Commentary for Sanhedrin 7:11

הַמְכַשֵּׁף הָעוֹשֶׂה מַעֲשֶׂה חַיָּב, וְלֹא הָאוֹחֵז אֶת הָעֵינָיִם. רַבִּי עֲקִיבָא אוֹמֵר מִשּׁוּם רַבִּי יְהוֹשֻׁעַ, שְׁנַיִם לוֹקְטִין קִשּׁוּאִין, אֶחָד לוֹקֵט פָּטוּר וְאֶחָד לוֹקֵט חַיָּב, הָעוֹשֶׂה מַעֲשֶׂה חַיָּב, הָאוֹחֵז אֶת הָעֵינַיִם פָּטוּר:

A witch who performs [an actual] deed is liable [to stoning], but not one who "fools the eyes" [i.e., one who gives the impression that an act is being performed, when nothing is being done.] R. Akiva says in the name of R. Yehoshua: Two pick cucumbers [by witchcraft before us]. One picks and is not liable [to death (by stoning)], and the other picks and is liable. [How so?] The one who performs an act [i.e., the one who actually picks them through witchcraft] is liable. The one who "fools the eyes" [i.e., who gives the impression that they are being gathered in one place, when they are not moved at all] is not liable.

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