Originally published in the Masorti Journal (1993) The Mishnah (Sanhedrin 7:11; Sanhedrin 67a) states “The sorcerer (hamekhasef)-one who performs an act is culpable but not one who deceives the eyes (oches haenayim) literally “one who takes hold of the eyes”). Rabbi Akiba says in the name of Rabbi Joshua: “If two men gathered cucumbers “by…