Today's Laws & Customs:
• "Rosh Hashanah of Chassidism"; begin Tanya study cycle
Chassidim joyfully celebrate today and tomorrow as the Rosh Hashanah ("new year") of Chassidism (see "Today in Jewish History"), with farbrengens (Chassidic gatherings) and an increased commitment to the ways and teachings of Chassidism. Tachnun (supplication) and similar prayers are omitted. We begin anew the yearly cycle of the daily study of the Tanya, Rabbi Schneur Zalman's major Chassidic work (as part of the "Chitas" daily study program.)
Links: The Longer Shorter Way; Today's Tanya Lesson
Today in Jewish History:
• Passing of Maggid (1772)
Rabbi DovBer, known as "The Maggid of Mezeritch", was the disciple of, and successor to, the founder of Chassidism, Rabbi Israel Baal Shem Tov. Rabbi DovBer led the Chassidic movement from 1761 until his passing on Kislev 19, 1772.
Links:
The Maggid's Passing
About Rabbi DovBer of Mezeritch
• Liberation of R. Schneur Zalman of Liadi (1798)
On the 19th of Kislev of the year 5559 from creation (1798), Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi -- a leading disciple of Rabbi DovBer of Mezeritch (see previous entry) and the founder of Chabad Chassidism -- was released from his imprisonment in the Peter-Paul fortress in Petersburg, where he was held for 53 days on charges that his teachings threatened the imperial authority of the Czar. More than a personal liberation, this was a watershed event in the history of Chassidism heralding a new era in the revelation of the "inner soul" of Torah, and is celebrated to this day as "The Rosh Hashanah of Chassidism."
Links: About Kislev 19
• Rebbetzin Menuchah Rachel born (1798)
On the very day that Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi was liberated from prison (see above), a granddaughter was born to him -- the daugher of his son Rabbi Dovber and his wife Rebbetzin Sheina. The girl was named Menuchah Rachel -- "Menuchah", meaning "tranquility" (Rachel was the name of a daughter of Rabbi Schneur Zalman who died in her youth).
In 1845, Rebbetzin Menuchah Rachel realized her lifelong desire to live in the Holy Land when she and her husband, Rabbi Yaakov Culi Slonim (d. 1857), led a contingent of Chassidim who settled in Hebron. Famed for her wisdom, piety and erudition, she served as the matriarch of the Chassidic community in Hebron until her passing in her 90th year in 1888.
Daily Quote:
It is a special kindness that G-d made man to walk upright, so that he looks upon the Heavens; unlike beasts that go on all fours and see only the earth[Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Lubavitch (1789-1866)]
Daily Study:
Chitas and Rambam for today:
Chumash: Vayeishev, 3rd Portion Genesis 37:23-37:36 with Rashi
• English / Hebrew Linear Translation | Video Class• Genesis Chapter 37
23Now it came to pass when Joseph came to his brothers, that they stripped Joseph of his shirt, of the fine woolen coat which was upon him. כגוַיְהִ֕י כַּֽאֲשֶׁר־בָּ֥א יוֹסֵ֖ף אֶל־אֶחָ֑יו וַיַּפְשִׁ֤יטוּ אֶת־יוֹסֵף֙ אֶת־כֻּתָּנְתּ֔וֹ אֶת־כְּתֹ֥נֶת הַפַּסִּ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר עָלָֽיו:
that they stripped Joseph of his shirt: This is the shirt. את כתנתו: זה חלוק:
of the fine woolen coat which was upon him: This is what his father gave to him, more than his brothers. [From Gen. Rabbah 84:16] את כתונת הפסים: הוא שהוסיף לו אביו יותר על אחיו:
24And they took him and cast him into the pit; now the pit was empty there was no water in it. כדוַיִּ֨קָּחֻ֔הוּ וַיַּשְׁלִ֥כוּ אֹת֖וֹ הַבֹּ֑רָה וְהַבּ֣וֹר רֵ֔ק אֵ֥ין בּ֖וֹ מָֽיִם:
now the pit was empty-there was no water in it: Since it says: “now the pit was empty,” do I not know that there was no water in it? For what purpose did the Torah write,“there was no water in it” ? [To inform us that] there was no water in it, but there were snakes and scorpions in it. [From Shab. 22a, Chag. 3a] והבור רק אין בו מים: ממשמע שנאמר והבור רק, איני יודע שאין בו מים, מה תלמוד לומר אין בו מים, מים אין בו אבל נחשים ועקרבים יש בו:
25And they sat down to eat a meal, and they lifted their eyes and saw, and behold, a caravan of Ishmaelites was coming from Gilead, and their camels were carrying spices, balm, and lotus, going to take [it] down to Egypt. כהוַיֵּֽשְׁבוּ֘ לֶֽאֱכָל־לֶחֶם֒ וַיִּשְׂא֤וּ עֵֽינֵיהֶם֙ וַיִּרְא֔וּ וְהִנֵּה֙ אֹֽרְחַ֣ת יִשְׁמְעֵאלִ֔ים בָּאָ֖ה מִגִּלְעָ֑ד וּגְמַלֵּיהֶ֣ם נֹֽשְׂאִ֗ים נְכֹאת֙ וּצְרִ֣י וָלֹ֔ט הֽוֹלְכִ֖ים לְהוֹרִ֥יד מִצְרָֽיְמָה:
a caravan: Heb. אֹרְחַת, as the Targum renders שְׁיָרַת, [אֹרְחַת] because of those who travel on the way (אֹרַח). ארחת: כתרגומו שיירת, על שם הולכי ארח:
and their camels were carrying, etc.: Why did Scripture publicize their burden? To let you know the reward of the righteous, for it is customary for Arabs to carry only naphtha and tar, whose odor is foul, but for this one (Joseph) it was arranged [that they should be carrying] spices, so that he should not be afflicted by a foul odor. [Mechilta Beshallach, treatise 2, section 5] וגמליהם נושאים וגו': למה פרסם הכתוב את משאם, להודיע מתן שכרן של צדיקים, שאין דרכן של ערביים לשאת אלא נפט ועטרן שריחן רע, ולזה נזדמנו בשמים שלא יוזק מריח רע:
spices: Heb. נְכֹאת. Any collection of many spices is called נְכֹאת. Similarly,“and he showed them his entire storeroom of spices (בֵּית נְכֹתֹה)” (II Kings 20:13), the compounding of his spices. Onkelos, however, renders it as a word meaning wax. נכאת: כל כנוסי בשמים הרבה קרוי נכאת וכן (מ"ב כ יג) ויראם את כל בית נכתה, מרקחת בשמיו, ואונקלוס תרגמו לשון שעוה:
balm: Heb. וּצְרִי, a sap that drips from balsam trees, and this is נָטָתּ, sap, which is enumerated with the ingredients of the incense [used in the Temple] (Exod. 30:34-38). וצרי: שרף הנוטף מעצי הקטף, והוא (שמות ל לד) נטף, הנמנה עם סמני הקטורת:
and lotus: Heb. וָלֹט. This is called לוֹטִיתָא in the language of the Mishnah (Shevi’ith 7:6). Our Sages defined it as a root of an herb, called aristolochie, birthwort, in Tractate Niddah (8a). ולט: לוטס שמו בלשון משנה (שביעית ז ו). ורבותינו פירשוהו לשון שרש עשב ושמו אשטורוזי"א [ספלול] במסכת נידה (ח א):
26And Judah said to his brothers, "What is the gain if we slay our brother and cover up his blood? כווַיֹּ֥אמֶר יְהוּדָ֖ה אֶל־אֶחָ֑יו מַה־בֶּ֗צַע כִּ֤י נַֽהֲרֹג֙ אֶת־אָחִ֔ינוּ וְכִסִּ֖ינוּ אֶת־דָּמֽוֹ:
What is the gain: What money [will we profit]? As the Targum renders. מה בצע: מה ממון, כתרגומו:
and cover up his blood: And conceal his death. וכסינו את דמו: ונעלים את מיתתו:
27Come, let us sell him to the Ishmaelites, but our hand shall not be upon him, for he is our brother, our flesh." And his brothers hearkened. כזלְכ֞וּ וְנִמְכְּרֶ֣נּוּ לַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִ֗ים וְיָדֵ֨נוּ֙ אַל־תְּהִי־ב֔וֹ כִּֽי־אָחִ֥ינוּ בְשָׂרֵ֖נוּ ה֑וּא וַיִּשְׁמְע֖וּ אֶחָֽיו:
And… hearkened: Heb. וַיִשְׁמְעוּ, [which the Targum renders:] מִינֵיהּ וְקַבִּילוּ, and they accepted from him. Every instance of שְׁמִיעָה that signifies acceptance, such as this one and such as“And Jacob listened (וַיִשְׁמַע) to his father” (Gen. 28:7),“We will do, and we will listen (וְנִשְׁמָע)” (Exod. 24:7), is translated נְקַבֵּל. Every instance that means the hearing of the ear, [however,] such as“And they heard (וַיִשְׁמְעוּ) the voice of the Lord God going in the garden” (Gen. 3:8),“But Rebecca overheard (שׁוֹמַעַת)” (ibid. 27:5),“and Israel heard (וַיִשְׁמַע) [of it]” (ibid. 35:22),“I have heard (שָׁמַעְתִּי) the complaints” (Exod. 16:12), are all rendered [respectively]: וּשְׁמַע, וּשְׁמָעַת, וּשְׁמָעוּ, שְׁמִיע ַקֳדָמַי. וישמעו: וקבילו מניה. וכל שמיעה שהיא קבלת דברים כגון זה וכגון (לעיל כח ז) וישמע יעקב אל אביו, (שמות כד ז) נעשה ונשמע, מתרגם נקבל, וכל שהוא שמיעת האוזן, כגון (בראשית ג ח) וישמעו את קול ה' א-להים מתהלך בגן, (שם כז ה) ורבקה שומעת, (שם לה כב) וישמע ישראל, (שמות טז יב) שמעתי את תלונות, כולן מתרגם ושמעו, ושמעת, ושמע, שמיע קדמי:
28Then Midianite men, merchants, passed by, and they pulled and lifted Joseph from the pit, and they sold Joseph to the Ishmaelites for twenty silver [pieces], and they brought Joseph to Egypt. כחוַיַּֽעַבְרוּ֩ אֲנָשִׁ֨ים מִדְיָנִ֜ים סֹֽחֲרִ֗ים וַיִּמְשְׁכוּ֙ וַיַּֽעֲל֤וּ אֶת־יוֹסֵף֙ מִן־הַבּ֔וֹר וַיִּמְכְּר֧וּ אֶת־יוֹסֵ֛ף לַיִּשְׁמְעֵאלִ֖ים בְּעֶשְׂרִ֣ים כָּ֑סֶף וַיָּבִ֥יאוּ אֶת־יוֹסֵ֖ף מִצְרָֽיְמָה:
Then Midianite men, merchants, passed by: This is another caravan, and Scripture informs you that he was sold many times. [From Tanchuma Buber, Vayeshev 13] ויעברו אנשים מדינים: זו היא שיירא אחרת, והודיעך הכתוב שנמכר פעמים הרבה:
and they pulled: The sons of Jacob [pulled] Joseph out the pit and sold him to the Ishmaelites, and the Ishmaelites to the Midianites, and the Midianites to Egypt. [From Midrash Asarah Harugei Malchuth] וימשכו: בני יעקב את יוסף מן הבור וימכרוהו לישמעאלים, והישמעאלים למדינים, והמדינים למצרים:
29And Reuben returned to the pit, and behold, Joseph was not in the pit; so he rent his garments. כטוַיָּ֤שָׁב רְאוּבֵן֙ אֶל־הַבּ֔וֹר וְהִנֵּ֥ה אֵֽין־יוֹסֵ֖ף בַּבּ֑וֹר וַיִּקְרַ֖ע אֶת־בְּגָדָֽיו:
And Reuben returned: But when he (Joseph) was sold, he (Reuben) was not there, for his day to go and serve his father had arrived (Gen. Rabbah 84:15). Another explanation: He was busy with his sackcloth and his fasting for disarranging his father’s bed (Peskikta d’Rav Kahana ch. 25. וישב ראובן: ובמכירתו לא היה שם, שהגיע יומו לילך ולשמש את אביו. דבר אחר עסוק היה בשקו ובתעניתו על שבלבל יצועי אביו:
30And he returned to his brothers and said, "The boy is gone! And I where will I go?" לוַיָּ֥שָׁב אֶל־אֶחָ֖יו וַיֹּאמַ֑ר הַיֶּ֣לֶד אֵינֶ֔נּוּ וַֽאֲנִ֖י אָ֥נָה אֲנִי־בָֽא:
…where will I go?: Where will I flee from Father’s pain? אנה אני בא: אנה אברח מצערו של אבא:
31And they took Joseph's coat, and they slaughtered a kid, and they dipped the coat in the blood. לאוַיִּקְח֖וּ אֶת־כְּתֹ֣נֶת יוֹסֵ֑ף וַיִּשְׁחֲטוּ֙ שְׂעִ֣יר עִזִּ֔ים וַיִּטְבְּל֥וּ אֶת־הַכֻּתֹּ֖נֶת בַּדָּֽם:
and they slaughtered a kid: Its blood resembles that of a human. [From Gen. Rabbah 84:19, Targum Jonathan] שעיר עזים: דמו דומה לשל אדם:
the coat: Heb. הַכֻּתֹּנֶת. This is its name. [I.e. this is the absolute state.] But when it is connected to another word [i.e. in the construct state], as in“Joseph’s coat” (כְּתֹנֶת יוֹסֵף) ,“a fine woolen coat” (כְּתֹנֶת פַּסִים) (above, verse 3), [and]“a linen shirt” (כְּתֹנֶת בַּד) (Lev. 16:4), it is vowelized כְּתֹנֶת. הכתנת: זה שמה, וכשהיא דבוקה לתיבה אחרת כגון (פסוק לא) כתנת יוסף, (פסוק ג) כתנת פסים, (ויקרא טז ד) כתנת בד, נקוד כתנת:
32And they sent the fine woolen coat, and they brought [it] to their father, and they said, "We have found this; now recognize whether it is your son's coat or not." לבוַיְשַׁלְּח֞וּ אֶת־כְּתֹ֣נֶת הַפַּסִּ֗ים וַיָּבִ֨יאוּ֙ אֶל־אֲבִיהֶ֔ם וַיֹּֽאמְר֖וּ זֹ֣את מָצָ֑אנוּ הַכֶּר־נָ֗א הַכְּתֹ֧נֶת בִּנְךָ֛ הִ֖וא אִם־לֹֽא:
33He recognized it, and he said, "[It is] my son's coat; a wild beast has devoured him; Joseph has surely been torn up." לגוַיַּכִּירָ֤הּ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר֙ כְּתֹ֣נֶת בְּנִ֔י חַיָּ֥ה רָעָ֖ה אֲכָלָ֑תְהוּ טָרֹ֥ף טֹרַ֖ף יוֹסֵֽף:
and he said, “[It is] my son’s coat…”: It is [my son’s coat]. [From targumim] ויאמר כתנת בני: היא זו:
a wild beast has devoured him: [This means that] the Holy Spirit flickered within him: Potiphar’s wife will ultimately provoke him (Gen. Rabbah 84:19). Now why did the Holy One, blessed be He, not reveal it (the truth) to him? Because they (the brothers) excommunicated and cursed anyone who would reveal [it], and they included the Holy One, blessed be He, with them, but Isaac, however, knew that he was alive [but] he said, “How can I reveal it if the Holy One, blessed be He, does not wish to reveal it to him?” [from Tanchuma Miketz] חיה רעה אכלתהו: נצנצה בו רוח הקדש, סופו שתתגרה בו אשת פוטיפר. ולמה לא גלה לו הקב"ה, לפי שהחרימו וקללו את כל מי שיגלה, ושתפו להקב"ה עמהם, אבל יצחק היה יודע שהוא חי, אמר היאך אגלה והקב"ה אינו רוצה לגלות לו:
34And Jacob rent his garments, and he put sackcloth on his loins, and he mourned for his son many days. לדוַיִּקְרַ֤ע יַֽעֲקֹב֙ שִׂמְלֹתָ֔יו וַיָּ֥שֶׂם שַׂ֖ק בְּמָתְנָ֑יו וַיִּתְאַבֵּ֥ל עַל־בְּנ֖וֹ יָמִ֥ים רַבִּֽים:
many days: Twenty-two years from the time he (Joseph) left him until Jacob went down to Egypt, as it is said: “Joseph was seventeen years old, etc.” (verse 2), and he was 30 years old when he stood before Pharaoh, and the seven years of plenty, “For this is already two years of the famine” (Gen. 45:6) when Jacob came to Egypt. Here are 22 years corresponding to the 22 years that Jacob did not fulfill [the mitzvah] to honor his father and mother: 20 years that he was in Laban’s house, and two years that he was on the road when he returned from Laban’s house, one and a half years in Succoth and six months in Beth-el. This is what he [meant when he] said to Laban, “This is twenty years for me in your house” (Gen. 31:41). They are for me, upon me, and I will ultimately suffer [for twenty years], corresponding to them. [From Gen. Rabbah 84:20, Meg. 16b-17a] ימים רבים: עשרים ושתים שנה משפירש ממנו עד שירד יעקב למצרים, שנאמר (פסוק ב) יוסף בן שבע עשרה שנה וגו' ובן שלשים שנה היה בעמדו לפני פרעה, ושבע שני השובע ושנתים הרעב כשבא יעקב למצרים הרי עשרים ושתים שנה, כנגד עשרים ושתים שנה שלא קיים יעקב כבוד אב ואם. עשרים שנה שהיה בבית לבן, ושתי שנים בדרך בשובו מבית לבן, שנה וחצי בסכות וששה חדשים בבית אל וזהו שאמר ללבן לעיל (לא מא) זה לי עשרים שנה בביתך, לי הן, עלי הן, וסופי ללקות כנגדן:
35And all his sons and all his daughters arose to console him, but he refused to be consoled, for he said, "Because I will descend on account of my son as a mourner to the grave"; and his father wept for him. להוַיָּקֻ֩מוּ֩ כָל־בָּנָ֨יו וְכָל־בְּנֹתָ֜יו לְנַֽחֲמ֗וֹ וַיְמָאֵן֙ לְהִתְנַחֵ֔ם וַיֹּ֕אמֶר כִּֽי־אֵרֵ֧ד אֶל־בְּנִ֛י אָבֵ֖ל שְׁאֹ֑לָה וַיֵּ֥בְךְּ אֹת֖וֹ אָבִֽיו:
and all his daughters: Rabbi Judah says: Twin sisters were born with every tribe, and they married them. Rabbi Nehemiah says: They were Canaanite women. But what is the meaning of“and all his daughters” ? A person does not hesitate to call his son-in-law his son and his daughter-in-law his daughter. [From Gen. Rabbah 84:21] וכל בנתיו: רבי יהודה אומר אחיות תאומות נולדו עם כל שבט ושבט ונשאום. רבי נחמיה אומר כנעניות היו, אלא מהו וכל בנותיו, כלותיו, שאין אדם נמנע מלקרוא לחתנו בנו ולכלתו בתו:
but he refused to be consoled: No one accepts consolation for a person who is really alive but believed to be dead, for it is decreed that a dead person should be forgotten from the heart, but not a living person. [From Gen. Rabbah 84:21, Pes. 54b] וימאן להתנחם: אין אדם יכול לקבל תנחומין על החי וסבור שמת, שעל המת נגזרה גזירה שישתכח מן הלב ולא על החי:
I will descend on account of my son: Heb. אֶל-בְּנִי. There are many instances of אֶל that serve as an expression of עַל, “on account of,” e.g.“on account of (אֶל) Saul and on account of (וְאֶל) the bloody house” (II Sam. 21:1);“because (אֶל) the Ark of God had been taken and because of (וְאֶל) (the death of) (sic) her father-in-law and her husband” (I Sam. 4:21). ארד אל בני: כמו על בני, והרבה אל משמשין בלשון על, (ש"ב כא א) אל שאול ואל בית הדמים, (ש"א ד כא) אל הלקח ארון הא-להים ואל מות חמיה ואישה:
as a mourner to the grave: Heb. שְׁאֹלָה. According to its simple meaning, it is a term denoting the grave. In my mourning I will be buried, and I will not be consoled all my days (Targum Jonathan ben Uzziel). [According to] its midrashic interpretation, however, [שְׁאוֹל means] Gehinom. This sign was given into my hand from God, that if none of my sons dies within my lifetime, I am assured that I will not see the face of Gehinnom. [From Tanchuma Vayigash 9, Midrash Yelammedenu] אבל שאולה: כפשוטו לשון קבר הוא, באבלי אקבר, ולא אתנחם כל ימי. ומדרשו גיהנם, סימן זה היה מסור בידי מפי הגבורה אם לא ימות אחד מבני בחיי מובטח אני שאיני רואה גיהנם:
and his father wept for him: This refers to Isaac. He was weeping over Jacob’s distress, but he did not mourn [for Joseph], for he knew that he was alive. [From Gen. Rabbah 84:21] ויבך אתו אביו: יצחק היה בוכה מפני צרתו של יעקב, אבל לא היה מתאבל, שהיה יודע שהוא חי:
36And the Midianites sold him to Egypt, to Potiphar, Pharaoh's chamberlain, chief of the slaughterers. לווְהַ֨מְּדָנִ֔ים מָֽכְר֥וּ אֹת֖וֹ אֶל־מִצְרָ֑יִם לְפֽוֹטִיפַר֙ סְרִ֣יס פַּרְעֹ֔ה שַׂ֖ר הַטַּבָּחִֽים:
chief of the slaughterers: Those who slaughter the king’s animals. הטבחים: שוחטי בהמות המלך:
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Daily Tehillim: Chapters 90 - 96
• Hebrew text
• English text• Chapter 90
Daily Tehillim: Chapters 90 - 96
• Hebrew text
• English text• Chapter 90
David found this prayer in its present form-receiving a tradition attributing it to MosesThe Midrash attributes the next eleven psalms to Moses (Rashi).-and incorporated it into the Tehillim. It speaks of the brevity of human life, and inspires man to repent and avoid pride in this world.
