Parshas Shoftim
“There will not be found amongst you… and a sorcerer!” (Devarim 18:10)
It is a negative commandment that one may not try any form of act of magic, and about this the verse says “There will not be found amongst you… and a sorcerer!”. This refers to people who do uncounted acts with different types of herbs and stones, and some of them try to time these acts for certain times and months which are right for those particular acts, and the Torah has distanced us from all of these disgusting and despicable acts as far as possible for they are emptiness and it is unfitting for a holy nation who hold the true Law to think about these revolting things. Instead, one should use one’s thoughts only for His service, for He will fulfill all of the wishes of His people in a good way, when they shelter themselves with His great name and when they put all of their trust and reliance only on His kindness. Since these things are far removed from Him and disgusting in front of Him and they also contain a trace of idol-worship, He warned us with this prohibition and sentenced one who transgresses it deliberately to be stoned, and one who transgresses it unknowingly to bring a sin offering.
This prohibition applies in all places and at all times both to men and to women.
