שֶׁלֹּא לְהַחֲיוֹת מְכַשֵּׁפָה – שֶׁלֹּא נְחַיֶּה מְכַשֵּׁפָה אֶלָּא נְמִיתָהּ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות כב יז) מְכַשֵּׁפָה לֹא תְחַיֶּה, וְלָאו דַּוְקָא מְכַשֵּׁפָה, אֶלָּא כָּל מִי שֶׁעוֹשֶׂה כִּשּׁוּף, אֶלָּא שֶׁדִּבֵּר בָּרָגִיל, שֶׁהַנָּשִׁים כַּשְׁפָנִיּוֹת (סנהדרין סז, א) יוֹתֵר מִן הָאֲנָשִׁים. To not keep a witch alive: To not keep a witch alive. Rather, we kill her, as it is stated (Exodus 22:17), “You shall not keep a witch alive.” And it is not specifically a witch, but rather anyone that does magic. It is just that it stated it according to what is common, as women are more involved with magic than men (Sanhedrin 67a).
מִשָּׁרְשֵׁי הַמִּצְוָה, שֶׁיָּדוּעַ כִּי עִנְיַן הַכִּשּׁוּף דָּבָר רַע עַד מְאֹד וְגוֹרֵם כַּמָּה תַּקָּלוֹת לִבְנֵי אָדָם אֵינִי צָרִיךְ לְהַאֲרִיךְ בּוֹ שֶׁיְּדוּעִים הַדְּבָרִים, וְעַל כֵּן נִצְטַוִּינוּ לְסַלֵּק מִן הָעוֹלָם הַמִּשְׁתַּדֵּל בָּזֶה לְפִי שֶׁהוּא בָּא כְּנֶגֶד חֵפֶץ הַשֵּׁם שֶׁהוּא חָפֵץ בְּיִשּׁוּבוֹ וְשֶׁיִּתְנַהֵג הַכֹּל בְּדֶרֶךְ הַטֶּבַע שֶׁהֻטְבַּע בִּתְחִלַּת הַבְּרִיאָה, וְזֶה בָּא לְשַׁנּוֹת הַכֹּל. וְעִנְיַן הַכִּשּׁוּף הוּא לְפִי דַּעְתִּי כֵּן, שֶׁהַשֵּׁם בָּרוּךְ הוּא שָׂם בִּתְחִלַּת הַבְּרִיאָה לְכָל דָּבָר וְדָבָר מִדִּבְרֵי הָעוֹלָם טֶבַע לִפְעֹל פְּעֻלָּתוֹ טוֹבָה וִישָׁרָה לְטוֹבַת בְּנֵי הָעוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר בָּרָא, וְצִוָּה כָּל אֶחָד לִפְעֹל פָּעֳלוֹ לְמִינֵהוּ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁכָּתוּב בְּפָרָשַׁת בְּרֵאשִׁית (א יב) לְמִינֵהוּ עַל הַנִּבְרָאִים. וְגַם עַל כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד הִמְשִׁיל כֹּחַ מִלְּמַעְלָה לְהַכְרִיחוֹ עַל מַעֲשֵׂהוּ, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (בראשית רבה ו) אֵין לְךָ עֵשֶׂב מִלְּמַטָּה שֶׁאֵין לוֹ מַזָּל מִלְּמַעְלָה, שֶׁאוֹמֵר לוֹ גְּדַל. וּמִלְּבַד פְּעֻלָּתָם שֶׁעוֹשֶׂה כָּל אֶחָד וְאֶחָד בְּטִבְעוֹ יֵשׁ לָהֶם פְּעֻלָּה אַחֶרֶת. בְּהִתְעָרֵב מִין מֵהֶם עִם מִין אַחֵר, וּבִמְלֶאכֶת הַתַּעֲרֹבֶת יֵשׁ בָּהּ צְדָדִין שֶׁלֹּא הֻרְשׁוּ בְּנֵי אָדָם לְהִשְׁתַּמֵּשׁ בָּהֶן, כִּי יוֹדֵעַ אֱלֹהִים שֶׁסּוֹף הַמַּעֲשֶׂה הַיֹּצֵא לִבְנֵי אָדָם בְּאוֹתָן צְדָדִין רַע לָהֶן, וּמִפְּנֵי זֶה מְנָעָם מֵהֶם. וְזֶהוּ אָמְרָם זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה דֶּרֶךְ כְּלָל (שבת סז ב) כָּל שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ מִשּׁוּם רְפוּאָה, אֵין בּוֹ מִשּׁוּם דַּרְכֵי הָאֱמֹרִי. כְּלוֹמַר אֵין לְאָסְרוֹ מִפְּנֵי צַד כִּשּׁוּף אַחַר שֶׁיֵּשׁ תּוֹעֶלֶת בּוֹ מָצוּי בְּנִסָּיוֹן בֶּאֱמֶת אֵין זֶה מִן הַצְּדָדִין הָאֲסוּרִין, כִּי לֹא נֶאֶסְרוּ רַק מִצַּד הַנֶּזֶק שֶׁבָּהֶן. וְעוֹד יֵשׁ בְּאוֹתָן צִדְדֵי הַתַּעֲרוֹבוֹת וְהַתַּחְבּוּלוֹת הָאֲסוּרוֹת לַעֲשׂוֹת עִנְיָן אַחֵר שֶׁנֶּאֶסְרוּ בַּעֲבוּרוֹ לְפִי שֶׁכֹּחַ אוֹתוֹ הַתַּעֲרֹבֶת עוֹלֶה כָּל כָּךְ שֶׁמְּבַטֵּל מִפְּעֻלָּתוֹ לְפִי שָׁעָה כֹּחַ הַמַּזָּל הַמְמֻנֶּה עַל שְׁנֵי הַמִּינִים. וְהַמָּשָׁל עַל זֶה, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאַתָּה רוֹאֶה שֶׁהַמַּרְכִּיב מִין בְּשֶׁאֵינוֹ מִינוֹ יְחַדְּשׁוֹ לִבְרֹא מִין שְׁלִישִׁי, נִמְצָא שֶׁבִּטְּלָה הַהַרְכָּבָה כֹּחַ שְׁנֵיהֶם, וְעַל כֵּן נִמְנַעְנוּ מִלְּהַעֲלוֹת עַל רוּחֵנוּ אַף כִּי נַעֲשֶׂה בְּיָדֵינוּ דָּבָר שֶׁמַּרְאֶה בָּנוּ רָצוֹן לְהַחֲלִיף דָּבָר בְּמַעֲשֵׂי הָאֵל הַשְּׁלֵמוֹת. From the roots of the commandment are that it is known that magic is a very bad thing and causes many mishaps to people. I do not have to write at length about it, as the things are well-known. And therefore we were commanded to put away from the world someone who makes efforts with this, as he is coming against the will of God, as He desires [the world’s] settlement and that everything should be administered in a natural way. As nature was at the beginning of creation and this one wants to change everything. And according to my opinion, the matter of magic is that at the beginning of creation, God, blessed be He, placed for each and every thing in the world a nature [through which] to accomplish its action well and straight, for the good of the creatures of the world that He created; and He commanded each one to act according to its species, as it is written about all the creatures, in Parashat Bereshit (Genesis 1:12), “according to its species.” And He also made a higher force govern each and every one from above, to compel it to perform its action; as they, may their memory be blessed, said (Bereshit Rabbah 1), “There is no [blade of] grass below that does not have a constellation above that tells it, ‘Grow!’” And besides the action that each and every one does according to its nature, there is another action that they have, by mixing one species with another. And in the craft of this mixing there are some angles that were not permitted for people to utilize, because God knows that the end result that will come out for people from these angles will be bad for them. And on account of this, He prevented them from them. And this is what they, may their memory be blessed, said more generally (Shabbat 67b), “Anything that has healing in it does not have the ‘ways of the Amorite’ in it”; meaning to say, it should not be forbidden from the perspective of magic — since there is a benefit to it that is found from true experience, it is not from the forbidden angles, as they are only forbidden because of the perspective of their damage. And there is another matter in these forbidden angles of mixture and machinations for which they were forbidden. [It is] because the power of this mixture is so strong that it negates the power of the constellations that are assigned upon the two species. And the illustration of this is that it is just like that which you see with the grafting of one species with a different one, that a new third species is created. It comes out that the grafting negates the power of both of them. And so we have been prevented from bringing up to our minds to switch the perfect acts of God, even if something that appears to be pleasing comes out in our hand.