1. A prayer by Moses, the man of God. My Lord, You have been a shelter for us in every generation.
2. Before the mountains came into being, before You created the earth and the world-for ever and ever You are Almighty God.
3. You diminish man until he is crushed, and You say, "Return, you children of man.”
4. Indeed, a thousand years are in Your eyes like yesterday that has passed, like a watch of the night.
5. The stream of their life is as but a slumber; in the morning they are like grass that sprouts anew.
6. In the morning it thrives and sprouts anew; in the evening it withers and dries.
7. For we are consumed by Your anger, and destroyed by Your wrath.
8. You have set our wrongdoings before You, our hidden sins before the light of Your countenance.
9. For all our days have vanished in Your wrath; we cause our years to pass like a fleeting sound.
10. The days of our lives number seventy years, and if in great vigor, eighty years; most of them are but travail and futility, passing quickly and flying away.
11. Who can know the intensity of Your anger? Your wrath is commensurate with one's fear of You.
12. Teach us, then, to reckon our days, that we may acquire a wise heart.
13. Relent, O Lord; how long [will Your anger last]? Have compassion upon Your servants.
14. Satiate us in the morning with Your kindness, then we shall sing and rejoice throughout our days.
15. Give us joy corresponding to the days You afflicted us, the years we have seen adversity.
16. Let Your work be revealed to Your servants, and Your splendor be upon their children.
17. May the pleasantness of the Lord our God be upon us; establish for us the work of our hands; establish the work of our hands.
Chapter 91
This psalm inspires the hearts of the people to seek shelter under the wings of the Divine Presence. It also speaks of the four seasons of the year, and their respective ministering powers, instructing those who safeguard their souls to avoid them.
1. You who dwells in the shelter of the Most High, who abides in the shadow of the Omnipotent:
2. I say of the Lord who is my refuge and my stronghold, my God in whom I trust,
3. that He will save you from the ensnaring trap, from the destructive pestilence.
4. He will cover you with His pinions and you will find refuge under His wings; His truth is a shield and an armor.
5. You will not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day;
6. the pestilence that prowls in the darkness, nor the destruction that ravages at noon.
7. A thousand may fall at your [left] side, and ten thousand at your right, but it shall not reach you.
8. You need only look with your eyes, and you will see the retribution of the wicked.
9. Because you [have said,] "The Lord is my shelter," and you have made the Most High your haven,
10. no evil will befall you, no plague will come near your tent.
11. For He will instruct His angels in your behalf, to guard you in all your ways.
12. They will carry you in their hands, lest you injure your foot upon a rock.
13. You will tread upon the lion and the viper; you will trample upon the young lion and the serpent.
14. Because he desires Me, I will deliver him; I will fortify him, for he knows My Name.
15. When he calls on Me, I will answer him; I am with him in distress. I will deliver him and honor him.
16. I will satiate him with long life, and show him My deliverance.
Chapter 92
Sung every Shabbat by the Levites in the Holy Temple, this psalm speaks of the World to Come, and comforts the hearts of those crushed by suffering.
1. A psalm, a song for the Shabbat day.
2. It is good to praise the Lord, and to sing to Your Name, O Most High;
3. to proclaim Your kindness in the morning, and Your faithfulness in the nights,
4. with a ten-stringed instrument and lyre, to the melody of a harp.
5. For You, Lord, have gladdened me with Your deeds; I sing for joy at the works of Your hand.
6. How great are Your works, O Lord; how very profound Your thoughts!
7. A brutish man cannot know, a fool cannot comprehend this:
8. When the wicked thrive like grass, and all evildoers flourish-it is in order that they may be destroyed forever.
9. But You, Lord, are exalted forever.
10. Indeed, Your enemies, O Lord, indeed Your enemies shall perish; all evildoers shall be scattered.
11. But You have increased my might like that of a wild ox; I am anointed with fresh oil.
12. My eyes have seen [the downfall of] my watchful enemies; my ears have heard [the doom of] the wicked who rise against me.
13. The righteous will flourish like a palm tree, grow tall like a cedar in Lebanon.
14. Planted in the House of the Lord, they shall blossom in the courtyards of our God.
15. They shall be fruitful even in old age; they shall be full of sap and freshness-
16. to declare that the Lord is just; He is my Strength, and there is no injustice in Him.
Chapter 93
This psalm speaks of the Messianic era, when God will don grandeur-allowing no room for man to boast before Him as did Nebuchadnezzar, Pharaoh, and Sennacherib.
1. The Lord is King; He has garbed Himself with grandeur; the Lord has robed Himself, He has girded Himself with strength; He has also established the world firmly that it shall not falter.
2. Your throne stands firm from of old; You have existed forever.
3. The rivers have raised, O Lord, the rivers have raised their voice; the rivers raise their raging waves.
4. More than the sound of many waters, than the mighty breakers of the sea, is the Lord mighty on High.
5. Your testimonies are most trustworthy; Your House will be resplendent in holiness, O Lord, forever.
Chapter 94
An awe-inspiring and wondrous prayer with which every individual can pray for the redemption. It is also an important moral teaching.
1. The Lord is a God of retribution; O God of retribution, reveal Yourself!
2. Judge of the earth, arise; render to the arrogant their recompense.
3. How long shall the wicked, O Lord, how long shall the wicked exult?
4. They continuously speak insolently; all the evildoers act arrogantly.
5. They crush Your people, O Lord, and oppress Your heritage.
6. They kill the widow and the stranger, and murder the orphans.
7. And they say, "The Lord does not see, the God of Jacob does not perceive.”
8. Understand, you senseless among the people; you fools, when will you become wise?
9. Shall He who implants the ear not hear? Shall He who forms the eye not see?
10. Shall He who chastises nations not punish? Shall He who imparts knowledge to man [not know]?
11. The Lord knows the thoughts of man, that they are naught.
12. Fortunate is the man whom You chastise, O Lord, and instruct him in Your Torah,
13. bestowing upon him tranquillity in times of adversity, until the pit is dug for the wicked.
14. For the Lord will not abandon His people, nor forsake His heritage.
15. For judgment shall again be consonant with justice, and all the upright in heart will pursue it.
16. Who would rise up for me against the wicked ones; who would stand up for me against the evildoers?
17. Had the Lord not been a help to me, my soul would have soon dwelt in the silence [of the grave].
18. When I thought that my foot was slipping, Your kindness, O Lord, supported me.
19. When my [worrisome] thoughts multiply within me, Your consolation delights my soul.
20. Can one in the seat of evil, one who makes iniquity into law, consort with You?
21. They band together against the life of the righteous, and condemn innocent blood.
22. The Lord has been my stronghold; my God, the strength of my refuge.
23. He will turn their violence against them and destroy them through their own wickedness; the Lord, our God, will destroy them.
Chapter 95
This psalm speaks of the future, when man will say to his fellow, "Come, let us sing and offer praise to God for the miracles He has performed for us!"
1. Come, let us sing to the Lord; let us raise our voices in jubilation to the Rock of our deliverance.
2. Let us approach Him with thanksgiving; let us raise our voices to Him in song.
3. For the Lord is a great God, and a great King over all supernal beings;
4. in His hands are the depths of the earth, and the heights of the mountains are His.
5. Indeed, the sea is His, for He made it; His hands formed the dry land.
6. Come, let us prostrate ourselves and bow down; let us bend the knee before the Lord, our Maker.
7. For He is our God, and we are the people that He tends, the flock under His [guiding] hand-even this very day, if you would but hearken to His voice!
8. Do not harden your heart as at Merivah, as on the day at Massah in the wilderness,
9. where your fathers tested Me; they tried Me, though they had seen My deeds.
10. For forty years I quarreled with that generation; and I said, "They are a people of erring hearts, they do not know My ways.”
11. So I vowed in My anger that they would not enter My resting place.
Chapter 96
The time will yet come when man will say to his fellow: "Come, let us sing to God!"
1. Sing to the Lord a new song; sing to the Lord, all the earth.
2. Sing to the Lord, bless His Name; proclaim His deliverance from day to day.
3. Recount His glory among the nations, His wonders among all the peoples.
4. For the Lord is great and highly praised; He is awesome above all gods.
5. For all the gods of the nations are naught, but the Lord made the heavens.
6. Majesty and splendor are before Him, might and beauty in His Sanctuary.
7. Render to the Lord, O families of nations, render to the Lord honor and might.
8. Render to the Lord honor due to His Name; bring an offering and come to His courtyards.
9. Bow down to the Lord in resplendent holiness; tremble before Him, all the earth.
10. Proclaim among the nations, "The Lord reigns"; indeed, the world is firmly established that it shall not falter; He will judge the peoples with righteousness.
11. The heavens will rejoice, the earth will exult; the sea and its fullness will roar.
12. The fields and everything therein will jubilate; then all the trees of the forest will sing.
13. Before the Lord [they shall rejoice], for He has come, for He has come to judge the earth; He will judge the world with justice, and the nations with His truth.
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Tanya: Likutei Amarim, beginning of Approbations
• Lessons in Tanya• English Text
Tanya: Likutei Amarim, beginning of Approbations
• Lessons in Tanya• English Text
• Hebrew Text
• Audio Class: Listen | Download
• Video Class• Tuesday, Kislev 19, 5776 · December 1, 2015
• Audio Class: Listen | Download
• Video Class• Tuesday, Kislev 19, 5776 · December 1, 2015
Today's Tanya Lesson
Likutei Amarim, beginning of ApprobationsTitle Page
The title page written by the Alter Rebbe reads as follows:
ספר
לקוטי אמרים
חלק ראשון
הנקרא בשם
ספר של בינונים
מלוקט מפי ספרים ומפי סופרים קדושי עליון נ״ע
מיוסד על פסוק כי קרוב אליך הדבר מאד בפיך ובלבבך לעשותו
לבאר היטב איך הוא קרוב מאד בדרך ארוכה וקצרה בעזה״י
לקוטי אמרים
חלק ראשון
הנקרא בשם
ספר של בינונים
מלוקט מפי ספרים ומפי סופרים קדושי עליון נ״ע
מיוסד על פסוק כי קרוב אליך הדבר מאד בפיך ובלבבך לעשותו
לבאר היטב איך הוא קרוב מאד בדרך ארוכה וקצרה בעזה״י
SEFER
LIKUTEI AMARIM (“A Compilation of Teachings”)
PART ONE
ENTITLED
PART ONE
ENTITLED
SEFER SHEL BEINONIM (“The Book of the Intermediates”)
Compiled from sacred books and from teachers of heavenly saintliness, whose souls are in Eden; based upon the verse,1 “For this thing is very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it”; explaining clearly how it is exceedingly near, in both a lengthy and a short way, with the aid of the Holy One, blessed be He.
* * *
This verse on which the Tanya is based speaks of the obligation to fulfill G‑d’s commandments, saying that it is very “near”, i.e., accessible, to every Jew to do so — through three channels, which are here alluded to by the three phrases, “your heart,” “your mouth,” and “to do it.” These phrases represent, respectively, the three faculties of thought, speech and action. These are, as it were, the functional organs of the soul; the soul vests itself in them in order to implement its wishes.
In a deeper sense, “your heart” refers to the emotions — experienced in the heart — of love of G‑d and awe of Him.
When one fulfills a mitzvah out of his love of G‑d, knowing that the only way to unite with Him is by fulfilling His commands, he will do so with an inner vitality and pleasure, just as one does when he fulfills the wishes of a dear friend. The love of G‑d is thus a channel for the performance of the positive mitzvot. On the other hand, one’s awe of G‑d will prevent him from acting in violation of His wishes. He who is pervaded by this sense of awe will be most vigilant in avoiding any transgression of the prohibitive mitzvot.
The verse thus declares that acquiring these two emotions of love and awe of G‑d, so that they motivate one’s observance of the mitzvot, is likewise “very near to you.”
This declaration is the basis of the Tanya. The Alter Rebbe now sets out to explain, in both a lengthy and a brief way, howit is very near.
By nature, man’s heart desires material things. To develop a love and a desire for G‑dliness is actually to shift one’s natural desire from one extreme — worldliness, to another — G‑dliness. Nor is awe of G‑d easily attainable. As the Gemara attests, “Is awe of G‑d such a small matter” How then does the verse state that it is, indeed, “very near to you”
The Alter Rebbe will explain two ways by which the attainment of love and fear is very near: one “lengthy”, and the other “brief”.
The lengthy route is contemplation; by pondering deeply on the greatness of G‑d and His kindness, one will generate within himself a love and awe of Him. The shorter route consists of arousing and bringing to the surface the hidden love and awe of G‑d inherent in the soul of every Jew; it is “short” because in this case he does not create these feelings but merely reveals them.
This, then, is the basis of the Tanya.
In his modesty, the Alter Rebbe named the book Likutei Amarim — “A Compilation of Teachings,” claiming that he did no more than collect teachings “from books and teachers.” Chassidic tradition understands “books” as a reference to the works of the Maharal, and the Shelah, and “teachers” as the Baal Shem Tov and the Maggid of Mezritch.
The book is popularly called Tanya, for the word with which it begins.
Approbations
Concerning the approbations of the tzaddikim, Rabbi Yehudah Leib HaKohen2 and Rabbi Zusya,3 the previous Rebbe4cites a tradition originating with the Mitteler Rebbe, the son of the author of the Tanya, as follows.
