Pisqa’ 171160H:199-200; JN2:45-48. 1. “There shall not be found among you” (Dt.18:10)— so caution the court to be vigilant about it!161//Sifra, ‘akharei mot, per. 13:22.
“Anyone who passes his son or daughter through fire” (Dt.18:10). I might infer that [this prohibition] is limited to his sons or daughters. How do I know that [the prohibition] includes his sons’ sons or daughters’ sons? The Teaching states elsewhere: “None of his descendants shall be given to pass through Molekh” (Lv.18:21)162//Sifra, qedoshim, par. 10:6.
2. Yet I still wonder: here [the verse states] fire (Dt.18:10), but there [it states] Molekh (Lv.18:21). How can I apply what is said here [about fire] to the context there [which speaks of Molekh]? And how can I apply what is said there [about Molekh] to the context here which speaks of fire? [The repeated terms,] pass through (Dt.18:10) and pass through (Lv.18:21), permit the following analogical inference: Just as pass through mentioned here (Dt.18:10) specifies fire, so, too, pass through mentioned there (Lv.18:21) specifies fire. And just as pass through mentioned there specifies Molekh (Lv.18:21), so, too, pass through mentioned here specifies Molekh (Dt.18:10). It turns out that you can say: [The proscription applies] only when one hands over and passes [the child first] through fire and [afterward] through Molekh. Indeed—[the proscription] depends upon both verses. Had they not been stated [in complementary terms], we’d have heard no proscription.163Cf. M.San.7:7, T.San.10:4.
3. “An augur of auguries”164qosem qesamim. The procedure of “augury” is explained immediately below.(Dt.18:10)— all the same is one who augers many auguries and the augur of a few— he is held liable for each and every augury.
What, precisely, is an augur? This is the type who grabs his staff and inquires: shall I depart or not depart?165Cf. T.Shab.7:4, in which this practice is labeled “Amorite custom”. And in this vein, a verse says: “My people consults its stick, and its staff directs it!” (Hos.4:12)
4. Another word : [he infers the portent of] a fox that passes on his right or his left. Another word: “Any one who passes his son or daughter through fire” (Dt.18:10)— this refers to one who sexually mounts an Aramean166That is, a gentile. woman, and then raises with her a son, who becomes an enemy of the All-Present. We have heard the punishment [for this], but we haven’t heard the warning [against it]! The Teaching states: “There shall not be found among you anyone who passes his son or daughter through fire” (Dt.18:10)— [this is certainly sufficient warning]! R. Judah says: This refers to one who passes his son or daughter through [the rite of] a foreign cult, and cuts167Heb: koret; in this context, “cutting” means to “seal a pact.” a covenant with it. As it is said: “Like the calf which they cut in two168Jeremiah’s reference is to the description of “the covenant between the parts” at Gn.15:9-19. and then passed between the parts” (Jer.34:18). 169F:218, ls. 10-13 regards 161.4 as a marginal insertion.
5. “An oracle”170Heb: me`onen.(Dt.18:10)— R. Ishmael says: This one passes his hand over his eye171Heb: `ayin; root, `-y-n. Another possible derivation is the root: `-n-n, “cloud” (BDB, p. 778) before responding.172Cf. Sifra, qedoshim, per. 6:2, T. Shab. 7:14.
R. Akiva says: These declare auspicious times [for commerce]. For example, they might say: I sense that before the Sabbatical year the wheat harvest will be exceptional, but [trade in] uprooted beans will be bad. And sages say: These deceive the eyes173Heb: `aynayim. A second word-play based upon the root, `-y-n. [through apparitions].174// T. Shab. 7:14.
6. “Or an omen-whisperer”175Heb: minakhesh; “to hiss.” See nakhash (“snake”) below.(Dt.18:10). What, precisely, is an “omen-whisperer”?176Cf. Sifra, qedoshim, per. 6:2. For example, one of them might say: my bread has fallen from my mouth [and it’s not a good omen]! Or: my staff has fallen from my hand! Or: a snake (nakhash) is passing to my right, or a fox to my left, or a deer is blocking my way!
Or: don’t start with me—it’s too early in the morning! Or, it’s the New Moon today! Or, the Sabbath is over.177Cf. T.Shab.7:13 and Lieberman’s comments, TK 3:96ff.
7. “Or a sorcerer” (mechashef; Dt.18;10). This is one who tricks, but not by deceiving the eyes [through apparitions]. R. Akiva says in the name of R. Joshua: Two [sorcerers] are gathering squash— one gathers [the entire field] and is exempt [from suspicion of using sorcery,] while the other gathers [the entire field] and is liable. [Now why is this so?] The one actually performing the trick is liable, but the one who only deceives the eyes is exempt!178=M. San. 7:11.
(דברים יח י) לֹא יִמָּצֵא בְךָ, לְהַזְהִיר בֵּית דִּין עַל כָּךְ.
Pisqa’ 171160H:199-200; JN2:45-48.
1. “There shall not be found among you” (Dt.18:10)—
so caution the court to be vigilant about it!161//Sifra, ‘akharei mot, per. 13:22.
