ויקרא, פרק י״ט, פסוק ל״א

The human desire to uncover the future and communicate with the dead is an ancient pursuit, often drawing people toward dark illusions. The Torah entirely rejects these paths, demanding instead absolute loyalty to God and a life guided by clarity, common sense, and moral freedom. The primary approach among commentators is that this prohibition targets two distinct methods of sorcery and necromancy. The first involves mediums who raise the spirits of the dead [ביאור שטיינזלץ]. Their title derives from a word meaning a hollow vessel or flask [אבן עזרא, פירושי רד״צ הופמן], as the practitioner produces a low, muffled voice that seems to emerge from their stomach or armpit, a phenomenon known in antiquity as ventriloquism [רש״י, תורה תמימה]. Alternatively, this practice is understood as a psychological illusion, manipulating individuals into imagining they hear the dead speaking in a hushed tone [רלב״ג]. The second method involves sorcerers who claim access to hidden knowledge, their title stemming from the root word for knowledge [אבן עזרא]. This ritual involved placing the bone of a bird or a mythical, human-like creature into the mouth and performing ecstatic actions until the bone appeared to speak on its own [רש״י, מזרחי, תורה תמימה].

There is a discussion regarding who exactly is being warned against these practices. Many commentators demonstrate that the prohibition is directed primarily at the sorcerers themselves, as the punishment for performing these acts is extraordinarily severe [מזרחי, שפתי חכמים, גור אריה, העמק דבר]. However, others emphasize that the warning extends to the clients, cautioning them against turning to such practitioners in their hearts, believing in their abilities, or admiring their work [ביאור יש״ר]. The Torah frames this prohibition around the concept of impurity. Since no one actively seeks to become impure, the instruction is understood as a warning against becoming involved with these practices, as mere engagement inevitably leads to defilement [רש״י, מזרחי, גור אריה]. This impurity does not attach itself automatically; it takes hold only when a person actively directs their mind and will toward these forces [תורה תמימה, אדרת אליהו].

The essence of this impurity is understood on several levels. Some view it as a profound and tangible spiritual contamination, rejecting the rationalist perspective that the Torah forbade these acts simply because they are nonsensical [אם למקרא]. Conversely, others explain that this impurity represents a fundamental loss of human freedom. By turning to sorcery, a person abandons God's clear moral law and instead enslaves their intellect and morality to forces of darkness and imagination, thereby forfeiting their free divine image [רש״ר הירש]. The prohibition also forbids turning to the occult as a source of livelihood [העמק דבר], or seeking its guidance even in moments of severe danger and distress [פרדס יוסף]. Nevertheless, commentators agree that the restriction applies strictly to practical engagement. Theoretical study of sorcery for the purpose of understanding its nature or rendering legal decisions, such as the knowledge required by members of the high court, is entirely permitted [ספורנו, תורה תמימה, ביאור יש״ר].

The absolute rejection of the occult is rooted in the recognition of God. Turning to sorcery presents a stark choice, forcing an individual to realize exactly who they are trading for whom [רש״י]. A person must seek answers and prophecy exclusively from Him [בכור שור]. Attributing the ability to foresee the future to the bones of the dead is considered a philosophical and religious abomination. It negates the belief in an orderly world guided by divine intellect, attributing supreme power instead to blind, lifeless matter [רלב״ג]. This concept is powerfully reinforced by the immediate juxtaposition of this prohibition with the commandment to honor the elderly. Rather than seeking guidance through the morbid illusions of spirits and the dead, the Torah directs humanity to value and seek out the clear, settled wisdom of the elders, which is rooted in lived experience and Torah study [רש״ר הירש, קיצור בעל הטורים]. Finally, some later commentators observe that in the modern era, with the global spread of monotheism and divine light, these forces of impurity and sorcery have ceased to exist, and today, belief in them remains only in the minds of the foolish [תורה תמימה, פרדס יוסף].