For twenty years the Alter Rebbe wrote the Tanya, revising, adding and deleting,5 critically examining every word and even (literally) every letter, so that in the final manuscript there was neither a missing nor a superfluous letter, not even the seemingly optional letter vav. Only then did he permit it to be copied and distributed to the public. As a result of the many copies and copyists, however, a great many errors found their way into the text. (It is recorded elsewhere that there were those who intentionally corrupted the text in order to ascribe to the Alter Rebbe heretical views, so that they could later attack him.)6 At that point the Alter Rebbe sent messengers7 to the aforementioned tzaddikkim, to confer with them on the printing of the Tanya and to request their approbations.
Both his colleagues expressed their enthusiasm over the book. R. Yehudah Leib HaKohen said: “The Tanya is an incense to counter all the spiritual plagues besetting the generations just before the arrival of Mashiach.” R. Zusya predicted: “With the Tanya the Jewish people will go out to greet the righteous Mashiach.”
Both indicated in their approbations that they were writing in the week of Parshat Ki Tavo (“when you enter the Land”). One of the emissaries, R. Moshe Vilenker, gave two reasons for this: Firstly, by studying the Tanya thoroughly one “enters the Land” in a spiritual sense, meaning that he makes the essential will of his soul manifest — for the word רצון (“will”) is related to ארץ (“land”).8 Secondly, the ways of serving G‑d taught in the Tanya serve to transmute the curses enumerated in Parshat Ki Tavo into blessings.
Both tzaddikkim, R. Moshe Vilenker went on to explain, similarly indicated their esteem for the Tanya in the way they dated their approbations. R. Yehudah Leib HaKohen wrote “the year תקנ״ו,”9 which is an acrostic for תניא קטורת נשמה ורוח —“Tanya is the incense for the spirit and soul” — in keeping with his comment quoted above; R. Zusya wrote the date as שנת פדותינו — “the year of our Redemption” — indicating, as above, that the Jewish people will greet Mashiach with the Tanya.
הסכמת הרב החסיד המפורסם
איש אלקי, קדוש יאמר לו
מורנו הרב רבי משולם זוסיל מאניפאלי
איש אלקי, קדוש יאמר לו
מורנו הרב רבי משולם זוסיל מאניפאלי
Approbation by the famous rabbi and chassid A G‑dly man of saintly renown Our teacher Rabbi Meshulam Zusil of Anipoli
הנה בראותי את הכתבים של הרב האי גאון איש אלקים קדוש וטהור, אספקלריא המאירה
I have seen the writings of this rabbi10 and gaon; this G‑dly man, saintly and pure; this luminous lens11who brings every subject into sharp focus.
וטוב אשר עשה, ואשר הפליא ה׳ חסדו ונתן בלבו הטהור לעשות את כל אלה
He with his own talents has done well, and moreover G‑d in his wonderful kindness has placed in his pure heart additional strength to do all this (i.e., to write the Tanya),
להראות עם ה׳ דרכיו הקדושים
in order to show G‑d’s People His holy ways.
ורצונו היה שלא להעלות את הכתבים ההם לבית הדפוס מחמת שאין דרכו בכך
It was [the Alter Rebbe’s] intention not to publish these writings, for it is not his custom.
רק מחמת התפשטות הקונטרסים ההם בקרב כל ישראל בהעתקות רבות מידי סופרים משונים
But because these pamphlets12 have spread amongst all Israel in numerous copies by sundry copyists,
ומחמת ריבוי העתקות שונות רבו הטעותי סופרים במאד
and, as a result of the many and various transcriptions, the copyists‘ errors have multiplied exceedingly,
והוכרח להביא הקונטרסים ההם לבית הדפוס
he was compelled to bring these pamphlets to the printing press.
והעיר ה׳ את רוח השותפים, ה״ה הרבני המופלג הותיק מורנו הרב רבי שלום שכנא בן מורנו הרב רבי נח, וה״ה הרבני המופלג הותיק מורנו הרב רבי מרדכי בן מורנו הרב רבי שמואל הלוי
G‑d has aroused the spirit of the [two] partners, the outstanding and distinguished scholar, R. Shalom Shachna, son of R. Noach, and the outstanding and distinguished scholar R. Mordechai, son of R. Shmuel HaLevi,13
להביא הקונטרסים ההם לבית הדפוס בסלאוויטא
to bring these pamphlets to the printing house in Slavita.
ולפעלא טבא אמרתי יישר חילא
I congratulate them on this good deed.
אך עלו בלבם מגור מסביב מן הדפוסים אשר רבו, שדרכן להזיק ולקלקל המאושרים
They were, however, apprehensive of the growing number of printing establishments which are wont to cause damage and ruin to the accredited ones.
אי לזאת גמרנו בלבנו ליתן הסכמה לבל ירים איש את ידו ואת רגלו
In view of this we have resolved to give this approbation so that no man shall lift hand or foot14
לגרום להמדפיסים הנ״ל שום היזק חס ושלום בהשגת גבול בשום אופן
to cause any damage, G‑d forbid, to the aforementioned printers by encroaching upon their exclusive right in any manner.
ואסור לשום אדם לדפוס הספר הנ״ל בלתי ידיעת המדפיסים הנ״ל עד משך חמש שנים רצופים מיום דלמטה
It is forbidden to any person to reprint this book without the knowledge of the said printers for a period of five full years from the date below.
ושומע לדברי אלה יבא עליו ברכת טוב
May he who heeds these words of mine be blessed with good.
הלא כה דברי הדורש זאת לכבוד התורה
These are the words of one who demands this for the glory of the Torah,
היום יום ג׳ שנכפל בו כי טוב פרשת תבא, שנת פדותינו לפ״ק
this day, Tuesday — the day on which the Creator twice saw that “it is good”15 — of the weekly portionTavo, in the year פדותינ״ו (556)16 of the [sixth] millenium.
הקטן משולם זוסיל מאניפאלי
The insignificant Meshulam Zusil of Anipoli
——— ● ———
הסכמת הרב החסיד המפורסם
איש אלקי, קדוש יאמר לו
מורנו הרב רבי יהודא ליב הכהן
איש אלקי, קדוש יאמר לו
מורנו הרב רבי יהודא ליב הכהן
Approbation by the famous rabbi and chassid
A G‑dly man of saintly renown
Our teacher Rabbi Yehudah Leib HaKohen17
A G‑dly man of saintly renown
Our teacher Rabbi Yehudah Leib HaKohen17
חכמת אדם תאיר פני הארץ
The wisdom of the man illumines the face of the earth—
בראותי ידי קדש המחבר הרב הגאון איש אלקים קדוש וטהור חסיד ועניו
when one sees the hand[writing]s18 of the author, the rabbi and gaon, this G‑dly man, saintly and pure, pious and humble,
אשר מכבר נגלה מסתריו
whose hidden [powers] have been revealed long ago (i.e., despite his efforts to the contrary),
יושב בשבת תחכמוני אצל אדונינו מורינו ורבינו גאון עולם
when he sat at the seat of wisdom19 with our lord, master and teacher, the world gaon (i.e., the Maggid of Mezritch, who was a world authority in the revealed aspects of Torah, as well as the supreme authority in the realm of chassidic thought),
ודלה מים מבאר מים חיים
and he drew water from the well of living waters (— some understand this as an allusion to R. Avraham “the angel,” son of the Maggid, for the letters מבאר , meaning “from the well,” also spell אברם).
וכעת ישמח ישראל בהגלות דברי קדשו
Now Israel (an allusion to the Baal Shem Tov, whose name was Israel) will rejoice in the revelation of his holy words — for in Tanya, the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov find lucid intellectual expression,
המחובר להביא לבית הדפוס ללמד לעם ה׳ דרכי קדש
which have been compiled in preparation for the press, to teach the nation of G‑d the ways of holiness,
כאשר כל אחד יחזה בפנימיות דבריו
as anyone can perceive in the inner meaning of [the author’s] words.
והמפורסם אין צריך ראיה
That which is common knowledge needs no proof, and thus the Tanya would actually need no approbation,
רק מחשש קלקול הדבר, שלא יגרום היזק למדפיסים
but for the fear of damage, so that no harm be caused to the printers,
באתי ליתן תוקף ואזהרה לבל ירים איש את ידו ורגלו לדפוס
I hereby sound a firm warning — that no man raise his hand or foot20 to print [the Tanya]
עד משך חמש שנים מיום דלמטה
for a period of five years from the date below.
ושומע לדברי אלה יבוא עליו ברכת טוב
May he who heeds these words of mine be blessed with good.
הלא כה דברי המדבר זאת לכבוד התורה
These are the words of one who speaks thus for the glory of the Torah,
היום יום ג׳ פרשה תבא תקנ"ו לפרט קטן
This day, Tuesday, of the weekly portion Tavo, in the year 556 of the [sixth] millenium.
יהודא ליב הכהן
Yehudah Leib HaKohen
——— ● ———
הסכמת הרבנים שיחיו
בני הגאון המחבר זכרונו לברכה
נשמתו עדן
בני הגאון המחבר זכרונו לברכה
נשמתו עדן
Approbation of the rabbis, long may they live
Sons of the author of blessed memory
Whose soul is in Eden
Sons of the author of blessed memory
Whose soul is in Eden
היות שהוסכם אצלינו ליתן רשות והרמנא להעלות על מכבש הדפוס
Whereas it has been agreed by us to grant permission and authorization to bring to the printing press,
לזכרון לבני ישראל
for a remembrance for the Children of Israel
כתוב דברי יושר ואמת, דברי אלקים חיים של אדוננו אבינו מורנו ורבנו, ז״ל
the21 written works of uprightness and truth,22 “words of the living G‑d” (as chassidic discourses are called)by our lord our father, master and teacher, of blessed memory,
כתובים בכתב ידו הקדושה בעצמו ולשונו הקדוש
recorded personally by his own holy hand in his own saintly expression,
שכל דבריו כגחלי אש בוערות ילהיבו הלבבות לקרבן לאביהן שבשמים
whose words are all like burning fiery coals which ignite people’s hearts, to draw them near to our Father in heaven; —
ובשם אגרת הקדש נקראו, שרובם היו אגרת שלוח מאת כבוד קדושתו להורות לעם ה׳ הדרך ילכו בה והמעשה אשר יעשון
These discourses are collectively entitled Iggeret HaKodesh (“the holy epistle”), being mostly epistles sent by his holy eminence to teach the people of G‑d the way by which they should walk and the deed which they should do; —
“The way...” probably refers to the chassidic paths of self-perfection, those letters offering guidance in attaining love and awe of G‑d and in the proper service of G‑d through prayer and Torah study; while “the deed...” refers to the inspirational letters dealing with charity and the like.
ומחמת שבכמה מקומות הציב לו ציונים בספר לקוטי אמרים שלו, ודברי תורה עניים במקום אחד ועשירים במקום אחר
Inasmuch as [our father] has made reference, in many places,23 to his Sefer Likutei Amarim, and since24“the words of Torah are scanty in one place and ample in another,” so that some subjects in Iggeret HaKodesh are more fully elucidated in Likutei Amarim, and vice versa; —
—ומה גם בשביל דבר שנתחדש בו קונטרס אחרון על איזה פרקים אשר כתב בעת חיברו הספר לקוטי אמרים
Especially also since the [Iggeret HaKodesh] introduces new material (pertaining to Likutei Amarim) in the form of a Kuntres Acharon (“Later Pamphlet”) on certain chapters, which he wrote when he composed the Sefer Likutei Amarim; —
פלפול ועיון עמוק על מאמרי זהר ועץ חיים ופרי עץ חיים שנראים כסותרים זה את זה
[The Kuntres Acharon] consists of profound discussions and insights in passages of the Zohar and Etz Chayim which appear to contradict one another,
וברוח מבינתו מישבם כל דיבור על אופניו שכתב בלקוטי אמרים
and in his understanding spirit [the author] resolves each passage according to its context as explained inLikutei Amarim — and thus this part of Iggeret HaKodesh is certainly directly connected to Likutei Amarim; 25 —
ראו ראינו שראוי ונכון לחברם עם ספר לקוטי אמרים ואגרת התשובה של כבוד קדושת אדוננו אבינו מורנו ורבנו זכרונו לברכה
Accordingly, we have deemed it proper to join [the discourses in Iggeret HaKodesh] to the Sefer Likutei Amarim and Iggeret HaTeshuvah of his saintly eminence our lord father, master and teacher (i.e., to print them together).
אי לזאת באנו להטיל גודא רבה וגזרת נח״ש דרבנן דלית לה אסוותא
Therefore we hereby place a great fence (i.e., prohibition) and the נח״ש26 (i.e., excommunication) of the Rabbis for which there is no remedy,
שלא ירים איש את ידו להדפיס כתבניתם או זה בלא זה
that no man lift his hand27 to print [these discourses] in their present form together with the Likutei Amarim,or one without the other,
משך חמשה שנים מיום דלמטה
for a period of five years from the date below.28
ברם כגון דא צריך לאודועי
This, however, must be made known:
שבעוונותינו הרבים ספו תמו כתבי ידו הקדושה בעצמו, אשר היו בדקדוק גדול לא חסר ולא יתיר אות אחת
To our misfortune29 the manuscripts written by his personal saintly hand which were composed with great precision without a superfluous or deficient letter, have become extinct.
ולא נשאר כי אם זה המעט מהרבה אשר נלקטו אחד לאחד מהעתקות המפוזרים אצל התלמידים
All that has remained from the abundance of material is this small number of writings, which have been collected one by one from the copies spread amongst the disciples.
ואם המצא תמצא איזה טעות שגיאות מי יבין , ימצא הטעות דמוכח מטעות סופר והכוונה תהיה ברורה
Should, therefore, an error be discovered — for “who can avoid errors”30 — the obvious error will be identified as deriving from a scribal slip, but the meaning will be clear.
נאום דוב בער בן אדוני אבי מורי ורבי הגאון החסיד קדוש ישראל, מרנא ורבנא שניאור זלמן, זכרונו לברכה, נשמתו בגנזי מרומים
Declared by Dov Ber, the son of my lord father, teacher and master, gaon and chassid, saint of Israel, our teacher and master Shneur Zalman, of blessed memory, whose soul rests in the hidden treasurehouses of heaven.
ונאום חיים אברהם בן אדוני אבי מורי ורבי הגאון החסיד מרנא ורבנא שניאור זלמן, זכר צדיק לברכה, נשמתו בגנזי מרומים
Declared also by Chayim Avraham, the son of my lord father, teacher and master, gaon and chassid, our teacher and master Shneur Zalman; may the memory of the tzaddik be blessed, whose soul rests in the hidden treasurehouses of heaven.
ונאום משה בן אדוני אבי מורי ורבי הגאון החסיד שניאור זלמן זכרונו לברכה, נשמתו בגנזי מרומים
Declared also by Moshe, the son of my lord father, teacher and master, gaon and chassid, Shneur Zalman, of blessed memory, whose soul rests in the hidden treasurehouses of heaven.31
——— ● ———
| FOOTNOTES | |
| 1. | Devarim 30:14. |
| 2. | The Alter Rebbe’s colleague, and a disciple of the Maggid of Mezritch. |
| 3. | The Alter Rebbe’s colleague, and a disciple of the Maggid of Mezritch. |
| 4. | Rabbi Yosef Yitzchak Schneersohn of Lubavitch. See Iggerot Kodesh — Admur HaRayatz (KPS, Brooklyn, N.Y., 5742/1982), Vol. IV, pp. 264-267. |
| 5. | Examine well the first redaction of Likutei Amarim (reproduced by KPS, Brooklyn, N.Y. 5742/1982), and notes there. It is reasonable to assume that there were also many emendations in the text before the manuscript was released to the public to be copied. (— Comment by the Rebbe) |
| 6. | This adds insight to the Alter Rebbe’s reference — at the end of his Compiler’s Foreword — to “sundry and diverse” copyists (who caused errors to creep into the text), and likewise his statement that the printed Tanya would be “cleared of dross and errors.” (— Comment by the Rebbe) |
| 7. | As recorded in Iggerot Kodesh, loc. cit., the messengers were three renowned chassidim — R. Moshe Vilenker, R. Pinchas of Shklov and R. Yitzchak Moshe of Yass (Jassy). |
| 8. | See Bereishit Rabbah 5:7: “Why is it calledd ארץ (land)? שרצתה לעשות רצון קונה — Because it desired to do the Will of its Creator.” |
| 9. | I.e., the year 556 (corresponding to 1796); if written in full (ה׳תקנ״ו) it would appear as 5556. |
| 10. | Note that the author’s name appeared in neither the title page nor the approbations in the first seven editions. Only beginning with the eighth edition (Shklov, 5574/1814) was the author’s name included, posthumously, when also the approbation by the Alter Rebbe’s sons first appeared. |
| 11. | See Yevamot 49b on the superiority of Moshe Rabbeinu: “All the prophets gazed at Divinity through a non-luminous (or reflective‘) lens; Moshe Rabbeinu gazed through a luminous (or clear) lens.” Rambam defines this superiority in his Yad, Yesodei HaTorah, ch. 6; Moreh Nevuchim II, ch. 35; and his commentary on the Mishnah, introduction to the chapter known as Chelek, in Tractate Sanhedrin, Principle 7. (— Comment by the Rebbe) |
| 12. | The Tanya was first distributed in the form of kuntreisim (“pamphlets”). See Tanya, KPS edition (Brooklyn, N.Y. 1958), p. 407. |
| 13. | The first is the Alter Rebbe’s son-in-law and father of Rabbi Menachem Mendel of Lubavitch, third leader of Chabad; the second is R. Mordechai Gorowitz, the printer of Shklov. |
| 14. | From Bereishit 41:44; i.e., “shall take any liberties.” |
| 15. | Bereishit 1:10, 12. |
| 16. | I.e., 1796 |
| 17. | Author of Or HaGanuz. Perhaps this approbation explains the most unusual phenomenon of the Tzemach Tzedek’s granting an approbation to the above work. (— Comment by the Rebbe) |
| 18. | The original reads, “the hands of” — perhaps a copyist’s error. (— Comment by the Rebbe) |
| 19. | From II Shmuel 23:8. |
| 20. | From Bereishit 41:44; i.e., “shall take any liberties.” |
| 21. | Paraphrase of Kohelet 12:10. |
| 22. | Siddur, from the passage preceding Keriat Shema. |
| 23. | In sections 3, 5, 6, 17, 18, 20, (25?), 29, and in” Kuntres Acharon, sec. beg. “And charity like a mighty stream...” |
| 24. | Paraphrase of Talmud Yerushalmi, Rosh HaShanah 3:5, which is quoted in Tosafot on Keritot 14a, s.v. אלא. |
| 25. | Howerver, see the passage that introduces Kuntres Acharon, Essay One, in Vol. V of this series, p. 259. |
| 26. | נדוי, חרם, שמתא — three forms of excommunication, which also form in acrostic the word נח״ש — “snake”, hence the expression “for which (i.e. ‘for whose bite’) there is no remedy” (cf. Tractate Shabbat 110a). |
| 27. | From Bereishit 41:44; i.e., “shall take any liberties.” |
| 28. | The Shklov 5574 edition bears the date “Thursday, the 22nd of Iyar, 5574,” subsequently omitted. |
| 29. | Literally, “on account of our many sins.” |
| 30. | Tehillim 19:13. |
| 31. | “To date, I have found no explanation for the variations in the titles with which each of the Alter Rebbe’s sons describes his father in his signature, and why each in succession omits two words from the signature of the one before him (as the text appears in all editions beginning with that of 5660 1900).” (— Comment by the Rebbe) It has been suggested that at the time of signing the approbation, the first signatory, as the Alter Rebbe’s successor, was himself a Rebbe, a “saint in Israel”; he therefore emphasizes the Alter Rebbe’s greatness in being a “saint in Israel.” The second signatory was at the time a rav and a halachic authority, and he therefore places the emphasis on the Alter Rebbe’s greatness as “our master and teacher.” The third signatory was then a gaon and a chassid (as is known from the traditions handed on by the leaders of Chabad), and he therefore emphasizes the Alter Rebbe’s greatness as a gaonand chassid. In the same vein we could also understand the distinctive phrase, “the memory of the tzaddik be blessed,” in the second signature — based on the tradition that the second signatory was outstanding in his righteousness and humility. |
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Rambam:
• Sefer Hamitzvos:• English Text | Hebrew Text |
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Rambam:
• Sefer Hamitzvos:• English Text | Hebrew Text |
Audio: Listen | Download | Video Class
• Tuesday, Kislev 19, 5776 · December 1, 2015
Today's Mitzvah
A daily digest of Maimonides’ classic work "Sefer Hamitzvot"
Negative Commandment 10
Studying Foreign Theologies
"Do not turn to the idols"—Leviticus 19:4.
