Una strega che compie [un atto reale] è soggetta [alla lapidazione], ma non uno che "imbroglia gli occhi" [cioè, uno che dà l'impressione che un atto venga compiuto, quando non viene fatto nulla.] R. Akiva dice nel nome di R. Yehoshua: Due pick cetrioli [di stregoneria prima di noi]. Uno sceglie e non è responsabile [fino alla morte (per lapidazione)], e l'altro sceglie ed è responsabile. [In che senso?] Colui che compie un atto [cioè, colui che effettivamente li raccoglie attraverso la stregoneria] è responsabile. Colui che "imbroglia gli occhi" [vale a dire, che dà l'impressione di essere riuniti in un posto, quando non si muovono affatto] non è responsabile.
Bartenura on Mishnah Sanhedrin
העושה מעשה – an actual [deed], [is punished] by stoning.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sanhedrin
Introduction
Mishnah eleven deals with different forms of sorcery.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sanhedrin
ולא האוחז את העינים – shows to other creatures as if he is doing, but is not actually doing anything.
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English Explanation of Mishnah Sanhedrin
A sorcerer, if he actually performs magic, is liable [to death], but not if he merely creates illusions. Rabbi Akiva says in Rabbi Joshua's name: “If two are gathering cucumbers [by magic] one may be punished and the other exempt: he who really gathers them is punished: while he who produces an illusion is exempt.” When the mishnah stated that a sorcerer is liable to be stoned, it meant one who actually performs magic, but not one who creates illusions. [Therefore, modern magicians who use illusions are not obligated for the death penalty]. Rabbi Akiva in the name of Rabbi Joshua illustrates this principle by mentioning a form of magic that must have been at least somewhat known in the time of the mishnah, something like pulling a rabbit out of a hat in our days.
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Bartenura on Mishnah Sanhedrin
שנים לוקטים קשואים – through witchcraft in our presence. One of them harvested and is liable for the death penalty, and his fellow harvested and is exempt from death. How so? He wo performed the deed of harvesting actually through witchcraft, is liable. האוחז את העינים – he showed us as if they were all gathered together in one place and the cucumbers did not move from their places. פטור – [exempt] from the death penalty.
