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1) LIABILITY FOR "MESIS"

(a) (Mishnah): Mesis (that is stoned) is a commoner that entices an individual (to serve idolatry), e.g. he said 'There is an idol in Ploni (a place), it eats and drinks such and such, it rewards and punishes such and such':
(b) This is the only capital transgression in which witnesses hide in order to trap someone:

1. If Reuven (tries to) entice two men, they are witnesses, they testify in Beis Din to stone him;
2. If he entices just Shimon, Shimon should say 'I have friends that would be interested, tell them also'!

i. If Reuven (understands that Shimon seeks to get witnesses against him and) refuses, Shimon should (in Reuven's absence) tell two witnesses to hide in back of a fence; on the other side, he asks Reuven to repeat what he said before.
ii. After Reuven repeats it, Shimon asks 'How can we abandon Hash-m, and serve wood and stones?!' If Reuven retracts, he is exempt.
iii. If Reuven persists 'It is our obligation, it is good for us', the witnesses bring him to Beis Din and stone him.

(c) One who says any of the following is liable:

1. 'I will serve (idolatry)', or 'I will go and serve', 'Let us go serve';
2. 'I will slaughter (or Maktir or Menasech or bow to idolatry)', or 'I will go and slaughter (or...)', 'Let us go slaughter'.

(d) (Gemara) Inference #1: Mesis (that is stoned) is a commoner that entices - but a Navi that entices is choked;

1. Inference #2: One who entices an individual is stoned - one who entices a multitude is choked.

(e) Question: Who is the Tana of the Mishnah?
(f) Answer: It is R. Shimon.

1. (Beraisa): If a Navi enticed, he is stoned;
2. R. Shimon says, he is choked.
3. Enticers of an Ir ha'Nidachas are stoned;
4. R. Shimon says, they are choked.

(g) Question (the next Mishnah, which also discusses those who are stoned): Medi'ach is one who says 'Let us go serve idolatry';

1. (Rav Yehudah): This refers to Medichi Ir ha'Nidachas.
2. This is like Chachamim.
3. Is our Mishnah like R. Shimon, and the continuation of it is like Chachamim?!

(h) Answer: (Both inferences were wrong; also our Mishnah is like Chachamim.)

1. Version #1 - Rashi - part 1 of answer (Ravina): (Inference #2 was wrong -) not only one who entices an individual is stoned, rather, even one who entices a multitude.
2. Part 2 of answer (Rav Papa): (Inference #1 was wrong -) 'Mesis is a commoner' does not exclude a Navi, rather, it alludes to the fact that witnesses hide in order to trap him.
3. Version #2 - Tosfos - Answer #1 (Ravina): Latter clauses of the Mishnah teach bigger Chidushim than the first:

i. (Inference #2 was wrong -) not only one who entices an individual is stoned, rather, even one who entices a multitude;
ii. (Inference #1 was wrong -) anyone (even a Navi) who entices a commoner is stoned, not only a commoner who entices.

4. Answer #2 (regarding Inference #1 - Rav Papa) 'Mesis is a commoner' does not exclude a Navi, rather, it alludes to the fact that witnesses hide in order to trap him.

i. (Beraisa): This is the only capital transgression in which witnesses hide in order to trap someone. We light a candle an inner room, witnesses are the outer room - they can see and hear the Mesis, he cannot see them.
ii. Shimon asks Reuven to repeat what he said before. After Reuven repeats it, Shimon asks 'How can we abandon Hash-m, and serve idolatry?!' If Reuven retracts, he is exempt.
iii. If Reuven persists 'It is our obligation, it is good for us', the witnesses bring him to Beis Din and stone him.

(a) (Mishnah): Medi'ach is one who says 'Let us go serve idolatry.'
(b) If a Mechashef does an act of Kishuf (witchcraft), he is liable; if he only tricks people through slight-of-hand, he is exempt.
(c) R. Akiva says in R. Yehoshua's name, it is possible that two people gather gourds, one is liable, the other is exempt:

1. The one who does an act is liable; the one who does slight-of-hand is exempt.

(d) (Gemara - Rav Yehudah) The Mishnah discusses Medi'ach of an Ir ha'Nidachas.
(e) (Mishnah): Mechashef is one who does an act.
(f) (Beraisa): "Mechashefah" - a man or woman is liable for Kishuf;

1. The Torah uses the feminine form, because most Mechashfim are women.

(g) Question: Which Misah do they receive?
(h) Answer #1 (R. Yosi ha'Galili): It says here "Mechashefah Lo Sechayeh", similar to "Lo Sechayeh Kol Neshamah" (when conquering Eretz Yisrael);

1. Just like there we kill by the sword (like we find in the wars against Sichon and Og), also here.

(i) Answer #2 (R. Akiva): It says here "Mechashefah Lo Sechayeh", similar to "Im Behemah Im Ish Lo Yichyeh" (if they ascend the mountain at Ma'amad Har Sinai);

1. Just like there (it explicitly says that) we stone, also here.
2. R. Yosi (ha'Galili): My verse ("Lo Sechayeh Kol Neshamah") says "Lo Sechayeh", just as it says regarding Mechashefah - you learned from "Im Behemah...", there it says "Lo Yichyeh"!
3. R. Akiva: It is better to learn from my verse ("...Im Ish..."), it also refers to killing Yisraelim, for whom there are four Misos Beis Din - your verse refers to Nochrim, they are always killed by the sword!