We are forbidden to study or even dabble in idolatrous teachings. Such activity can lead an individual without sufficient intelligence or knowledge to stray after these false teachings. Furthermore, it is forbidden to even gaze at an idol or idolatrous icon.
Full text of this Mitzvah »
Negative Commandment 47
Straying After Incorrect Beliefs and Illicit Pleasures
"And that you stray not after your heart and eyes"—Numbers 15:39.
We are to keep our eyes and hearts in check, never succumbing to the allure of beliefs and urges antithetical to Torah values. We are obligated to maintain control over our thoughts—not to allow our hearts to lead us to heretical beliefs, nor our eyes to lead us to indulge in thoughts about illicit pleasures.
Full text of this Mitzvah »
Negative Commandment 60
Cursing G‑d
"Do not curse G‑d"—Exodus 22:27.
We are forbidden to curse G‑d. This prohibition applies whether using one of G‑d's holy names, or even if referring to Him through other monikers.
Full text of this Mitzvah »
Negative Commandment 6
Unique Modes of Idol Worship
"Do not worship them"—Exodus 20:5.
We are forbidden to worship an idol employing any practice unique to that idol. For example, in ancient times there was an idol called Markulis. Its worship called for casting a rock in its direction. Throwing a rock at Markulis would be a violation of this prohibition—while throwing a rock at any other idol would not.
(This is in addition to specific modes of idol worship that are forbidden whether or not they are part of the protocol prescribed for that deity. See Negative Mitzvah 5 for more on this topic.)
Full text of this Mitzvah »
Negative Commandment 5
Idol Worship
"Do not bow down to them"—Exodus 20:5.
It is forbidden to worship any deity other than the One G‑d in any of the following manners: 1) Bowing. 2) Slaughtering a sacrifice. 3) Pouring a libation. 4) Burning a sacrifice on an altar. These prohibitions apply even if these acts are not the accepted way of worshipping that particular deity.
Aside for these four actions, it is also forbidden to verbally declare belief in a deity other than G‑d.
Full text of this Mitzvah »
Negative Commandment 2
Manufacturing Idols
"Do not make any carved idols for yourself"—Exodus 20:4.
It is forbidden to make, or to commission the making of, a graven image for the sake of worshipping it.
Full text of this Mitzvah »
Negative Commandment 3
Making Idols for Others
"Do not make gods out of metal for yourselves"—Leviticus 19:4.
It is forbidden to create a graven image for another, even for a non-Jew.
Full text of this Mitzvah »
Negative Commandment 4
Ornamental Statuettes
"Do not make with Me gods of silver or gold; you shall not make for yourselves"—Exodus 20:20.
We are not allowed to create the graven image of a human being, even if only for ornamental or decorative purposes.
Full text of this Mitzvah »
Negative Commandment 15
Inciting a Group to Idol Worship
"Neither let [idolatry] be heard from your mouth"—Exodus 23:13.
It is forbidden to incite a populace to idolatry.
Full text of this Mitzvah »
Positive Commandment 186
City of Idol Worshipers
"And burn the city with fire"—Deuteronomy 13:17.
If the citizenry of a city has been influenced to worship idols, we are commanded to destroy the city, kill its inhabitants, and burn all its property.
Full text of this Mitzvah »
Negative Commandment 23
Rebuilding the "Apostate City"
"It shall remain a ruin forever; it shall never be rebuilt"—Deuteronomy 13:17.
A city that has been destroyed because its citizens were persuaded to worship idols (see Positive Commandment 186) may never be rebuilt.
Full text of this Mitzvah »
Negative Commandment 24
Benefiting from the "Apostate City"
"Let nothing that has been condemned to destruction remain in your hand"—Deuteronomy 13:18.
Everything contained within the "Apostate City" (see Positive Commandment 186) must be burned. It is forbidden to use, or derive any benefit from, any object from such a city.
Full text of this Mitzvah »
Today's Mitzvah
A daily digest of Maimonides’ classic work "Sefer Hamitzvot"
Negative Commandment 10
Studying Foreign Theologies
"Do not turn to the idols"—Leviticus 19:4.
We are forbidden to study or even dabble in idolatrous teachings. Such activity can lead an individual without sufficient intelligence or knowledge to stray after these false teachings. Furthermore, it is forbidden to even gaze at an idol or idolatrous icon.
Full text of this Mitzvah »
Studying Foreign Theologies
Negative Commandment 10
Translated by Berel Bell
The 10th prohibition is that we are forbidden from investigating idolatry and looking into its content, i.e. researching and studying the fantasies and foolishness that its founders claim, [for example,] "This spiritual force can be brought down in this way, and then you must do this; this star you must offer incense to, stand before it in this way, and then do this," and so on. Thinking into these matters and investigating these fantasies can cause a foolish person to pursue them and worship them.
The verse which contains this prohibition is G‑d's statement,1 "Do not turn away to false gods." In the words of the Sifra, "If you turn after them, you are making them into gods." There it is written, "Rabbi Yehuda says, 'You must not turn to them [even] to look at them.'" This means that it is prohibited even to gaze at the image's external appearance or to think about how it was made, in order to not spend even a moment of time on them.
In the [Talmudic] chapter "Sho'el adam mei'chavero"2 it is written, "One who walks under an image or statue may not read [their caption] on Shabbat. One may not look at the statue itself even during the week, as the verse says,3 'Do not turn away to false gods.' What does this verse imply? Rabbi Yochanan says [the same words can be read to mean,] 'do not turn away G‑d from your minds.'"4
This same prohibition — to think about idolatry — is repeated in G‑d's statement,5 "Be careful that your heart not be lured away, and you turn astray and worship [them]." This means that if your heart is lured away to think about them, this will cause you to turn away from the straightforward path and become involved in worship. This same concept is repeated,6 "[Be very careful…] lest you raise your eyes to the sky, and see the sun, moon...[and worship them]."This does not prohibit one from lifting up one's head and looking at them with one's eye; rather, it prohibits from pondering in one's mind7 what powers are attributed to them by those who worship them. The same is found in G‑d's statement,8 "[Be careful] lest you try to find out about their gods saying, 'Now, how do these nations worship their gods?'" Even if one does not worship them, it is prohibited to inquire about the nature of their worship since it can cause one to err after them.
You should be aware that one who transgresses this prohibition is punished by lashes.9 It10 has already been explained at the end of the first chapter of Eruvin11 that one is punished by lashes for violating the Biblical prohibition of going beyond the Shabbat limit.12 The Sages prove this by quoting G‑d's statement,13 "A person may not ["al"] leave his place." The Talmud then asks how it is possible to punish with lashes when the prohibition is stated with the word, "al" instead of the word, "lo" ["do not"]. It then answers with the [rhetorical] question, if there are no lashes whenever the word, "al," is used, are there no lashes for the prohibition,14 "Do not ["al"] turn away to false gods?!" This discussion implies that one does receive lashes for this prohibition.
FOOTNOTES
1.Lev. 19:4.
2.Shabbos 149a.
3.Lev. 19:4.
4.The word, "to,' in Hebrew ("el"), can also be read as one of G‑d's names. Accordingly the phrase, "Do not turn away to," (in Hebrew, "al tifnu el") can be read, "Do not turn away G‑d" ("al tifanu E‑l"). (Kapach, 5731, note 58 from Moreh N'vuchim 3:51.)
5.Deut. 11:16.
6.Deut. 4:15,19.
7.Literally, « gazing with your heart's eye. »
8.Deut. 12:30.
9.If an action is performed (Hilchos Avodah Zarah 2:2-3). It is apparent that even taking a book to read would also be considered to be an action according to the Rambam (see Kapach, 5731, note 65).
10.The regular way for the Torah to state a prohibition is to use the Hebrew word, "lo" (which means, "do not"). In some prohibitions, such as this one, the Torah uses the Hebrew word, "al" (which also means, "do not"). The Rambam now proves that even when the word, "al" is used, the prohibition is still punishable by lashes, and therefore is counted among the 613 commandments.
11.17b.
12.See N321.
13.Exodus 16:29.
14.Lev.19:4. Kapach, 5731 (note 64) points out that our version of the Talmud presents a different prohibition, namely Lev. 19:31 (N8, N9). See Zohar HaRakiah, Yad HaLevi.
------------------------------------------------------------Negative Commandment 47
Straying After Incorrect Beliefs and Illicit Pleasures
"And that you stray not after your heart and eyes"—Numbers 15:39.
We are to keep our eyes and hearts in check, never succumbing to the allure of beliefs and urges antithetical to Torah values. We are obligated to maintain control over our thoughts—not to allow our hearts to lead us to heretical beliefs, nor our eyes to lead us to indulge in thoughts about illicit pleasures.
Full text of this Mitzvah »
Straying After Incorrect Beliefs and Illicit Pleasures
Negative Commandment 47
Translated by Berel Bell
The 47th prohibition is that we are forbidden from entertaining any thoughts1 which could lead one to accept ideas contrary to those of the Torah. Rather, we must control our thoughts and establish limits to what is acceptable, i.e. the commandments of the Torah and its prohibitions.2
The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement (exalted be He),3 "Do not turn after your heart and after your eyes."
In the words of the Sifri, "The phrase, 'do not turn after your heart,' refers to heresy, as in the verse,4 'I find more bitter than death [the woman5 whose heart is traps].' The phrase, 'and after your eyes,' refers to immoral behavior, as in the verse6 'And Shimshon said to his father [take her for me, for she is fitting in my eyes7].'" The word z'nus [translated above as, "immoral behavior"] includes pursuing physical pleasures and desires, and constantly thinking about them.
FOOTNOTES
1.See Kapach, 5731, note 48)
2."Any thought that might cause one to reject one of the fundamental principles of the Torah — we are prohibited from allowing it to enter our mind. We may not direct our minds towards such thoughts, and not to think about them and be drawn after thoughts which enter our minds. For the human mind is limited, and not everyone is capable of grasping the truth clearly … the universe could be destroyed because of the limitations of human intellect." (Hilchos Avodah Zarah 2:3)
3.Num.15:39.
4.Eccles. 7 :26.
5.Rashi explains that the verse refers to the temptations of heresy.
6.Judges.14:3.
7.Shimshon had asked his parents to arrange for him to marry a certain Philistine girl. His parents objected, saying he should take a wife from among the Jewish people. Shimshon answered them in this verse. The Sifri finds the usage of the phrase, "in my eyes," as support that the "after your eyes," in our verse refers to immorality.
-------------------------------------------------------------Negative Commandment 60
Cursing G‑d
"Do not curse G‑d"—Exodus 22:27.
We are forbidden to curse G‑d. This prohibition applies whether using one of G‑d's holy names, or even if referring to Him through other monikers.
Full text of this Mitzvah »
Cursing G‑d
Negative Commandment 60
Translated by Berel Bell
The 60th prohibition is that we are forbidden from cursing G‑d's great Name (may He be exalted much, much higher than what the fools1 say). This prohibition is euphemistically called, "blessing the Name."
Scripture explicitly states that the punishment for transgressing this prohibition is death by stoning, in G‑d's statement,2 "Anyone who curses G‑d's Name shall be put to death. The entire community shall stone him." However, there is no verse which states this particular prohibition alone.3 The prohibition which includes this, as well as other acts,4 is G‑d's statement (exalted be He)5 "Do not curse Elokim."
In the words of the Mechilta, "The verse, 'Anyone who curses G‑d's Name shall be put to death,' prescribes the punishment, but not the prohibition itself. [This we learn from what] the Torah says,6 "Do not curse Elokim." The Sifra says, "[For cursing] the Unique Name7 of G‑d one is punished by death. [Cursing] other8 Names of G‑d is a regular prohibition." The Mechilta also says, "The verse, 'Do not curse Elokim,' serves as the prohibition for cursing G‑d's Name."
The details of this mitzvah have been explained in the seventh chapter of Sanhedrin.
You9 must know that this type of prohibition — which consists of two or three different subjects10 — is not in the category of a "general prohibition." This is because Scripture explains the punishment for each one separately, thereby telling us absolutely that each one is a prohibition and counts as a separate Negative Commandment, as we explained in the Introduction.11 Since the rule is that whenever Scripture indicates a punishment, there must be another source indicating the actual prohibition, we must search for it. Sometimes it is derived from one of the rules of Torah derivation, and sometimes it is included in another prohibition, as we explained in the Introduction.12
A prohibition is considered to be "general" only when there is no previous indication whatsoever that this act is prohibited aside from that [general] prohibition, as we explained in the Ninth Introductory Principle. If, however, we know that this act is prohibited from G‑d's statement that, "One who does this particular action shall be punished in this particular way," it doesn't matter whether the actual prohibition is stated explicitly or [only] derived; or if it is stated separately or included.13 You must understand this well, because you will find its application in many commandments.
FOOTNOTES
1.Or, "the heretics." (Kapach, 5731, note 8*)
2.Lev.24:16.
3.As the Rambam has mentioned many times, a prohibition normally has one verse which states that the act is prohibited, and another verse which states the punishment. In this case, there is a verse indicating the punishment; but there is no verse which serves as the actual prohibition for this commandment alone.
4.Namely, the prohibition of cursing a judge (N315). The Hebrew word Elokim is used both as one of the Names of G‑d, and to refer to judges.
5.Exodus 22:27.
6.Ibid.
7.I.e. the Tetragrammaton, the four-letter Name of G‑d. In his legal code (Hilchos Avodah Zarah 2:7), the Rambam rules that the same punishment applies if a person curses the Name spelled "alef-dalet-nun-yud."
8.In Hilchos Sanhedrin (26:3), the Rambam includes other Names of G‑d — whether in Hebrew or in other languages — as well as descriptive Names such as "the Merciful One."
9.The Rambam now deals with the fact that the same verse is being used for two separate prohibitions. This would seem to put it in the category of a "general prohibition" (lav she'bi'klalot), which is not counted among the 613 commandments, as set forth in the Ninth Introductory Principle.
10.In this case, G‑d's Name and judges.
11.After the Fourteenth Introductory Principle.
12.Ibid.
13.With another prohibition, by virtue of both prohibitions deriving from one verse, as in our case.
------------------------------------------------------------Negative Commandment 6
Unique Modes of Idol Worship
"Do not worship them"—Exodus 20:5.
We are forbidden to worship an idol employing any practice unique to that idol. For example, in ancient times there was an idol called Markulis. Its worship called for casting a rock in its direction. Throwing a rock at Markulis would be a violation of this prohibition—while throwing a rock at any other idol would not.
(This is in addition to specific modes of idol worship that are forbidden whether or not they are part of the protocol prescribed for that deity. See Negative Mitzvah 5 for more on this topic.)
Full text of this Mitzvah »
Unique Modes of Idol Worship
Negative Commandment 6
Translated by Berel Bell
The 6th prohibition is that we are forbidden from serving an idol even in a manner other than one of the four types of service which we have mentioned.1 This is upon condition that it is served k'darkah, i.e. in the way this idol is customarily served — such as excreting to [the idol] P'or,2 or throwing a stone at Merkulis.3
The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement (exalted be He),4 "[Do not bow down to them] or serve them."
