(ח) וַיֹּ֣אמֶר יְהוָ֔ה אֶל־מֹשֶׁ֥ה וְאֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֖ן לֵאמֹֽר׃ (ט) כִּי֩ יְדַבֵּ֨ר אֲלֵכֶ֤ם פַּרְעֹה֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר תְּנ֥וּ לָכֶ֖ם מוֹפֵ֑ת וְאָמַרְתָּ֣ אֶֽל־אַהֲרֹ֗ן קַ֧ח אֶֽת־מַטְּךָ֛ וְהַשְׁלֵ֥ךְ לִפְנֵֽי־פַרְעֹ֖ה יְהִ֥י לְתַנִּֽין׃ (י) וַיָּבֹ֨א מֹשֶׁ֤ה וְאַהֲרֹן֙ אֶל־פַּרְעֹ֔ה וַיַּ֣עַשׂוּ כֵ֔ן כַּאֲשֶׁ֖ר צִוָּ֣ה יְהוָ֑ה וַיַּשְׁלֵ֨ךְ אַהֲרֹ֜ן אֶת־מַטֵּ֗הוּ לִפְנֵ֥י פַרְעֹ֛ה וְלִפְנֵ֥י עֲבָדָ֖יו וַיְהִ֥י לְתַנִּֽין׃
(8) The LORD said to Moses and Aaron, (9) “When Pharaoh speaks to you and says, ‘Produce your marvel,’ you shall say to Aaron, ‘Take your rod and cast it down before Pharaoh.’ It shall turn into a serpent.” (10) So Moses and Aaron came before Pharaoh and did just as the LORD had commanded: Aaron cast down his rod in the presence of Pharaoh and his courtiers, and it turned into a serpent.
It has become accepted norm that when one slanders G’d or His existence, one is bitten by snakes as we know from Numbers 21,5 “the people spoke out against G’d and Moses“ which is followed by (21,6) ”G’d sent fiery serpents against the people and they bit the people.” Furthermore, just as a snake can make itself rigid and wriggle out of unpleasant situations, so Pharaoh squirmed and on other occasions remained rigid in order to avoid having to obey G’d’s wishes. Whenever the plagues got the better of him he seemed to relent in order to gain relief only to renege in the hope that G’d had exhausted His power. He would resume his obstinate stance of refusing to let the Israelites go. The reason that this נחש is called תנין in our verse is that Pharaoh has been referred to elsewhere as the התנים הגדול הרובץ בתוך יאוריו, “the great sea-monster that crouches within its rivers” (Ezekiel 29,3). The word תנין here contains a hint that just as the staff of Aaron swallowed all the staffs of the Egyptian magicians so the sea (G’d) would swallow Pharaoh and his army at the sea of Reeds. (2) According to an unnamed Midrash, when Pharaoh saw the transformation of the staffs of his magicians into snakes, he exclaimed: “is this your G’d’s trademark? Now I know where all the witchcraft in this world originates.”
(יא) וַיִּקְרָא֙ גַּם־פַּרְעֹ֔ה לַֽחֲכָמִ֖ים וְלַֽמְכַשְּׁפִ֑ים וַיַּֽעֲשׂ֨וּ גַם־הֵ֜ם חַרְטֻמֵּ֥י מִצְרַ֛יִם בְּלַהֲטֵיהֶ֖ם כֵּֽן׃
(3) Sorcerers. Those who know the secrets of created matter. The word is quadrilateral (with four root letters, and therefore not Hebrew). Perhaps it is an Egyptian word, or Akkadian (Babylonian/Chaldean), because similar words have been found in scripture only from those languages. The text distinguishes between Moshe's act, in which the staff truly transformed into a snake, and the act of the sorcerers, which is why the text states "belateihem". The word has a trilateral root, it's meaning is as "the flame (blade) of the sword", "I lay burning", "the day that comes shall burn them". It connotes flashing and passing fire, namely illusion.
You may well counter that the expression ויהי לתנין is also used when Moses’ staff turned into a snake, so what is so peculiar about the Torah not writing תנין when describing what happened to the staffs of the sorcerers? We have to explain that in the case of Moses’ i.e. Aaron’s staff, this was a true transformation of the staff into a snake and that a similar wording is found in Genesis 2,7 ויהי האדם לנפש חיה where the letter ל at the beginning of the word לנפש certainly does not speak about something illusory. However, by way of contrast, what the sorcerers did was merely sleight of hand. Seeing that the wording lent itself to two different interpretations, the Torah had to write immediately that Aaron’s staff swallowed all the staffs of the sorcerers in order the show the qualitative difference between what Aaron had done and what the Egyptians had been able to do. The fact that the Torah describes “their staffs” as being swallowed instead of “their snakes” being swallowed, shows that their staffs had remained staffs in spite of appearing to be snakes. Another proof that the sorcerers only created an illusion is that the Torah does not describe them as having performed their art in the presence of Pharaoh and his servants as the Torah had been at pains to emphasise concerning Moses’ miracle.
Alternatively, supposing that the חרטומים had really been capable of turning their staffs into snakes as the Talmud Chulin 7 suggests, why then were they called sorcerers instead of prophets? The answer is that they denied the power of the celestial forces. We could interpret the words ויהיו לתנינים to mean that their staffs did indeed turn into live snakes. The letter ל would be justified seeing that later on these snakes reverted to being staffs. The qualitative edge of Moses’ staff was simply that it swallowed the staffs of the sorcerers. According to Shemot Rabbah 9,7 when Pharaoh observed that Moses’ staff (as a staff) was able to swallow the combined staffs of his sorcerers he reflected that it might equally be capable of swallowing him and his throne. The word ויבלע means that something inert was able to swallow both something else inert and something live. We have a parallel in Numbers 16,32 when the earth swallowed both Korach and family as well as his tents and belongings.
(22) But when the Egyptian magicians did the same with their spells, Pharaoh’s heart stiffened and he did not heed them—as the LORD had spoken.
(א) בלטיהם. לַחַשׁ שֶׁאוֹמְרִין אוֹתוֹ בַּלָּט וּבַחֲשַׁאי; וְרַבּוֹתֵינוּ אָמְרוּ, "בְּלָטֵיהֶם" מַעֲשֵׂה שֵׁדִים, "בְּלַהֲטֵיהֶם" מַעֲשֵׂה כְשָׁפִים (סנהדרין ס"ז): (ב) ויחזק לב פרעה. לוֹמַר עַל יְדֵי מְכַשְּׁפוּת אַתֶּם עוֹשִׂים כֵּן; "תֶּבֶן אַתֶּם מַכְנִיסִים לְעָפְרַיִם", עִיר שֶׁכֻּלָּהּ תֶּבֶן, אַף אַתֶּם מְבִיאִין מְכַשְּׁפוּת לְמִצְרַיִם שֶׁכֻּלָּהּ כְּשָׁפִים:
(1) ויעשו כן חרטומי מצרים, “the sorcerers of Egypt did likewise.” From where did these sorcerers take the water to duplicate Aaron’s turning the water into blood? They must have either used water that the Egyptians had dug up surrounding the areas that contained water, or they must have taken water in possession of the Israelites. Some commentators claim that the waters that Aaron had turned into blood reverted to being water in short order, so that there was no shortage of water anywhere. This would account for the fact that Pharaoh failed to be impressed with this miracle. This is why Moses and Aaron were not called in to reverse the plague, (as they were on the next occasion).
(1) מכשפה לא תחיה THOU SHALT NOT SUFFER A WITCH TO LIVE — This does not mean that you may kill her but she shall be put to death by the court. Both men and women who practise witchcraft are included in this law but in using the feminine term מכשפה Scripture speaks of what is usually the case; for it is women who mostly practise witchcraft (Sanhedrin 67a).
(1) מכשפה לא תחיה, “You must not allow asorceress to remain alive.” The reason why this apparently unrelated subject follows on the heels of how to deal with seducers is that people who seek ways and means to gratify their illegal sexual urges, turn to sorceresses to help them do so. (2) לא תחיה, an unusual way of describing the death penalty, has to be understood as translated by Onkelos, i.e. instead of only violating a positive commandment when allowing a sorceress not to be executed, any court failing to execute her is also guilty of transgressing a negative commandment, a much greater sin. If someone reads this word as tichyeh, with the vowel chink, [when the line would mean “she shall not live,”] he errs. We must be active in preventing her from living, i.e. the court must execute her. The death penalty of stoning is applied. The Torah compliments anyone who takes the first step in bringing about the legal execution of a sorceress. The longer she is allowed to remain alive, the longer she can practice her nefarious trade.
