Maisit


The Talmud distinguishes two types of enticers to idolatry - a mesit is a Jew who seduces an individual to idolatry, while a maddiah is someone who publicly entices many into idolatry. An enticer to idolatry may be both.
Enticement to idolatry in Judaism is a capital offence under the Law of Moses.
The Law of Moses likewise takes a strong and non-compassionate approach to the enticer due to the offensive service of idolatry to which the enticer seeks to draw worshipers. The crime of the enticer to idolatry was so serious and dangerous that in some cases some legal requirements of due process could be relaxed in order to entrap the enticer.
In the Mishneh Torah of Maimonides the prohibition "Not to love an enticer" is listed as a negative commandment.

Hebrew Bible

The source of the commandment is stated in Deuteronomy and establishes successful enticement to commit an act of idolatry as a capital transgression:

Rabbinic interpretation

Considering the extreme stance Deuteronomy 13 takes regarding to enticement to idolatry, Chazal list numerous detail that project the unique methods required to deal with the enticer;
  1. Even if the enticee did not worship idolatry in action the enticer is still liable to death
  2. The enticer is liable to death even without the normal process of warning
  3. It is legal for the witnesses to conceal themselves when visualizing the enticer in action
  4. It is legal to withhold witness material that could potentially save the enticer
  5. The enticed person himself is obliged to bring the enticer to the stoning area
  6. Public announcement of an impending execution of the enticer is required
Although the original context of Deuteronomy is paganism, in some later rabbinic interpretation the passage about the "enticer" was also applied to Christian proselytism.