Sanhedrin

R. Johanan said: Why are they [sorcerers] called Kashshafim?  — Because they lessen the power of the Divine agencies.10 There is none else besides Him:  R. Hanina said: Even by sorcery.  A woman once attempted to take earth from under R. Hanina's feet.  He said to her, 'If you succeed in your attempts, go and practise it [sc. sorcery]: it is written, however, There is none else beside him'. But that is not so, for did not R. Johanan say: Why are they called mekashshefim?  Because they lessen the power of the Divine agencies? — R. Hanina was in a different category, owing to his abundant merit. R. Abaye b. Nagri said in the name of R. Hiyya b. Abba: Belatehem refers to magic through the agency of demons, belahatehem to sorcery [without outside help].  And thus it is also said, And the flame [Heb. lahat] of the sword that turns of itself. Abaye said: The sorcerer who insists on exact paraphernalia18  works through demons; he who does not works by pure enchantment. Abaye said: The laws of sorcerers are like those of the Sabbath: certain actions are punished by stoning, some are exempt from punishment, yet forbidden, whilst others are entirely permitted. Thus: if one actually performs magic, he is stoned; if he merely creates an illusion, he is exempt, yet it is forbidden; whilst what is R. Ashi said: I saw Karna's father20  blow his nose violently and streamers of silk issued from his nostrils. Then the magicians said unto Pharoah, This is the finger of God:  R. Eleazar, said: This proves that a magician cannot produce a creature less than a barley corn in size. R. Papa said: By God! he cannot produce even something as large as a camel; but these [larger than a barley corn] he can [magically] collect [and so produce the illusion that he has magically created them], the others he cannot. Rab said to R. Hiyya: 'I myself saw an Arabian traveller take a sword and cut up a camel; then he rang a bell, at which the camel arose.' He replied, 'After that, was there any blood or dung? But that was merely an illusion.' Ze'iri happened to go to Alexandria in Egypt and bought an ass. When he was about to water it, it dissolved, and there stood before him a landing board.22  The vendors then said to him; 'Were you not Ze'iri, we would not return you [your money]: does anyone buy anything here without first testing it by water?' Jannai  came to an inn. He said to them, 'Give me a drink of And the frog came up, and covered the land of Egypt.  R. Eleazar said: It was one frog, which bred prolifically and filled the land. This is a matter disputed by Tannaim. R. Akiba said: There was one frog which filled the whole of Egypt [by breeding]. But R. Eleazar b. Azariah said to him, 'Akiba, What hast thou to do with Haggadah?  Cease thy words and devote thyself to 'Leprosies' and 'Tents.'29  One frog croaked for the others, and they came'. R. AKIBA SAID, etc.