(טו) הַמְכַשֵּׁף חַיָּב סְקִילָה וְהוּא שֶׁעָשָׂה מַעֲשֵׂה כְּשָׁפִים. אֲבָל הָאוֹחֵז אֶת הָעֵינַיִם וְהוּא שֶׁיֵּרָאֶה שֶׁעָשָׂה וְהוּא לֹא עָשָׂה לוֹקֶה מַכַּת מַרְדּוּת. מִפְּנֵי שֶׁלָּאו זֶה שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר בִּמְכַשֵּׁף בִּכְלַל (דברים יח י) "לֹא יִמָּצֵא בְךָ" הוּא וְלָאו שֶׁנִּתַּן לְאַזְהָרַת מִיתַת בֵּית דִּין הוּא וְאֵין לוֹקִין עָלָיו שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות כב יז) "מְכַשֵּׁפָה לֹא תְחַיֶּה":
(15) A sorcerer is guilty of an offense punishable by stoning, provided he committed an overt act of witchery but if he merely deludes the eyes by make-believe action which in reality is but juggling he is punished after the manner of a rebel, seeing that the prohibitive commandment against sorcery is included in the charge of, "There shall not be found among you etc." (Ibid.), which is a prohibitive devoted to admonish those who are put to death by a tribunal for the violation of which no stripes is inflicted, and that the punishment for an overt act is death is deducted from what it is said: "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live" (Ex. 22.17)18Ibid. 53a and 67a. C.
(ד) אֵלּוּ הֵן הַנִּסְקָלִין, הַבָּא עַל הָאֵם, וְעַל אֵשֶׁת הָאָב, וְעַל הַכַּלָּה, וְעַל הַזְּכוּר, וְעַל הַבְּהֵמָה, וְהָאִשָּׁה הַמְבִיאָה אֶת הַבְּהֵמָה, וְהַמְגַדֵּף, וְהָעוֹבֵד עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, וְהַנּוֹתֵן מִזַּרְעוֹ לַמֹּלֶךְ, וּבַעַל אוֹב וְיִדְּעוֹנִי, וְהַמְחַלֵּל אֶת הַשַּׁבָּת, וְהַמְקַלֵּל אָבִיו וְאִמּוֹ, וְהַבָּא עַל נַעֲרָה הַמְאֹרָסָה, וְהַמֵּסִית, וְהַמַּדִּיחַ, וְהַמְכַשֵּׁף, וּבֵן סוֹרֵר וּמוֹרֶה. הַבָּא עַל הָאֵם, חַיָּב עָלֶיהָ מִשּׁוּם אֵם וּמִשּׁוּם אֵשֶׁת אָב. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר, אֵינוֹ חַיָּב אֶלָּא מִשּׁוּם הָאֵם בִּלְבָד. הַבָּא עַל אֵשֶׁת אָב חַיָּב עָלֶיהָ מִשּׁוּם אֵשֶׁת אָב וּמִשּׁוּם אֵשֶׁת אִישׁ, בֵּין בְּחַיֵּי אָבִיו בֵּין לְאַחַר מִיתַת אָבִיו, בֵּין מִן הָאֵרוּסִין בֵּין מִן הַנִּשּׂוּאִין. הַבָּא עַל כַּלָּתוֹ, חַיָּב עָלֶיהָ מִשּׁוּם כַּלָּתוֹ וּמִשּׁוּם אֵשֶׁת אִישׁ, בֵּין בְּחַיֵּי בְנוֹ בֵּין לְאַחַר מִיתַת בְּנוֹ, בֵּין מִן הָאֵרוּסִין בֵּין מִן הַנִּשּׂוּאִין. הַבָּא עַל הַזְּכוּר וְעַל הַבְּהֵמָה, וְהָאִשָּׁה הַמְבִיאָה אֶת הַבְּהֵמָה, אִם אָדָם חָטָא, בְּהֵמָה מֶה חָטָאת, אֶלָּא לְפִי שֶׁבָּאת לָאָדָם תַּקָּלָה עַל יָדָהּ, לְפִיכָךְ אָמַר הַכָּתוּב תִּסָּקֵל. דָּבָר אַחֵר, שֶׁלֹּא תְהֵא בְּהֵמָה עוֹבֶרֶת בַּשּׁוּק וְיֹאמְרוּ זוֹ הִיא שֶׁנִּסְקַל פְּלוֹנִי עַל יָדָהּ:
(4) The following are stoned:He who has sexual relations with his mother, with his father's wife, with his daughter-in-law, with a male; with a beast; a woman who commits bestiality with a beast; a blasphemer; an idolater; one who gives of his seed to molech; a necromancer or a wizard; one who desecrates the Sabbath; he who curses his father or mother; he who commits adultery with a betrothed woman; one who incites [individuals to idolatry]; one who seduces [a whole town to idolatry]; a sorcerer; and a wayward and rebellious son. He who has sexual relations with his mother incurs a penalty in respect of her both as his mother and as his father's wife. R. Judah says: “He is liable in respect of her as his mother only.” He who has sexual relations with his father's wife incurs a penalty in respect of her both as his father's wife, and as a married woman, both during his father's lifetime and after his death, whether she was widowed from betrothal or from marriage. He who has sexual relations with his daughter-in-law incurs a penalty in respect of her both as his daughter-in-law and as a married woman, both during his son's lifetime and after his death, whether she was widowed from betrothal or from marriage. He who has sexual relations with a male or a beast, and a woman that commits bestiality: if the man has sinned, how has the animal sinned? But because the human was enticed to sin by the animal, therefore scripture ordered that it should be stoned. Another reason is that the animal should not pass through the market, and people say, this is the animal on account of which so and so was stoned.
(2) לא תנחשו, “do not indulge in sorcery.” The word נחש is similar in meaning to that of נסיון, experimenting and using the outcome of the experiment as one’s guideline for how to act. [It is debatable if Eliezer’s request at the well stipulating certain behaviour patterns of the maidens that came out to draw water at the well falls into the category of forbidden ניחוש, at any rate at that time Torah had not yet been given. Ed.] Lavan admitted to Yaakov that he was in the habit of using such sorcery, i.e. Genesis 30, 27 נחשתי ויברכני ה' בגללך, “I have discovered by such experimentation, that G’d’s blessing for me is on your account.” (3) ולא תעוננו, “and you are not to believe that some periods are lucky compared to others.” Ibn Ezra writes that some people claim that the word עונן is derived from ענה, “answering,” i.e. a person poses a certain question expecting to guide his behaviour according to the answer he receives. This is not a tenable interpretation according to the rules of grammar. He believes, instead, that the correct interpretation is based on the word being derived from ענן, “cloud,” that the Torah forbids us to read meaning into the cloud patterns we observe in the sky, and to use such patterns as guidelines for our behaviour.
(א) שלא לנחש - שלא נלך אחרי נחשים, שנאמר (ויקרא יט כו) לא תנחשו ונכפל במקום אחר, שנאמר (דברים יח י) לא ימצא בך וגו' ומנחש. ואמרו בספרי שופטים: מנחש כגון האומר נפלה פתי מפי, נפל מקל מידי עבר נחש מימיני ושועל משמאלי, וימנע מפני כן מעשות שום מעשה. ובספרא אמרו (קדושים ו ב) לא תנחשו כגון אלו המנחשים בחלדה ובעופות ובכוכבים וכיוצא בהן, עד כאן. וכגון מה שיאמרו המוני העמים הסכלים כיון ששב מדרכו שהיה הולך, או צבי הפסיקו או עורב צועק עובר על ראשו, או כיון שראה דבר פלוני בתחלת היום לא ירויח היום, או שום מקרה רע יבואהו. וכל המעשים האלו וכיוצא בהן הם בכלל לאו זה.
