Enticement to idolatry in Judaism is a capital offence under the Law of Moses. The Talmud distinguishes two types of enticers to idolatry - a mesit (Hebrew: מסית) 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.
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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 (halakhic) 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:
If your brother..or your friend.. entice you secretly, saying: 'Let us go and serve other gods,' ..you shall not consent..neither shall your eye pity him, neither shall you be mercifull, neither shall you conceal him (his wrongdoing); but you should execute him; your hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. And thou shalt stone him.. that he die; because he sought to draw you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage
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;
- Even if the enticee did not worship idolatry in action the enticer is still liable to death
- The enticer is liable to death even without the normal process of warning (Hebrew hathra'ah)
- It is legal for the witnesses to conceal themselves when visualizing the enticer in action
- It is legal to withhold witness material that could potentially save the enticer
- The enticed person himself is obliged to bring the enticer to the stoning area
- 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.