In the words of the Mechilta, "[The two phrases,]5 'Do not bow down to them or serve them,' constitute two separate prohibitions: to serve is one and to bow down is another."6
Therefore, one who threw a stone at P'or or excreted to Merkulis does not transgress [this prohibition] since it is not the customary manner of service, and G‑d Al‑mighty (exalted be He) stated,7 "[Be careful lest you try to find out about their gods saying,] 'Now, how8 do these nations worship their gods? I would also like to try [such practices].'"
One who transgresses this prohibition intentionally is punished by death by stoning or kares,9 and if unintentionally, he must bring a sacrifice.10
The details of this mitzvah have also11 been explained in the seventh chapter of Sanhedrin.12
There it is it asked why the punishment of kares is mentioned three times in reference to idolatry, and the answer is given: one is for serving k'darkah [in the customary manner], one is for serving lo k'darkah [in an uncustomary way], and one is for serving the idol Molech.13 This means to say that anyone who serves any idol in any manner is punished by kares if it is served k'darkah, i.e. in the customary manner, such as excreting to P'or, throwing a stone at Merkulis, or cutting one's hair to K'mosh.14 Similarly, anyone who serves any idol in one of the four types of service [mentioned in N5] is punished by kares, even if the idol is not customarily served in that manner, such as bringing a sacrifice to P'or or bowing down to Merkulis. This is called lo k'darkah. The third case of kares is one who passes [some of his children] over the fire to Molech, as we will explain.15
FOOTNOTES
1.In N5, i.e. bowing down, slaughtering, burning incense and pouring a wine libation
2.The Moabite idol (see Numbers 25:3).
3.A Roman idol.
4.Exodus 20:5..
5.Ibid.
6.The wording of the Mechilta proves that N5 and N6 are counted as two separate commandments.
7.Deut. 12:30.
8.This verse shows the difference between serving an idol in the customary manner or not. See Hilchos Avodah Zarah 3:2, that in order to be able to recognize the distinction, the Jewish court had to know the manner in which the idol is customarily served.
9.If the court did not execute him.
10.I.e. a sin offering.
11.As with N5.
12.64b.
13.See N7.
14.The Ammonite idol (see Kings I 11:7).
15.In N7.
-------------------------------------------------------------Negative Commandment 5
Idol Worship
"Do not bow down to them"—Exodus 20:5.
It is forbidden to worship any deity other than the One G‑d in any of the following manners: 1) Bowing. 2) Slaughtering a sacrifice. 3) Pouring a libation. 4) Burning a sacrifice on an altar. These prohibitions apply even if these acts are not the accepted way of worshipping that particular deity.
Aside for these four actions, it is also forbidden to verbally declare belief in a deity other than G‑d.
Full text of this Mitzvah »
Idol Worship
Negative Commandment 5
Translated by Berel Bell
The 5th prohibition is that we are forbidden from bowing down to an idol. Our usage of the term, "idol," of course includes serving anything other than G‑d.
The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement (exalted be He),1 "Do not bow down to them or serve them."2 [The phrase] "do not bow down to them," does not mean that only bowing down is prohibited, and nothing else. Rather, just one of the customary types of worship — namely, bowing down — is mentioned, and the same applies to bringing an offering or incense. One who transgresses any of these by bowing down, bringing a sacrifice, a wine libation, or incense is put to death by stoning.
In the words of the Mechilta, "The verse,3 'Whoever sacrifices to any deity [other than G‑d alone] must be condemned to death,' teaches us the punishment but not the prohibition itself. The Torah therefore says,4 'Do not bow down to their gods or serve them.' Sacrifices are already included [in the more general phrase, 'serve them.' Why is it singled out?] It is singled out to teach us that just as sacrificing is one of the ways of serving G‑d, and one is guilty whether this is the customary way of serving [the idol] or not; so too any similar type of service of G‑d, one is guilty whether it is a customary way or serving [the idol] or not."
The explanation of this is that there are four ways in which we are required to serve the exalted G‑d — i.e. bowing down, slaughtering, burning incense and pouring a wine libation. Anyone who serves an idol in one of [these four ways] is punished with death by stoning, even if that idol is not customarily served in one of these ways.5 This is called, lo k'darkah ["not in its way"], i.e. even though one did not serve the idol in a way in which it is customarily served, since one served in one of these [four] ways, he is punished by stoning if he did so intentionally, and kares if [the court6] was unaware or he wasn't punished.7 If he did so unintentionally, he must bring a sin offering. One who accepts anything as a god8 is also guilty.9
This prohibition — against performing one of these four types of service even if it is not the customary manner — has been repeated in G‑d's statement (exalted be He),10 "The Israelites shall no longer sacrifice to the s'irim." In the words of the Sifra, "The term s'irim refers to demons." Tractate Zevachim11 explains that this prohibition refers to one who slaughters [an animal] to an idol, even if the idol is not customarily served by slaughtering. Our Sages said, "What is the source of the law that one who slaughters an animal to Merkulis12 is guilty? From the verse,13 'The Israelites shall no longer sacrifice to the s'irim.' If this verse is not needed to teach us the prohibition of serving the idol in the customary fashion — [because we already know this] from the verse,14 'Now how did these nations worship their gods?' — it must teach us about serving it in a way which is not customary.15"
One who transgresses this prohibition intentionally is punished by kares or death by stoning, as we have explained; if he did so unintentionally, he must bring a sacrifice.16 In the words of Scripture,17"Whoever sacrifices to any deity [other than G‑d alone] must be condemned to death."
The details of this mitzvah have been explained in the seventh chapter of Sanhedrin.18
FOOTNOTES
1.Exodus 20:5.
2.This verse actually contains two commandments: "Do not bow down to them" is this commandment, and "[do not] worship them," is N6.
3.Exodus 22:19.
4.Exodus 23:24. As Kapach (note 16*) points out, our text of the Mechilta quotes Ex. 20:5, the same verse quoted earlier in this commandment.
5.The idol "Merkulis," for example, was customarily served by throwing rocks at it. If one slaughtered a sacrifice to serve Merkulis, he transgresses this prohibition. If he threw rocks at it, however, he would transgress N6.
6.Kapach, 5731, note 19.
7.Due to the testimony being unacceptable, for example.
8.Even if he lifts up a brick and says, "You are my god." (Hilchos Avodah Zarah, 3:4)
9.Kapach, 5731, (note 21) points out that the Rambam writes the case where the person verbally accepts a god after mentioning the sin offering, because although he is punished by stoning if he acted with intention, he does not bring a sin offering if he acted unintentionally. In Hilchos Avodah Zarah (3:4), the Rambam indeed mentions only stoning. Kapach suggests that the reason for this is because a sin offering is brought only when an action was done; speech is insufficient.
10.Lev.17:7.
11.106a.
12.Which is customarily served by throwing rocks at it.
13.Lev.17:7.
14.Deut. 12:30.
15.I.e. it was not customary to bring sacrifices to the 's'irim' referred to in the verse.
16.I.e. a sin offering, as mentioned above.
17.Exodus 22:19.
18.60b.
------------------------------------------------------------Negative Commandment 2
Manufacturing Idols
"Do not make any carved idols for yourself"—Exodus 20:4.
It is forbidden to make, or to commission the making of, a graven image for the sake of worshipping it.
Full text of this Mitzvah »
Manufacturing Idols
Negative Commandment 2
Translated by Berel Bell
The 2nd prohibition is that we are forbidden from making statues for worship, regardless of whether they are made by the person himself or he asks someone else to make them for him.
The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement (exalted be He),1 "Do not make for yourselves any statue or image."
One who transgresses this prohibition, i.e. who makes an idol or asks someone else to make an idol for him is punished with lashes, even if he did not serve it.
FOOTNOTES
1.Exodus 20:4. Deut. 5:8.
------------------------------------------------------------Negative Commandment 3
Making Idols for Others
"Do not make gods out of metal for yourselves"—Leviticus 19:4.
It is forbidden to create a graven image for another, even for a non-Jew.
Full text of this Mitzvah »
Making Idols for Others
Negative Commandment 3
Translated by Berel Bell
The 3rd prohibition is that we are forbidden from making an idol, even for others to serve, and even at the request of a non-Jew.
The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement (exalted be He),1 "And do not make gods for yourselves."
In the words of the Sifra, "[The verse,2] 'And do not make gods,' means that you may not even make them for others." [In Sifra] our Sages said, "One who makes an idol for himself transgresses two prohibitions," i.e. the prohibition of making an idol with his own hand, even for others, as explained in this Third prohibition; and also the prohibition of acquiring an idol and having it made with his permission — even if someone else made it for him — as we explained previously in the Second prohibition. Therefore he is punished with two sets of lashes.3
The details of this mitzvah, as well as the previous one, have been explained in tractate Avodah Zarah.
FOOTNOTES
1.Lev.19:4.
2.Ibid.
3.From this we see that the two prohibitions count separately.
-----------------------------------------------------------Negative Commandment 4
Ornamental Statuettes
"Do not make with Me gods of silver or gold; you shall not make for yourselves"—Exodus 20:20.
We are not allowed to create the graven image of a human being, even if only for ornamental or decorative purposes.
Full text of this Mitzvah »
Ornamental Statuettes
Negative Commandment 4
Translated by Berel Bell
The 4th prohibition is that we are forbidden from making an image of a human being from metal, stone, wood or anything similar,1 even though it was not made in order to be worshipped.2 The reason for this is to keep us from making any images whatsoever, so that we should not entertain the false belief held by the masses — i.e. the idol worshippers — that these images have supernatural powers.
The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement (exalted be He),3 "Do not make a representation of anything that is with me. Do not make for yourselves silver or gold gods."
The Mechilta explains the prohibition conveyed in the verse, "Do not make for yourselves silver or gold gods," as follows: "A person may not say, 'I will make them for ornamentation, as others do in their lands.' The Torah therefore says, 'Do not make for yourselves.'"
One who transgresses this prohibition is punished by lashes.
The details of this mitzvah — which images are permissible to create and which are forbidden,4 and in which manner5 — are explained in the third chapter of Avodah Zarah.
It is explained in Sanhedrin6 that this prohibition, "Do not make a representation of anything is with me. [Do not make for yourselves] silver gods [or gold gods]," includes other matters as well,7 but the literal meaning of the verse is as we have explained, from the Mechilta.
FOOTNOTES
1.I.e. any three-dimensional material. If it is merely painting on a surface, however, it is permitted (Hilchos Avodah Zarah, 3:10).
2.Rather, even to make it for beauty or ornamentation is prohibited.
3.Exodus 20:20..
4.The Rambam rules (Hilchos Avodah Zarah, 3:10-11) that images of human beings, angels, the sun, moon, etc. are prohibited, but trees, birds, etc. are permitted.
5.I.e. three-dimensional or two-dimensional.
6.7b.
7.The Talmud explains why the verse singles out gods of silver and gold — aren't wooden gods also prohibited?! It answers that the expression," gods of silver," can also be explained, "judges of silver," i.e. judges who got their position through bribery.
--------------------------------------------------------------Negative Commandment 15
Inciting a Group to Idol Worship
"Neither let [idolatry] be heard from your mouth"—Exodus 23:13.
It is forbidden to incite a populace to idolatry.
Full text of this Mitzvah »
Inciting a Group to Idol Worship
Negative Commandment 15
Translated by Berel Bell
The 15th prohibition is that we are forbidden from leading people to idolatry by speaking to them and encouraging them to serve an idol — even if the person himself did not serve the idol or do anything other than leading [others] to it. If he misleads the many people1 he is called a madi'ach.
The source of this prohibition is G‑d's statement (exalted be He),2 "Wicked men among you have lead the city's inhabitants astray saying ['Let us go and serve false gods.']" If he leads an individual person astray, then he is termed a meisis,3 the source being G‑d's statement (exalted be He),4 "If your maternal brother tries to lead you astray […secretly, saying, 'Let us go and serve false gods…']."
But in this prohibition we are speaking exclusively about a madi'ach, and the source of this commandment is G‑d's statement (exalted be He),5 "[You may not mention the name of a false gods;]You must not let it be heard through your mouth."
Our Sages said in tractate Sanhedrin,6 "The verse, 'You must not let it be heard through your mouth,' is the prohibition of meisis.7 [The Talmud then challenges,] But the prohibition of meisis is already written explicitly: '[If your maternal brother tries to lead you astray…secretly, saying, 'Let us go and serve false gods…You shall put him to death…] and they will no longer do [this wicked act in your midst]'! Rather, the verse ['You must not let it be heard through your mouth'] is the prohibition of madi'ach." The Mechilta of Rabbi Yishmael similarly says, "The verse, 'You must not let it be heard through your mouth,' is the prohibition of madi'ach."
One who transgresses this prohibition is punished to death by stoning. In the words of tractate Sanhedrin,8 "Those who lead a city to idolatry9 are punished by stoning.
The details of this mitzvah have been explained in the tenth chapter of Sanhedrin.10
FOOTNOTES
1.I.e. the majority of the city (Hilchos Avodah Zarah 5:2)
2.Deut. 13:14.
3.See N16.
4.Deut. 13:7.
5.Exodus 23:13.
6.63b.
7.Our text of the Talmud reads, "meisis and madi'ach."
8.Chapter 7, Mishnah 4.
9.The city is called an "ir ha'nidachas."
10.111a.
------------------------------------------------------------Positive Commandment 186
City of Idol Worshipers
"And burn the city with fire"—Deuteronomy 13:17.
If the citizenry of a city has been influenced to worship idols, we are commanded to destroy the city, kill its inhabitants, and burn all its property.
Full text of this Mitzvah »
City of Idol Worshipers
Positive Commandment 186
Translated by Berel Bell
The 186th mitzvah is that we are commanded to execute every last inhabitant of a city which has been led to worship idols,1 and to burn the city and everything in it. This is the law of an "ir ha'nidachas."
The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement (exalted be He),2 "And you shall burn the city along with all its goods with fire."
The details of this mitzvah have been explained in tractate Sanhedrin.3
FOOTNOTES
1.This applies when all of the inhabitants have served idolatry. If only the majority (not everyone) in the city worshipped idols, the city is still ruled to be an "ir ha'nidachas," but only those who transgressed and their families are executed (Hilchos Avodah Zarah 4:6).
2.Deut. 13:17.
3.111b.
--------------------------------------------------------------Negative Commandment 23
Rebuilding the "Apostate City"
"It shall remain a ruin forever; it shall never be rebuilt"—Deuteronomy 13:17.
A city that has been destroyed because its citizens were persuaded to worship idols (see Positive Commandment 186) may never be rebuilt.
Full text of this Mitzvah »
Rebuilding the "Apostate City"
Negative Commandment 23
Translated by Berel Bell
The 23rd prohibition is that we are forbidden from rebuilding an ir ha'nidachas.1
The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement (exalted be He),2 "[The city] shall then remain an eternal ruin; do not ever have it rebuilt."
Anyone who builds any part of it, i.e. [helps] make it into the same city it was before,3 is punished by lashes.
The details of this mitzvah have been explained in the tenth chapter of Sanhedrin.
FOOTNOTES
1.See P186 above.
2.Deut. 13:17.
3.In Sanhedrin 111a, there is a disagreement regarding rebuilding this city. Rabbi Yossi Ha'Glili holds that you may not even build gardens and orchards there. Rabbi Akiva holds that it is only prohibited to bring the city back to its previous state. The Rambam (Hilchos Avodah Zarah 4:8) rules like Rabbi Akiva. There is some controversy, however, as to what the Rambam (and Rabbi Akiva) would say regarding one who builds a few houses (not just gardens and orchards), but does not bring the city back to its original state.
Kapach, 5731, (note 17) insists that one receives lashes only by completely rebuilding the city, and points out that the previous printing of his translation was faulty (see Translator's Introduction). According to this, the phrase, "Anyone who builds any part of it" (v'chol ha'boneh mimenah davar), must refer to anyone who participates in rebuilding it to its former state. If the city is only partially rebuilt, however, lashes are not given.
------------------------------------------------------------Negative Commandment 24
Benefiting from the "Apostate City"
"Let nothing that has been condemned to destruction remain in your hand"—Deuteronomy 13:18.
Everything contained within the "Apostate City" (see Positive Commandment 186) must be burned. It is forbidden to use, or derive any benefit from, any object from such a city.
Full text of this Mitzvah »
Benefiting from the "Apostate City"
Negative Commandment 24
Translated by Berel Bell
The 24th prohibition is that we are forbidden from gaining benefit or having in our possession anything from an ir ha'nidachas.1
The source of this commandment is G‑d's statement (exalted be He),2 "Do not allow anything that has been declared taboo to remain in your hands."
Whoever takes3 even the tiniest amount is punished by lashes.
The details of this mitzvah have been explained in the tenth chapter of Sanhedrin.4
FOOTNOTES
1.See P186 above.
2.Ibid.
3.And gains benefit from (Hilchos Avodah Zarah 4:7).
4.111a.
------------------------------------------------------------
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• Arachim Vacharamim - Chapter 5
Halacha 1
When a person consecrates his ancestral field, it is a mitzvah for him to redeem it, for the owner receives priority.1 If, however, he does not desire to, we do not compel him.
When does the above apply? In the era that the Jubilee is observed.2 For if the Jubilee arrives and he does not redeem it, it will be expropriated for the sake of the priests, as we explained.3 In the era when the Jubilee has been nullified4and it is not expropriated for the sake of the priests, but instead will ultimately be redeemed, we compel5 the owner to make an initial bid6 and it is redeemed for its worth7 like other consecrated articles. If someone who is willing to add to [the bid] to redeem it, he may redeem it. If not, we tell him: "It has come to you," and he must give what he bid. He may not make an opening bid for less than four p'rutot so that the fifth that he will add will not be less than a p'rutah.8
Halacha 2
If the owner desired to sell other fields that he owned or to borrow to redeem this field that he consecrated, he has permission to do so.9 This applies whether [he consecrated the field] during the time the Jubilee is observed or when it is not observed. He is given precedence over others. Similarly, if he desired to redeem half of it, he may. This contrasts with the laws that apply when one sells a field to an ordinary person.10 This is the greater stringency that applies with regard to ordinary property [and not] to the Temple treasury.