(1) To not divine: That we not follow divinations, as it is stated (Leviticus 19:26), "you shall not divine." And it is repeated in another place, as it is stated (Deuteronomy 18:10), "There shall not be found in you, etc. or a diviner." And they said in Sifrei Devarim (Shoftim), "'A diviner' - such as one who says, 'My bread fell from my mouth, the stick fell from my hand, a snake passed on my right and a fox on my left,' and he refrains from some act because of it." And in Sifra, Kedoshim, Chapter 6:2 they said, "'You shall not divine' - such as those that divine with weasels, birds, stars and what is similar to them." To here [are the words of the Sifra]. And such as that which the silly masses among the nations say: Since he came back from his path that he was walking, a deer passed in front of him, or a yelling crow passed over his head or if he saw thing x at the beginning of the day - he will not have profit today or any [other] bad event will come to him. And all of these acts and similar to them are included in this negative commandment.
(א) שלא לעונן - שלא לעונן, שנאמר (ויקרא יט כו) ולא תעוננו. ופרוש הענין כמו שאמרו בספרא (ו ב) שהוא לשון עונה, כלומר, שלא נקבע עונות לומר, שעה פלונית, טובה לעשות בה מעשה פלוני, ויצליח כל העושה אותו באותה שעה והעושה אותו בשעה פלונית, לא יצליח, כמו שיאמרו המהבילים בעלי הכשוף. ונכפל הלאו בזה הענין בסדר שופטים דכתיב שם (דברים יח י) לא ימצא בך וגו' מעונן. ובכלל לאו זה דמעונן אמרו זכרונם לברכה (סנהדרין סה, ב), שהוא מעשה אחיזת עינים שיעשו בני אדם. וכמו שאמרו זכרונם לברכה מעונן זה האוחז את העינים. וענין זה הוא מין גדול מהתחבולה יחבר אליה קלות היד וגבורת מהירותה עד שיראה לבני אדם שיעשה המתחבל ענינים של פלא, כלומר שהם חוץ מן הטבע, כמו שיעשו תמיד המשתדלים בזה, שיקחו חבל וישימו אותו בכנף בגדם לעיני האנשים, ואחרי כן יוציאו נחש, וכן ישליכו טבעת באויר, ואחר כן יוציאוהו מפי אחד מהעומדים לפניהם, וכיוצא בענינים אלו רבים. וכל אחד מהמעשים הרעים אלו, הוא אסור, והעושו נקרא אוחז העינים, והוא בכלל לאו דמעונן ולוקין עליו. ואף על פי שנאמר מעונן אצל מכשף בכתוב אחד אינו מין כשוף ממש, שאלו היה האסור בו משום לאו דמכשף לא היינו מלקין עליו, משום דלאו דמכשף נתן לאזהרת מיתת בית דין, שנאמר מכשפה לא תחיה. וקימא לן (עירובין יז ב) דכל לאו שנתן לאזהרת מיתת בית דין, אין לוקין עליו.
(1) To not soothsay: To not soothsay, as it is stated (Leviticus 19:26), "and you shall not soothsay (teonenu)." And the understanding of the matter is like they said in Sifra, Kedoshim, Chapter 6:2, that it is an expression of a time period (onah). [This] means to say that we do not fix time periods to say time x is good to do action y; and anyone who does it at that time will be successful, but one who does it at time z will not be successful - like the empty clairvoyants say. And the negative commandment about this matter is repeated in the Order of Shoftim, as it is written there (Deuteronomy 18:10), "There shall not be found in you, etc. a soothsayer." And they, may their memory be blessed, said (Sanhedrin 65b) that included in this negative commandment of the soothsayer is the fooling the eyes that people do. And this matter is a great type of machination that is connected with lightness of hand and its powerful quickness to the point that it appears to people that the trickster is doing fantastic things, meaning to say that they are supernatural. As what those that make efforts in this always do, such that they take a rope and put it into the corner of their clothes in front of people's eyes, and afterwards they take out a snake; and so [too,] they throw a ring into the air, and afterwards they take it out from the mouth of one of the bystanders in front of them; and many things similar to these. And each one of these evil acts is forbidden, and one who does it is called a fooler of the eyes. And it is included in the prohibition of the soothsayer and we administer lashes for it. And even though [the prohibition of the] soothsayer is stated next to the sorcerer in one verse, it is not precisely a type of magic. As if the prohibition about it was on account of the negative commandment of the sorcerer, we would not administer lashes for it, since the negative commandment of the sorcerer is given over to the warning of a death penalty from the court, as it is stated (Exodus 22:17), "You shall not keep a witch alive." And it is established for us (Eruvin 17b) that we do not administer lashes for any negative commandment that is given over to the warning of a death penalty from the court.
(א) הָעוֹשֶׂה אוֹב אוֹ יִדְּעֹנִי בִּרְצוֹנוֹ בְּזָדוֹן חַיָּב כָּרֵת וְאִם הָיוּ שָׁם עֵדִים וְהַתְרָאָה נִסְקָל. הָיָה שׁוֹגֵג מֵבִיא חַטָּאת קְבוּעָה. כֵּיצַד הוּא מַעֲשֵׂה הָאוֹב. זֶה שֶׁהוּא עוֹמֵד וּמַקְטִיר קְטֹרֶת יְדוּעָה וְאוֹחֵז שַׁרְבִיט שֶׁל הֲדַס בְּיָדוֹ וּמְנִיפוֹ וְהוּא מְדַבֵּר בַּלָּאט בִּדְבָרִים יְדוּעִים אֶצְלָם עַד שֶׁיִּשְׁמַע הַשּׁוֹאֵל כְּאִלּוּ אֶחָד מְדַבֵּר עִמּוֹ וּמְשִׁיבוֹ עַל מַה שֶּׁהוּא שׁוֹאֵל בִּדְבָרִים מִתַּחַת הָאָרֶץ בְּקוֹל נָמוּךְ עַד מְאֹד וּכְאִלּוּ אֵינוֹ נִכָּר לָאֹזֶן אֶלָּא בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה מַרְגִּישׁ בּוֹ. וְכֵן הַלּוֹקֵחַ גֻּלְגּלֶת הַמֵּת וּמַקְטִיר לָהּ וּמְנַחֵשׁ בָּהּ עַד שֶׁיִּשָּׁמַע כְּאִלּוּ קוֹל יוֹצֵא מִתַּחַת שֶׁחְיוֹ שָׁפָל עַד מְאֹד וּמְשִׁיבוֹ. כָּל אֵלּוּ מַעֲשֵׂה אוֹב הֵן וְהָעוֹשֶׂה אֶחָד מֵהֶן נִסְקָל:
(ב) כֵּיצַד מַעֲשֵׂה הַיִּדְּעֹנִי. מֵנִיחַ עֶצֶם עוֹף שֶׁשְּׁמוֹ יָדוּעַ בְּפִיו וּמַקְטִיר וְעוֹשֶׂה מַעֲשִׂים אֲחֵרִים עַד שֶׁיִּפּל כְּנִכְפֶּה וִידַבֵּר בְּפִיו דְּבָרִים שֶׁעֲתִידִים לִהְיוֹת. וְכָל אֵלּוּ מִינֵי עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים הֵן וְאַזְהָרָה שֶׁלָּהֶן מִנַּיִן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא יט לא) "אַל תִּפְנוּ אֶל הָאֹבֹת" וְגוֹ':
(1) He who practices enchantry or spiritualism of his own free will, wantonly, is guilty of a sin punishable by excision; if there be witnesses, and he received due warning, he is stoned. If he erred, he should offer a standard sin-offering. How is enchantry practiced? One stands and burns a kind of incense known to such practicioners, holding in his hand a myrtle-branch which he waves, the while uttering in a murmur words known to such practicioners, so that the supplicant thinks that he hears one conversing with him and answering his questions in words that appear to be coming from beneath the earth uttered in a very low voice, which is scarcely audible to the ear but rather perceptible to the mind. Or, one who holds a skull of a deceased person, and burns incense to it, and divines by it, so that it becomes evident as if an extremely low ventriloquous voice makes reply. All such are practices of enchantry, and whosoever practices one such, is stoned.2Sanhedrin, 65a–b. C.
(2) How is spiritualism practiced? One puts a bone of a bird known to such practicioners in his mouth, burns incense and performs other manipulations until he falls into a fit resembling epilepsy, when he speaks out of his mouth happenings of the future. All such are forms of idolatry. Whencefrom is the warning against such practices derived? From what it is said: "Turn ye not unto the ghosts, nor unto familiar spirits" (Lev. 19.31)3Sifra, Lev. 19. C.
