Home -- Content: Series 7 (Laws) -- Translation: English -- Book: 1 (Tora) -- Part: 2 (Negative) -- Prohibition: 37 -- Text
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The Sharia of Moses in the TORA
Part 2 - The 365 Prohibitions of the Tora
37 - CONSULTING A SORCERER WHO USES THE YIDO'A
In his “Mishneh Torah”, Maimonides thus distinguishes between predictions of the future by prophets of the Lord and those by sorcerers, diviners, etc.: “But observers of the times and diviners also predict the future. What is the difference, then, between them and the prophet? The answer is that in the case of observers of the times, diviners, and their like, part of what they say may come true, while part is not fulfilled… or possible none of their forecasts will come true, and they may prove wholly mistaken… But as for the prophet – all his words come true, as it is said, nothing shall fall to the earth of the word of the LORD (2 Kings 10:10), and again it is said, The prophet who has a dream, let him tell a dream; and he who has My word, let him speak My word faithfully. What is the chaff to the wheat?" says the LORD. (Jeremiah 23:28). This means that the words of the diviners are like chaff with which a little wheat has become missed, but the word of God is like pure wheat, wholly free from chaff. And herein Scripture affirms and declares that the prophet will give you true knowledge on all those matters on which soothsayers and diviners, who profess to instruct nations, tell falsehoods.”*