Today’s daf is sponsored by Aviva Appleman Jacobowitz in loving memory of Joseph Appleman, Yosef Ben Hillel, on his second yahrzeit. “May his neshama have an aliya!”
Today’s daf is sponsored by Miki Kadosh in loving memory of her father, Daniel ben Avraham.
What distinguishes between two types of idol worship inciters: a meisit, who persuades individuals to worship idols, and a meidiach, who leads an entire city to idol worship? There is a unique legal provision regarding a meisit: witnesses may be hidden to observe when the meisit attempts to convince someone to worship idols – a practice not permitted for any other violation of law. The Mishna states that a meisit can only be a regular person, but what case does this specification exclude? Furthermore, is this Mishna ruling consistent only with Rabbi Shimon’s interpretation, or can it also align with the position of the rabbis?
What constitutes a mechashef (sorcerer)? The Mishna provides a detailed classification of which actions qualify as sorcery and which do not. Why does the Torah use mechashefa, the feminine form of this term? What is the scriptural source indicating that a mechashef is executed by stoning? What is the linguistic origin of the word mechashef?
Several stories involving people who used magic are recounted.
