Sanhedrin 7:6 - 7:7

אחד העובד – idolatry in the way that it is the manner to do so.

אחד הזובח – and even though it is not the manner of its worship like one of these four kinds of worship, he liable and all of the other forms of worship outside of these, one is not liable until one worships in the manner of these kinds of worship.

והמקבלו עליו לאלוה – even by merely saying it. And there is an analogy by close textual association to sacrificing, as it is written (Exodus 32:8): “…and sacrificed to it, saying, ‘This is your god….”

והאומר לו אלי אתה – in its presence, and the end section [of the Mishnah] comes to reveal the beginning [part of the Mishnah], for if the Mishnah had only taught the first section, I would think that these words [only] were in its presence, but not in its presence, I would not, therefore, the Mishnah teaches at the end, “in its presence,” so that it follows that at the beginning is “not in its presence” – and even so, he is liable.

המגדף – embrace

עובר בלא תעשה – an extra “you shall not serve them” is written (Exodus 20:5 and Deuteronomy 5:8).

הנודר בשמו – a vow of abstinence (i.e., in place of a sacrifice and for consecration of an object – see Mishnah Nedarim, Chapter 1, Mishnah 2) from all the fruits of the world in the name of the such-and-such idol worship.

המקיים – swears

עובר בלא תעשה – (Exodus 23:13): “Make no mention of the names of other gods: [they shall not be heard on your lips].”

הפוער עצמו – to splash excrement before it.

וזו היא עבודתו – and even if he intended to despise it, for since this is its worship, he is liable for a sin-offering.

והזורק אבל למרקוליס – that we worship him with the throwing of stones, and the removing a stone from before him is also liable, for we also worship him by the removal of stones.

מרקוליס – the reverse of praise; “bitter” is the language of reversal, such as: Master of the charm formula, or instead of the ritually slaughtered hen, praise/decry, praise/disgrace.

זו היא עבודתו – and even if he intended to stone him, he is liable for a sin-offering.

שימסור למולך – transmit it in the hands of the [idolatrous] priests.

ויעביר באש – pass him from one side to the other.

עד שימסור ויעביר באש – as it says (Leviticus 18:21): “[Do not allow any of your offspring] to be offered up [to Molech, and do not profane the name of your God: I am the LORD],” and it is written there (Deuteronomy 18:10): “Let no one be found among you who consigns his son or daughter to the fire…” Just as consigning stated there is by fire, so to the consigning mentioned here is by fire.

אוב זה פיתום – to take the skull of the dead after the flesh had been consumed and make an idolatrous offering of incense with it and divine from it future events and it responds.

והמדבר משחיו – there are those who do it whereby the dead will respond via the arm-pit.

ידעוני – a creature whose name is known and its form is like that of a human being in its face, hands and feet, and it is attached at its navel to a cord that goes out from the root that is rooted in the ground and from there is its life, and when we wish to hunt it, we shoot arrows to the cord until it is broken and it dies immediately. And it is called in the language of the Sages, “a human being of the mountain” [for divination].

והנשאל בהם – who comes and ask to know through them and to tell him something of the future such as Saul (see I Samuel, chapter 28, where Saul consults with the witch of Endor).

באזהרה – (Leviticus 19:31): “Do not turn to ghosts [and do not inquire of familiar spirits, to be defiled by them: I the LORD am your God].”