Halacha 3
When a person consecrates his home,11 a non-kosher12 animal,13 or other property, they are evaluated for their worth, whether it be high or low.14 If the person who consecrated them, his wife, or his heirs15 redeem them, they must add a fifth. We compel the owner to make the first bid. The money is set aside for improvements to the Temple.
[The above] applies whether the house was from a walled city or from an unwalled habitation, [the owner] may redeem it at all times.16
Halacha 4
[The following rules apply if] another person redeemed it from the Temple treasury. If the home was within a walled city and it remained in the possession of the redeemer for twelve months, it becomes his property forever.17 If the home was located in an unwalled habitation and the Jubilee arrived while it was in the possession of the redeemer, it returns to its owner in the Jubilee.18
Halacha 5
When a person consecrates an unblemished19 kosher animal for the sake of improvements to the Temple,20 he has transgressed a positive commandment.21[Nevertheless,] the deed he performed is of consequence and sanctity is conveyed upon [the animal]. It is redeemed even though it is unblemished.22 The priest establishes its worth,23 and the money is given for improvements to the Temple. The person who redeems it, redeems it only for the sake of offering it on the altar for the type of sacrifice for which it is fitting.24[This is required, because] any [consecrated entity] that is fit for the altar is never released from [the obligation to be sacrificed on] the altar.
Halacha 6
What is the source that teaches that it is forbidden to consecrate unblemished animals for the improvement of the Temple? [Leviticus 22:23] states: "An ox or a sheep that has irregularly sized limbs or unsplit hoofs, it shall be [consecrated] as a donation." According to the Oral Tradition,25 we have learned that [the term] "donation" implies that it is consecrated for improvements to the Temple. Similarly, the situation indicates that it was consecrated only for its worth, for a blemished animal is not offered on the altar. [This is denoted by the term] "it," i.e., it26 is consecrated for improvements to the Temple, but an unblemished animal should not be consecrated as a donation for improvements to the Temple. A prohibition derived from a positive commandment has the status of a positive commandment.27
Halacha 7
[The following rules apply when a person] consecrates an animal without making any specifications or consecrates his property without making any specifications: We survey all the unblemished animals that are fit to be offered on the altar. The males should be sold for the purpose of burnt offerings28 and offered as burnt offerings. The females29 are sold for the purpose of peace offerings and offered as peace offerings.
The proceeds [of the sales] should be given for improvements to the Temple. For unless explicit specification is made, all consecrated articles are for the sake of the improvement of the Temple. Concerning this [Leviticus 27:9] states: "If it is an animal which can be offered as a sacrifice to God, all parts of it that you can give to God shall be holy." Implied is that every entity that is fit to be offered as a sacrifice on the altar should be offered [on the altar].
Halacha 8
When a person consecrates his possessions without making any specifications and among them were wine, oil, fine flour, and doves that are fit to be offered on the altar, they should be sold for the purpose of [offerings that employ them] and they should be offered. The money should be used to purchase male animals that should be brought as burnt offerings.30
Halacha 9
Why should the proceeds from these sales be used to bring burnt offerings and the proceeds from the sale of an unblemished animal be used for improvements to the Temple?31 [The rationale is that] when an animal is consecrated to the altar suffers a [disqualifying] blemish, there is a concept of it being redeemed, as will be explained.32 When, by contrast, fine flour, wine, oil, and doves become unfit [for the altar], there is no concept of redeeming them.33 [This is derived from Leviticus 27:11-12 which] states: "You shall have the animal stand [before the priest and the priest shall evaluate it]." [Implied is that] any entity that is stood [before a priest] and evaluated may be redeemed. If any entity is not to be stood [before a priest] and evaluated, it may not be redeemed.
Halacha 10
When a person consecrates his possessions without making any specifications and among them was incense which is given to the craftsmen for their wages until they return and purchase it, as we explained in [Hilchot] Shekalim,34 it should be given to the craftsmen for their wages as is done with the remainder of the incense. These guidelines are also followed when one of the spices used in the incense offering is found among his possessions.35
Halacha 11
When a person consecrates an unblemished animal [as a sacrifice to be offered on] the altar and it became blemished36 and was disqualified, it should be evaluated and redeemed. Concerning this, [Leviticus 27:11] states: "When any impure animal37 of which a sacrifice should not be brought as an offering to God, you shall have the animal stand [before the priest....]" He should bring another sacrifice equivalent to it with its money.
Halacha 12
Whenever a person consecrates an animal in its lifetime - whether a kosher animal or a non-kosher one, whether it was consecrated for the sake of the Temple treasury,38 it was consecrated to be offered on the altar and it became blemished,39 or it is an unblemished animal which is fit to be offered as a sacrifice as will be explained,40 it must be stood [before the court] for evaluation, as implied by the phrase: "You shall have the animal stand [before the priest....]" Therefore, if the animal died before it is evaluated and redeemed, it should not be redeemed. Instead, it should be buried.41 If, however, a person consecrated a slaughtered animal or an animal carcass for the sake of improvements to the Temple, it should be redeemed like other movable property.
Halacha 13
[In the above situation,] if one slaughtered [the animal, slitting] the two organs42[necessary for the slaughter to be acceptable] or slit the majority of these organs43 but the animal is still making convulsive movements, it is considered as alive with regard to all matters.44 It may be evaluated and [the provisions implied by the phrases:] "You shall have.... stand and... shall evaluate" apply until it dies.45
Halacha 14
When a person consecrates the worth of an unblemished animal,46 the body of the animal becomes consecrated.47 What is implied? When a person says: 'The worth of this animal is consecrated to the altar,' the animal itself should be sacrificed.
When one consecrates the worth of one of its limbs or organs, saying: 'The worth of the feet of this cow are consecrated to the altar,' there is an unresolved question: Does the sanctity spread throughout the animal or not?48 Therefore it should be sacrificed and not redeemed.
Halacha 15
What should be done?49 We sell it in its entirety to a person who will offer it as a sacrifice.50 The proceeds of the sale are not consecrated with the exception of those of that particular limb.51 If the limb or organ [consecrated] was of vital importance [to the animal], the sanctity [is considered to] spread throughout the entire animal.52
Halacha 16
[Different rules apply if] the animal [consecrated] was blemished and unfit to be offered as a sacrifice. When one consecrates one of its limbs or organs - whether it is one of vital importance or not - only that limb becomes consecrated.53
What is implied? A person said: 'The worth of the foot of this cow...' or 'The worth of its heart is consecrated to the altar,' he and the Temple treasury own it in partnership.54
Halacha 17
Similarly, if a person says: 'The head of this servant...' or 'The heart of this donkey is consecrated to the altar,' [he is liable only for the worth of the limb or organ mentioned].55 Similarly, if he says: 'My head is consecrated to the altar,' he is liable only for the worth of his head.56 We see how much that limb or organ is worth and he must bring a sacrifice for that amount.
Halacha 18
When does the above apply? With regard to animals consecrated to the altar. If, however, a person says: 'The head of this donkey...' or 'Its liver is consecrated,' or 'The head of this servant' or 'His liver is consecrated,'57 since his life is dependent on that organ, he is liable for its entire worth. For whenever an entity is consecrated for improvements to the Temple, the consecration involves the entity's worth.58
Halacha 19
When a person says: 'I pledge my airech to the altar,' he must bring sacrifices of the value of his airech.59 If he is not financially capable of giving his entireairech,60 there is an unresolved question: Is his evaluation appraised according to his financial capacity for he made his pledge using the term airech or do we not appraise his financial capacity since he made his vow to the altar?61
Similarly, when a person consecrates his ancestral field to the altar, it should be redeemed and the proceeds should be used to purchase burnt offerings for the altar. There is an unresolved question: Should it be redeemed according to the fixed airech established for it62 or should it be redeemed according to its value, since he made his vow to the altar?63 In all these and similar instances, we rule stringently.64
| FOOTNOTES | |
| 1. |
Arachin 27a derives this concept from the exegesis of Leviticus 27:27.
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| 2. |
See Hilchot Shemitah ViYoval 10:3, 8-10 which explains that the Jubilee years is observed only when the entire Jewish people live in the Holy Land. Hence when the tribes of Reuven and Gad were exiled - decades before the destruction of the First Temple - the observance of the Jubilee no longer had the status of Scriptural Law.
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| 3. |
Chapter 4, Halachot 19-20. Since either the person who redeems it or the priests will pay for it, the Temple treasury will ultimately receive its due. Hence, there is no need to compel the owner to redeem it.
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| 4. |
As evident from Chapter 8, Halachah 8, this refers to a time when the Temple is standing, but the Jubilee year is no longer observed.
|
| 5. |
Were the person not to be compelled, it is possible that the Temple treasury would not receive its due (Radbaz).
The Ra'avad differs and states that the person is not compelled to redeem his field, but the Radbaz and the Kessef Mishneh justify the Rambam's understanding.
|
| 6. |
The owner is compelled to make the initial bid, because he is required to add a fifth and thus the Temple treasury will be profiting more than if another person would offer the same price. Also, we assume that since it was his property, he is attached to it and will pay more to repossess it (Arachin 27a).
|
| 7. |
I.e., for the price people are willing to pay, not for the standard value decreed by the Torah. Since the laws pertaining to arechim are taught as a single unit in the Torah and all the particulars do not apply, this fundamental factor is also not applied.
|
| 8. |
For anything less than a p'rutah is not financially significant.
|
| 9. |
Since a field that he consecrated will never return to him if he does not redeem it, he is given a greater opportunity to do so (Arachin 30a).
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| 10. |
In which instance, these restrictions do apply. See Hilchot Shemitah ViYoval 11:17-18; 12:2.
|
| 11. |
Sefer HaMitzvot (positive commandment 116) and Sefer HaChinuch (mitzvah 354) include this commandment among the 613 mitzvot of the Torah.
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| 12. |
The laws involving kosher animals are found in Halachot 5-7.
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| 13. |
Sefer HaMitzvot (positive commandment 115) and Sefer HaChinuch (mitzvah 353) include this commandment among the 613 mitzvot of the Torah.
|
| 14. |
This - and not a standard value - is what the person must pay. The Torah established a standard value only for humans and fields.
|
| 15. |
See Chapter 4, Halachah 5, and notes.
|
| 16. |
I.e., as long as another person has not redeemed it first. As stated in Hilchot Shemitah V'Yoval, ch. 12, there is a difference in the relevant laws with regard to the sale of such dwellings to private individuals. A home in a walled city must be redeemed from a private purchaser within a year. Otherwise, it becomes his property forever. These restrictions do not apply with regard to a home in an unwalled habitation.
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| 17. |
I.e., it does not return to the original owner in the Jubilee. It is as if the purchaser acquired the field from the owner.
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| 18. |
As would be the law had he purchased it from him directly.
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| 19. |
I.e., were the animal to have a blemish that disqualifies it from being offered as a sacrifice, these laws would not apply.
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| 20. |
As obvious from Halachah 7, this applies when he explicitly states that he is consecrating it for this purpose.
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| 21. |
As stated in the following halachah.
|
| 22. |
In contrast to an animal consecrated as a sacrifice which is redeemed only when it is blemished. See Halachah 11.
|
| 23. |
See Halachah 12. The commentaries have noted that in Chapter 8, Halachah 2, the Rambam mentions that a priest is required to participate in the evaluation of humans and fields, but not in that of movable property. He makes no mention of the evaluation of animals. There is a difference of opinion concerning this matter in Sanhedrin 15a.
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| 24. |
I.e., depending on the type and gender of the animal it is fitting for some sacrifices and not others.
|
| 25. |
See temurah 7b.
|
| 26. |
A blemished animal like those mentioned in the verse.
|
| 27. |
I.e., although the prohibition is of Scriptural origin, since the Torah did explicitly forbid it by saying: "Do not consecrate an unblemished animal for this purpose," it is not considered as the transgression of a negative commandment. Temurah 7b states that a negative commandment is also involved. Nevertheless, based on our Sages' statements in the Sifra, the Rambam considers that passage as merely an asmachta, the derivation of support for a concept by the Rabbis and not a Scriptural prohibition.
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| 28. |
Although they could also be used for other types of sacrifices, it is preferable to offer them as burnt offerings.
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| 29. |
Which may not be brought as burnt offerings.
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| 30. |
The Ra'avad differs with the Rambam on this issue, offering a different interpretation of the Rambam's source, Shekalim 4:7-8. The Radbaz explains the rationale behind the Rambam's ruling. Since animals can be redeemed, we assume that he consecrated them with the intent that they be redeemed and the money given for improvements to the Temple building. Since these other items cannot be redeemed, by contrast, we assume that from the outset, his intent was that they be consecrated for the sake of the altar alone. These concepts also apply with regard to Halachah 9.
|
| 31. |
As stated in Halachah 7.
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| 32. |
See Halachah 11.
|
| 33. |
The Ra'avad notes that fine flour, wine, and oil may be redeemed if they became impure before being placed in a consecrated vessel. The Kessef Mishneh explains that since they cannot be redeemed once they have been placed in a consecrated vessel, that is most significant. For until they have been placed in a consecrated vessel, they have not been sanctified in a complete sense. See Hilchot Issurei Bi'ah 6:4-5.
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| 34. |
As explained in Hilchot Shekalim 4:12, in every year that is not a leap year, there is a certain amount of incense left over. For 365 portions were prepared for daily offerings and there are either 353, 354, or 355 days in such a year. Thus there were extra portions left over. The holiness associated with these portions of incense was then transferred to money and that money used to purchase burnt offerings. Afterwards, the portions of incense would be given to the craftsmen who prepare the incense as their wages. They would then sell this incense back to the Temple treasury, so that it would be purchased back with the funds designated for communal sacrifices for the new year.
This halachah is speaking about an instance where one of those craftsmen consecrated the incense in his possession to the Temple treasury. It should be given to other craftsmen as their wages and then purchased back as above.
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| 35. |
I.e., it should be given to the craftsmen as part of their wages and then purchased with the money designated for the purchase of communal sacrifices.
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| 36. |
I.e., a blemish that will not become healed (Radbaz).
|
| 37. |
Bechorot 37b explains that the intent is not an animal from an impure species, but rather an animal from a kosher species that became disqualified because of a blemish, for there is a second verse (27:27) that speaks about evaluating non-kosher animals. See also Hilchot Issurei Mizbeach 1:10.
|
| 38. |
As explained in Halachah 5.
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| 39. |
After its consecration. The laws applying to the consecration of a blemished animal are the same as those applying to other movable property. See the gloss of the Ra'avad.
|
| 40. |
Some commentaries suggest emending the wording of the text and having it read 'as was explained,' i.e., referring to Halachah 5. The Merkevet HaMishneh suggests that the text should be left as is and that the reference is to Chapter 6, Halachah 8, which refers to consecrating to the Temple treasury an animal that was already designated as a sacrifice.
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| 41. |
For the holiness that rested upon a consecrated animal cannot be transferred to money after its death. (See the Rambam's Commentary to the Mishnah, Temurah 7:3). Instead, it must be buried so that no one will make use of it.
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| 42. |
The windpipe and the esophagus. These are referred to as 'the signs' of ritual slaughter. SeeHilchot Shechitah 1:9.
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| 43. |
For that is sufficient for the slaughter to be acceptable (ibid.).
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| 44. |
Note a similar ruling in Hilchot Shaar Avot HaTumah 2:1.
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| 45. |
The commentaries note that according to the Rambam, this applies even if the animal is incapable of standing unsupported. There are, however, other authorities who differ; see Shitah Mekubetzet(Bava Kama 76a).
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| 46. |
I.e., the person desired that the animal be sold and the proceeds used to purchase an animal to be sacrificed.
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| 47. |
Since the animal is fit to be sacrificed, it is dedicated to the altar and should be sacrificed itself (Temura 19b).
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| 48. |
Based on Temurah 11b, the Or Sameach explains that were a person to consecrate the limb itself, there is no question that the sanctity would spread throughout the entire animal. The question is since the person did not consecrate the limb itself, merely its worth, do we make two extensions: from the worth of the limb to the limb itself and from the limb to the entire body. There are, however, those who note that in Hilchot Ma'aseh HaKorbanot 15:2, the Rambam does not accept the principle that the sanctity spreads from a limb or organ throughout the entire animal unless the limb or organ is of vital importance.
|
| 49. |
For we cannot require the donor to sacrifice the entire animal (for perhaps it did not become consecrated), nor may allow him to regard it as his personal property (for perhaps it did).
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| 50. |
As the commentaries to Temurah 11b explain, there is a difficulty when one limb of an animal was consecrated and another person purchases it to offer it as a sacrifice, for it is as if the person offering the sacrifice is offering an animal lacking a limb. For that limb was not consecrated by him, but by the original donor. They explain that this is referring to an instance where the purchaser pledged to purchase a burnt offering of a certain value and the animal is worth that amount, even without the limb in question. See Hilchot Maaseh HaKorbanot 15:2.
|
| 51. |
We follow the principle that when there is a question concerning ownership, one who desires to expropriate property (in this instance, the Temple treasury) from a colleague (the donor), must prove the validity of his claim. Since that is not possible (because the question is unresolved), the donor may retain the proceeds from the portion of the animal that was not consecrated.
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| 52. |
Since the animal could not live without that limb, consecrating it is equivalent to consecrating the entire animal.
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| 53. |
Since the animal is unfit to be sacrificed, we do not say that the sanctity spread throughout the entire animal.