וְאֶפְשָׁר שֶׁיַּעֲלֶה בְּיָדֵינוּ מִזֶּה רֶמֶז מִשָּׁרְשֵׁי כִּלְאֵי זְרָעִים וּבְהֵמָה וְשַׁעַטְנֵז, וּבִמְקוֹמָם נַאֲרִיךְ בָּם בְּעֶזְרַת הַשֵּׁם. וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (סנהדרין סז ב, חולין ז ב) לָמָּה נִקְרָא שְׁמָם כְּשָׁפִים שֶׁמַּכְחִישִׁין פָּמַלְיָא שֶׁל מַעְלָה וְשֶׁל מַטָּה. כְּלוֹמַר שֶׁכֹּחָן עוֹלֶה לְפִי שָׁעָה יוֹתֵר מִכֹּחַ הַמְמֻנִּים עֲלֵיהֶם. וּרְאֵה כִּוּוּן דִּבְרֵיהֶם זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה שֶׁאָמְרוּ פָּמַלְיָא שֶׁל מַעְלָה וְלֹא אָמְרוּ גְּזֵרַת מַעְלָה, לְפִי שֶׁהַשֵּׁם בָּרוּךְ הוּא גְּזָרוֹ וְרָצָה מִתְּחִלַּת הַבְּרִיאָה לִהְיוֹת הַפְּעֻלָּה הַזֹּאת יוֹצֵאת מִבֵּין שְׁנֵיהֶם בְּהִתְעָרְבָם, וּבוֹ תּוֹכַחַת מְגֻלָּה אֶל הַמְמֻנִּים עֲלֵיהֶם, אֲבָל אָמְרוּ שֶׁכֹּחַ הַפָּמַלְיָא נִכְחָשׁ מִכָּל מָקוֹם. וּמִי שֶׁקִּרְבַת שִׂכְלוֹ בְּאוֹר פְּנֵי הַמֶּלֶךְ וְכֹחַ זְכוּתוֹ יַעֲלֶה עַל כֹּחַ הַמְמֻנִּים, לֹא יִירָא מֵהַמַּעֲשֶׂה הַזֶּה וְהַכְחָשׁוֹתָיו, כְּמוֹ שֶׁמָּצִינוּ בַּגְּמָרָא בְּמַסֶּכֶת שַׁבָּת (פא, סנהדרין סז ב) שֶׁאָמַר הֶחָכָם אֶל הַמְכַשֵּׁפָה. And it is possible that a hint will come up in our hands from the roots of the forbidden mixtures of seeds and animals and shaatnez (the mixture of linen and wool). And we will write at length about them in their places, with God’s help. And that which they, may their memory be blessed, said (Sanhedrin 67b, Chullin 7b), “Why is its name called kishufim (magic)? Because it contradicts the retinue (makchishin pamaliah) on high and on low,” is meaning to say that their power temporarily overrides the power of those forces appointed over them. And see the precision of their words, may their memory be blessed, as they said, “the retinue on high,” and they did not say, “the decree of High — since God, blessed be He, decreed it and wanted from the beginning of creation that this action would come out from the two of them when they are mixed. And there is an open rebuke from it towards those appointed over them [about their lack of absolute power]. Rather, they said that the power of the retinue on high is [that which is] contradicted regardless. And one whose intellect is close to the light of the face of the King and the power of his merit overrides the power of those appointed, will not fear from this phenomenon, as we found that the sage said to the witch in the Gemara (Shabbat 81, Sanhedrin 67b).