(j) Answer #3 (Ben Azai): The verse following "Mechashefah Lo Sechayeh" is "Kol Shochev Im Behemah Mos Yumas" - just as bestiality is punishable by stoning, also Kishuf.
(k) Objection (R. Yehudah): Is the adjacency of the verses sufficient reason to stone a Mechashef?!
(l) Answer #4 (R. Yehudah): Ov and Yid'oni are types of Kishuf, the Torah explicitly taught that they are stoned to teach that every Mechashef is stoned.
(m) Question: We should say that Ov and Yid'oni are two verses that teach the same thing, we do not learn from them to other places!
(n) Answer (R. Zecharyah): We learn from here that R. Yehudah holds that when two verses teach the same thing, we do learn from them to other places.

(a) (R. Yochanan) Witchcraft is called Keshafim, an acronym for MaCHchiSHim FaMalya (Shel Ma'alah, it contradicts (nullifies decrees of) the Heavenly Court, e.g. that a certain person should live).
(b) (R. Chanina ): "Ein Od Milvado (other than Hash-m)" - even witchcraft (has no power).
(c) A woman was trying to weigh the dirt under R. Chanina's feet (for the sake of Kishuf) - he was not concerned.
(d) Question: But R. Yochanan taught, it contradicts the Heavenly Court!
(e) Answer: R. Chanina was different - because his merit was so great, it could not affect him.
(f) (R. Eibo bar Nigri): Wherever it says 'B'Lateihem', this refers to actions done through Shedim, e.g. "V'Es Lahat Cherev ha'Mishapeches";
(g) (Abaye): If the Mechashef is particular about the vessel he uses, he acts through Shedim;

1. If he is not particular about the vessel, he does Kishuf.

(h) (Abaye): The laws of Kishuf resembles the laws of Shabbos - some actions are punished by stoning, some are forbidden but one is exempt, others are permitted:

1. One who does an act is stoned, slight-of-hand is forbidden but one is exempt;
2. It is permitted to do like R. Chanina and R. Oshiya.

i. Every Erev Shabbos they would use Sefer Yetzirah to create a calf, and eat it.

(i) (Rav Ashi): I saw Karna's father (a Mechashef) blow his nose, silk came out.
(j) (R. Elazar): "Vayomru ha'Chartumim (about the plague of lice)...Etzba Elokim Hi" - Paro's Mechashfim recognized that it was not done through Shedim, because Shedim cannot create anything smaller than a barley seed.
(k) (Rav Papa): They cannot create anything at all!

1. Rather, they can *gather* things bigger than a barley seed, not smaller.

(l) Rav: I saw an Arab merchant cut up a camel; he banged on a bell, and it got up!
(m) R. Chiya: You did not see blood afterwards, it was only slight-of-hand.
(n) Ze'iri went to Alexandria of Mitzrayim, he bought (what he thought was) a donkey; when he gave it to drink, the Kishuf ceased, it reverted to a piece of wood. He requested a refund.

1. The sellers: We will refund your money (on account of your stature), we would not do so for others - in this city, a buyer should know to test the merchandise with water, lest it is made through Kishuf.

(o) Yanai (a Mechashef) went to an inn; he asked for water, they gave him Shesisah (water with flour). He saw that the lips of the woman who served him were moving; he spilled some on the floor, it became scorpions.

1. Yanai: Likewise, I will give you to drink! She drank, and turned into a donkey. He rode on her in the market, until one of her friends saw this and negated his Kishuf and she reverted to a woman.

(p) (R. Elazar): "Va'Ta'al ha'Tzefarde'a (singular) va'Tchas Es Eretz Mitzrayim" - one frog came up, it gave birth to hordes of frogs that covered Mitzrayim.
(q) This is like R. Akiva.

1. (Beraisa - R. Akiva): One frog came up, it (gave birth to hordes of frogs that) covered Mitzrayim;
2. R. Eliezer ben Azaryah: Apply yourself to (the very difficult) laws of Tzara'as and Tum'as Ohel, but not Agada!

i. Rather, one frog came up, it called to all the frogs in the world, they came and covered Mitzrayim.