הלכות עבודה זרה וחוקות הגויים ו׳Foreign Worship and Customs of the Nations 6

Halacha 1א׳

הָעוֹשֶׂה אוֹב אוֹ יִדְּעֹנִי בִּרְצוֹנוֹ בְּזָדוֹן חַיָּב כָּרֵת וְאִם הָיוּ שָׁם עֵדִים וְהַתְרָאָה נִסְקָל. הָיָה שׁוֹגֵג מֵבִיא חַטָּאת קְבוּעָה. כֵּיצַד הוּא מַעֲשֵׂה הָאוֹב. זֶה שֶׁהוּא עוֹמֵד וּמַקְטִיר קְטֹרֶת יְדוּעָה וְאוֹחֵז שַׁרְבִיט שֶׁל הֲדַס בְּיָדוֹ וּמְנִיפוֹ וְהוּא מְדַבֵּר בַּלָּאט בִּדְבָרִים יְדוּעִים אֶצְלָם עַד שֶׁיִּשְׁמַע הַשּׁוֹאֵל כְּאִלּוּ אֶחָד מְדַבֵּר עִמּוֹ וּמְשִׁיבוֹ עַל מַה שֶּׁהוּא שׁוֹאֵל בִּדְבָרִים מִתַּחַת הָאָרֶץ בְּקוֹל נָמוּךְ עַד מְאֹד וּכְאִלּוּ אֵינוֹ נִכָּר לָאֹזֶן אֶלָּא בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה מַרְגִּישׁ בּוֹ. וְכֵן הַלּוֹקֵחַ גֻּלְגּלֶת הַמֵּת וּמַקְטִיר לָהּ וּמְנַחֵשׁ בָּהּ עַד שֶׁיִּשָּׁמַע כְּאִלּוּ קוֹל יוֹצֵא מִתַּחַת שֶׁחְיוֹ שָׁפָל עַד מְאֹד וּמְשִׁיבוֹ. כָּל אֵלּוּ מַעֲשֵׂה אוֹב הֵן וְהָעוֹשֶׂה אֶחָד מֵהֶן נִסְקָל:

One who practises communion with ghosts or familiar spirits of his own free will and presumptuously, incurs the penalty of excision. And if witnesses were present and a warning had been previously given, he is put to death by stoning. If the offence had been committed unwittingly, he brings the appointed sin-offering. How is communing with ghosts practised ? The practitioner stands up, offers a certain kind of incense, holds in his hand a myrtle twig, and waves it. He pronounces softly certain words known to the practitioners of this art, till the one who consults him fancies that someone is conversing with him, and answering his questions in words that sound as if they came from beneath the ground in exceedingly low tones almost inaudible to the ear and only apprehended by the mind. Or he takes a dead man's skull, burns incense to it and uses arts of divination till one hears a sound as if a voice, exceedingly low, came from under his armpit and replied to him—all acts of such nature constitute communion with ghosts. Whoever does any of these things is put to death by stoning.

Halacha 2ב׳

כֵּיצַד מַעֲשֵׂה הַיִּדְּעֹנִי. מֵנִיחַ עֶצֶם עוֹף שֶׁשְּׁמוֹ יָדוּעַ בְּפִיו וּמַקְטִיר וְעוֹשֶׂה מַעֲשִׂים אֲחֵרִים עַד שֶׁיִּפּל כְּנִכְפֶּה וִידַבֵּר בְּפִיו דְּבָרִים שֶׁעֲתִידִים לִהְיוֹת. וְכָל אֵלּוּ מִינֵי עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים הֵן וְאַזְהָרָה שֶׁלָּהֶן מִנַּיִן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא יט לא) "אַל תִּפְנוּ אֶל הָאֹבֹת" וְגוֹ':

How is communion with spirits practised ? The practitioner puts the bone of a bird called Yadua into his mouth, offers up incense and performs other acts till he falls down like an epileptic and utters predictions of future events. All these are species of idolatry. Whence is it inferred that they are prohibited ? From the text "Turn ye not unto the ghosts nor unto familiar spirits" (Lev. 19:31).