מַעֲבִיר בְּנוֹ וּבִתּוֹ בָּאֵשׁ, אֵין לִי אֶלָּא בְּנוֹ וּבִתּוֹ; בֶּן בְּנוֹ וּבֶן בִּתּוֹ מִנַּיִן? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (ויקרא כ ד): ״בְּתִתּוֹ מִזַּרְעוֹ לַמֹּלֶךְ״
“Anyone who passes his son or daughter through fire” (Dt.18:10).
I might infer that
[this prohibition] is limited to his sons or daughters.
How do I know that
[the prohibition] includes his sons’ sons or daughters’ sons?
The Teaching states elsewhere:
“None of his descendants shall be given to pass through Molekh” (Lv.18:21)162//Sifra, qedoshim, par. 10:6.
עֲדַיִן אֲנִי אוֹמֵר: כָּאן בָּאֵשׁ וּלְהַלָּן לַמֹּלֶךְ; מִנַּיִן לִתֵּן אֶת הָאָמוּר כָּאן לְהַלָּן וְאֶת הָאָמוּר לְהַלָּן כָּאן? נֶאֱמַר הַעֲבָרָה הַעֲבָרָה לִגְזֵרָה שָׁוָה: מָה הַעֲבָרָה הָאֲמוּרָה כָּאן בָּאֵשׁ – אַף הַעֲבָרָה הָאֲמוּרָה לְהַלָּן בָּאֵשׁ, וּמָה הַעֲבָרָה הָאֲמוּרָה לְהַלָּן מוֹלֶךְ – אַף הַעֲבָרָה הָאֲמוּרָה כָּאן מוֹלֶךְ. נִמְצֵאתָ אוֹמֵר: עַד שֶׁיִּמְסוֹר וְיַעֲבִיר בָּאֵשׁ וּבְמוֹלֶךְ, הָא עַד שֶׁיֹּאמְרוּ שְׁנֵי כְתוּבִים, וְאִם לָאו – לֹא שָׁמַעְנוּ.
2. Yet I still wonder:
here [the verse states] fire (Dt.18:10),
but there [it states] Molekh (Lv.18:21).
How can I apply what is said here [about fire]
to the context there [which speaks of Molekh]?
And how can I apply what is said there [about Molekh]
to the context here which speaks of fire?
[The repeated terms,]
pass through (Dt.18:10) and pass through (Lv.18:21),
permit the following analogical inference:
Just as pass through mentioned here (Dt.18:10)
specifies fire,
so, too, pass through mentioned there (Lv.18:21)
specifies fire.
And just as pass through mentioned there
specifies Molekh (Lv.18:21),
so, too, pass through mentioned here
specifies Molekh (Dt.18:10).
It turns out that you can say:
[The proscription applies]
only when one hands over and passes
[the child first] through fire and [afterward] through Molekh.
Indeed—[the proscription] depends upon both verses.
Had they not been stated [in complementary terms],
we’d have heard no proscription.163Cf. M.San.7:7, T.San.10:4.
קוֹסֵם קְסָמִים, אֶחָד קֶסֶם מְרֻבֶּה וְאֶחָד קֶסֶם מוּעָט, לְחַיֵּב עַל כָּל קֶסֶם וְקֶסֶם.
3. “An augur of auguries”164qosem qesamim. The procedure of “augury” is explained immediately below. (Dt.18:10)—
all the same is one who augers many auguries
and the augur of a few—
he is held liable for each and every augury.
אֵיזֶהוּ קוֹסֵם? זֶה הָאוֹחֵז בְּמַקְלוֹ וְאוֹמֵר: אִם אֵלֵךְ – אִם לֹא אֵלֵךְ, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (הושע ד יב): ״עַמִּי בְּעֵצוֹ יִשְׁאָל וּמַקְלוֹ יַגִּיד לוֹ״. דָּבָר אַחֵר: שׁוּעָל בִּימִינוֹ וּמִשְּׂמֹאלוֹ.
What, precisely, is an augur?
This is the type who grabs his staff and inquires:
shall I depart or not depart?165Cf. T.Shab.7:4, in which this practice is labeled “Amorite custom”.
And in this vein, a verse says:
“My people consults its stick, and its staff directs it!” (Hos.4:12)
דָּבָר אַחֵר: מַעֲבִיר בְּנוֹ וּבִתּוֹ בָּאֵשׁ – זֶה הַבּוֹעֵל אֲרַמִּית וּמַעֲמִיד מִמֶּנָּה בֵּן אוֹיֵב לַמָּקוֹם. עֹנֶשׁ שָׁמַעְנוּ, אַזְהָרָה לֹא שָׁמַעְנוּ! תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר: לֹא יִמָּצֵא בְךָ מַעֲבִיר בְּנוֹ וּבִתּוֹ בָּאֵשׁ. רַבִּי יְהוּדָה אוֹמֵר: זֶה שֶׁהוּא מַעֲבִיר בְּנוֹ וּבִתּוֹ לַעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה וְכוֹרֵת עִמָּהּ בְּרִית, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ירמיה לד יח): ״הָעֵגֶל אֲשֶׁר כָּרְתוּ לִשְׁנַיִם וַיַּעַבְרוּ בֵּין בְּתָרָיו״.
