Related%20passage for Sanhedrin 130:20

תנו רבנן מנחש זה האומר פתו נפלה מפיו מקלו נפלה מידו בנו קורא לו מאחריו עורב קורא לו צבי הפסיקו בדרך נחש מימינו ושועל משמאלו

&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp; He who enquireth of an <i>ob</i> — is that not the same as <i>one that consulteth the dead?</i><span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Deut. XVIII, 11. ');">¹⁸</span> — As has been taught: <i>Or that consulteth the dead:</i> this means <font>one who starves himself and spends the night in a cemetery, so that an unclean spirit [of a demon] may rest upon him [to enable him to foretell the future]</font>. And when R. Akiba reached this verse, he wept: If one who starves himself that an unclean spirit may rest upon him has his wish granted, he who fasts that the pure spirit [the Divine Presence] may rest upon him — how much more should his desire be fulfilled! But alas!<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'What am I to do'. ');">¹⁹</span> our sins have driven it away<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Lit., 'have brought (this) upon us'. ');">²⁰</span> from us, as it is written, <i>But your iniquities have separated between you and your God</i>.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Isa. LIX, 2. ');">²¹</span> &nbsp; &nbsp; Raba said: If the righteous desired it, they could [by living a life of absolute purity] be creators, for it is written, <i>But your iniquities have distinguished between etc.</i><span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Ibid. Raba understands mabadilim in the sense of 'draw a distinction'. But for their iniquities, their power would equal God's, and they could create a world. ');">²²</span> <font>Rabbah created a man</font>,<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' By means of the Sefer Yezirah, Book of Creation. V. next note. ');">²³</span> and sent him to R. Zera. R. Zera spoke to him, but received no answer. Thereupon he said unto him: 'Thou art a creature of the magicians. Return to thy dust.' R. Hanina and R. Oshaia spent every Sabbath eve in studying the 'Book of Creation',<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' The Book of Creation, Heb. Sefer Yezirah, is the title of two esoteric books. The older, referred to here, was a thaumaturgical work popular in the Talmudic period. It was also known as Hilkoth Yezirah (Laws of Creation), and is so called in the same story quoted on 67b. Rashi there states that the creation was performed by means of mystic combinations of the Divine Name, which does not come under the ban of witchcraft. Its basic idea is that the Creation was accomplished by means of the power inherent in those letters (Cf. Rab's saying: 'Bezalel knew how to combine the letters by which heaven and earth were created'. Ber. 55a. Cf. also Enoch LXI, 3 et seq.; Prayer of Manasseh: Ecc. R. III, 11 on the magic power of the letters of the Divine Name), and that this same power could be utilised in further creation. The work was ascribed to Abraham, which fact indicates an old tradition, and the possible antiquity of the book itself. It has affinities with Babylonian, Egyptian, and Hellenic mysticism and its origin has been placed in the second century B.C.E., when such a combination of influences might be expected. It is noteworthy that Raba's statement above, though not mentioning the Sefer Yezirah, insists on freedom from sin as a prerequisite of creation by man, v. J.E., XII, 602. ');">²⁴</span> by means of which they created a third-grown calf<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' (I.e., a calf that has reached one third of its full growth; others interpret: (i) in its third year; (ii) third born, fat]. ');">²⁵</span> and ate it. &nbsp; &nbsp; Our Rabbis taught: <i><font>Me'onen</font></i><span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Observer of times, Deut. XVIII, 10. ');">²⁶</span> — R. Simeon said: <font>That is one who applies the semen of seven male species to his eyes [in order to perform witchcraft]</font>. The Sages say: It is one who holds people's eyes.<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Producing hallucinations in people by opening and shutting their eyes (Rashi). ');">²⁷</span> R. Akiba said: It is one who calculates the times and hours, saying, To-day is propitious for setting forth; tomorrow for making purchases; the wheat ripening on the eve of the seventh year<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' Time was calculated by seven-year cycles. The seventh year was called the year of release, and the land was not to be ploughed or sown therein. Lev. XXV, 1-7. ');">²⁸</span> is generally sound; let the beans be pulled up [instead of being harvested in the usual manner] to save them from becoming wormy. Our Rabbis taught: <font>A<i>Menahesh</i></font><span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' An enchanter, Deut. XVIII, 10. ');">²⁹</span> is onewho says: So and so's bread has fallen out of his hand; his staff hasfallen out of his hand; his son called after him; a raven screamedafter him, a deer has crossed his path; a serpent came at his righthand or a fox at his left;<span class="x" onmousemove="('comment',' All these omens were regarded by the superstitious as generally bad. ');">³⁰</span>

Explore related%20passage for Sanhedrin 130:20. In-depth commentary and analysis from classical Jewish sources.