The Torah lists the practice the Moloch cult first, which involved exposing one’s children to the fire in order to assuage that deity’s feelings. There is no more despicable form of idolatry than to sacrifice one’s own flesh and blood to such cults. Seeing that this practice is so distasteful to G’d, anyone who is guilty of it is subject to the karet penalty (compare Leviticus 20,3). People who violate Torah law by committing any of the other abominations listed here only qualify for 39 lashes, i.e. corporal punishment. After the Torah concluded by warning us not to become guilty of such practices, the Torah continues by emphasising the positive, i.e. asking us תמים תהיה עם ה' אלו-היך, “you shall be wholehearted with the Lord your G’d” (verse 13).
The expression מעביר used by the Torah describing the Moloch cult, means that the father makes the child walk between two columns of fire; I explained this already in connection with Leviticus 18,21. (2) קוסם קסמים, “practicing divinations;” this is a person who takes a staff in his hand and says: “I will go to a certain place, or I will not go to a certain place” as the case may be; this is what the prophet Hoseah spoke about in Hoseah 4,12: ”My people, it consults its stick, its rods direct it.” [The idea is that decisions are based on the stick falling in a certain manner, pointing in a certain direction. Ed.]
מעונן, the word can have one of three meanings; 1) it is derived from עונה, a certain period of time. 2) it is derived from עין eye; 3) It is derived from ענן, cloud. If it is derived from עונה this is the way Rabbi Akiva understood it, i.e. that the person (astrologer) says that certain dates in the calendar are propitious whereas others are not. People determine when to engage in certain enterprises and when not, based on such predictions. The sages who differ with Rabbi Akiva claim that the people who practice the form of sorcery described as מעונן engage in sleight of hand, i.e. they deceive our eyes. The third view, relating the word to ענן, cloud, claim that the people engaging in this practice consult cloud patterns and presume to foretell future events based on this.
מנחש, “someone who interprets signs,” such as if one’s bread fell out of one’s mouth, what does this portend? Or, if a deer crosses one’s path what does this signify? Some explain the word to mean that such people look at birds and their wings or try and interpret the twittering of the birds. They believe that when Kohelet 10,20 speaks about “for a bird of the skies may carry the sound, and some winged creature may betray the matter,” that Solomon spoke of people who through interpreting the movements of such birds could divine their message. (3) ומכשף, “a sorcerer.” Nachmanides writes as follows concerning this term: “the Torah includes many different kinds of sorcery all under the heading of מכשף. The following words, i.e. חובר חבר, שואל אוב, שואל ידעוני, דורש אל המתים, are all sub-categories of the heading “sorceress.” It is prohibited to consult any of the above regarding one’s future or how to conduct oneself.
It is important to appreciate in the context of this whole subject matter that when G’d created the universe out of “nothing,” He made the celestial beings into leaders of the terrestrial creatures who were below them. He established a kind of hierarchy in which “lower” creatures were subjected to input by “higher” creatures. Eventually, at some point, even these higher creatures become subject to direct input by totally abstract beings, angels, which have been assigned certain tasks by G’d. These angels, when they represent the nations on earth, for instance, may be perceived as the “soul” of their terrestrial protegees. This system is permanent for the duration of the terrestrial universe and the commander-in chief of these angels who represent these nations is the Lord Himself. However, G’d allowed these “protective” angels of the nations to “reverse direction,” (turn their faces around) on occasion in order to head off certain dangers threatening their protegees as a result of planetary, horoscopic forces. Just as the word ענג, “pleasure” when spelled נגע means “plague,” i.e. the reverse of its original meaning, so, without affecting any real changes, by merely turning their faces in a more propitious looking direction, these angels exert positive or negative influence on the fate of their protegees. This concept is reflected in Daniel 2,21 והוא מהשנא עדנ-יא וזמניא, “and He alters times and seasons.” Amos 5,8 spells out an example of this when he says: “who made Pleiades and Orion, who turns darkness into dawn and darkens day into night; who summons the waters of the sea and pours them out on the earth.” His name is “the Lord.” The prophet does not refer to regular phenomena, but to occasions when G’d exploits certain constellations and their relative positions to one another to effect changes for the benefit or detriment of His creatures on earth. By allowing such angels to “turn around” as it were, He minimizes the need for overt interference in the laws of nature.
The following is an excerpt of the Sefer Halevanah published by Bergamantzia and explaining the relevance of astrology, that if we observe [over a period of time Ed.] that when the moon faces in a certain direction that our undertakings prosper whereas when the moon faces in a different direction similar undertakings commenced at that time fail, then this is not proof of the independent power of the moon to influence events on earth but reflects indirect guidance by G’d of events on earth as opposed to direct guidance of events which the Jewish people enjoy, i.e. without the need to rely on intermediaries such as horoscopic constellations and what they appear to presage. The fact that G’d equipped the angels presiding over the nations with this ability to “turn their faces” in different directions at different times enables sorcerers to create the impression that they can foretell future events or even influence them. [The author discussed this in connection with Bileam’s prophetic powers, i.e. to be alert to times at which G’d would be angry, so that a curse which came true would be attributed to his powers.] Similarly, expert astrologers who have a high rate of success in their predictions simply exploit the latitude G’d granted to these “agents “ of His in the universe to “turn their faces around” in order to meet the requirements of their protegees on earth. [I trust I portrayed the gist of this correctly. Ed.]. If our sages accused sorcerers of “denying the system of celestial hierarchies,” what they meant is that they ignore G’d’s direct guidance of events in favor of indirect guidance of events by means of intermediaries such as the planetary system, etc. We can understand therefore why the Torah had to prohibit sorcery. Although whatever information these sorcerers come up with, is not an outright falsehood seeing that it is based on known forces in the universe which G’d had created, and they are aware that G’d had created them, sorcerers try to relegate G’d Himself to the farthest domains of heaven. They do not allow for G’d’s benevolent direct supervision of events in this universe.
Such considerations also are at the root of the prohibition of כלאים, mixing of certain species. By grafting species which were meant to be separate inviolate species, new forces are added to the universe, forces which may have beneficial or destructive influences on nature, apart from constituting changes in the hierarchy prevailing in this universe. Thus far Nachmanides. (4) I have read in a volume of astrology published by current astrologers called “letter of Galinus,” that if someone makes an iron replica of the planet Saturn, he should do so at a certain date and time of day or night when the horoscope is in a certain constellation, and if such a person will bury it beneath the store of a certain merchant, that that merchant will lose all his profit from the store. If the person who has constructed such an image at such a time as we mentioned buries it beneath the house of the owner of that store, all that owner’s affairs will turn sour. Anyone with eyes in his head knows that this “science” will lead to destruction of the world as we know it, and that the only way to live on earth is by allowing the forces of nature to guide us instead of trying to bend them to our will. These forces were provided by G’d for the benefit of mankind. (This is part of the quotation from “letter of Galinus).” The author of that volume writes further: “if someone is interested in attracting to himself the spiritual influence exerted by the planet Shabbtai (Saturn), a planet which exercises its domain on the Sabbath, he should eat a minimal amount of meat, diet very frugally, abstain from marital relations, wear black garments, construct a picture of a lion made out of copper and at the hour when the constellation of Saturn and that of the lamb intersect he should slaughter a cat. If he then approaches that idol and serves it and consults it concerning his future he will be given such information. Thus far the “letter of Galinus.” (Compare also Parshat Vayishlach, Genesis 32,30 where the author copied from books on philosophy.)
