refuses, go to the synagogue and make your case known before the congregation.
And tell them that if they do not force him to accompany you, the army of demons will demolish their town, and their lives will be lost. And when he who has betrayed you has returned, I will see to it that he is properly punished for his crime! So it was that the demon princess did as her father said, and traveled to the man's city with her son and the army of Asmodeus.
First she waited outside the city gates and sent the boy Solomon into the city, to approach his father. The boy came to his house while the man was sleeping, and gently woke him. The man was astonished to see his demon offspring and embraced him and then asked him what he was doing there. Solomon told him that he had come there accompanied by his mother and the army of Asmodeus, so that the man would accompany them to their kingdom. When the man heard this, he grew terrified, but he still insisted he would never return. And despite all of the boy's pleading, the man could not be moved. So the sad boy took his leave and returned to his mother and told her what his father had said. After this the demon princess bid the army to wait there until she saw if she would receive justice from the town. If she did, she would spare the inhabitants, but if she did not, she would order them all to be killed. Then she went directly to the synagogue, and arrived there just as services were about to begin. She walked up to the pulpit, and stood before the congregation, and told them who she was and why she had come there. And she showed them her wedding contract and the written vow the man had made that he would return to her at the end of a year. And she bid that a Beit Din, a court of rabbis, be called together, to determine if the man should be forced to return with her or not.
Now when the documents were examined and found to be valid, it was realized that a Beit Din must be convened to settle the matter. This was done, and the demon princess entered first, and when she faced the court she said: This man came to be in our land because he broke the oath he made to his father. My father, the king, showed him great favor and saved him from those who were determined to take his life. I have also saved him from certain death, at the hands of my father, whose command this man disobeyed. And after this my father gave me to him as a wife, and made him a prince and commander over his armies. So it was that this man married me according to the laws of Moses, and this boy, Solomon, is our child. And when he wished to return to his family for a visit, I permitted him to go, and he vowed never to forsake me. Here are all the documents that prove what I have said to be true. And now this man wants to repay good with evil, and prefers to abandon his wife and son. Then the judges examined the documents, and when they proved to be authentic, they turned to the man and said: Why do you not return to her, after she has done so much for you?
And how can you justify breaking a vow that you yourself have signed? Then the man said: I have sworn and acted under constraint, for I feared for my life. Therefore the vows I signed are null and void. Furthermore, it is unnatural for a man to be married to a demon, and I prefer to remain with the wife of my youth. Now after the man had said this, and it was apparent to all that he would not voluntarily accompany the demon princess to her kingdom, she spoke up and said: All will agree that if a man wishes to divorce his wife, he must first give her a bill of divorcement and return to her all of her dowry. And the judges replied: Yes, that is the case. Then the princess showed them that it was written in the marriage contract that in the event of divorce the man must pay her an immense amount of money, more than was possessed by any king. And when the judges saw this, they said to the man: According to the law, you must either pay her in full or go with her. Then the princess said: I see that you are honest judges, who act according to the law. But since it is apparent to ail that this man refuses to accompany me, I hereby renounce the right of compelling him to return by force. Instead, if you will ask him to give me one last kiss, I will depart from him and return to my home. Then the judges said to him: Do as she asks, and give her one last kiss, and then you will be free from all obligations toward her. So the man went and kissed her, hoping to be free of her at last, but instead she kissed him with the kiss of death, and snatched away all of his breath, so that his lifeless body slumped to the floor. Then the demon princess turned to the judges and said: This is the reward of one who transgressed the will of his father and broke an oath. Now if you all do not wish me to die, take my son Solomon and raise him in the laws of God and when he is grown, marry him to the daughter of the greatest among you, and make him chief among you. For I do not wish to remain with the son of such a husband, who will always remind me of him. I shall leave him riches enough that nothing will be wanting, and you shall also give him half of his father's property. Then the congregation vowed to do as she told them, and promised that when the boy Solomon had grown they would proclaim him their chief. After this the demon princess departed and returned to her kingdom, taking her father's army with her. And never again did she return to the land of men, but remained in the kingdom of demons ruled by her father, Asmodeus, where she lives to this very day.