Sanhedrin 7:10-11

Sanhedrin 7:10

A meisis (“enticer”) is a regular person (i.e., not a prophet) who tempts another regular person (i.e., not a multitude) to idolatry by telling him that there is an idol in a certain place that rewards its followers in a certain way. Witnesses are not hidden to catch any offender committing a capital offense except for this one. If the meisis addressed two people and they serve as the witnesses against him, they bring him to the court and they are the ones to stone him. If he addressed only one person, that person should reply that he has friends who would also be interested in this (and bring them so that the meisis will repeat his words in front of sufficient witnesses). If the meisis declines to speak in front of others, they hide witnesses behind a fence and the target of the enticement asks the meisis to repeat what he said privately. When he does, the target asks him, “How can we leave our God in Heaven to worship trees and stones?” If the meisis retracts, then all is well; if he persists, saying that it is our obligation and it will be beneficial for us, then the witnesses hiding behind the fence bring him to court and they are the ones to stone him. The same applies if a person says, “I will serve,” “I will go serve,” “Let us go serve,” “I will sacrifice,” “I will go sacrifice,” “Let us go sacrifice,” “I will offer incense,” “I will go offer incense,” “Let us go burn incense,” “I will pour libations,” “I will go pour libations,” Let us go pour libation,” “I will prostrate,” “I will go prostrate,” or “Let us go prostrate.” A madiach (one who leads others astray) is one who tells (multiple) others (i.e., a city), “Let us go and serve idols.”

Sanhedrin 7:11

A sorceror is one who performs an actual act to be rendered liable, not one who merely performs sleight of hand and tricks the eye. Rabbi Akiva said in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua that if two people were gathering cucumbers (using “magic”), one might be exempt from punishment and the other might be liable. It all depends on whether one performed an actual feat of sorcery – which would render him liable – or if one tricked the eye with an illusion – which would make him exempt.