Mishnah
Mishnah

Commentary for Sanhedrin 7:7

הַנּוֹתֵן מִזַּרְעוֹ לַמֹּלֶךְ, אֵינוֹ חַיָּב עַד שֶׁיִּמְסֹר לַמֹּלֶךְ וְיַעֲבִיר בָּאֵשׁ. מָסַר לַמֹּלֶךְ וְלֹא הֶעֱבִיר בָּאֵשׁ, הֶעֱבִיר בָּאֵשׁ וְלֹא מָסַר לַמֹּלֶךְ, אֵינוֹ חַיָּב, עַד שֶׁיִּמְסֹר לַמֹּלֶךְ וְיַעֲבִיר בָּאֵשׁ. בַּעַל אוֹב זֶה פִתּוֹם הַמְדַבֵּר מִשֶּׁחְיוֹ, וְיִדְּעוֹנִי זֶה הַמְדַבֵּר בְּפִיו, הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ בִסְקִילָה, וְהַנִּשְׁאָל בָּהֶם בְּאַזְהָרָה:

One who gives of his seed to Molech is not liable until he gives him to [the priests of] Molech and passes him through fire [from one side to the other.] If he gave him to Molech but did not pass him through fire, or passed him through fire but did not give him to Molech, he is not liable — until he gives him to Molech and passes him through fire, [it being written in one place (Leviticus 18:21): "…you shall not give to pass," and, in another (Deuteronomy 18:10): "There shall not be found among you one who passes his son or his daughter through fire" — Just as there, through fire; here, too, through fire.] Ba'al Ov, a conjurer [He takes the skull of a dead person after the flesh has decayed, smokes incense to it, asks the future of it, and it answers.], one who speaks from his armpits [(And there are some who project the answers of the dead through their armpits)], and yidoni, one who speaks through his mouth — these are liable to stoning. [("yidoni":) an animal called "yidoa," whose face, arms, and legs are like those of a man. It is tied by a cord from its navel to a root in the ground, which gives it life. In hunting it, they shoot arrows at the cord until it is severed and it dies immediately. In the language of the sages it is called "the man of the mountain."] And one who inquires of them [to inform him of the future (as in the instance of Saul)] is in violation of an exhortation, [viz. (Leviticus 19:31): "Do not turn to the ovoth, etc."]

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