Musar para sa Exodo 22:17

Each day the wicked Bilaam would come to them to learn the impure names and other forms of sorcery. This is the meaning of the verse, “Balak summoned me from Aram, from the Mountains of the Ancient Time (Bamidbar 23:7), and the verse, “Thus says the man who perceives the vision of the Almighty, the One Who Falls and the One with Open Eyes” (ibid. 3-4). Before Bilaam was able to study sorcery he was first obliged to defile himself through all sorts of impure acts such as having a carnal relationship with his donkey, for such is the custom of the students of sorcery. They must defile themselves and lie with an animal. That is why the Torah places side by side the injunctions, “Whoever lies [carnally] with an animal shall die,” and, “You shall not allow a sorceress to live” (Shemos 22:17-18). For the power of sorcery emanates entirely from the great sources of impurity, Heaven spare us. To begin with, whoever wishes to go to the Mountains of Darkness must prepare incense to offer before Uza and Aza’el so that he may accept them as divinities. At the same time he must abandon the service of Hashem and relinquish all portion in holiness. He must subjugate and indenture himself entirely to the Sitrah Acharah. These are the things that he must accept upon himself when he offers the incense.

Afterwards he should recite: “Master of the Universe, save me, deliver me and give me succor from all sin, transgression and iniquity in the merit of the three commandments mention above. ‘I have placed my trust in You; let me not be ashamed forever; spare me in Your righteousness’ (Tehillim 31:2).” While reciting this verse one should have in mind that it begins with a beis and ends with a yud, for a numerical value of twelve, an allusion to the twelve tribes. Then he should say: “Master of the Universe, in the merit of the twelve tribes guard me and save me from every sin and from every form of the evil eye. Let them have no dominion over me or my offspring or their offspring forever. And do not allow the evil eye to have dominion over my belongings or my body. Hashem, guard my going out and my coming in. Let them be towards life and peace from now and forever. “Hashem is my refuge upon my right hand. Let us know and run to know Hashem as clearly as the dawn when it has gone forth (Hoshea 6:3). No man shall stand up before you; Hashem your God will put fear and awe of you over all the land upon which you tread as He has promised you (Devarim 11:25). Do not allow a sorceress to live (Shemos 22:17). No dog will wag its tongue towards any of the children of Israel (Shemos 11:7). You have been shown that you may know that Hashem is God, there is no other beside Him (Devarim 4:35).” Afterwards, when a man goes out to the street, his intention should be to meditate continually upon the mitzvos, as I have written above in Chapter Two. Even if he should happen to see snow he should reflect that it is one of the four shades of skin plagues. And especially if he should encounter an animal he should conduct himself according to the way I explained in that chapter.