It is clear that the Torah, which is most certainly concerned about our welfare and well being, commands us to do exactly the opposite of what is written in the “letter of Galinus.” On the Sabbath we are to eat well (meat) and drink well (wine), to dress in finery, to engage in marital relations with our wives and in general to call the Sabbath ענג, “a delight,” (Isaiah 58,13). Whereas the philosophy preached by Galinus results in man becoming depressed, adopting the ways of the Torah results in man becoming a happy personality. Instead of wearing black garments, we wear colored garments in order to lift our spirits. Our sages base this on Isaiah 58,13 וכבדתו מעשות דרכיך, a references to garments which lend the wearer distinction in the eyes of others. Rabbi Yochanan, in Shabbat 30, used to refer to his clothing as מכבדי, “that which bestows honor upon me.” Thank the good Lord for having given us enough common sense through study of His commandments, thus saving us from falling victim to such foolish philosophies as those espoused in the book of Galinus. This same Torah has warned us not to pay heed to the constellations in the skies when it wrote (Deut. 4,19) “lest you raise your eyes towards the sky and behold the sun and the moon.” He has, instead, given us the heritage of His commandments, observance of which will result in our accumulating a great reward. (5) וחובר חבר, “or an animal charmer.” According to Ibn Ezra this is someone who assembles demons and unites them, i.e. charms them; alternatively, it may be a snake-charmer, i.e. someone who can attract all these animals to one single location [pied piper of hamelin. Ed.] (compare Sifri Shoftim 172).
ושואל אוב, “one who inquires of Ov.” a type of sorcerer reputedly able to establish contact with the dead and have them manifest themselves on earth. The dead appears to speak out of the armpit of such a person (Kimchi on Samuel I 28,25). There are many differing opinions regarding the authenticity of necro-mancers. Some hold that the story described in Samuel where King Shaul spoke to a manifestation of the dead prophet did not take place, that it is quite impossible to resurrect the dead in such a fashion and that the woman in question recognised King Shaul immediately and put on an elaborate charade. She did not want to let on, and that is why she said to Shaul: “why did you try to trick me seeing that in reality you are King Shaul?” She demonstrated by her remark that when she had “conjured up” the image of the long deceased Samuel she had done so merely by employing her wisdom and knowledge of psychology.
It is the manner of every woman practicing this art to hide a live human being who will speak solemnly and with a low voice from his hiding place as described by Isaiah 29,4: “and you shall speak from below the ground, your speech shall be humbler than the sod, your speech shall sound like a ghost’s from the ground.” The woman in the story in Samuel had hidden someone and told Shaul that the speaker was Samuel. When she made that hidden person say: “because you did not execute G’d’s wrath against Amalek,” this was something which was common knowledge and did not prove that Samuel was the speaker. When the Book of Samuel reports Shaul as “speaking to Samuel,“ this only describes that Shaul thought that he was speaking to Samuel. [Actually the Book of Samuel does not even quote Shaul as addressing Samuel at all in these words.] When the woman told Shaul that: “tomorrow your sons and you will be with me,” (i.e. dead) this was all part of her psychology; she had previously instructed the person whom she hid to make this statement as she was well aware that the battle was going badly, and she knew that Shaul was being punished on account of his failure to heed the instructions in his war against Amalek. She considered it likely that he would fall into the hands of the Philistines as an act of retribution. (6) Others quoted by Rashi believe that the encounter described in the Book of Samuel between King Shaul and the spirit of Samuel was real and that Samuel indeed told Shaul all that is reported there in the text. Our sages in Chagigah 4 agree with the latter opinion. The problem with that interpretation is that if indeed Samuel really appeared to Shaul, how is it that a woman such as this necromancer was able to resurrect the dead by using the “science” called here שואל אוב?
The opinion of both Rav Hai Gaon and Rav Saadyah Gaon is that the woman claiming to be a necromancer most certainly did not resurrect Samuel, but that G’d did so. They write as follows according to Kimchi on our verses (end of commentary on verse 25) in the Book of Samuel. This is what the gaonim are reported as having said: it is quite far-fetched to assume that the woman knew the future nor that she knew how to resurrect the dead using methods attributed to necromancers. G’d revived Samuel in order for him to tell Shaul what would happen to him. The woman knew nothing of this at all. This is why she became so frightened and exclaimed: with a loud voice (verse 12-13) “why did you trick me when in fact you are Shaul?!”...she then said: “I have seen “elohim” rise from the earth.” The fact that she had asked in verse 11 “whom shall I raise for you?” was a figure of speech used by necromancers all the time and did not mean that they had the actual power to do so. So far the quote of Rabbi Saadyah Gaon in the commentary by Kimchi. (7) The text appears to agree with both the opinions expressed in Chagigah and those expressed by these gaonim as well as by what our intelligence dictates, i.e. that Samuel was alive while he spoke to Shaul and that the woman had not brought him to life, seeing that it is not within the power of any ordinary human being to perform such an act. Only G’d Himself, or a prophet especially granted such a power can do this. Rabbi Avraham Ibn Ezra also agrees with this view. (8) There is still another view held by a few of the scholars of the Talmud according to which necromancers are indeed able to bring back the dead during the first 12 months after they had died [or at least they know at what time the souls return to those bodies]. We find the following story in Shabbat 152: A certain heretic said to Rabbi Avuhu: “seeing that you people claim that the souls of the righteous are stored beneath the throne of the Lord, how could Samuel appear to Shaul as described in the Book of Samuel? Rabbi Avuhu answered this heretic that what is described in the Book of Samuel took place within less than 12 months after Samuel’s death, and we have a Baraitha according to which the soul of the departed commutes to the body of the righteous departed during the first 12 months after it had left that body. After that time the body disintegrates so that there is nothing for the soul to return to.”
You should know that the commuting of the soul described in the Baraitha does not depend on the state of preservation of the body. Even if the body has completely rotted away during the first three days after death, the soul still does the commuting described in the Baraitha. By the same token, if the body has been embalmed and therefore remains intact way beyond the 12 months described in the Baraitha, the soul still ceases commuting to it. The meaning of the words in the Baraitha “its body remains intact,” is simply “the body that the soul was used to inhabit.” It had been its container. This affinity comes to an end after 12 months. (9) וידעוני, this refers to the skill of introducing the bone of an animal called ידוע into one’s mouth and making it appear as if it could talk independently, using some means of witchcraft to do so (Sanhedrin 65). This animal is also known as בני השדה and is referred to as such in Job 5,23: “for you will have a pact with the rocks in the field and the beasts of the field will be your allies.” The letter א in the words אבני השדה in that verse is superfluous, leading to this interpretation, i.e. that the true reading ought to have been בני השדה.
ודורש אל המתים, this refers to people who lift the skull of the dead when consulting them as if they were oracles (compare Sanhedrin 65).
When the Torah forbade the joining of linen and wool and the wearing of such products by Jews (except the fringes with the blue wool thread in a four-cornered garment) this is a small hint that there are elements which Torah law wants to keep apart (compare Nachmanides on Leviticus 19,19). The Talmud Sanhedrin 67 explains that the reason these people are מכשפים and the products of their activities are called כשפים is that they deny the פמליא של מעלה, the existence and effectiveness of celestial forces. A denial of such forces consists of combining elements in our terrestrial world which were clearly meant not to be joined together. The orbit of the various celestial spheres and their failure to collide are proof of things existing in the universe which are meant to remain apart. It is appropriate for human beings to allow the world to function as it was meant to function as this clearly reflects the will of the Creator. Interference with G’d’s blueprint for the functioning of the universe is an act of heresy and insurrection (compare Nachmanides on Deut. 18,9). (3) Rabbeinu Chananel in his commentary on that folio in Sanhedrin explains the matter of מכשפים differently. He claims that such sorcerers cannot perform any supernatural feats unless G’d specifically wants them to succeed. He bases his view on a reply given by Rabbi Chaninah to a woman who was trying to extract soil from beneath the feet of that Rabbi in order to perform acts of sorcery. Rabbi Chaninah told her that in the event she would enjoy help from G’d in her efforts and succeed he would still not be concerned as there is no one beside the Lord (Deut. 4 4,35). Rabbi Yochanan questioned this saying that the reason these sorcerers are called מכשפים is because they deny the power of celestial forces. In that case, Rabbi Chaninah did have something to be concerned about! The answer given by the Talmud is that Rabbi Chaninah had so many merits that he personally did not have what to worry about. Concerning the above, Rabbeinu Chananel writes that although the Talmud gave such an answer it is not to be taken seriously. (4) If you were to ask that assuming, as Rabbi Chaninah said, these activities of the sorcerers can succeed only if especially approved by G’d, why does the Torah bother to outlaw these activities and to make their practitioners subject to the death penalty? The answer is simply that by doing so, or even attempting to do what they have in mind they commit an act of rebellion against G’d and the rules He has established for His universe. Consider simply this: if an act of rebellion against a mortal king of flesh and blood is punishable by death, surely an act of rebellion against the King of Kings must carry the death penalty! Thus far Rabbeinu Chananel.
