It seems from the story of the Chasanah that Ashmadai was able to see the future, and therefore cried when he saw the tragedy that would befall the Chasan/Kalla. Yet from Rashi we see that Ashmadai was not able to foresee the death of the shoebuyer since Rashi uses the words 'shemah l'machar yomus'.
1.Could he see the future or could he not?
2.It seems that he laughed because the man might not last 7 years; but he had no problem about shoes being able to last so long. Don't we say that no man knows the day of his death; don't we say not to lose hope even when a sword is on your neck. So what is there to laugh about a man trying to buy a pair of shoes that will last; especially if Ashmadai himself doen't know when the man will die?
3. Or does he who laughs last, laughs best? And the shoe buyer just might have the last laugh!
Kol Tuv
alex lebovits, toronto, canada
1. Even prophets do not know everything that is destined to happen, only what Hash-m wants them to know, so why should we assume that demons are any different?
Incidentally, see Maharshal as to what made Rashi learn the way he did.
2. & 3. I think one must first bear in mind that in those days there was no such thing as mass production. I also get the impression that most commodities of that time were standard quality, and that people did not go much for luxuries
That being the case, if we assume that a regular pair of shoes lasted one or two years, then a pair of shoes that lasted seven years must have cost a small fortune.
The point that Ashmedai was therefore making was how absurd it is for a person to spend so much money for an article to last seven years, when he had no guarantee that he would live even seven days! It would make more financial sense to buy a regular pair of shoes every year or two.
Be'Virchas Kol Tuv
Eliezer Chrysler