Jerusalem Talmud Sanhedrin 7:13

משנה: הַמְכַשֵּׁף הָעוֹשֶׂה מַעֲשֶׂה וְלֹא הָאוֹחֵז אֶת הָעֵינַיִם. רִבִּי עֲקִיבָה אוֹמֵר מִשּׁוּם רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ שְׁנַיִם לוֹקְטִים קִשּׁוּאִין אֶחָד לוֹקֵט פָּטוּר וְאֶחָד לוֹקֵט חַייָב. הָעוֹשֶׂה מַעֲשֶׂה חַייָב וְהָאוֹחֵז אֶת הָעֵינַיִם פָּטוּר׃ MISHNAH: The sorcerer is one who does a deed³⁶⁰To convict somebody of sorcery, to be punished by stoning (Sanhedrin 7:5:1" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Sanhedrin.7.5.1">Mishnah 5), the witnesses have to prove that he created something contradicting the laws of nature; at the end of the Halakhah this seems to be restricted to the creation of a parentless living creature. but not one who creates an illusion³⁶¹In this matter, visual impressions do not count.. Rebbi Aqiba says in the name of Rebbi Joshua: Two are collecting green melons³⁶²In modern Hebrew “zucchini”; cf. Kilayim 1:2:1" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Kilayim.1.2.1">Kilaim Chapter 1, Note 38.; one who collected cannot be prosecuted, the other one is guilty. The who does a deed is guilty; he who creates an illusion cannot be prosecuted.

הלכה: הַמְכַשֵּׁף הָעוֹשֶׂה מַעֲשֶׂה כול׳. מְכַשֵּׁפָה֭ לֹ֥א תְחַיֶּֽה׃ אֶחָד הָאִישׁ וְאֶחָד הָאִשָּׁה. אֶלָּא שֶׁלִּימְּדָתָךְ הַתּוֹרָה דֶּרֶךְ אֶרֶץ מִפְּנֵי שֶׁרוֹב הַנָּשִׁים כַּשְׁפָנִיּוֹת. אָמַר רִבִּי לִעֶזֶר. מְכַשֵּׁף בְּסְקִילָה. מַה טַעֲמָא דְּרִבִּי לִעֶזֶר. נֶאֱמַר כָּאן מְכַשֵּׁפָה֭ לֹ֥א תְחַיֶּֽה. וְנֶאֱמַר לְהַלָּן אִם־בְּהֵמָ֥ה אִם־אִ֖ישׁ לֹ֣א יִחְיֶה֑. מַה לֹ֣א יִחְיֶה֑ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לְהַלָּן בִּסְקִילָה אַף כָּאן בִּסְקִילָה. מַה טַעֲמוֹן דְּרַבָּנִין. נֶאֱמַר כָּאן מְכַשֵּׁפָה֭ לֹ֥א תְחַיֶּֽה. וְנֶאֱמַר לְהַלָּן לֹ֥א תְחַיֶּה֖ כָּל־נְשָׁמָֽה. מַה לֹ֥א תְחַיֶּה֖ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר לְהַלָּן מִיתָה בַּחֶרֶב. אַף לֹ֥א תְחַיֶּה֖ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר כָּאן מִיתָה בַּחֶרֶב. אָמַר רִבִּי עֲקִיבָה. מִן הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה אֲנִי מַכְרִיעוֹ. מוּטָּב שֶׁיְּלַמֵּד לֹ֥א תְחַיֶּה֖ מִלֹ֥א תְחַיֶּה֖ וְאַל יוֹכִיחַ לֹא יִחְיֶה. מַה טַעֲמָא דְּרִבִּי יְהוּדָה. נֶאֱמַר כָּאן מְכַשֵּׁפָה֭ לֹ֥א תְחַיֶּֽה וְנֶאֱמַר לְהַלָּן כָּל שׁוֹכֵב עִם־בְּהֵמָה֭ מ֥וֹת יוּמָֽת׃ מַה מִיתַת הַבְּהֵמָה בִּסְקִילָה אַף כָּאן בִּסְקִילָה. HALAKHAH: “The sorcerer is one who does a deed,” etc. A sorceress you shall not let live³⁶³Exodus.22.17">Ex. 22:17., whether man or woman, but the Torah taught you the way of the world that most women have a tendency to sorcery³⁶⁴Sanhedrin.67a">Babli 67a and Mekhilta dR. Simeon ben Iohai, ad loc., the first part only in Mekhilta dR. Ismael, ad loc.. Rebbi Eliezer said, a sorcerer is [executed] by stoning. What is Rebbi Eliezer’s reason? It says here, a sorceress you shall not let live, and it says there, whether human or animal they shall not live³⁶⁵Exodus.19.13">Ex. 19:13. The verse requires stoning or shooting the transgressor.
