## Sifrei Devarim Paragraph 171

###### Sifrei Devarim 171:1
[Sifrei Devarim 171:1](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/171:1)

(דברים יח י) **לֹא יִמָּצֵא בְךָ**, לְהַזְהִיר בֵּית דִּין עַל כָּךְ.

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


###### Sifrei Devarim 171:2
[Sifrei Devarim 171:2](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/171:2)

**מַעֲבִיר בְּנוֹ וּבִתּוֹ בָּאֵשׁ**, אֵין לִי אֶלָּא בְּנוֹ וּבִתּוֹ; בֶּן בְּנוֹ וּבֶן בִּתּוֹ מִנַּיִן? תַּלְמוּד לוֹמַר (ויקרא כ ד): ״בְּתִתּוֹ מִזַּרְעוֹ לַמֹּלֶךְ״

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
"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."


###### Sifrei Devarim 171:3
[Sifrei Devarim 171:3](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/171:3)

עֲדַיִן 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.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
— 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.


###### Sifrei Devarim 171:4
[Sifrei Devarim 171:4](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/171:4)

**קוֹסֵם קְסָמִים**, אֶחָד קֶסֶם מְרֻבֶּה וְאֶחָד קֶסֶם מוּעָט, לְחַיֵּב עַל כָּל קֶסֶם וְקֶסֶם.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
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.


###### Sifrei Devarim 171:5
[Sifrei Devarim 171:5](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/171:5)

אֵיזֶהוּ 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.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
"a diviner": one or many.


###### Sifrei Devarim 171:6
[Sifrei Devarim 171:6](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/171:6)

דָּבָר 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״.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
"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)."


###### Sifrei Devarim 171:7
[Sifrei Devarim 171:7](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/171:7)

**מְעוֹנֵן**, רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל אוֹמֵר: זֶה הַמַּעֲבִיר עַל הָעַיִן;

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


###### Sifrei Devarim 171:8
[Sifrei Devarim 171:8](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/171:8)

רַבִּי עֲקִיבָה אוֹמֵר: אֵלּוּ נוֹתְנֵי הָעִתִּים, כְּגוֹן אֵלּוּ הָאוֹמְרִים: לִמּוּדֵי עַרְבִית שְׁבִיעִיּוֹת לִהְיוֹת חִטִּים יָפוֹת, עֲקוּרוֹת קִטְנִיּוֹת לִהְיוֹת רָעוֹת. וַחֲכָמִים אוֹמְרִים: אֵלּוּ אוֹחֲזֵי הָעֵינַיִם.

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
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. "


###### Sifrei Devarim 171:9
[Sifrei Devarim 171:9](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/171:9)

**וּמְנַחֵשׁ**, אֵיזֶהוּ מְנַחֵשׁ? כְּגוֹן הָאוֹמֵר: נָפְלָה פִּתִּי מִפִּי, נָפְלָה מַקְלִי מִיָּדִי, עָבַר נָחָשׁ מִימִינִי, וְשׁוּעָל מִשְּׂמֹאלִי, וּפָסַק צְבִי אֶת הַדֶּרֶךְ לְפָנַי,

**Sefaria Community Translation:**
*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 …"


###### Sifrei Devarim 171:10
[Sifrei Devarim 171:10](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/171:10)

אַל תַּתְחִיל בִּי, שַׁחֲרִית הוּא, רֹאשׁ חֹדֶשׁ הוּא, מוֹצָאֵי שַׁבָּת הוּא.

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


###### Sifrei Devarim 171:11
[Sifrei Devarim 171:11](https://torahapp.org/share/book/Sifrei%20Devarim/r/171:11)

**וּמְכַשֵּׁף**, 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.

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