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| 54. |
The animal should be sold and the proceeds from the sale of that limb or organ used to purchase a burnt offering.
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| 55. |
Since neither a donkey or a servant is fit to offer on the altar, the principles mentioned in the previous halachah apply.
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| 56. |
The Ra'avad objects to the Rambam's ruling, stating that a person's severed head is of no monetary value whatsoever, for it is forbidden to benefit from any portion of a corpse. And seemingly, if we would evaluate his head separately, it would be considered as equivalent to his entire worth, for of what worth is a person without a head? Hence, the Temple treasury should be the sole owner without leaving any portion for the person himself. Therefore the Ra'avad suggests that the intent of saying that they are partners is that the consecrated entity's value is divided in half.
The Kessef Mishneh notes that the Talmud clearly mentions evaluation in that passage and therefore, does not accept the Ra'avad's view. How is a head evaluated? The Kessef Mishnehexplains that we consider the tasks the servant or the person performs. To the extent he is involved with those that require intellectual activity, his head is worth more. If, by contrast, his activity is primarily physical, his head is worth less.
The Radbaz maintains that if a limb or organ is of vital importance to the animal or person, the value is divided in half as the Ra'avad states. The Rambam speaks of evaluating the worth of the organ only when it is not of vital importance.
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| 57. |
I.e., for improvements to the Temple, for as stated in Halachah 7, whenever a person consecrates an entity without explicitly stated the purpose for which it was consecrated, we assume that it was consecrated for improvements for the Temple.
|
| 58. |
Since the animal or person would not be worth anything without this organ, there is no difference between the worth of that organ and the worth of the entire entity.
The difference between this instance and those mentioned in the previous halachot is that the previous halachot involve limbs or organs explicitly consecrated to be offered on the altar. Thus that is all that may be done with them. Even when an article itself may not be sacrificed on the altar and hence, we understand that the person is referring to the value of the article, since he is singling out that limb or organ, we consider his intent to be that its individual value be offered on the altar.
In those instances, the holiness is focused on the physical substance of the limb or organ. Its value is only a substitute for that physical substance. Hence, we look it at as a particular and not part of the person or animal as a whole. In the instances referred to by this halachah, from the outset, we are concerned with value. Hence, we consider the value of the limb or organ in a more encompassing manner.
|
| 59. |
I.e., the fixed amount required by Torah law, as stated in Chapter 1, Halachah 3.
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| 60. |
In which instance, were we speaking about a person who pledged his airech, he would be required to pay according to his financial capacity, as stated in Chapter 3, Halachah 2.
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| 61. |
And there are no other instances where a pledge to the altar can be fulfilled by giving less that the article's worth (Arachin 5a).
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| 62. |
A shekel and a pundiyon for each year until the Jubilee, as stated in Chapter 4, Halachot 2, 5.
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| 63. |
And there are no other instances where a pledge to the altar can be fulfilled by giving less that the article's worth (Arachin 5a).
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| 64. |
And the Temple treasury is always given the benefit of the doubt. If the airech is more, the donor must pay the airech. If the worth is more, he must pay the worth.
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• 3 Chapters: Avodat Kochavim Avodat Kochavim - Chapter One, Avodat Kochavim Avodat Kochavim - Chapter Two, Avodat Kochavim Avodat Kochavim - Chapter Three • English Text | Hebrew Text | Audio: Listen | Download• Avodat Kochavim - Chapter One
• 3 Chapters: Avodat Kochavim Avodat Kochavim - Chapter One, Avodat Kochavim Avodat Kochavim - Chapter Two, Avodat Kochavim Avodat Kochavim - Chapter Three • English Text | Hebrew Text |
Audio: Listen | Download• Avodat Kochavim - Chapter One
The Laws of The Worship Of Stars And Their Statutes
They contain 51 mitzvot: two positive commandments and 49 negative commandments. They are:
1. Not to show interest in the worship of false gods;2. Not to stray after the thoughts of one's heart or the sights one's eyes behold;
3. Not to curse [God];
4. Not to worship [false gods] with the types of service with which they are customarily served;
5. Not to bow down to [false gods];
6. Not to make an idol for oneself;
7. Not to make an idol even for others;
8. Not to make images even for decoration;
9. Not to persuade others to [worship false gods];
10. To burn an apostate city;
11. Never to rebuild it;
12. Not to derive benefit from any of its property;
13. Not to persuade a single individual to worship [false gods];
14. Not to love a mesit
15. Not to reduce one's hatred for him;
16. Not to save his life;
17. Not to advance any arguments on his behalf;
18. Not to withhold information that will lead to his conviction;
19. Not to prophesy in the name of [false gods];
20. Not to listen to anyone who prophesies in the name of [false gods];
21. Not to give false prophecy even in the name of God;
22. Not to fear executing a false prophet;
23. Not to swear in the name of a false god;
24. Not to perform the deeds associated with an ov
25. Not to perform the deeds associated with a yid'oni
26. Not to offer to Molech
27. Not to erect a pillar [for purposes of worship];
28. Not to prostrate oneself on hewn stones;
29. Not to plant an asherah
30. To destroy false gods and all their objects of worship;
31. Not to benefit from false gods and all their objects of worship;
32. Not to benefit from ornaments that have adorned false gods;
33. Not to establish a covenant with nations who worship false gods;
34. Not to show them favor;
35. Not to allow them to settle in our land;
36. Not to follow their customs or manner of dress;
37. Not to act as a soothsayer;
38. Not to practice black magic;
39. Not to practice divination;
40. Not to cast spells;
41. Not to seek information from the dead;
42. Not to consult an ov;
43. Not to consult a yid'oni
44. Not to practice sorcery;
45. Not to shave the temples of our heads;
46. Not to shave off the corners of our beards;
47. For a man not to wear a woman's apparel;
48. For a woman not to wear armament or a man's apparel;
49. Not to tattoo [one's body];
50. Not to make cuts in one's flesh;
51. Not to tear out hair [in mourning] for the dead.
The explanation of all these mitzvot is contained within the chapters which follow.
Halacha 1
During the times of Enosh, mankind made a great mistake, and the wise men of that generation gave thoughtless counsel. Enosh himself was one of those who erred.
Their mistake was as follows: They said God created stars and spheres with which to control the world. He placed them on high and treated them with honor, making them servants who minister before Him. Accordingly, it is fitting to praise and glorify them and to treat them with honor. [They perceived] this to be the will of God, blessed be He, that they magnify and honor those whom He magnified and honored, just as a king desires that the servants who stand before him be honored. Indeed, doing so is an expression of honor to the king.
After conceiving of this notion, they began to construct temples to the stars and offer sacrifices to them. They would praise and glorify them with words, and prostrate themselves before them, because by doing so, they would - according to their false conception - be fulfilling the will of God.
This was the essence of the worship of false gods, and this was the rationale of those who worshiped them. They would not say that there is no other god except for this star.
This message was conveyed by Jeremiah, who declared (10:7-8): "Who will not fear You, King of the nations, for to You it is fitting. Among all the wise men of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is none like You. They have one foolish and senseless [notion. They conceive of their] empty teachings as wood;" i.e., all know that You alone are God. Their foolish error consists of conceiving of this emptiness as Your will.
Halacha 2
After many years passed, there arose people - false prophets - who told [their nations] that God had commanded them to say: Serve this star - or all the stars - sacrifice to it, offer libations to it, build a temple for it and make an image of it so that all people - including the women, the children, and the common people - could bow to it.
He would inform them of a form that he had conceived, and tell them that this is the image of the particular star, claiming that this was revealed to him in a prophetic vision. In this manner, the people began to make images in temples, under trees, and on the tops of mountains and hills.
People would gather together and bow down to them and the [false prophets] would say: This image is the source of benefit or harm. It is appropriate to serve it and fear it. Their priests would tell them: This service will enable you to multiply and be successful. Do this and this, or do not do this or this.
Subsequently, other deceivers arose and declared that a specific star, sphere, or angel had spoken to them and commanded them: Serve me in this manner. He would then relate a mode of service [telling them:] Do this, do not do this.
Thus, these practices spread throughout the world. People would serve images with strange practices - one more distorted than the other - offer sacrifices to them, and bow down to them. As the years passed, [God's] glorious and awesome name was forgotten by the entire population. [It was no longer part of] their speech or thought, and they no longer knew Him. Thus, all the common people, the women, and the children would know only the image of wood or stone and the temples of stone to which they were trained from their childhood to bow down and serve, and in whose name they swore.
The wise men among them would think that there is no God other than the stars and spheres for whose sake, and in resemblance of which, they had made these images. The Eternal Rock was not recognized or known by anyone in the world, with the exception of a [few] individuals: for example, Chanoch, Metushelach, Noach, Shem, and Ever. The world continued in this fashion until the pillar of the world - the Patriarch Abraham - was born.
Halacha 3
After this mighty man was weaned, he began to explore and think. Though he was a child, he began to think [incessantly] throughout the day and night, wondering: How is it possible for the sphere to continue to revolve without having anyone controlling it? Who is causing it to revolve? Surely, it does not cause itself to revolve.
He had no teacher, nor was there anyone to inform him. Rather, he was mired in Ur Kasdim among the foolish idolaters. His father, mother, and all the people [around him] were idol worshipers, and he would worship with them. [However,] his heart was exploring and [gaining] understanding.
Ultimately, he appreciated the way of truth and understood the path of righteousness through his accurate comprehension. He realized that there was one God who controlled the sphere, that He created everything, and that there is no other God among all the other entities. He knew that the entire world was making a mistake. What caused them to err was their service of the stars and images, which made them lose awareness of the truth.
Abraham was forty years old when he became aware of his Creator. When he recognized and knew Him, he began to formulate replies to the inhabitants of Ur Kasdim and debate with them, telling them that they were not following a proper path.
He broke their idols and began to teach the people that it is fitting to serve only the God of the world. To Him [alone] is it fitting to bow down, sacrifice, and offer libations, so that the people of future [generations] would recognize Him. [Conversely,] it is fitting to destroy and break all the images, lest all the people err concerning them, like those people who thought that there are no other gods besides these [images].
When he overcame them through the strength of his arguments, the king desired to kill him. He was [saved through] a miracle and left for Charan. [There,] he began to call in a loud voice to all people and inform them that there is one God in the entire world and it is proper to serve Him. He would go out and call to the people, gathering them in city after city and country after country, until he came to the land of Canaan - proclaiming [God's existence the entire time] - as [Genesis 21:33] states: "And He called there in the name of the Lord, the eternal God."
When the people would gather around him and ask him about his statements, he would explain [them] to each one of them according to their understanding, until they turned to the path of truth. Ultimately, thousands and myriads gathered around him. These are the men of the house of Abraham.
He planted in their hearts this great fundamental principle, composed texts about it, and taught it to Isaac, his son. Isaac also taught others and turned [their hearts to God]. He also taught Jacob and appointed him as a teacher.
[Jacob] taught others and turned [the hearts] of all those who gathered around him [to God]. He also taught all of his children. He selected Levi and appointed him as the leader. He established him [as the head of] the academy to teach them the way of God and observe the mitzvot of Abraham.
[Jacob] commanded his sons that the leadership should not depart from the descendants of Levi, so that the teachings would not be forgotten. This concept proceeded and gathered strength among the descendants of Jacob and those who collected around them, until there became a nation within the world which knew God.
When the Jews extended their stay in Egypt, however, they learned from the [Egyptians'] deeds and began worshiping the stars as they did, with the exception of the tribe of Levi, who clung to the mitzvot of the patriarchs - the tribe of Levi never served false gods.
Within a short time, the fundamental principle that Abraham had planted would have been uprooted, and the descendants of Jacob would have returned to the errors of the world and their crookedness. Because of God's love for us, and to uphold the oath He made to Abraham, our patriarch, He brought forth Moses, our teacher, the master of all prophets, and sent him [to redeem the Jews]. After Moses, our teacher, prophesied, and God chose Israel as His inheritance, He crowned them with mitzvot and informed them of the path to serve Him, [teaching them] the judgement prescribed for idol worshiper and all those who stray after it.
Commentary Halacha
During the times of Enosh - the grandson of Adam. See Genesis 4:26, 5:6-11. Enosh lived from the year 235 after creation to the year 1140 (3525 to 2620 B.C.E.).
mankind made a great mistake and the wise men of that generation gave thoughtless counsel. - Interestingly, the Rambam does not attribute the rise of paganism to simple commoners, but to the "wise" of the generation.
Enosh, himself, was one of those who erred. - Our text of Shabbat118b mentions that "the generation of Enosh" were idol worshipers. However, certain versions of that text omit the words "generation of." (SeeShe'iltot D'Rabbi Achai Gaon, Bereshit.)
Their mistake was as follows: They said God created stars and spheres - See Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah, Chapter 3, for a description of the stars and the spheres, and their place within the Rambam's conception of the cosmos.
with which to control the world. He placed them on high and treated them with honor, making them servants who minister before Him. -i.e., mediums of Divine influence
Accordingly, it is fitting to praise and glorify them and to treat them with honor. - Rashi finds an allusion to the worship of false gods in Enosh's times in Genesis 4:26: which he renders, "It was then that they called profanely upon the name of God."
[They perceived] this to be the will of God, blessed be He, that they magnify and honor those whom He magnified and honored, just as a king desires that the servants who stand before him be honored. Indeed, doing so is an expression of honor to the king. - In Hilchot Yesodei Torah, ibid., and in several places in the Guide for the Perplexed, the Rambam explains that the stars and the spheres are on a higher plane than the creations of our world. Though they influence our world, they are also God's creations and have no free will of their own. Thus, they are no more than an axe in the hands of a wood-chopper, and should not worshiped or served.
After conceiving of this notion, they began to construct temples to the stars - Note the Rambam's comments on astrology in his Commentary on the Mishnah (Avodah Zarah 4:7), which are quoted in the commentary on Chapter 11, Halachah 16.
and offer sacrifices to them. They would praise and glorify them with words, and prostrate themselves before them, because by doing so, they would - according to their false conception - It is questionable if such worship is forbidden to gentiles or not. Based on Deuteronomy 4:19, certain authorities maintain that the gentiles may worship other gods, provided they have the awareness that God is the ultimate power (שיתוף).
The Rambam, however, does not mention this perspective in these halachot, nor in Hilchot Melachim, Chapter 9, where he discusses the prohibition against the worship of false gods as it affects gentiles. [In Sefer HaMitzvot (positive commandment 2), however, he states "Israel is commanded regarding the unification of God"; from which it could be inferred that gentiles need not believe in this concept and can combine their worship of God with other powers.] All authorities agree that such worship is forbidden for Jews.
be fulfilling the will of God. - It is unclear from the Rambam's statements here whether, originally, they would worship the stars without any self-interest - merely with the intent of honoring those whom God honors - or whether their service was self-oriented - i.e., they worshiped the stars because they considered them as mediums of Divine influence and hoped to derive benefit from of their service. In the following halachah and in his Commentary on the Mishnah (Avodah Zarah 4:7), the Rambam mentions the second view. It is, however, unclear if this was the original intent of the star-worshipers or whether this was a later development.
This was the essence of the worship of false gods - See Chapter 2, Halachah 1.
and this was the rationale of those who worshiped them - at the outset.
They would never say that there is no other god except for this star -as the pagans mentioned in Halachah 2 later did. The first generations of star worshipers were aware of God's existence and conceived of the stars as no more than intermediaries between ourselves and Him.
This message was conveyed by Jeremiah, who declared (10:7-8): -See also the Guide for the Perplexed (Vol. I, Chapter 36) where the Rambam explains a similar idea using the same Biblical proof-text.
"Who will not fear You, King of the nations, for to You it is fitting. Among all the wise men of the nations and in all their kingdoms, there is none like You. They have one foolish and senseless [notion. They conceive of their] empty teachings as wood;" - i.e., as an entity of substance
i.e., all know that You alone are God. Their foolish error consists of conceiving of this emptiness - the worship of the stars
as Your will. - This and the following two halachot are somewhat problematic. The Rambam conceived of the Mishneh Torah as a book of law. He included philosophical and historical points only when they are halachot, directives for our behavior. In this light, this entire chapter seems unnecessary.
This difficulty can be resolved based on Chapter 2, Halachah 3, which states that it is forbidden to entertain thoughts of idol worship. Hence, in order to know which thoughts are forbidden, the Rambam feels it necessary to describe the entire thought process which led people to worship idols (Likkutei Sichot, Vol. 20).
The phenomenon described by the Rambam does not belong entirely to the past. Although, at present, bowing down to the "stars and spheres" is not very common - although it has been renewed by some cultists - the theoretical premise that motivated the ancients to serve the stars is still followed by many. Is it all that uncommon to find people who compromise their service of God in expectation of receiving benefits by following what they perceive as the natural order?
Commentary Halacha
After many years passed, there arose people - false prophets - NoteHilchot Yesodei Torah 9:5, which states that anyone who states that God told him in a prophetic vision to worship idols should automatically be considered a false prophet.
See also the Guide for the Perplexed (Vol. II, Chapter 36) where the Rambam describes how people can be overcome by their powers of imagination to the extent that they - as do others who see them in such a trance - think of themselves as prophets, although, in fact, they received no Divine influence.
who told [the people] that God had commanded them to say: - Thus, this represents a second stage in the spread of idol worship. At first - as explained in Halachah 1 - star worship was not institutionalized, but was practiced by individuals because of their mistaken conceptions.
The second phase involved the development of religious institutions and set modes of worship. The leaders, however, still recognized God and attributed the instructions to worship the stars to Him. In the third stage - as the latter portion of this halachah states - people would worship the stars and idols without any awareness of God.