Seeing that during their long stay in Egypt the Israelites had been constantly exposed to acts of sorcery and it was likely that some of them at least would have a tendency to credit these sorcerers with knowledge of matters of substance, the Torah had to come out explicitly forbidding such practices and legislating the death penalty for people ignoring the Torah’s prohibition. In order to show us how seriously the Torah views these activities the Torah was not satisfied with the usual command to execute such practitioners of sorcery but it wrote: “you must not allow a sorceress to remain alive!” In other words, inactivity, not bringing such a sorceress to justice, is an additional sin committed by anyone who is aware of such people practicing their nefarious art. The only other place where the Torah uses such strong language is in connection with the seven nations occupying what was to be the land of Israel. There too the Torah writes: לא תחיה כל נשמה, “you must not allow a single soul to remain alive” (Deut. 20,16).
The reason the Torah writes not to let a sorceress live instead of writing “do not let a sorcerer live,” is that most of the people practicing this art are women. Certain activities such as those attributed to אוב are carried out exclusively by women. This is what the Torah writes (Leviticus 20,27) “and any man or woman in whom there shall be the sorcery of Ov or of Yidoni shall be put to death, etc.” [Apparently a man cannot perform these tricks unless he is assisted by a woman. Ed.] According to information available to us from books dealing with such practices a woman is required to stand over (in) the grave of the dead person above his head whereas her male partner takes up his position at the feet of the deceased. A youth must stand in the middle; the lad holds a kind of rattle with which he makes rattling sounds. In previous ages this appears to have been a widespread practice. The rattles (church bells) which are common in the Kingdom of Edom (Roman Empire) and which are pealed in their towers (cathedrals) appear to have their origin in that practice.
(ג) וַהֲלֹא הַמְעוֹנְנִים וְהַקּוֹסְמִים אוֹמְרִים מַה שֶּׁעָתִיד לִהְיוֹת. וּמַה הֶפְרֵשׁ יֵשׁ בֵּין הַנָּבִיא וּבֵינָם. אֶלָּא שֶׁהַמְעוֹנְנִים וְהַקּוֹסְמִים וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶן מִקְצָת דִּבְרֵיהֶם מִתְקַיְּמִין וּמִקְצָתָן אֵין מִתְקַיְּמִין. כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה מז יג) "יַעַמְדוּ נָא וְיוֹשִׁיעֻךְ הֹבְרֵי שָׁמַיִם הַחֹזִים בַּכּוֹכָבִים מוֹדִעִים לֶחֳדָשִׁים מֵאֲשֶׁר יָבֹאוּ עָלָיִךְ". מֵאֲשֶׁר וְלֹא כָּל אֲשֶׁר. וְאֶפְשָׁר שֶׁלֹּא יִתְקַיֵּם מִדִּבְרֵיהֶם כְּלוּם אֶלָּא יִטְעוּ בַּכּל כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ישעיה מד כה) "מֵפֵר אֹתוֹת בַּדִּים וְקֹסְמִים יְהוֹלֵל". אֲבָל הַנָּבִיא כָּל דְּבָרָיו קַיָּמִין שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (מלכים ב י י) "כִּי לֹא יִפּל מִדְּבַר ה' אַרְצָה". וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (ירמיה כג כח) "הַנָּבִיא אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ חֲלוֹם יְסַפֵּר חֲלוֹם וַאֲשֶׁר דְּבָרִי אִתּוֹ יְדַבֵּר דִּבְרֵי אֱמֶת מַה לַּתֶּבֶן אֶת הַבָּר נְאֻם ה'". כְּלוֹמַר שֶׁדִּבְרֵי הַקּוֹסְמִים וְהַחֲלוֹמוֹת כְּתֶבֶן שֶׁנִּתְעָרֵב בּוֹ מְעַט בַּר וּדְבַר ה' כְּבַר שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ תֶּבֶן כְּלָל. וּבַדָּבָר הַזֶּה הַכָּתוּב הִבְטִיחַ וְאָמַר שֶׁאוֹתָן הַדְּבָרִים שֶׁמּוֹדִיעִין הַמְעוֹנְנִים וְהַקּוֹסְמִים לָאֻמּוֹת וּמְכַזְּבִין הַנָּבִיא יוֹדִיעַ לָכֶם דִּבְרֵי אֱמֶת וְאֵין אַתֶּם צְרִיכִין לִמְעוֹנֵן וְקוֹסֵם וְכַיּוֹצֵא בּוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים יח י) "לֹא יִמָּצֵא בְךָ מַעֲבִיר בְּנוֹ וּבִתּוֹ בָּאֵשׁ" וְגוֹ' (דברים יח יד) "כִּי הַגּוֹיִם הָאֵלֶּה" וְגוֹ'. וְאָמַר (דברים יח טו) "נָבִיא מִקִּרְבְּךָ מֵאַחֶיךָ" וְגוֹ'. הָא לָמַדְתָּ שֶׁאֵין הַנָּבִיא עוֹמֵד לָנוּ אֶלָּא לְהוֹדִיעֵנוּ דְּבָרִים הָעֲתִידִים לִהְיוֹת בָּעוֹלָם מִשֹּׂבַע וְרָעָב מִלְחָמָה וְשָׁלוֹם וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶן. וַאֲפִלּוּ צָרְכֵי יָחִיד מוֹדִיעַ לוֹ. כְּשָׁאוּל שֶׁאָבְדָה לוֹ אֲבֵדָה וְהָלַךְ לַנָּבִיא לְהוֹדִיעוֹ מְקוֹמָהּ. וְכַיּוֹצֵא בְּאֵלּוּ הַדְּבָרִים הוּא שֶׁיֹּאמַר הַנָּבִיא לֹא שֶׁיַּעֲשֶׂה דָּת אַחֶרֶת אוֹ יוֹסִיף מִצְוָה אוֹ יִגְרַע:
(3) Are not the necromancers and astrologists foretelling what is to come to pass, what, then, is the difference between a prophet and such as they? Forsooth, necromancers, astrologists and their like, some of their words are established and some of their words are not established, as the subject is spoken of: "Let now the astrologers, the stargazers, the monthly prognosticators, stand up, and save thee from some of the things that shall come upon thee" (Is. 47.13); —of some of the things are spoken, but not of all of the things, because they are not capable to foretell all of the things. Moreover, it is possible, too, that none of their words be established, for they may entirely be misled, as the subject is spoken of: "That frustrateth the tokens of the imposters, and maketh diviners mad" (Ibid. 44.25). But as for the prophet, all of his words are established, as it is said: "Know now that there shall fall unto the earth nothing of the word of the Lord" (II Kings 10.10); again it is said: "the prophet that hath a dream, let him tell a dream; and he that hath My word, let him speak My word faithfully, What hath the straw to do with the wheat? saith the Lord" (Jer. 23.28), meaning that the words of astrologers and dreamers are likened to straw wherein there was mixed a few grains of wheat, but the word of the Lord is like unto wheat wherein there is no straw at all. Herein the Verse gave assurance saying, that as for the things that the necromancers and astrologers foretell falsely to the nations, the prophet will inform you in true words, and you have no need for necromancer, or astrologer, or his like, as it is said: "There shall not be found among you anyone that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, one that useth divination, a soothsayer, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer, or a charmer, or one that consulteth a ghost, or a familiar spirit, or a necromancer . . For these nations, that thou art to dispossess, hearken unto sooth-sayers, and unto diviners" (Deut. 18. 10. 11. 14); and it is then said: "A prophet will the Lord thy God raise up unto thee" (Ibid. 15). Herefrom you learn that the presence of a prophet among us is for no other purpose save that of foretelling things that are to come to pass in the world such as plenty, famine, war, peace and like matters. For, even of private matters he is informed. For instance, Saul when he sustained a loss he went to a prophet to inquire for its whereabouts.1I Samuel, 9.1-9. G. Similar matters to these the prophet may tell, not to create another religion, or add a commandment, or diminish.