4. Another word :
[he infers the portent of]
a fox that passes on his right or his left.
Another word:
“Any one who passes his son or daughter through fire” (Dt.18:10)—
this refers to one who
sexually mounts an Aramean166That is, a gentile. woman,
and then raises with her a son,
who becomes an enemy of the All-Present.
We have heard the punishment [for this],
but we haven’t heard the warning [against it]!
The Teaching states:
“There shall not be found among you
anyone who passes his son or daughter through fire” (Dt.18:10)—
[this is certainly sufficient warning]!
R. Judah says:
This refers to one who passes his son or daughter
through [the rite of] a foreign cult,
and cuts167Heb: koret; in this context, “cutting” means to “seal a pact.” a covenant with it.
As it is said:
“Like the calf which they cut in two168Jeremiah’s reference is to the description of “the covenant between the parts” at Gn.15:9-19.
and then passed between the parts” (Jer.34:18). 169F:218, ls. 10-13 regards 161.4 as a marginal insertion.
מְעוֹנֵן, רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל אוֹמֵר: זֶה הַמַּעֲבִיר עַל הָעַיִן;
5. “An oracle”170Heb: me`onen. (Dt.18:10)—
R. Ishmael says:
This one passes his hand over his eye171Heb: `ayin; root, `-y-n. Another possible derivation is the root: `-n-n, “cloud” (BDB, p. 778)
before responding.172Cf. Sifra, qedoshim, per. 6:2, T. Shab. 7:14.
רַבִּי עֲקִיבָה אוֹמֵר: אֵלּוּ נוֹתְנֵי הָעִתִּים, כְּגוֹן אֵלּוּ הָאוֹמְרִים: לִמּוּדֵי עַרְבִית שְׁבִיעִיּוֹת לִהְיוֹת חִטִּים יָפוֹת, עֲקוּרוֹת קִטְנִיּוֹת לִהְיוֹת רָעוֹת. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים: אֵלּוּ אוֹחֲזֵי הָעֵינַיִם.
R. Akiva says:
These declare auspicious times [for commerce].
For example, they might say:
I sense that before the Sabbatical year
the wheat harvest will be exceptional,
but [trade in] uprooted beans will be bad.
And sages say:
These deceive the eyes173Heb: `aynayim. A second word-play based upon the root, `-y-n.
[through apparitions].174// T. Shab. 7:14.
וּמְנַחֵשׁ, אֵיזֶהוּ מְנַחֵשׁ? כְּגוֹן הָאוֹמֵר: נָפְלָה פִּתִּי מִפִּי, נָפְלָה מַקְלִי מִיָּדִי, עָבַר נָחָשׁ מִימִינִי, וְשׁוּעָל מִשְּׂמֹאלִי, וּפָסַק צְבִי אֶת הַדֶּרֶךְ לְפָנַי,
6. “Or an omen-whisperer”175Heb: minakhesh; “to hiss.” See nakhash (“snake”) below. (Dt.18:10).
What, precisely, is an “omen-whisperer”?176Cf. Sifra, qedoshim, per. 6:2.
For example, one of them might say:
my bread has fallen from my mouth
[and it’s not a good omen]!
Or: my staff has fallen from my hand!
Or: a snake (nakhash) is passing to my right,
or a fox to my left,
or a deer is blocking my way!
אַל תַּתְחִיל בִּי, שַׁחֲרִית הוּא, רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ הוּא, מוֹצָאֵי שַׁבָּת הוּא.
Or: don’t start with me—it’s too early in the morning!
Or, it’s the New Moon today!
Or, the Sabbath is over.177Cf. T.Shab.7:13 and Lieberman’s comments, TK 3:96ff.
וּמְכַשֵּׁף, הָעוֹשֶׂה מַעֲשֶׂה, וְלֹא הָאוֹחֵז אֶת הָעֵינַיִם. רַבִּי עֲקִיבָה אוֹמֵר מִשֵּׁם רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ: שְׁנַיִם מְלַקְּטִים קִשּׁוּאִים, אֶחָד מְלַקֵּט וְהוּא פָּטוּר, וְאֶחָד מְלַקֵּט וְהוּא חַיָּב. הָעוֹשֶׂה מַעֲשֶׂה חַיָּב, הָאוֹחֵז אֶת הָעֵינַיִם פָּטוּר.
7. “Or a sorcerer” (mechashef; Dt.18;10).
This is one who tricks,
but not by deceiving the eyes
[through apparitions].
R. Akiva says in the name of R. Joshua:
Two [sorcerers] are gathering squash—
one gathers [the entire field] and is exempt
[from suspicion of using sorcery,]
while the other gathers [the entire field] and is liable.
[Now why is this so?]
The one actually performing the trick is liable,
but the one who only deceives the eyes is exempt!178=M. San. 7:11.