Must a Jew Abstain from Hermetic Magic? A Psak
This really got away from me, so the psak is divided into three parts. This third part covers the question of if a Jew is allowed to practice Hermetic magic, and also provides the final rulings for all three questions addressed in the psak.
Part 3 - Jewish Hermetic Wizards
Mythically Plausible - This post presents a rabbinic opinion - a psak or responsum - as what relationship an observant Jews should have to Hermetic magic. This opinion is intentionally weighted towards leniency to Hermetic magic, because that’s what makes for an interesting story. But it's not an impossible position, and you can imagine it as a persuasive minority ruling, much like how Rabbi Asher’s opinion on the prayer for rain was not adopted, but is still considered a respected opinion. That said, I am aware of no actual halakhic ruling that rules particularly leniently towards sorcerers.
This post is an in-universe text, but it does not hew too closely to the 13th century style so that it might be understandable to a modern audience. Citations are provided by quotation, with no reference to the page of Talmud on which they appear. This is because the standardized page numbers would not be invented for several hundred years, with the adoption of the printing press. A modern reader can look to Sanhedrin 65a, 67a, and 67b for many of the quotations. The text was written by a Rabbi with poor scores (but not nonexistent ones!) in Magic Theory and Order of Hermes lore. So his understanding of the Order and its magic is very imperfect, but hopefully understandable.
A psak often has three parts. The question being asked, often a practical question asked by a member of the community, a discussion of the halachic issues that the question brings up, and finally the answer, the psak proper. This post is the final part of the discussion and the actual psak.
Third and finally, we come to the most difficult question, may a Jew practice sorcery?
We read in Gemara, “Abaye says: The halakhot of sorcery are like the halakhot of Shabbat, in that their actions can be divided into three categories: There are some of them for which one is liable to be executed by stoning, and there are some of them for which one is exempt from punishment by Torah law but they are prohibited by rabbinic law, and there are some of them that are permitted.”
And the Gemera continues, “Abaye elaborates: One who performs a real act of sorcery is liable to be executed by stoning. One who deceives the eyes is exempt from punishment, but it is prohibited for him to do so. What is permitted is to act like Rav Ḥanina and Rav Oshaya: Every Shabbat eve they would engage in the study of the halakhot of creation, and a third-born calf would be created for them, and they would eat it in honor of Shabbat.”
How is this to be understood? Dealing with demons to perform sorcery is prohibited and one is executed by stoning for it. Deceiving the eyes is not permitted, but neither do we punish one for the act. And acts like those of Rav Hanina and Rav Oshaya are permitted.
What is this act of these sages? What do we learn from the fact that this story is repeated twice? The first time the story is stated is to teach that the nations may engage in sorcery, and the second time it is stated is to teach that even the Jews may engage in sorcery, if it is for the right purpose.
It is here that an understanding of Hermetic Magic is useful. These wizards practice five kinds of magic, Creation, Understanding, Change, Destruction, and Control.
Demons cannot practice the magic of Creation, as we learn “Rav Pappa said: By God! They [demons] cannot create even an entity as large as a camel. They do not create anything. Rather, they can gather these large animals, leading them from one place to another.” Demons and the prohibited sorcery is sorcery that cannot create, only deceive someone into thinking they have created. In the same way, there is Hermetic creation magic that is true creation and never fades and Hermetic creation magic that is false and does fade in its time. The former is permitted to the Jewish people.
The Gemara relates that “A man named Yannai arrived at a certain inn. He said to the innkeepers: Give me water to drink. They brought him flour mixed with water. He saw that the lips of the innkeeper woman were moving, and he cast a bit of the drink to the ground, and it turned into scorpions, and he understood that the innkeepers performed sorcery on the drink.” This is the magic of Understanding, which is always permitted because it can be used to save a life.