(יג) נוֹהֲגִין לֵילֵךְ בְּעֶרֶב רֹאשׁ הַשָּׁנָה אַחַר תְּפִלַּת שַׁחֲרִית לְבֵית הַקְּבָרוֹת לְהִשְׁתַּטֵּחַ עַל קִבְרֵי הַצַּדִּיקִים, וְנוֹתְנִים שָׁם צְדָקָה לַעֲנִיִּים, וּמַרְבִּים תַּחֲנוּנִים לְעוֹרֵר אֶת הַצַּדִּיקִים הַקְּדוֹשִׁים אֲשֶׁר בָּאָרֶץ הֵמָּה, שֶׁיַּמְלִיצוּ טוֹב בַּעֲדֵנוּ בְּיוֹם הַדִּין. וְגַם מֵחֲמַת שֶׁהוּא מְקוֹם קְבוּרַת הַצַּדִּיקִים, הַמָּקוֹם הוּא קָדוֹשׁ וְטָהוֹר, וְהַתְּפִלָּה מְקֻבֶּלֶת שָׁם בְּיוֹתֵר, בִּהְיוֹתָהּ עַל אַדְמַת קֹדֶשׁ, וְיַעֲשֶׂה הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא חֶסֶד בִּזְכוּת הַצַּדִּיקִים. אֲבָל אַל יָשִׂים מֲגָמָתוֹ נֶגֶד הַמֵּתִים הַשּׁוֹכְנִים שָׁם, כִּי קָרוֹב הַדָּבָר שֶׁיִּהְיֶה בִּכְלָל וְדוֹרֵשׁ אֶל הַמֵּתִים. אַךְ יְבַקֵּשׁ מֵהַשֵּׁם, יִתְבָּרַךְ שְׁמוֹ, שֶׁיְרַחֵם עָלָיו בִּזְכוּת הַצַּדִּיקִים שׁוֹכְנֵי עָפָר (תקפא). כְּשֶׁבָּא אֶל בֵּית הַקְּבָרוֹת, אִם לֹא רָאָה אֶת הַקְּבָרִים שְׁלֹשִׁים יוֹם, צָרִיךְ לְבָרֵךְ, אֲשֶׁר יָצַר אֶתְכֶם בַּדִּין וְכוּ' (לְעֵיל סִימָן ס סָעִיף יא). כְּשֶׁבָּא אֶל הַקֶּבֶר, יֵשׁ לוֹ לוֹמַר, יְהִי רָצוֹן שֶׁתְּהֵא מְנוּחָתוֹ שֶׁל (פְּלוֹנִי) הַקָּבוּר פֹּה בְּכָבוֹד, וּזְכוּתוֹ יַעֲמֹד לִי. כְּשֶׁמֵּשִׂים יָדוֹ עַל הַקֶּבֶר, יֵשׁ לָשׂוּם יַד שְׂמֹאלוֹ דַּוְקָא וְלֹא יְמִינוֹ, וְיֹאמַר אֶת הַפָּסוּק, וְנָחֲךָ ה' תָּמִיד וְהִשְׂבִּיעַ בְּצַחְצָחוֹת נַפְשֶׁךָ וְעַצְמוֹתֶיךָ יַחְלִיץ וְהָיִיתָ כְּגַן רָוֶה וּכְמוֹצָא מַיִם אֲשֶׁר לֹא יְכַזְּבוּ מֵימָיו. תִּשְׁכַּב בְּשָׁלוֹם, וְתִישַׁן בְּשָׁלוֹם, עַד בּוֹא מְנַחֵם מַשְׁמִיעַ שָׁלוֹם. (וּכְשֶׁשָֹם יָדוֹ, יְכַוֵּן בַּפָּסוּק וְנָחֲךָ, שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ ט"ו תֵּבוֹת כְּמִנְיַן קִשְׁרֵי הַיָּד) (ברכי יוסף סִימָן רכד). אֵין לֵילֵךְ עַל קֶבֶר אֶחָד שְׁתֵּי פְּעָמִים בְּיוֹם אֶחָד. הַקּוֹרֵא כְּתָב שֶׁעַל גַּבֵּי הַמֵּצֵּבָה, אִם הוּא כְּתָב בּוֹלֵט, קָשֶׁה לְשִׁכְחָה. וּסְגֻלָּה לוֹמַר, אַהֲבָה רַבָּה עַד וּלְיַחֶדְךָ בְּאַהֲבָה (רכד).
(13) It is customary to go to the cemetery erev Rosh Hashanah after the Shacharis prayers and bow prayerfully at the graves of tzaddikim [righteous men]. Charity should be given to the poor, and many fervent supplications offered to arouse the saintly tzaddikim, in their eternal resting place to intercede for us on the Day of Judgement. An additional reason for going to the cemetery is that the place where tzaddikim are buried is sacred and pure, and prayers are more readily accepted when they are offered on sacred ground, and the Holy One, blessed is He, will show us kindness for the sake of the tzaddikim. But it should not be your intention to appeal to the dead who rest there, for that would be tantamount to "Inquiring of the dead," (Deuteronomy 18:11), which is forbidden, but you should ask of Hashem, blessed is His name, to have mercy on you for the sake of the tzaddikim who rest in the dust. When you arrive at the cemetery, if you have not seen graves within the past thirty days, you must say the berachah: Asher yatzar eschem badin [Who has formed you in judgement etc.] (see Chapter 60:11. above) When you approach the grave, you should say, "May it be Your will, that the repose of [so-and-so] who is buried here, be in peace, and may his merit aid me." When placing your hand on the grave, the left hand only should be placed, —not the right hand. You should recite the verse, "Hashem will always guide you, and satisfy your soul with splendor, and make your bones strong, you will be like a watered garden and like a spring of water whose water will not fail." (Isaiah 58:11) "May you lie in peace, and may you sleep in peace until Menachem (the Comforter, Moshiach) comes, announcing peace." (When placing your hand [on the grave] you should have in mind the verse, "Hashem will always guide you," which contains fifteen words the same as the number of joints in the hands.) You should not visit the same grave twice on the same day. Reading the inscription on a headstone, if it is protruding, causes forgetfulness. A remedy for that is to say the prayer Ahavah rabbah (With abundant love) up to uleyachedcha be'ahavah [and to proclaim Your Oneness with love].
(טז) וּדְבָרִים הָאֵלּוּ כֻּלָּן דִּבְרֵי שֶׁקֶר וְכָזָב הֵן וְהֵם שֶׁהִטְעוּ בָּהֶן עוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים הַקַּדְמוֹנִים לְגוֹיֵי הָאֲרָצוֹת כְּדֵי שֶׁיִּנְהֲגוּ אַחֲרֵיהֶן. וְאֵין רָאוּי לְיִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁהֵם חֲכָמִים מְחֻכָּמִים לְהִמָּשֵׁךְ בַּהֲבָלִים אֵלּוּ וְלֹא לְהַעֲלוֹת עַל לֵב שֶׁיֵּשׁ תּוֹעֶלֶת בָּהֶן. שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (במדבר כג כג) "כִּי לֹא נַחַשׁ בְּיַעֲקֹב וְלֹא קֶסֶם בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל". וְנֶאֱמַר (דברים יח יד) "כִּי הַגּוֹיִם הָאֵלֶּה אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה יוֹרֵשׁ אוֹתָם אֶל מְעֹנְנִים וְאֶל קֹסְמִים יִשְׁמָעוּ וְאַתָּה לֹא כֵן" וְגוֹ'. כָּל הַמַּאֲמִין בִּדְבָרִים הָאֵלּוּ וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהֶן וּמְחַשֵּׁב בְּלִבּוֹ שֶׁהֵן אֱמֶת וּדְבַר חָכְמָה אֲבָל הַתּוֹרָה אֲסָרָתַן אֵינָן אֶלָּא מִן הַסְּכָלִים וּמְחֻסְּרֵי הַדַּעַת וּבִכְלַל הַנָּשִׁים וְהַקְּטַנִּים שֶׁאֵין דַּעְתָּן שְׁלֵמָה. אֲבָל בַּעֲלֵי הַחָכְמָה וּתְמִימֵי הַדַּעַת יֵדְעוּ בִּרְאָיוֹת בְּרוּרוֹת שֶׁכָּל אֵלּוּ הַדְּבָרִים שֶׁאָסְרָה תּוֹרָה אֵינָם דִּבְרֵי חָכְמָה אֶלָּא תֹּהוּ וְהֶבֶל שֶׁנִּמְשְׁכוּ בָּהֶן חַסְרֵי הַדַּעַת וְנָטְשׁוּ כָּל דַּרְכֵי הָאֱמֶת בִּגְלָלָן. וּמִפְּנֵי זֶה אָמְרָה תּוֹרָה כְּשֶׁהִזְהִירָה עַל כָּל אֵלּוּ הַהֲבָלִים (דברים יח יג) "תָּמִים תִּהְיֶה עִם ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ":
(16) All of these things are false and spurious, and it was with such that the ancient idolaters misled the peoples of many lands so that they be following them. And it is unbecoming to Israel who are exceedingly wise to be attracted by these absurdities, nor to even imagine that they are of any consequence, even as it is said: "For there is no enchantment with Jacob, neither is there any divination with Israel" (Num. 23.23); and it is again said: "For these nations that thou art to dispossess, hearken unto soothsayers and unto diviners, but as for thee the Lord thy God hath not suffered thee so to do" (Deut. 18.14). Whosoever believes in these matters, and their like, and suppose that there is wisdom and truth in in them, save that the Torah disallowed them, such are none other save from among the foolish and ignorant and are to be included among women and children whose mind is not sound. But wise and sound-minded people know that all these matters which the Torah disallowed are not matters of wisdom but formless nonsense followed by senseless people for the sake of which they abandoned every path of truth. Even because thereof the Torah, in admonishing against all these vanities, commanded, saying: "Perfect shalt thou be with the Lord thy God" (Ibid. 18.13).19Shabbat, 67. G.
