שֶׁלֹּא לְכַשֵּׁף – שֶׁלֹּא נִשְׁתַּדֵּל בְּכָל מַעֲשֵׂה כִּשּׁוּף כְּלָל, וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר (דברים יח י) לֹא יִמָּצֵא בְךָ וְגוֹ' וּמְכַשֵּׁף. וְעִנְיַן הַכִּשּׁוּף יָדוּעַ לַכֹּל דֶּרֶךְ כְּלָל, שֶׁיַּעֲשׂוּ בְּנֵי אָדָם תַּחְבּוּלוֹת בְּלִי מִסְפָּר בְּמִינֵי עֲשָׂבִים וַאֲבָנִים וְהַרְבֵּה מִן הַדְּבָרִים שֶׁמִּשְׁתַּמְּשִׁים בָּהֶן בְּנֵי אָדָם אֵלּוּ עִם אֵלּוּ, וּמֵהֶם שֶׁיְּכַוְּנוּ הַמַּעֲשִׂים הָרָעִים הָהֵם בְּעִתִּים יְדוּעוֹת וּבֶחֳדָשִׁים מְכֻוָּנִין לְאוֹתָן מְלָאכוֹת, וּמִכָּל אֵלּוּ הַדְּבָרִים הַמְּגֻנִּים וְהַמְּכֹעָרִים תַּרְחִיקֵנוּ הַתּוֹרָה תַּכְלִית הָרִחוּק כִּי הֶבֶל הֵמָּה, וְאֵין רָאוּי לְעַם קָדוֹשׁ מַחְזִיקֵי דַּת הָאֱמֶת לָתֵת מַחְשָׁבָה בְּכִעוּרִין אֵלּוּ רַק בַּעֲבוֹדָתוֹ יִתְעַלֶּה, כִּי הוּא יַשְׁלִים כָּל חֵפֶץ עַמּוֹ לְטוֹב, בַּחֲסוֹתָם בִּשְׁמוֹ הַגָּדוֹל וְשׂוּמָם כָּל מִבְטֶחָם וּמִשְׁעַנְתָּם עַל חֲסָדָיו לְבַד. וּמֵהֱיוֹת הָעִנְיָנִים אֵלּוּ רְחוֹקִים מְאֹד וּכְעוּרִים לְפָנָיו בָּרוּךְ הוּא וּבָהֶם נִיצוֹץ מֵעִנְיְנֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה הִזְהִירָנוּ עַל זֶה בְּלָאו, וְחִיֵּב סְקִילָה כָּל הָעוֹבֵר וּמִשְׁתַּדֵּל בָּזֶה אִם הוּא מֵזִיד, וְחַטָּאת קְבוּעָה אִם הוּא שׁוֹגֵג. וְגַם מֵחֹמֶר הָעִנְיָן הִזְהִיר הַכָּתוּב בָּזֶה מִבִּשְׁאָר עֲבֵרוֹת עַל הַבֵּית דִּין שֶׁלֹּא לִמְחֹל לָעוֹבֵר עַל זֶה, וּכְמוֹ שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות כב, יז) מְכַשֵּׁפָה לֹא תְחַיֶּה. וּכְבָר דִּבַּרְתִּי מִשָּׁרְשֵׁי מִצְוָה זוֹ בְּלָאו דִּמְכַשֵּׁפָה לֹא תְחַיֶּה בְּסֵדֶר וְאֵלֶּה הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים (מצוה סב). To not do magic: That we not make efforts with any act of magic at all. And about this is it stated (Deuteronomy 18:10), “There shall not be found in you, etc. or a sorcerer.” And the content of magic is generally well-known to all — that people do machinations without end with types of grasses and stones, or [by] adhering things that people use, one to another. And some of them arrange these evil actions at certain known times or specific months that are fit for those crafts. And the Torah distances us with total distancing from all of these disgusting and ugly things, because they are vanities. And it is not fit for a holy people that holds the true religion to put their thought to these ugly things, but rather only to His service, may He be elevated. As He will fulfill every want of His people for the good, in their being sheltered by His great name, and their placing all of their trust and their reliance upon His kindnesses alone. And since these matters are very remote and ugly in front of Him, blessed be He, and there is a spark of matters of idolatry in them, He warned us about it with a negative commandment, and made liable for stoning anyone who makes efforts with this if it is volitional, and a fixed sin-offering if it is inadvertent. And it is also from the weightiness of the matter that Scripture warns the court not to forgive one who transgresses this, [more] than with other sins; and as it is stated (Exodus 22:17), “Do not keep alive a witch.” And I have already spoken about the roots of this commandment on the negative commandment of “Do not keep alive a witch,” in the Order of VeEleh HaMishpatim (Sefer HaChinukh 62).
