Page 152 - Tzurba M'Rabanan Volume1

150 · Halachot of Sorcery, Magic, and Superstition Tzurba M’Rabanan

Rav Moshe Feinstein also rules leniently about this issue in principal, though he comments that if asked for
a practical ruling, he would avoid permitting it entirely due to the opinions that forbid it.

p Responsa Igrot Moshe, | השמ תורגא ת”וש . 37
Yoreh Deah 4:13 גי:ד ד״וי

…However, it would only be appropriate to prohibit it if םא קר םינחדבהל רוסאל ךייש היה הזו…
the entertainers claim that they do this with certain spells, םהש ףא ,םישחל הזיאב הז ןישועש ורמאי
even though these are spells that do not include sorcery, as םיניע תזיחא אוהד ,ףושיכ י"ע םניאש םישחל
that is called deception of the eyes, in accordance with the םישועש םירמוא םא לבא .א"מרה תבושתכ
responsum of the Rema. But if they say that they are doing האור יניא ,םסרופמו עודי אוה ןכו ,יעבט ךרדב
this in a natural manner, which is [indeed] known and השעמל הארוהל פ”כע לבא .רוסיא םוש הזב
publicized [that that is what they do] I do not see any
prohibition at all. But in terms of giving a practical ruling this ןישוע ןאכבש יתעמש אלו הז ןיינע ידיל אב אל
issue has not come to me, and I have not heard that they have ןמדזנש תומוקמ תצקמבו .ללכב תונחדב
these entertainers here at all. In the few places where I did see אל ,ןחדב םש היהש תונותח לע יתייהש
an entertainer at a wedding, he didn’t engage in these matters. הז ינממ עמשנ אל ןכלו .ולאכ םירבדב וקסעתנ
Therefore, this is all theoretical and not practical halacha, even אנקפתסמ אלש ףא ,השעמל אלו דומילב אלא
though I have no doubt about the actual halacha. If this case אנטמתשמ יתייה השעמל אב היה םאו .הכלהב
were to come to me, I would refrain from ruling out of היה אל םאו .ןירסואה וניתובר דובכ ינפמ
respect for those opinions that say it is prohibited. If this ,יעבט ךרדבד הרומ יתייה טמתשהל רשפא
was not possible, I would rule that when acting in a natural .רתומש ,יעבט ךרד אוהש םסרופמו עודיו
manner, where it is known and publicized that it is a natural
manner, it is permitted. םידלי הברהש עודיד ה"רתכ ףיסוהש המו
םדאל שי יאדוש םיבשוחש דע ,הזמ םילעפתמ
That which his honor added that it is known that there are
many children that are amazed by this and surely think that אלא .הדימה לע זירפה ,םייעבט יתלב תוחכ הז
this person has supernatural powers, this is an exaggeration. יאדו שיו ,אוה לודג םדאש םיבשוח םידליש
Rather, children think that he is a great person, and many אלו ,והומכ אכיא הברהש םיבשוחש םידלי
children certainly think that there are many like him and one .הזב ששח םוש ךייש
need not worry about this.

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