יחזקאל, פרק כ״א, פסוק כ״ו

The King of Babylon arrives at a crucial geographical and strategic crossroads, facing a major military decision. He must choose which nation to attack: Jerusalem on his right, or Rabbath of the Ammonites on his left [רד״ק]. To resolve this uncertainty and ensure a successful campaign, he halts his advance to engage in a series of divination rituals. He stands at the head of the split, where the main road, considered the "mother," divides into branching paths viewed as her "daughters" [רד״ק]. Here, he pauses to practice witchcraft, seeking guidance on which path will bring him victory [מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון, רד״ק].

To reach a final decision, the king relies on three distinct methods of magic. The first involves the use of arrows. Commentators offer two main explanations for this practice. One approach suggests a physical action where the sorcerers lightly toss, shake, or shoot arrows into the air [רד״ק בשם אביו]. They then observe the direction the arrows lean or fall to determine the route of the army [רש״י, מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Another perspective explains that the sorcerers would polish and refine the iron arrowheads until they glowed brightly. Once the metal was gleaming, they would gaze into it as if looking into a mirror to see visions of the future [רש״י, מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון, רד״ק].

The second method involves consulting human-shaped idols. The primary approach among commentators is that these figures were used in witchcraft to predict the future and secure good fortune [מצודת דוד, מצודת ציון, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Some explain that these idols were crafted during highly specific astrological hours, which supposedly granted them the supernatural ability to speak and continuously deliver hidden information [רש״י].

The third magical practice relies on examining an animal liver. Skilled Babylonian priests and sorcerers would remove the liver from an animal, sometimes one designated as a sacrifice, and search its surface for signs that could resolve the king's dilemma [רש״י, מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Similar to the method of the polished arrows, some explain that a freshly removed liver possesses a natural, bright shine. The sorcerers would stare into this glossy surface to perform their magic and receive visions [מצודת דוד, רד״ק].