דִּינֵי הַמִּצְוָה. בִּמְקוֹמוֹת בַּתַּלְמוּד בְּפִזּוּר, וְהָעִקָּר בְּפֶרֶק שְׁבִיעִי מִסַּנְהֶדְרִין. וְכָל שֶׁהוּא דַּיָּן עַל זֶה צָרִיךְ לָדַעַת חָכְמַת הַכִּשּׁוּף, כְּדֵי שֶׁיֵּדַע לְהַבְחִין בַּמַּעֲשֶׂה הַנַּעֲשֶׂה אִם הוּא מִין מִמִּינֵי הַכִּשּׁוּף אוֹ אוּלַי הוּא מִן הַדְּבָרִים הַנַּעֲשִׂים בְּכֹחַ הַטֶּבַע וּבַצְּדָדִין הַמֻּתָּרִין, וּכְעִנְיָן שֶׁאָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (שבת סז, א) כָּל שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ מִשּׁוּם רְפוּאָה אֵין בּוֹ מִשּׁוּם דַּרְכֵי הָאֱמוֹרִי, וּכְבָר דִּבַּרְתִּי עַל זֶה שָׁם בְּלָאו דִּמְכַשֵּׁפָה כְּפִי כֹּחִי. וּדְבָרִים אֵלּוּ צְרִיכִין עִיּוּן רַב, כִּי הִנֵּה נִמְצָא בַּגְּמָרָא מַעֲשִׂים שֶׁאִם לֹא יָדַעְנוּ אוֹתָם מִפִּיהֶם זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה הָיִינוּ אוֹסְרִין אוֹתָם מִשּׁוּם חֲשַׁשׁ אִסּוּר זֶה. וּמִכָּל מָקוֹם אֲשֶׁר יִשָּׂא נַפְשׁוֹ לִכְנֹס בְּתַחְבּוּלוֹת אֵלּוּ וִידַמֶּה דָּבָר לְדָבָר מֵהַדְּבָרִים שֶׁהִזְכִּירוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה, הֲרֵי הוּא כְּפוֹתֵחַ לוֹ פֶּתַח לָבוֹא בְּגֵיהִנָּם. The laws of the commandment are in scattered places in the Talmud, but mainly in the seventh chapter of Sanhedrin. And anyone who is a judge about it needs to know the wisdom of magic so that he will be able to distinguish about an act that is done, whether it is one of the types of magic or perhaps from the things done through the power of nature and in permissible ways. And [it is] like the matter that they, may their memory be blessed, said (Shabbat 67a), “Anything that contains [an element] of healing does not contain [the prohibition] on account of the ways of the Amorite.” And I have already spoken according to my ability about this, there on the negative commandment of “Do not keep alive a witch.” And these matters require great analysis — as behold, acts are found in the Gemara that if we did not know them from their mouth, may their memory be blessed, we would have forbidden them from a concern about this prohibition. But behold nonetheless, one who raises his soul to enter into these machinations — and compares one thing to another from those things that they, may their memory be blessed, mentioned [as being permissible] — is like one who opens an opening to go to Gehinnom.
וְנוֹהֵג אִסּוּר זֶה בְּכָל מָקוֹם וּבְכָל זְמַן בִּזְכָרִים וּנְקֵבוֹת. And this prohibition is practiced in every place and at all times by males and females.