יחזקאל, פרק י״ג, פסוק כ׳

God declares an active war against the witchcraft and deceptive practices of false prophetesses, promising to dismantle their tools of control and liberate those caught in their traps. He targets their physical accessories directly, specifically the cushions or pads they use to hunt the people [מצודת דוד, רד״ק, מצודת ציון]. God promises to forcefully tear these tools away from the arms that wear them. There are different perspectives regarding whose arms are actually bound by these items. Some suggest the accessories are worn by the witches themselves. Others explain that they are placed on the arms of the vulnerable people seeking their advice, but the action is attributed to the prophetesses because they are the ones orchestrating the magic [רד״ק].

Beyond the physical removal of these items, this tearing action carries a deeper symbolic weight. It represents the future destruction of Jerusalem, an event that will completely wipe away all these false schemes and illusions as if they were ripped directly from the people's arms [מצודת דוד]. The primary goal of these prophetesses is to hunt human lives [רש״י, רד״ק, מלבי״ם], capturing them in a way that causes their souls to fly or flutter away [מצודת ציון].

Commentators offer various ways to understand this concept of souls taking flight. Some view it as a visual metaphor, where the prophetesses hunt human lives just as a hunter catches flying birds [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Others see a psychological tactic at play, where the women use harsh prophecies of doom to convince people they are about to die, causing their souls to practically take flight out of sheer terror [רד״ק]. From a spiritual perspective, this flying represents the destructive act of causing the people to sin, leading the soul to leave the body and face its ultimate ruin [מצודת דוד], or even sending those souls directly to hell [רש״י]. Alternatively, a more mystical approach suggests that the prophetesses capture these souls only to hand them over to impure forces and demons that fly through the air [מלבי״ם].

Despite the perceived power of these false prophetesses, God promises ultimate redemption for the trapped souls. He declares that He will send them free, an act of liberation similar to a bird being released from its nest to fly by its own free will [מצודת ציון]. By breaking the spells and freeing the captive souls, God will save the people from destruction [רש״י, ביאור שטיינזלץ], ensuring that these deceptive women can no longer trick the public or lead them into sin [מצודת דוד].