ho practices and palms off optical illusions. Rabbi Akiva says,
"He is one who calculates times and hours, and says To-day is good to
start on a journey, To-morrow will be a lucky day for selling, The year
before the Sabbatical year is generally good for growing wheat, The
pulling up of pease will preserve them from being spoiled." According to
the Rabbis, "An enchanter is he who augurs ill when his bread drops from
his mouth, or if he drops the stick that supports him from his hand, or
if his son calls after him, or a crow caws in his hearing, or a deer
crosses his path, or he sees a serpent at his right hand or a fox on his
left, or if he says to the tax-gatherer, 'Do not begin with me the first
in the morning'; or, 'It is the first of the month'; or, 'It is the exit
of the Sabbath,' i.e., the commencement of a new week."

Ibid., fol. 65, col. 2.

"By the term witch," the Rabbis say, "we are to understand either male
or female." "If so," it is asked, "why the term 'witch,' in Exod. xxii.
18, in the Hebrew verse 17, is in the feminine gender?" "Because," it is
answered, "most women are witches."

Ibid., fol. 67, col. 1.

If the proud (in Israel) were to cease, the magicians would also cease;
as it is written (Isa. i. 25), "I will purge away thy dross and take
away all thy tin."

Ibid., fol. 98, col. 1.

Among those who have no portion in the world to come is he who reads the
books of the strangers, foreign books, books of outsiders. See also
Sanhedrin, fol. 90, col. 1. Now Rav Yoseph says, "It is unlawful to read
the Book of the Son of Sirach, ... because it is written therein
(Ecclesiasticus xlii. 9, etc., as quoted, or rather misquoted, in the
Talmud), 'A daughter is a false treasure to her father: because of
anxiety for her he cannot sleep at night; when she is young, for fear
she should be seduced; in her virginity lest she play the harlot; in her
marriageable age, lest she should not get married; and when married,
lest she should be childless; and when grown old, lest she practice
witchcraft.'"

_Sanhedrin_, fol. 100, col. 2.

He who multiplieth wives multiplieth witchcraft.

_Avoth_, chap. 2.

Most donkey-drivers are wicked, but most sailors are pious. The best
physicians are destined for hell, the most upright butcher is a partner
of Amalek. Bastards are mostly cunning, and servants mostly handsome.
Those who are well-descended are bashful, and children mostly resemble
their mother's brother. Rabbi