Parshas Kedoshim

“And you must not fix times!” (Vayikra 19:26)

It is a negative commandment that one must not fix times. For example, one must not say that a certain time is good for a certain action, and anyone who does it at that time will be successful, whereas if he does it at a different time he will not be successful, like the magicians who confuse people say, as it says “And you must not fix times!”.

Included in this prohibition is that which Chazal said that one who conjures, which is an art using sleight of hand and the quickness thereof to make people think that they are doing supernatural things, like for example those who put a rope in the corner of their coat and take out a snake, or they throw a ring in the air and take it out of the mouth of one of the bystanders, or any other similar things. Each one of these evil things is forbidden and he who commits this crime is called a trickster and is included in the prohibition of fixing times and receives lashes.

Amongst the roots of the commandment is that these acts are acts of complete lunacy and madness, and it is not fitting for the really holy nation which Hashem chose for Himself to indulge in false actions. Furthermore, these things are a direct cause for people being brainwashed to leave their trust and belief in Hashem and through this will come to complete denial of Hashem, for he will think that everything which happens to him whether good or bad is coincidental, which depends on the times of one’s actions and does not come from heavenly intervention, and by thinking this he will leave all the foundations of our religion. There is another big loss which comes from conjuring that through this people will think that things which are completely impossible are doable and they will then think that it is possible for supernatural things to happen without the supervision of Hashem, and from this will come a reason to deny Hashem and their souls will be cut off.

This commandment applies in all places and at all times, to men and to women. One who transgresses it and says to people that they should perform certain actions at certain times so that they will be successful, or who performs his actions according to those times, receives lashes. Similarly, one who asks and performs actions at certain times according to the answers he has received, is punished with lashes.