In the Babylonian sources (Babli and the two Mekhiltot), this argument is attributed to R. Aqiba, who in the Yerushalmi rejects it.. Since shall not live there means by stoning, also here by stoning. What is the rabbis’³⁶⁶There “rabbis” oppose the Mishnah and decree beheading for the sorcerer; in Babli and Mekhilta dR. Simeon ben Iohai the author is R. Yose the Galilean, in Mekhilta dR. Ismael it is R. Ismael. reason? It says here, a sorceress you shall not let live, and it says there, you shall not let live anybody³⁶⁷Deuteronomy.20.16">Deut. 20:16.. Since you shall not let live there means death by the sword, also you shall not let live here means death by the sword. Rebbi Aqiba said, from this argument I am deciding. It is preferable to learn you shall not let live from you shall not let live rather than from shall not live. What is Rebbi Jehudah’s reason³⁶⁸The student of R. Eliezer’s student gives the final argument for the Mishnah. In the Berakhot.21b">Babli (here and Berakhot 21b) and Mekhilta dR. Simeon ben Iohai his argument is attributed to Ben Azzai, in Mekhilta dR. Ismael to R. Yose the Galilean.? It says here, a sorceress you shall not let live, and it says there, anybody lying with an animal shall die the death³⁶⁹Exodus.22.18">Ex. 22:18, the verse following the one about the sorceress. Since in v. 17 the method of execution is not indicated, the instruction of v. 18 is interpreted in the light of Leviticus.20.15-16">Lev. 20:15–16 and applied to both verses.. Since the execution of the animal is by stoning, so here also by stoning³⁷⁰Since for animals the only explicitly mentioned example of execution is the stoning of the notorious bull..

דִּלֹמָא. רִבִּי לִיעֶזֶר וְרִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וְרִבִּי עֲקִיבָה עֲלוֹן לְמִיסְחֵי בְהָדֵין דֵּימוֹסִין דְּטִיבֵּרִיָּא. חַמְתּוֹן חַד מִינַיי. אָמַר מַה דָמַר וּתְפַשִּׂיתּוֹן כִּיפָּה. אָמַר רִבִּי לִיעֶזֶר לְרִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ. מַה יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן חֲנַנְיָה. חֲמִי מַה דְאַתְּ עֲבַד. מִי נְפַיק אָהֵן מִינַייָא אֲמַר רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ מַה דָמַר וְתָפַשׂ יָתֵיהּ תִּרְעָא. וַהֲוָה כָּל־מָאן דַּעֲלֵיל הֲוָה יְהִיב לֵיהּ חַד מַרְתּוּקָה וְכָל־מָאן דְּנָפֵיק הֲוָה יְהִיב לֵיהּ בִּנְתִּיקָה. אֲמַר לוֹן. שָׁרוֹן מַה דַעֲבַדְתּוֹן. אָֽמְרִין לֵיהּ. שָׁרִי וַאֲנָן שָׁרֵיי. שָׁרוֹן אִילֵּין וְאִילֵּין. מִן דִּנְפַקּוֹן אֲמַר רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ לְהַהוּא מִינַייָה. הָא מַה דְאַתְּ חֲכַם. אֲמַר נִיחוֹת לְיַמָּא. מִן דְּנַחְתִּין לְיַמָּא אֲמַר הַהוּא מִינַייָא מַה דַאֲמַר וְאִיתְבְּזַע יַמָּא. אֲמַר לוֹן. וְלָא כֵן עֲבַד מֹשֶׁה רַבְּכוֹן בְּיַמָּא. אָֽמְרִין לֵיהּ. לֵית אַתְּ מוֹדֶה לָן דַּהֲלִיךְ מֹשֶׁה רַבָּן בְּגַוֵיהּ. אֲמַר לוֹן. אִין. אָֽמְרוּן לֵיהּ. וַהֲלִיךְ בְּגַוֵּיהּ. הָלַךְ בְּגַוֵּיהּ. גְּזַר רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ עַל שָׂרָהּ דְיַמָּא וּבְלָעֵיהּ. Example. Rebbi Eliezer, Rebbi Joshua, and Rebbi Aqiba went to bathe at the public baths³⁷¹δημόσια (scil., βαλανεῖα). of Tiberias. A Minean³⁷²A Jewish heretic; a name frequently but not exclusively applied to Jewish Christians. saw them, said what he said, and the cupola caught them³⁷³They were put under a spell so they could not leave the space under the cupola of the main room of the thermal baths.. Rebbi Eliezer said to Rebbi Joshua:³⁷⁴In the rules of witchcraft all Sages of his generation were students of R. Eliezer, as told at the end of the Halakhah. Joshua ben Ḥanania, look what you can do. When this Minean was leaving, Rebbi Joshua said what he said and the door trapped him. Anybody who entered hit him with his fist, anybody leaving hit him when forcing the door open. He told them, undo what you did; they told him, you undo, then we shall undo. They mutually undid. When they left, Rebbi Joshua said to this Minean, is that all you are wise to? He answered, let us go down to the sea. When they had descended to the sea, this Minean said what he said and the sea was split. He told them, is that not what your teacher Moses did to the sea? They answered, do you not agree that our teacher Moses walked through it? He said to them, yes. They told him, enter it. He entered it. Rebbi Joshua commanded the prince of the sea³⁷⁵The angel running the Sea of Genezareth. The idea of angels running natural phenomena is a Jewish adaptation of the Greek myth of gods of the sea and nymphs of sources. who swallowed him.