Halacha 3ג׳

הַנּוֹתֵן מִזַּרְעוֹ לַמּלֶךְ בִּרְצוֹנוֹ וּבְזָדוֹן חַיָּב כָּרֵת. בְּשׁוֹגֵג מֵבִיא חַטָּאת קְבוּעָה. וְאִם עָשָׂה בְּעֵדִים וְהַתְרָאָה נִסְקָל שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא כ ב) "אֲשֶׁר יִתֵּן מִזַּרְעוֹ לַמּלֶךְ מוֹת יוּמָת" וְגוֹ'. וְאַזְהָרָה שֶׁלּוֹ מִנַּיִן שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (ויקרא יח כא) "וּמִזַּרְעֲךָ לֹא תִתֵּן לְהַעֲבִיר לַמּלֶךְ" וּלְהַלָּן הוּא אוֹמֵר (דברים יח י) "לֹא יִמָּצֵא בְךָ מַעֲבִיר בְּנוֹ וּבִתּוֹ בָּאֵשׁ". כֵּיצַד הָיוּ עוֹשִׂים. מַדְלִיק אֵשׁ גְּדוֹלָה וְלוֹקֵחַ מִקְצָת זַרְעוֹ וּמוֹסְרוֹ לְכֹהֲנֵיהֶם עוֹבְדֵי הָאֵשׁ. וְאוֹתָן הַכֹּהֲנִים נוֹתְנִין הַבֵּן לְאָבִיו אַחַר שֶׁנִּמְסַר בְּיָדָן לְהַעֲבִירוֹ בָּאֵשׁ בִּרְשׁוּתוֹ וַאֲבִי הַבֵּן הוּא שֶׁמַּעֲבִיר בְּנוֹ עַל הָאֵשׁ בִּרְשׁוּת הַכֹּהֲנִים וּמַעֲבִירוֹ בְּרַגְלָיו מִצַּד זֶה לְצַד אַחֵר בְּתוֹךְ הַשַּׁלְהֶבֶת. לֹא שֶׁהוּא שׂוֹרְפוֹ לַמּלֶךְ כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁשּׂוֹרְפִין בְּנֵיהֶם וּבְנוֹתֵיהֶם לַעֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים אַחֶרֶת אֶלָּא בְּהַעֲבָרָה בִּלְבַד הָיְתָה עֲבוֹדָה זוֹ שֶׁשְּׁמָהּ מלֶךְ. לְפִיכָךְ הָעוֹשֶׂה עֲבוֹדָה זוֹ לַעֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים אַחֶרֶת חוּץ מִמּלֶךְ פָּטוּר:

He who, of his own free will and presumptuously, offers any of his offspring to Molech, incurs the penalty of excision. If he does so unwittingly, he brings the appointed sin-offering. If the offence was committed in the presence of witnesses and after warning, he is put to death by stoning, as it is said "Whosoever…. that giveth of his seed unto Molech shall surely be put to death; the people of the land shall stone him with stones" (Lev. 20:2). Whence is it inferred that this is prohibited ? From the text "And thou shalt not give any of thy seed to make pass to Molech" (Lev. 18:21), and it is further said, "There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter pass through the fire" (Deut. 18:10). What is the procedure ? A great fire is kindled. The father takes anyone of his offspring and delivers him to the priests who are fire worshippers. Those priests give back the son to the father, after he had been delivered into their hands, that he may be passed through the fire with his father's consent. The father it is who passes his son over the fire with the priest's permission. He makes his son walk through the flames on his feet, from one side to the other. Not that he burns the child in honour of Molech, as sons and daughters were burnt in the worship of another species of idolatry, but merely passing (the child) through the fire constituted the service of the idol called Molech. Therefore, he who performs this ritual to an idol other than Molech, is not liable.