You Shall Not Let a Sorcerer Live and the Manner of Death

Mekhilta DeRabbi Shimon Ben Yochai 22:17

Curated by Arthur·Told by Maggid·

"A sorcerer" (Exodus 22:17): the word implies the masculine, and "a sorceress" implies the feminine. Or, why are acts of sorcery called by the name of women? Because most sorcery is found among women. "You shall not let live" (Exodus 22:17): this is a warning to the court that it must not let the sorcerer live. "You shall not let live." Rabbi Yose the Galilean says: it is stated here "you shall not let live," and it is stated elsewhere, "you shall not let any soul live" (Deuteronomy 20:16). Just as there [the killing is] by the sword, so here [it is] by the sword. But Rabbi Akiva says: it is stated here "you shall not let live," and it is stated elsewhere, "whether beast or man, it shall not live" (Exodus 19:13). Just as there [the death is] by stoning, so here [it is] by stoning. Rabbi Yose the Galilean said to him: Akiva, I derive "you shall not let live" from "you shall not let live" [the identical phrase], whereas you derive "you shall not let live" from "it shall not live" [a different phrase]. He said to him: I derive it from the nations, who have no form of execution except by the sword, while you derive it from Israel, who have many forms of execution. Ben Azzai says: "Whoever lies with a beast shall surely be put to death" (Exodus 22:18). They placed this matter next to it: just as that one is by stoning, so this one [the sorcerer] is by stoning.

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