Why Scripture Names the Sorceress and How She Is Judged

"A sorceress" (Exodus 22:17) - the same law applies to a man and to a woman. If so, why does Scripture state "a sorceress"? Because women are most often found practicing sorcery. By what death are they put to death? Rabbi Yose the Galilean says: it is stated here "you shall not allow a sorceress to live," and it is stated elsewhere "you shall not let any soul live" (Deuteronomy 20:16); just as there the death is by the sword, so here it is by the sword. 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: I derived "you shall not let live" from "you shall not let live," while you derived "you shall not let live" from "it shall not live." Rabbi Akiva said to him: I derived an Israelite case from an Israelite case, where Scripture multiplied many forms of death among them; you derived an Israelite case from a gentile case, where Scripture multiplied only a single death among them. Ben Azzai says: it is stated, "you shall not allow a sorceress to live," and it is stated, "whoever lies with a beast" (Exodus 22:18); they placed the subjects next to one another: just as one who lies with a beast is put to death by stoning, so too the sorceress is put to death by stoning. Rabbi Yehudah said to him: shall we, merely because they placed the subjects side by side, take this one out to be stoned? Rather, the medium and the wizard were included in the general category of all sorcerers, and why were they singled out? To draw an analogy to them and tell you: just as the medium and the wizard are put to death by stoning, so the sorcerer is put to death by stoning. And according to Rabbi Yehudah as well, let the medium and the wizard be two verses that come as one, which do not teach. This says that Rabbi Yehudah holds two verses that come as one do teach.