The story continues, “Yannai said to them: I drank from yours; you too drink from mine, and he also performed sorcery on the drink. He gave it to her to drink and she turned into a donkey. He rode upon her and went to the marketplace.” This is the magic of Change, which is also permitted, but it should only be used righteously.
The magic of Control is more difficult. We have learned that demons use the magic of Control to mimic Creation, by gathering a camel from place to place to pretend as if they have created it. But we learn of Rabbi Eliezar, who knew three thousand halakhot of planting cucumbers by sorcery. Once he spoke with his student, who said to him, “My teacher, teach me about the planting of cucumbers. I said one statement of sorcery, and the entire field became filled with cucumbers. He said to me: My teacher, you have taught me about planting them; teach me about uprooting them. I said one statement and they all were gathered to one place.” This is the magic of Control, which is permitted in certain matters, such as those of planting and harvesting.
But the power of Control has other uses, such as to speak with the dead, and about this the Mishna says, “A necromancer is a pitom from whose armpit the voice of the dead appears to speak.” And Rashi of blessed memory tells us that a pitom is another word for necromancer. “And a sorcerer is one from whose mouth the dead appear to speak. These, the necromancer and the sorcerer, are executed by stoning, and one who inquires about the future through them is in violation of a prohibition.” In this way we learn that the Control of the dead is prohibited.
Our sages do not speak of the magic of Destruction because it is obvious that this is prohibited.
Finally, if more proof were needed, the Gemara finishes its discussion as follows, asking, “How could Rabbi Eliezer have performed that act of sorcery? But didn’t we learn in the mishna that one who performs an act of sorcery is liable? The Gemara answers: Performing sorcery not in order to use it, but in order to teach oneself the halakhot is different, and it is permitted; as the Master says that it is derived from the verse: “You shall not learn to do like the abominations of those nations. There shall not be found among you…one who uses divination, a soothsayer, an enchanter, or a sorcerer”, so that you shall not learn, i.e., it is prohibited for you to learn, in order to do, but you may learn, i.e., it is permitted for you to learn, in order to understand the matter yourself and teach it to others.”
This Hermetic Order exists, above all, to teach and learn, in keeping with the sages' words.
Ruling
Hermetic Sorcerers are not to be understood to be, a priori, idolaters. They do have idolaters among them, so one must be cautious. It is obviously prohibited to associate with an idolater or benefit from idologry, this is a Torah prohibition, and this is no different for the Hermetics than it is for anyone else.
Hermetic Sorcerers who are not Jews are permitted to perform their sorcery, so long as they follow the seven laws given to Noah’s sons. This is a Torah prohibition. Certain Hermetic Sorcerers, such as the Verditius, should be assumed to be working with demons and should be avoided as a fence around the Torah.
Jews are permitted to be Hermetic Sorcerers. It goes without saying that they must continue to follow all of the mitzvot with their sorcery. This is permitted by the Torah, but there are many permissions and prohibitions that come from the Oral Law. The magical acts of Understanding and permanent Creation are kosher. Acts of Control and Change must be considered carefully and a wizard should consult with their local halachic authority. Acts of temporary Creation are prohibited, but not subject to the death penalty. Acts of Destruction are never permitted.
Eitan ben Aaron
Chesvan 4980
Story Seed - Rabbinic Investigation
Another Rabbi Levy ben Asher reads Rabbi Eitan’s psak and finds it abhorrent. How could sorcery be permitted when it is so clearly outlawed by the Torah? He begins to pen a psak of his own, but realizes he knows very little of this Order of Hermes. He recognizes that he has a responsibility investigate these wizards. At first he asks questions to the communities around the covenant, but as his investigation proceeds he may talk to some of the grogs or even some of the magi. How will the magi react to being put under investigation? If magic is inexpertly used to divert Rabbi Levy, what are the consequences if he, for instance, returns home having entirely reversed his position? If Rabbi Levy publishes a screed against the magi will the Quaesitors think that the covenant has endangered their sodales by dealing with the situation clumsily?