Sanhedrin 64B

אמר רבי ינאי: אינו חייב עד שימסרנו לכומרין, שנאמר: ״ומזרעך לא תתן להעביר למלך״.

§ R' Yannai says: One is not liable for passing his child through fire to Molekh unless he hands him over to the priests of Molekh, as it is stated: “And you should not give any of your offspring to pass them over to Molekh” (Leviticus 18:21), which indicates that the prohibition is to give, i.e., to hand the child over to the priests.

תניא נמי הכי: יכול העביר ולא מסר יהא חייב? תלמוד לומר ״לא תתן״. מסר למולך ולא העביר, יכול יהא חייב? תלמוד לומר ״להעביר״. מסר והעביר שלא למולך, יכול יהא חייב? תלמוד לומר ״למלך״.

This is also taught in a baraita: One might have thought that one who passed his child through fire but did not hand him over to the priests of Molekh should be liable. Therefore, the verse states: “You should not give.” If one handed over his son to the priests of Molekh but did not pass him through fire, one might have thought that he should be liable. Therefore, the verse states: “To pass,” indicating that passing is also necessary. If one handed over the child and passed him through fire, not to priests of Molekh but rather to priests of another object of idol worship, one might have thought that he should be liable. Therefore, the verse states: “To Molekh.”

מסר והעביר למולך, ולא באש ⁠– יכול יהא חייב? נאמר כאן ״להעביר״, ונאמר להלן ״לא ימצא בך מעביר בנו ובתו באש״. מה להלן באש, אף כאן באש. ומה כאן מולך, אף להלן מולך.

If one handed over his child and passed him over to the priests of Molekh, but he did not pass him through the fire, one might have thought that he should be liable. It is stated here, in the verse: “To pass,” and it is stated there, in another verse: “There should not be found among you one who passes his son or his daughter through the fire” (Deuteronomy 18:10). Just as there, the verse is referring to passing one’s child through the fire, so too here, the reference is to passing one’s child through the fire. And just as here, the verse is referring to one who passes his child over to the priests of Molekh, so too there, the reference is to Molekh alone, excluding any other object of idol worship.