דִּלֹמָא. רִבִּי לִיעֶזֶר וְרִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וְרַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל סְלָקוּן לְרוֹמֵי. עָלוּן לְחַד אֲתַר וְאַשְׁכְּחוֹן מֵיינוּקִיָּא עָֽבְדִין גַּבְשׁוּשִׁין וְאָֽמְרִין הָכֵין. בְּנֵי אַרְעָא דְיִשְׂרָאֵל עָֽבְדִין וְאָֽמְרִין. הָהֵן תְּרוּמָה וְהָהֵן מַעֲשֵׂר. אָֽמְרִין מִסְתַּבְּרָא דְאִית הָכָא יְהוּדָאִין. עָלוּן לְחַד אֲתַר וְאִקַּבְּלוּן בְּחַד כיי. יְתָבוּן לְמֵיכַל וַהֲוָה כָל־תַּבְשִׁיל דַּהֲוָה עֲלִיל קוֹמֵיהוֹן אִי לָא הֲווֹן מַעֲלִין לֵיהּ בְּחַד קִיטוֹן לָא הֲוָה מַייתֵי לֵיהּ קוֹמֵיהוֹן. וְחָשׁוּן דִּילְמָא דְּאִינּוּן אָֽכְלִין זִבְחֵי מֵתִים. אָֽמְרִין לֵיהּ. מָה עִיסְקָךְ דְּכָל־תַּבְשִׁיל דְּאַתְּ מַייתֵי קוֹמֵינָן אִין לֵית אַתְּ מְעַיֵל לָהֵן קִיטוֹנָא לֵית אַתַּ מַייתֵי לָן קוֹמֵינָן. אֲמַר לוֹן. חַד אַבָּא גְבַר סָב אִית לִי וּגְזַר עַל נַפְשֵׁיהּ דְּלָא נְפַק מִן הָדָא קִיטוֹנָא כְּלוּם עַד דְּיֵיחְמֵי לְחַכְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל. אָֽמְרִין לֵיהּ. עוֹל וֶאֱמוֹר לֵיהּ. פּוּק הָכָא לְגַבֵּיהוֹן דְּאִינּוּן הָכָא. נְפַק לְגַבּוֹן. אָֽמְרִין לֵיהּ. מָה עִיסְקָךְ. אֲמַר לוֹן. צְלוֹן עַל בְּרִי דְלָא מוֹלִיד. אָמַר רִבִּי לִעֶזֶר לְרִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ. מַה יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן חֲנַנְיָה. חֲמִי מַה דְאַתְּ עֲבִיד. אֲמַר לוֹן. אַייתוֹן לִי זֶרַע דְּכִיתָּן. וְאַייְתוֹן לֵיהּ זֶרַע דְּכִיתָּן. אִיתְחֲמֵי לֵיהּ זְרַע לֵיהּ עַל גַּבֵּי טַבֻּלָה. אִיתְחֲמֵי מַרְבֵּץ לֵיהּ. אִיתְחֲמֵי דִסְלִקַת. אִיתְחֲמֵי מִיתְלָשׁ בָּהּ. עַד דַאֲסַק חָדָא אִיתָא בְקַלְעִיתָא דְשְׂעָרָה. אֲמַר לָהּ. שְׁרֵיי מַה דַעֲבִדְתִּין. אָֽמְרָה לֵיהּ. לֵי נָא שֵׁרְייָה. אֲמַר לָהּ. דִּלָא כֵן אֲנָא מְפַרְסֵם לִיךְ. אָֽמְרָה לֵיהּ. לֵי נָא יָֽכְלָה דְּאִינּוּן מְטַלְּקִין בְּיָמָא. וּגְזַר יְהוֹשֻׁעַ עַל שַׂרְיָא דְיָמָא וּפָלָטוֹן. וְצָלוּן עֲלוֹי וְזָכָה לְמִיקְמָה לְרִבִּי יוּדָה בֶּן בַּתִירָה. אָֽמְרוּ. אִילּוּ לֹא עָלִינוּ לְכָאן אֶלָּא לְהַעֲמִיד הַצַּדִּיק הַזֶּה דַּיֵּינוּ. Example. Rebbi Eliezer, and Rebbi Joshua, and Rabban Gamliel travelled to Rome. They came to a place where they found children making stone heaps and saying as follows: What they do in the Land of Israel is to say, this is heave, this is tithe. They said, it is clear that Jews live here. They entered a place and