Midrash · Halachah
Sifrei Devarim 171/ספרי דברים קע״א
א(דברים יח י) לֹא יִמָּצֵא בְךָ, לְהַזְהִיר בֵּית דִּין עַל כָּךְ.
1Pisqa’ 1711601. “There shall not be found among you” (Dt. 18:10)—so caution the court to be vigilant about it!161 per. 13:22.
במַעֲבִיר בְּנוֹ וּבִתּוֹ בָּאֵשׁ, אֵין לִי אֶלָּא בְּנוֹ וּבִתּוֹ; בֶּן בְּנוֹ וּבֶן בִּתּוֹ מִנַּיִן? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (ויקרא כ ד): ״בְּתִתּוֹ מִזַּרְעוֹ לַמֹּלֶךְ״
2“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, par. 10:6.
געֲדַיִן 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.
32. 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 therespecifies Molekh (Lv. 18:21),so, too, pass through mentioned herespecifies 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.163
דקוֹסֵם קְסָמִים, אֶחָד קֶסֶם מְרֻבֶּה וְאֶחָד קֶסֶם מוּעָט, לְחַיֵּב עַל כָּל קֶסֶם וְקֶסֶם.
43. “An augur of auguries”164 The procedure of “augury” is explained immediately below. (Dt. 18:10)—all the same is one who augers many auguriesand the augur of a few—he is held liable for each and every augury.
האֵיזֶהוּ 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.
5What, precisely, is an augur?This is the type who grabs his staff and inquires:shall I depart or not depart?165And in this vein, a verse says:“My people consults its stick, and its staff directs it!” (Hos. 4:12)
ודָּבָר 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״.
64. 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 whosexually mounts an Aramean166 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 youanyone 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 daughterthrough [the rite of] a foreign cult,and cuts167 in this context, “cutting” means to “seal a pact.” a covenant with it.As it is said:“Like the calf which they cut in two168and then passed between the parts” (Jer. 34:18). 169
זמְעוֹנֵן, רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל אוֹמֵר: זֶה הַמַּעֲבִיר עַל הָעַיִן;
75. “An oracle”170 (Dt. 18:10)—R. Ishmael says:This one passes his hand over his eye171; root, `-y-n. Another possible derivation is the root: `-n-n, “cloud” (BDB, p. 778)before responding.172 per. 6:2, T. Shab. 7:14.
חרַבִּי עֲקִיבָה אוֹמֵר: אֵלּוּ נוֹתְנֵי הָעִתִּים, כְּגוֹן אֵלּוּ הָאוֹמְרִים: לִמּוּדֵי עַרְבִית שְׁבִיעִיּוֹת לִהְיוֹת חִטִּים יָפוֹת, עֲקוּרוֹת קִטְנִיּוֹת לִהְיוֹת רָעוֹת. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים: אֵלּוּ אוֹחֲזֵי הָעֵינַיִם.
8R. Akiva says:These declare auspicious times [for commerce].For example, they might say:I sense that before the Sabbatical yearthe wheat harvest will be exceptional,but [trade in] uprooted beans will be bad.And sages say:These deceive the eyes173 A second word-play based upon the root, `-y-n.[through apparitions].174
טוּמְנַחֵשׁ, אֵיזֶהוּ מְנַחֵשׁ? כְּגוֹן הָאוֹמֵר: נָפְלָה פִּתִּי מִפִּי, נָפְלָה מַקְלִי מִיָּדִי, עָבַר נָחָשׁ מִימִינִי, וְשׁוּעָל מִשְּׂמֹאלִי, וּפָסַק צְבִי אֶת הַדֶּרֶךְ לְפָנַי,
96. “Or an omen-whisperer”175 “to hiss.” See nakhash (“snake”) below. (Dt. 18:10).What, precisely, is an “omen-whisperer”?176 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!
יאַל תַּתְחִיל בִּי, שַׁחֲרִית הוּא, רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ הוּא, מוֹצָאֵי שַׁבָּת הוּא.
10Or: don’t start with me—it’s too early in the morning!Or, it’s the New Moon today!Or, the Sabbath is over.177
יאוּמְכַשֵּׁף, 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.
117. “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