Sifrei on Deuteronomy Sifrei Devarim 171

English · Shraga Silverstein

(Devarim 18:10) "There shall not be found among you": Beth-din is being exhorted to this end.

English · Shraga Silverstein

"one who passes his son or daughter through fire": This tells me only of his son or his daughter. Whence do I derive (the same for) the son of his son or the son of his daughter? From (Vayikra 20:3) "for of his seed he has given to the Molech."

3

English · Shraga Silverstein

— But still, here it is written "through fire," and there, "the Molech." Whence do I derive what is written here as applying there, and what is written there as applying here? — It is written "passing" (here), "passing" (there, Vayikra 18:21) for an identity (gezeirah shavah ), viz.: Just as "passing" here is through fire, so, "passing" there is through fire. And just as "passing" there is to the Molech, so, "passing" here is to the Molech. In sum, (to be liable), he must hand over (his child) and pass him through fire to the Molech. Both verses are necessary (to tell us this); if not, we do not know it.

4

English · Shraga Silverstein

Variantly: (The verse speaks of one who passes his son or daughter (through the halves of a calf), thereby entering into a covenant (with idolatry), as it is written (Jeremiah 34:18) "the calf which they cut in two so as to pass between its halves." Variantly: "one who passes his son or daughter through fire": (The verse speaks of) one who cohabits with an Aramite woman and begets through her a son who is a foe of the L-rd.

5

English · Shraga Silverstein

"a diviner": one or many.

6

English · Shraga Silverstein

"of divinations": to impose liability for each divination (in itself). What is a "diviner"? One who "divines" by holding his stick whether to go or not to go, viz. (Hosea 4:12) "My people consults its stick; its rod tells it (what to do)."

7

English · Shraga Silverstein

me'onein: R. Yishmael says: This is one who passes seven types of magic before the eye (ayin).

8

English · Shraga Silverstein

The sages say: These are deceivers of the eye. R. Akiva says: These are augurers who assign a "time" (onah) for a particular event, e.g., "the eve of the shemitah year (i.e., the sixth year) is auspicious for grain"; "the pulling out of pulse (as opposed to its harvesting) is detrimental. "

9

English · Shraga Silverstein

menachesh (a necromancer): (one who interprets natural happenings as signs or portents) e.g., "His bread fell from his mouth; therefore …," "his stick fell from his hand; therefore …," "a snake on his right, a fox on his left, a deer crossed his path; therefore …"

10

English · Shraga Silverstein

and one who says "Do not begin" (a new enterprise) — it is morning; it is the New Moon; it is the end of Shabbath."

11

English · Shraga Silverstein

"mechashef" (a sorcerer): One who performs an act is liable (under this interdict); one who (merely) deceives the eyes is not liable.

Sifrei Devarim 171

Find your chapter.

Make yourself comfortable.

Choose your edition.