were received at a house. They sat down to eat. It happened that no dish was brought to them unless it was brought [first] to a certain bedroom³⁷⁷Greek κοιτών.. They became afraid that perhaps they were eating offerings to the dead³⁷⁸Since it is not usual to eat in a bedroom, they were afraid that the food was first offered to a corpse in a pagan ceremony which would make the food forbidden to them.. They asked him, why is it that you bring no dish before us unless you brought it first to that bedroom? He told them, I have an old father who vowed not to leave that bedroom until he might see the Sages of Israel. They told him, go and tell him to come out because they are here. He came out; they asked him, what is your problem? He told them, pray for my son because he is sterile. Rebbi Eliezer said to Rebbi Joshua:³⁷⁴In the rules of witchcraft all Sages of his generation were students of R. Eliezer, as told at the end of the Halakhah. Joshua ben Ḥanania, look what you can do. He told them, bring me linseed; they brought him linseed. It appeared to them as if he was sowing it on a table³⁷⁹Latin tabula.. It appeared as if he was watering it; it appeared to grow; it appeared that he was plucking out of it, until there appeared a woman with braided hair. He told her, undo what you did. She answered, I shall not undo. He told her, then I shall make you known. She said, I cannot, because they³⁸⁰The charms used for the spell put on the son to make him sterile. were thrown into the sea. Rebbi Joshua commanded the prince of the sea³⁷⁵The angel running the Sea of Genezareth. The idea of angels running natural phenomena is a Jewish adaptation of the Greek myth of gods of the sea and nymphs of sources. who disgorged them. Then they prayed for him and he had the merit of raising Rebbi Jehudah ben Bathyra³⁸¹The family Ben Bathyra is placed in both Talmudim (cf. Berakhot 3:4 Note 391) at Nisibis in Kurdistan, not on the road from Palestine to Rome. The source of the stories, characterized as non-legal texts by their Aramaic language, is a problem because it mixes Palestinian חמי “to see” with the Babylonian meaning “to decree” of the root גזר instead of Galilean “to decide”.. They said, if we came here only to bring the just person to the world, it would have been enough.

אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן חֲנַנְיָה. יְכִיל אֲנָא נְסִיב קַרְייָן וַאֲבַטִּיחִין וַעֲבִיד לוֹן אַייְלִין טַבִּין וְהִידְנוֹן עֲבִידִין אַייְלִין וְטַבִּין. אֲמַר רִבִּי יַנַּאי. מְהַלֵּךְ הֲוִינָא בְּהָדָא אִיסְרָטָא דְצִיפּוֹרִי וַחֲזִית חַד מִינַיי נְסִיב חַד צְרִיר וּזְרַק לֵיהּ לְרוּמָא וַהֲוָה נְחַת וּמִתְעֲבֵּיד עֶגֶל. וְלֹא כֵן אָמַר רִבִּי לָֽעְזָר בְּשֵׁם רִבִּי יוֹסֵי בַּר זִימְרָא. אִם מִתְכַּנְּסִין הֵן כָּל־בָּאֵי הָעוֹלָם אֵינָן יְכוּלִין לִבְרָאוֹת יְתוּשׁ אֶחָד וְלִזְרוֹק בּוֹ נְשָׁמָה. נֵימַר. לָא נָֽסְבָה הוּא מִינַייָא חַד צְרוֹר וּזְרָקֵיהּ לְרוּמָא וּנְחַת וְאִיתְעֲבִיד חַד עֶגֶל. אֶלָּא לְסָרֵיהּ קָרָא וְגָנַב לֵיהּ עֶגֶל מִן בָּקוֹרָתָא וְאַייתֵי לֵיהּ. Rebbi Joshua ben Hanania said: I am able to take gourds and watermelons and turn them into rams and deer who would produce rams and deer. Rebbi Yannai said, I was walking on a road in Sepphoris when I saw a Minean³⁷²A Jewish heretic; a name frequently but not exclusively applied to Jewish Christians. taking a pebble, throwing it into the air, after which it came down transforming itself into a calf. But did not Rebbi Eleazar say in the name of Rebbi Yose ben Zimra: If all people of the world came together, they could not create one mosquito and bring it to life³⁸²Since the objection is not raised against R. Joshua, plants are recognized as living things parallel to animals. Sanhedrin.67b">Babli 67b.. Let us say that this Minean did not take a pebble, threw it into the air, after which it came down transforming itself into a calf, but he called on his genie³⁸³Both vocalization and translation are tentative. who stole a calf for him from a cattle barn and brought it to him.

אָמַר רִבִּי חִינְנָא בֵּירִבִּי חֲנַנְיָה. מְטַייֵל הֲוִינָא בְּאִילֵּין גּוּפְתָּא דְצִיפּוֹרִין וַחֲמִית חַד מִינַיי נְסַב חָדָא גּוּלְגְּלָא וּזְרָקָהּ לְרוּמָא וָהִיא נַחְתָּא וּמִתְעֲבְּדָא עֶגֶל. אֲתִית וַאֲמָרִת לְאַבָּא. אֲמַר לִי. אִין אָֽכְלֵת מִינָּהּ מַעֲשֶׂה הוּא. וְאִילֹא אֲחִיזַת עֵינַיִם הוּא. Rebbi Ḥinena ben Ḥanania said: I was promenading at Gufta³⁸⁴An unidentified suburb of Sepphoris; cf. Kilayim 9:3:5" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Kilayim.9.3.5">Kilaim 9:4 Note 85. of Sepphoris when I saw a Minean taking a skull, throwing it into the air, after which it came down transforming itself into a calf. I went and told it to my father. He said, if you ate from it, it was an action; otherwise it was an illusion.

אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ בֶּן חֲנַנְיָה. שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת פַּרְשִׁיּוֹת הָיָה רִבִּי לִיעֶזֶר דּוֹרֵשׁ בְּפָרָשַׁת מְכַשֵּׁפָה וּמִכּוּלָּם לֹא שָׁמַעְתִּי אֶלָּא שְׁנֵי דְבָרִים. שְׁנַיִם לוֹקְטִין קִישּׁוּאִין אֶחָד לוֹקֵט פָּטוּר וְאֶחָד לוֹקֵט חַייָב. הָעוֹשֶׂה מַעֲשֶׂה חַייָב וְהָאוֹחֵז אֶת הָעֵינַיִם פָּטוּר. אָמַר רִבִּי דָּרוֹסָא. תְּשַׁע מֵאוֹת פַּרְשִׁיּוֹת הָיוּ. שְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת לְחִיּוּב וּשְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת לִפְטוֹר וּשְׁלֹשׁ מֵאוֹת לְחִיּוּב שֶׁהוּא פְטוֹר. Rebbi Joshua ben Ḥanania said: Rebbi Eliezer used to explain 300 chapters in the matter of the sorceress, but from all of them I understood only two things: “Two are collecting green melons³⁶²In modern Hebrew “zucchini”; cf. Kilayim 1:2:1" href="/Jerusalem_Talmud_Kilayim.1.2.1">Kilaim Chapter 1, Note 38.; one who collected cannot be prosecuted, the other one is guilty. He who does a deed is guilty; he who creates an illusion cannot be prosecuted.” Rebbi Darosa said, there were 900 chapters. 300 where one is guilty, 300 where one is free³⁸⁵Creating the illusion of witchcraft is not forbidden., and 300 where one is guilty but cannot be prosecuted.³⁸⁶Forbidden action which nevertheless cannot lead to prosecution. A similar situation exists for Sabbath prohibitions where only a small part of Sabbath violations are of the kind that could be prosecuted in court. Sanhedrin.68a">Babli 68a.