Page 147 - Tzurba M'Rabanan Volume1

ןנברמ אברוצ םנועמו ,ףשכמ ,שחנמ תוכלה · 145

According to the Kesef Mishneh, one who deceives the eyes does receive malkut (as per halacha 9 in the
Rambam), but one could have thought that he would also receive an additional set of malkut due to mechasheif
as well, as this action could be included in both categories. Therefore, the Rambam writes (in halacha 15) that
one does not receive malkut for mechasheif, since that is considered nitan le’azharat mitat beit din.

The Bach suggests a third manner of resolving the contradiction in the Rambam by differentiating between
two kinds of deception of the eyes. The first type involves sorcery, for which one does not receive lashes
because it is associated with a prohibition for which one receives the death penalty [nitan le’azharat mitat
biet din], as stated by the Rambam in halacha 15. The second type involves deception through quick actions
and sleight of hand. This type of action is not included in the prohibition of kishuf, but is included in me’onein.
Regarding this, the Rambam says in halacha 9 that one does receive lashes. 6

a Bach, Yoreh Deah 179 טעק ד״וי | ח”ב . 29
In my humble opinion it seems that there are two types of deception םיניע תזיחא ינווג ירתד הארנ ד”עפלו
of the eyes. והנינ
1) The first is not done through sorcery, rather through אלא ףושיכ ידי לע השענ אלש אוה דחאה
deception and tricks, and is included in [the prohibition of] אל ללכב אוהו הלובחתו המרמ ידי לע
lo te’oneinu. This is also what the Rav [Rambam] wrote in Sefer תוצמה ןינמ רפסב ברה בתכ ןכו וננועת
HaMitzvot, mitzva 32… Regarding this the Rambam wrote that ם”במרה רמא הזלו …ב”ל ןמיס )ןיואל(
if he alleges to the onlookers that he is performing a wondrous השעמ השעש םיאורה ינפב המדמו
action, and there is no doubt that he did do some type of action to דע השעמ םוש השועש קפס ןיאו ןוהמת
deceive them, and for this he receives lashes for the prohibition of
“lo te’oneinu.” אוה וילעו ךכ םהל המדיש םהיניע זחאש
.וננועת אל םושמ הקול
2) The second type of deception of the eyes is done through לע םיניעה תא זחואה אוה ינשה ןימה
sorcery and this is where he deceives people that he did something
where in reality he didn’t do anything. For example, if there is השע וליאכ הארמש אוהו םיפשכ ידי
a cucumber field before us, and he shows us using sorcery that it ןאכ שיש ןוגכ םולכ השוע אלו השעמ
looks like they were picked, but in truth, they did not move from ונל הארמו ןיאושיק האלמ הדש ונינפל
their place, this is also included in the prohibition of mechasheif. תמאה יפלו וטקלנ וליאכ ףושיכ ידי לע
And the Rav [Rambam] writes that one does not receive lashes for ואל ללכב ימנ יוה הזו םמוקממ וזז אל
this prohibition, even if they warned him about the prohibition of הז ואל לע ןיקול ןיאד ברה בתכו ףשכמד
mechasheif, and about the prohibition of lo te’oneinu, and this is the ףשכמד ואל םושמ וב ורתהש יפ לע ףאו
reason: For the deception of the eyes about which they warned אמעט ונייהו וננועת אלד ואל םושמו
him, there is no action, and for the action of sorcery that he did by ןיא וילע ורתהש םיניעה תזיחא לע ירהש
which he deceived their eyes he also does not receive lashes, since השעש ףושיכה השעמ לעו השעמ וב
the prohibition of mechasheif he is not warned with a punishment
of death or lashes unless he performs an act of sorcery, such as הקול וניא ימנ םהיניע תא זחאש דע
he acts on a field full of cucumbers that were actually uprooted שנועל רהזוה אל ףשכמד ואלבד ןויכד
from the ground, and they all come to one place, and here he did השעמ השועד ןכ םא אלא תוקלמו התימ
not perform any act of sorcery, but just deceived their eyes; if so, האלמ הדש לע השועש ןוגכ םיפשכ
he does not receive lashes due to the prohibition of mechasheif ןלוכ ואוביו שממ ורקענש םיאושיק
and he also doesn’t receive lashes due to lo te’oneinu, since for this םיפשכ השעמ השע אל ןאכו דחא םוקמל
action, since for this action, he is warned against mechasheif as well. םושמ יקל אל כ”א םהיניע תא זחא אלא

6. A similar answer is cited by the Kesef Mishneh in the name of Rabbi Yehoshua, one of the grandchildren of the Rambam.

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