יחזקאל, פרק י״ג, פסוק י״ח

Divine wrath is directed toward false prophetesses and sorceresses who operated within private homes. Lacking true prophetic vision, these women relied on theatrical magic and physical props to manipulate the public, terrify innocent people, and secure a personal income. Their tools included small magical cushions, which they sewed and tied to the armpits and wrists. Some commentators explain that the sorceresses attached these cushions to the arms of the people seeking their advice [רש"י, רד"ק], while others suggest the women wore the cushions themselves as part of their performance [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Additionally, they placed special veils or head coverings on the people consulting them. Because the ritual was performed on upright, standing individuals, the coverings were placed upon their heads to complete the magical display [רד"ק, מצודת דוד, חומת אנך].

These actions served as a dark, twisted parallel to the Commandment of phylacteries. Just as a person places phylacteries on the arm near the heart and on the head near the brain to dedicate their desires and intellect to God, these sorceresses placed their magical items on arms and heads to capture the minds and hearts of the masses, ultimately drawing them toward heresy and sin [מלבי"ם]. Their primary goal was to trap the souls of the people. Exploiting their influence, they invented false futures that suited their own agendas. They encouraged wicked individuals by promising them good fortune, while breaking the spirits of the righteous by frightening them with terrible predictions, successfully leading the nation away from its faith [רש"י, רד"ק, מצודת דוד].

In response to this manipulation, God poses a sharp rhetorical question, challenging whether these women truly believe they possess the power to hunt and control the souls of His people [רד"ק, מלבי"ם]. The primary approach among commentators views the conclusion of this rebuke as a condemnation of their greed. It questions the morality of leading an entire nation to spiritual ruin simply to earn a wage and sustain their own lives [רש"י, מצודות, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Alternatively, this is seen as a critique of their profound arrogance, as they acted as though their words alone held the power to grant life or cause death. Another perspective simply mocks their absolute helplessness, asking how they could pretend to control the life and death of others when they were completely incapable of guaranteeing their own survival [רד"ק].