וִידִיעַת חִלּוּק עִנְיָנִים אֵלֶּה, אֵי זֶה תַּעֲרֹבֶת הֶתֵּר לָנוּ וְאֵין בּוֹ צַד כִּשּׁוּף וְאֵי זֶהוּ שֶׁיֵּשׁ בּוֹ צַד כִּשּׁוּף וְאָסוּר בְּחָכְמַת הַכִּשּׁוּף, יָדוּעַ. וְאַל תַּחְשֹׁב כִּי מְלֶאכֶת הַכִּשּׁוּף וְהַשֵּׁדִים דָּבָר אֶחָד, שֶׁהֲרֵי בְּפֵרוּשׁ אָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (סנהדרין שם) בְּלָטֵיהֶם זֶה מַעֲשֵׂה שֵׁדִים, בְּלַהֲטֵיהֶם זֶה מַעֲשֵׂה כְּשָׁפִים. מַשְׁמַע מִזֶּה שֶׁעִנְיַן הַכִּשּׁוּף אֶפְשָׁר לְהֵעָשׂוֹת בִּלְתִּי מַעֲשֵׂה שֵׁדִים, וְאָמְנָם גַּם עִם הַשֵּׁדִים יַעֲשׂוּ לִפְעָמִים אוֹתָן. וְאוֹתָן הַשֵּׁדִים שֶׁמִּשְׁתַּמְּשִׁין בָּהֶן לִמְלֶאכֶת הַכִּשּׁוּף נִקְרָאִין מַלְאֲכֵי חַבָּלָה, כֵּן פֵּרֵשׁ רַשִׁ"י זִכְרוֹנוֹ לִבְרָכָה לְפִי שֶׁעִנְיַן הַכִּשּׁוּף לְעוֹלָם אֵינוֹ נַעֲשֶׂה רַק לְחַבֵּל. וּבִפְרָטֵי דִּינֵי הַכִּשּׁוּף בְּלָאו דִּמְכַשֵּׁף נַאֲרִיךְ בּוֹ יוֹתֵר בְּעֶזְרַת הַשֵּׁם, כִּי שָׁם מְקוֹמוֹ, שֶׁאֵין כָּאן אֶלָּא אַזְהָרַת הַדִּין, כְּלוֹמַר שֶׁלֹּא נִמְחֹל לָהֶם אֲבָל נְמִיתֵם. (ה, סנהדרין פט"ו). And the knowledge of the difference [between] these things — which is the mixing He permitted to us that does not contain any angle of magic and which is the one that has an angle of magic and is forbidden as the science of magic — is well-known. And do not think that the craft of magic and [of] demons (shedim) is the same thing. As behold, they, may their memory be blessed, said (Sanhedrin 67b), “‘With their tricks,’ that is the work of demons; ‘with their spells,’ that is the work of magic.” It is implied from this that the matter of magic is possible to do without demons. However, sometimes it is also done with demons. And those demons that are used for the craft of magic are called angels of destruction. So did Rashi, may his memory be blessed, explain — since the matter of magic is always only done to destroy. And about the details of the laws of magic, we will write at greater length in the negative commandment of the witch, with God’s help, as its place is there. As here there is only the warning of the law, meaning to say that we will not forgive them, but [rather] kill them. (See Mishneh Torah, The Sanhedrin and the Penalties within Their Jurisdiction 15.)
וְנוֹהֶגֶת מִצְוָה זוֹ, לַעֲשׂוֹת דִּין בַּמְכַשְּׁפִים, בִּזְכָרִים כִּי לָהֶם יָאוּת וְנִתָּן לַעֲשׂוֹת מִשְׁפָּט, אֲבָל לֹא לִנְקֵבוֹת. וְדַוְקָא בְּאֶרֶץ יִשְׂרָאֵל וּבִסְמוּכִין וּבְבֵית דִּין שֶׁל עֶשְׂרִים וּשְׁלֹשָׁה. וּבֵית דִּין הָעוֹבֵר עָלֶיהָ אִם יֵשׁ בּוֹ כֹּחַ לַעֲשׂוֹת מִשְׁפָּט עָבַר עַל לָאו זֶה, מִלְּבַד שֶׁבִּטֵּל מִצְוַת עֲשֵׂה שֶׁהוּא לַעֲשׂוֹת דִּין בַּמְּחֻיָּבִין דֶּרֶךְ כְּלָל, וְאֵין בָּזֶה מַלְקוּת לְפִי שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ מַעֲשֶׂה, וְכָל לָאו שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ מַעֲשֶׂה אֵין לוֹקִין עָלָיו חוּץ מִנִּשְׁבָּע וּמֵמֵר וּמְקַלֵּל חֲבֵרוֹ בַּשֵּׁם (מכות טז א). And this commandment to administer the laws of those that do magic is practiced by males — since it is fitting [for] and it was given to them to administer justice — and not females. And [this is] specifically in the Land of Israel with ordained judges and in a court of twenty-three [judges]. And a court that transgresses it — if it has the power to administer justice — has violated this negative commandment, besides that it violated the positive commandment, which is more generally to administer justice against those that are liable. And there are no lashes for this, as there is no act [involved] with it. And we do not give lashes for any negative commandment with which no act is involved — except for one who takes an oath, a rebel, and one who curses his fellow with the name [of God] (Makkot 16a).