Book of God-Fearers

Eliezer ben Samuel

Sefer yire’im, vol. 2, page 6, section 239

1179

Sorcerer

You shall fear your God and observe that which He commanded in Parashat Shoftim: There shall not be found among you anyone who passes his son or his daughter through the fire, one who uses divination, a soothsayer, or an enchanter, or a sorcerer (Deuteronomy 18:10). In Parashat Mishpatim it is written: You shall not suffer a sorceress to…

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The Book of God-Fearers (Sefer yire’im), a Hebrew legal and ethical compendium, is organized around the 613 commandments. The laws are organized into seven broader categories, perhaps with the goal of enabling a weekly review. In the introduction, Eliezer writes that he seeks to inculcate the fear of heaven in his readers. The Book of God-Fearers proved immensely popular, attracting several commentaries, and later was printed frequently. This excerpt is concerned with the prohibition against sorcery.

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