(א) עגל מרבק. עגל מפוט' והמקום שמפטמין אותו שם יקרא מרבק וכן ת"י עגל פטים ודומה לו בדברי רבותינו ז"ל הכניסה לרבקה ודשה: (ב) ותפהו מצות. האל"ף נעלמת מהמכתב ואמר זה להודיע כי מיהרה לאפייתו ולא המתינה לו עד שיחמץ להאכילו מהרה לפי שראתה אותו נבהל מאד ואני רואה לפרש הנה מעשה האוב לפי מה שנמצא כתוב אמרו רז"ל בעל אוב זה המדבר מבין הפרקים ומבין אצילי ידיו ידעוני זה המניח עצם חיה ששמה ידוע בפיו ומדברים דברים העתידים ופירוש מבין הפרקים שמשמיע קול נמוך מבין פרקי איבריו ומתחת שחיו על ידי מעשים שעושה שמקיש בזרועותיו וי"א אף מקטיר קטרת לשד והשד הוא העונה והמדבר ואמרו עוד בעל אוב אחד המעלה בזכורו ואחד הנשאל בגלגלת ופי' המעלה בזכורו שמדמה שמעלה המת ומדבר ומשמיע קול מתחת הארץ מעל פי הקבר כדרך ששמע שאול קולו של שמואל והקול נמוך מאד כמו שכתוב והיה כאוב מארץ קולך, הנשאל בגלגלת גם הוא יקרא אוב ופירושו שיש עמו גלגלת של אבן שוהם או של זכוכית זכה ועושה מעשים עד שידמה שיוצא קול נמוך מאד וידמה לו באותו הקול שואל ומשיב כן פירשו רז"ל, והרב החכם הגדול רמב"ם ז"ל פירש במעשה אוב בהקשת זרועותיו שאמר שאוחז שרביט של הדס בידו ומניפו והוא מדבר בלאט בדברים ידועים אצלם אחרי אשר הקטיר קטורת ידוע אצלם עד שישמע השואל כאילו אחד מדבר עמו ומשיבו על מה שהוא שואל בדברים מתחת לארץ בקול נמוך מאד וכאילו אינו נכר באוזן אלא במחשבה מרגיש בו ופי' מעשה גלגלת שלוקח גלגלת המת ומקטיר לה קטרת ומנחש בה עד שישמע כאלו קול יוצא מתחת שחיו שפל עד מאד ומשיבו ועוד אמרו רז"ל שלשה דברים נאמרו במעלה זכורו המעלה רואהו ואינו שומעו ומי שצריך לו שומעו ואינו רואהו מי שאינו צריך לו לא שומעו ולא רואהו כך שמואל אשה שהעלתו ראתהו ולא שמעתהו שאול שהיה צריך לו שמעו ולא ראהו ואבנר ועמשא שלא נצטרכו לו לא שמעוהו ולא ראוהו וראינו מחלוקת בין הגאונים בדבר הזה וכלם נשתוו כי מעשה האוב הבל ותוהו ודברי כזב והתול אבל יש מהם אומרים כי לא דבר שמואל עם שאול וחס ושלום לא עלה שמואל מקברו ולא דבר אבל האשה עשתה הכל ברמאות כי מיד הכירה כי שאול הוא אך להראות לו כי מצד החכמה הכירה ומצאה דבר זה אמרה למה רמיתני ואתה שאול ודרך בעלת אוב להביא בן אדם שמדבר מתוך מחבואו בלשון נמוך וכאשר בא שאול לדרוש מאתה וראתה אותו נבהל וידעה כי למחר יהיה יוצא למלחמה וכל ישראל היו בפחד גדול וידעה מה שעשה שאול שהרג כהני ה' שמה בפי המגיד הדברים הנאמרים בפרשה ומה שאמר ויאמר שמואל אל שאול על מחשבת שאול כי היה חושב כי שמואל היה המדבר אליו ומה שאמר ולא עשית חרון אפו בעמלק ידוע היה דבר זה כי מאותה שעה אמר לו שמואל וימאסך מהיות מלך ומה שאמר לרעך לדוד ידוע היה זה בכל ישראל כי דוד נמשח למלך ומה שאמר מחר אתה ובניך עמי מדרך סברא אמר זה, זהו פי' רב שמואל בן חפני הגאון ז"ל ואמר אף על פי שמשמעות דברי החכמים ז"ל בגמרא כי אמת היה שהחיתה האשה את שמואל לא יקובלו הדברים במקום שיש מכחישים להם מן השכל אבל רב סעדיה ורב האיי הגאונים ז"ל אמרו אמת הוא כי רחוק היא שתדע האשה העתידות וכן שתחיה היא את המת בחכמת האוב אך הבורא יתברך החיה את שמואל כדי לספר לשאול את כל הקורות העתידות לבא עליו והיא האשה אשר לא ידעה בכל אלה נבהלה כמו שנאמר ותזעק בקול גדול ואשר אמרה האשה את מי אעלה לך דברי התולים הם כי דעתה היה לעשות כמנהגה, אלה דבריהם, ויש לתמוה לדברי הגאונים האלה אם הקב"ה החיה את שמואל כדי לספר לשאול הקורות הבאות עליו למה לא אמר לו על ידי חלומות או על ידי אורים או על ידי הנביאים אלא על ידי אשה בעלת אוב ועוד איך היה נעלם משאול שהיה חכם ומלך אשר היו עמו כמה חכמים גדולים אם ענין אוב נעשה על ידי אדם מדבר מתוך מחבואו ומי יאמר שיטעה הוא בזה ואין זה הדעת מקבלו והנכון הוא מה שפירשנו:
The act of necromancy is nonsense, lies, and ridiculous…the story of Samuel and Saul never, G-d forbid, was real, and Samuel never rose from his grave. The woman did it all through trickery…" This is the commentary of the gaon Rav Shmuel the son of Chofni (d. 1013), and he said this even though it can be implied from the words of the sages OBM in the Gemara that the woman truly did revive Samuel. He did not accept what was written there, for there are those who use reason to deny it.
(יא) הַמְכַשֵּׁף הָעוֹשֶׂה מַעֲשֶׂה חַיָּב, וְלֹא הָאוֹחֵז אֶת הָעֵינָיִם. רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, שְׁנַיִם לוֹקְטִין קִשּׁוּאִין, אֶחָד לוֹקֵט פָּטוּר וְאֶחָד לוֹקֵט חַיָּב, הָעוֹשֶׂה מַעֲשֶׂה חַיָּב, הָאוֹחֵז אֶת הָעֵינַיִם פָּטוּר:
(11) A sorcerer, if he actually performs magic, is liable [to death], but not if he merely creates illusions. Rabbi Akiva says in Rabbi Joshua's name: “If two are gathering cucumbers [by magic] one may be punished and the other exempt: he who really gathers them is punished: while he who produces an illusion is exempt.”