Serve this star - or all the stars - sacrifice to it, offer libations to it, build a temple for it and make an image of it so that all people - including the women, the children, and the common people - could bow to it. - See the Rambam's Commentary on the Mishnah (Avodah Zarah 4:7) and his statements in Chapter 11, Halachah 16, where he explains that idol worship was instituted by the leaders of the nations to unite the people of a particular land, give them a sense of national identity, and establish a hierarchy of leaders.
He would inform them of a form that he had conceived, and tell them that this is the image of the particular star, claiming that this was revealed to him in a prophetic vision. - With these statements, the Rambam explains how people began to worship statues and idols. Since the star was far away and could not be perceived as more than a twinkling dot in the sky, the people wanted a more tangible image which they could relate to. The "prophets" obliged and devised forms for statues to serve as talismans to bring down influence from these stars.
In this manner, the people began to make images in temples, under trees, and on the tops of mountains and hills. - Note Deuteronomy 12:2, which commands the Jews to destroy "all the places where the nations... would worship their gods, on the high mountains, on the hills, or under any luxuriant tree." Note the Guide for the Perplexed, Vol. III, Chapter 45, where the Rambam mentions the gentile practice of building temples on hills and mountaintops.
People would gather together and bow down to them - the images
and the [false prophets] would say: This image is the source of benefit or harm. It is appropriate to serve it and fear it. Their priests would tell them: This service will enable you to multiply and be successful. Do this and this, or do not do this or this. - At this stage, their service was clearly self-oriented. They wanted to derive benefit or prevent harm to themselves through this service.
Subsequently, other deceivers arose and declared that a specific star, sphere, or angel - See Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah, Chapter 2, for a description of the angels.
had spoken to them and commanded them: Serve me in this manner. He would then relate a mode of service [telling them:] Do this, do not do this. - This represented a further descent. Rather than prophesy in the name of God, these imposters would speak in the names of the idols themselves. (See also Chapter 5, Halachot 6-7.)
Thus, these practices spread throughout the world. People would serve images with strange practices - one more distorted than the other - Note Chapter 3, Halachah 2, which describes the service of Ba'al Pe'or. The people would defecate before the idol as an act of worship.
offer sacrifices to them, and bow down to them. As the years passed, [God's] glorious and awesome name was forgotten by the entire population. [It was no longer part of] their speech or thought, and they no longer knew Him. - It is not clear at which point in the history of the world this change took place. The period between Enosh's birth and Abraham's lasted slightly more than one thousand years, with the flood taking place approximately 750 years after Enosh's birth.
Thus, all the common people, the women, and the children would know - Note the Rambam's Commentary on the Mishnah (Chulin 1:1), where he also differentiates between the people who believe in the spiritual service intended to draw down spiritual energy from these celestial bodies and practice it, and the common people who worship the idols blindly, on faith.
only the image of wood or stone and the temples of stone to which they were trained from their childhood to bow down and serve, and in whose name they swore - i.e., they conceived of the images as gods. Such worship represented more than a mere conceptual error. Six of the seven mitzvot commanded to Noach and his descendants were also given to Adam, the first man. Among them was the prohibition against serving other gods (Hilchot Melachim 9:1). Thus, by worshiping these images, they were breaking an explicit Divine commandment.
The wise men among them would - not worship the images as gods in their own right, but they would
think that there is no God other than the stars and spheres for whose sake, and in resemblance of which, they had made these images. The Eternal Rock - the true God
was not recognized or known by anyone in the world, with the exception of a [few] individuals - Our Sages speak critically of these individuals, who were themselves righteous, but did nothing to influence the people around them.
for example - See also the Guide for the Perplexed, Vol. II, Chapter 39, where the Rambam cites these individuals as prophets.
Chanoch - Note Genesis 5:22: "And Chanoch walked with God."
Metushelach - Though his righteousness is not mentioned explicitly in the Torah, it is mentioned by our Sages in a number of places - e.g., Yalkut Shimeoni, Bereshit 42, which states: "Metushelach was a completely righteous man."
Noach - See Genesis 6:9: "And Noach was a righteous man, perfect in his generation."
Shem - Noach's second son.
and Ever. - Shem and Ever are frequently mentioned by our Rabbis as righteous sages. See Bereishit Rabbah 63:6, which explains that when Rivkah went "to seek out God" (Genesis 25:22), she went to the house of study of Shem and Ever.
The world continued in this fashion until the pillar of the world - the Patriarch Abraham - was born. - Abraham was born in the year 1948 (1812 B.C.E.).
Commentary Halacha
After this mighty man - In several places - e.g., Bava Batra 15a and Rosh HaShanah 11a - our Sages referred to Abraham with this expression.
was weaned - Nedarim 32a states: "Abraham was three when he recognized his Creator." Although the Rambam states that it was not until Abraham was forty that he gained true awareness of God, his process of search began at age three.
he began to explore and think. Though he was a child, he began to think [incessantly] throughout the day and night, wondering: How is it possible for the sphere to continue to revolve without having anyone controlling it? - Note the Midrash HaGadol (Parashat Lech Lecha), which explains that Abraham questioned: Why should we bow down to idols, gods that we ourselves make? We should bow to the earth, for it produces crops that sustain us.
Therefore, he began to worship the earth. Then he saw that the earth needs rain, and began to worship the sky. Later, he saw that the most brilliant creation in the sky was the sun, and began to worship it. Afterwards, when the sun set and the moon rose, he began to worship the moon. When the sun rose the next morning, he did not know what to do. He did not see which was stronger: the sun or the moon. So Abraham continued in a quandary, questioning who was the true God.
Who is causing it to revolve? Surely, it does not cause itself to revolve. - Interestingly, in Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah 1:5, the Rambam uses the same concept as a proof for the existence of God.
He had no teacher, nor was there anyone to inform him. -Bereshit Rabbah61:1 elaborates on the lack of instruction that was available to Abraham.
Note the Ra'avad and the Kessef Mishneh, who question why Noach, Shem, and Ever (all of whom were alive at this time) did not try to nullify the worship of idols and why they did not instruct Abraham. They offer two explanations. The first is that they were afraid and hid from the idolaters. (See Midrash Tehillim 118. Note, however, teachings which state that these righteous men also protested the worship of false gods, Tanna Devei Eliyahu Rabba, Chapters 20 and 25.)
Alternatively, Shem and Ever lived in the land of Canaan, while Abraham lived in Babylon. The question remains, however, why did Abraham not seek out these righteous men (Kinat Eliyahu).
Rather, he was mired in Ur Kasdim among the foolish idolaters. His father, mother, and all the people [around him] were idol worshipers -Indeed, our Sages relate that his father had a shop where idols were sold.
and he would worship with them. - See Bereshit Rabbah 39:8, which states that Abraham was always worried that God would not absolve him from his sin of worshiping idols.
[However,] his heart was exploring and [gaining] understanding. Ultimately, he appreciated the way of truth - an awareness of God
and understood the path of righteousness - an ethical approach to behavior, which reflected his spiritual awareness
through his accurate comprehension. He realized that there was one God who controlled the sphere, that He created everything, and that there is no other God among all the other entities. - These are the fundamental principles of the Jewish faith, as explained in Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah 1:1-6.
He knew that the entire world was making a mistake. What caused them to err was their service of the stars and images, which made them lose awareness of the truth. - Their worship of idols dulled their sensitivity to spirituality to the point where they lost all awareness of God.
Abraham was forty years old when he became aware of his Creator. -Note Bereshit Rabbah 64:4, which mentions two opinions regarding when Abraham became aware of God: one when he was three and one when he was forty eight. It is possible that the Rambam's text of the Midrash read "forty" instead of "forty eight."
As explained above, the opinions are not necessarily contradictory. Abraham's process of inquiry could have begun at age three, while at forty he gained greater understanding, and at forty eight, he achieved an even higher level of awareness.
Avot 5:21 states: "At forty, one achieves understanding." By associating Abraham's apreciation of the Creator with this age, the Rambam implies that this awareness can come as a product of our own thought and meditation.
When he recognized and knew Him - Bereshit Rabbah 39:1 explains Abraham's process of thought with a parable. A person saw a brightly lit palace. He wondered: Could this palace exist without an owner? Immediately, the owner revealed himself to him. Similarly, Abraham wondered: Is it possible for the world to exist without one who controls? Immediately, God revealed himself to him.
he began to formulate replies to the inhabitants of Ur Kasdim and debate with them, telling them that they were not following a proper path - by serving the stars and idols.
He broke their idols and began to teach the people that it is fitting to serve only the God of the world. - Our Sages relate that after breaking his father's idols, he put a stick in the hands of the largest idol. When his father asked him why he destroyed the idols, he replied that he didn't do it; the idol holding the stick did.
His father curtly dismissed his reply: "That idol is only metal. It cannot do anything," he roared at his son.
"If so, why do you worship it?" Abraham replied.
To Him [alone] is it fitting to bow down, sacrifice, and offer libations, so that the people of future [generations] would recognize Him. - The Rambam's words imply that the value of offering sacrifices at this time (before the Torah commanded that they be offered) was not as the acts of service of God, but in the educational effect they had on the people and the awareness of God they inspired.
[Conversely,] it is fitting to destroy and break all the images, lest all the people err concerning them, like those people who thought that there are no other gods besides these [images]. When he overcame them through the strength of his arguments, the king - Nimrod (Pesachim 118a)
desired to kill him - by tossing him into a burning furnace.
He was [saved through] a miracle - Interestingly, when the Rambam lists the ten trials that Abraham endured in his Commentary on the Mishnah,Avot 5:3, he does not mention this episode at all.
and left for Charan. - See Genesis 11:31. In his Commentary on the Mishnah (ibid.), the Rambam mentions Abraham's exile from his native land as the first of his ten trials.
[There,] - he did not encounter any of the formal opposition he had faced in Babylonia and
he began to call in a loud voice to all people and inform them that there is one God in the entire world. He would go out and call to the people, gathering them in city after city and country after country -On the phrase, Genesis 12:5, "the people they had gathered in Charan,"Bereshit Rabbah 39:21 comments, "These are the converts they made. Abraham would convert the men and Sarah would convert the women."
until he came to the land of Canaan - See Genesis, Chapter 12, which describes Abraham's journeys within the land of Canaan.
proclaiming [God's existence the entire time] - as [Genesis 21:33] states: "And He called there in the name of the Lord, the eternal God." - Sotah 10a states: "Do not read 'And he called.' Read 'And he had others call' - i.e., Abraham motivated others to become aware of God and call out to Him.
When the people would gather around him and ask him about his statements, he would explain [them] to each one of them according to their understanding, until they turned to the path of truth. Ultimately, thousands and myriads gathered around him. These are the men of the house of Abraham. - The Rabbis question the fate of all these people. We do not find any mention of the perpetuation of their faith in God. Perhaps the cultural influences of the surrounding environment were too powerful. If the children of Israel themselves turned to idol worship after two generations in Egypt, could any more be expected from these individuals?
He planted in their hearts this great fundamental principle, composed texts about it - Most commentaries point to Avodah Zarah14b, which relates that Abraham composed a four-hundred-chapter text against the worship of false gods. Kinat Eliyahu notes that here, the Rambam is not referring to the negation of idol worship, but to the propagation of the faith in one God. Therefore, he suggests that the reference is to the Kabbalistic tradition (Zohar, Vol. II, 275b) that Sefer Yetzirah was composed by Abraham. (See also Kiryat Melech.)
and taught it to Isaac, his son. - Note Genesis 18:19: "I have known him that he will command his children and household after him, and they will keep the way of God...."
Isaac also taught others and turned [their hearts to God]. He also taught Jacob - Jacob also studied under Shem and Ever (See Rashi,Genesis 25:27, Bereishit Rabbah 25:16).
and appointed him as a teacher - i.e., he and not Esau would convey the spiritual heritage of Abraham.
[Jacob] taught others and turned [the hearts] of all those who gathered around him [to God]. He also taught all of his children. - In contrast to Abraham and Isaac, all of Jacob's children were righteous. (SeeHilchot Kri'at Shema 1:4.)
He selected Levi and appointed him as the leader. - The Torah itself does not mention Jacob's selection of Levi as a leader. A number of sources in the oral tradition (Pirkei D'Rabbi Eliezer, Chapter 39; Shemot Rabbah 15:27), however, reveal this concept.
He established him [as the head of] the academy - The Midrash Tanchuma (Vayigash) interprets Genesis 46:28: "And Jacob sent Judah before him," to mean that he charged him with founding a yeshiva. Similarly, Yoma 28b states that this Talmudic academy continued throughout the Egyptian exile.
to teach them the way of God - Note Hilchot De'ot 1:7, which explains that the expression, "the way of God," refers to ethics, emulating the qualities of spirit which God has revealed.
and observe the mitzvot of Abraham. - In this context, note the Rambam's statements in Hilchot Melachim 9:1. After relating the seven universal laws given to Noach and his descendants, the Rambam states:
In addition to these, Abraham was commanded regarding circumcision. He instituted the morning prayer. Isaac separated tithes and added another prayer service towards evening. Jacob added the prohibition against eating the gid hanasheh, the "displaced nerve," and instituted the evening prayers.
[Jacob] commanded his sons that the leadership should not depart from the descendants of Levi - Thus, the mantle of leadership passed to Kehat and then to Amram, Moses' father.
so that the teachings would not be forgotten. This concept proceeded and gathered strength among the descendants of Jacob and those who collected around them, until there became a nation within the world which knew God. - This describes the initial period of the Jews' stay in Egypt, when they prospered both spiritually and materially.
When the Jews extended their stay in Egypt - The entire period of the Egyptian exile lasted 210 years. As long as Jacob's sons were living, the Jews preserved the heritage of their fathers and were treated with honor by the Egyptians.
The last of Jacob's sons to die was Levi. After his death, the spiritual level of the Jews descended. Levi lived 127 years. He was 44 when he entered Egypt. Thus, this spiritual descent occurred 83 years after the Jews entered Egypt.
however, they learned from the [Egyptians'] deeds and began worshiping the stars as they did - When the Jews adopted Egyptian values - as a reflection of their spiritual state - they were enslaved by the Egyptians.
with the exception of the tribe of Levi, who clung to the mitzvot of the patriarchs - the tribe of Levi never served false gods. - The tribe of Levi was also the only tribe which perpetuated the mitzvah of circumcision (Sifre, Berachah). As a result of their spiritual fortitude, the tribe of Levi was never enslaved.
Within a short time, the fundamental principle that Abraham had planted would have been uprooted and the descendants of Jacob would have returned to the errors of the world and their crookedness. - Our Sages relate that, in the Egyptian exile, the Jews had descended to the forty-ninth degree of impurity. Had they descended another level, it would have been impossible for us ever to be redeemed.
Because of God's love for us, and to uphold the oath He made to Abraham, our patriarch - This is a reference to Deuteronomy 7:7-8: "It is not because of your greatness over all the other nations that God desired you and chose you..., but it was because of God's love for you and because He kept the oath He swore to your fathers."
He brought forth Moses, our teacher - Rav David Arameah notes that the word עשה, rendered as "brought forth," literally means "made." He explains that from Moses' birth, God granted him the potential to develop unique spiritual awareness. Although the Rambam also accepts this concept (see the Guide for the Perplexed, Vol. II, Chapter 32), it is more likely that he chose this expression as a reference to I Samuel 12:6 (Rav Kapach).
the master of all prophets - See Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah 7:6, where the Rambam elaborates on the advantages Moses had over all the other prophets. Indeed, in his Commentary on the Mishnah (Introduction to Chapter 10 of Sanhedrin), he includes belief in the supremacy of Moses' prophecy as the seventh of his Thirteen Principles of Faith.
and sent him [to redeem the Jews] - after 117 years of idol worship and slavery.
After Moses, our teacher, prophesied, and God chose Israel as His inheritance, He crowned them with mitzvot and informed them of the path to serve Him - by
[teaching them] - the Torah which reveals
the judgement prescribed for idol-worship and all those who stray after it - as will be explained in the subsequent chapters. The Rambam's elaboration on the negative experience of our people in Egypt and the giving of the Torah has the following implication. Although man can appreciate the futile nature of idol worship and the greatness of God with his own intellect, because man is fallable, it is necessary to have these principles institutionalized in an objective, unchanging religious code (Likkutei Sichot, Vol. 20).
Avodat Kochavim - Chapter Two
Halacha 1
The essence of the commandment [forbidding] the worship of false gods is not to serve any of the creations, not an angel, a sphere, or a star, none of the four fundamental elements, nor any entity created from them. Even if the person worshiping knows that ‘ה is the [true] God and serves the creation in the manner in which Enosh and the people of his generation worshiped [the stars] originally, he is considered to be an idol worshiper.
The Torah warns us about this, saying [Deuteronomy 4:19]: "Lest you lift your eyes heavenward and see the sun, the moon, and the stars... [and bow down and worship them], the entities which God apportioned to all the nations." This implies that you might inquire with "the eye of the heart" and it might appear to you that these entities control the world, having been apportioned by God to all the nations to be alive, to exist, and not to cease existence, as is the pattern of [the other creations with] the world. Therefore, you might say that it is worthy to bow down to them and worship them.
For this reason, [Deuteronomy 11:16] commands: "Be very careful that your heart not be tempted [to go astray and worship other gods]." This implies that the thoughts of your heart should not lead you astray to worship these and make them an intermediary between you and the Creator.
Halacha 2
The worshipers of false gods have composed many texts concerning their service, [describing] what is the essence of their service, what practices are involved, and what are its statutes. The Holy One, blessed be He, has commanded us not to read those books at all, nor to think about them or any matters involved with them.
It is even forbidden to look at the image of an idol, as [Leviticus 19:4] states: "Do not turn to the idols." In this regard, [Deuteronomy 12:30] states: "[Be careful]... lest you seek to find out about their gods, saying, 'How did they serve them.' This prohibits inquiring about the nature of their service even if you, yourself, do not serve them. This matter will ultimately cause you to turn to [the false god] and worship it as they do, as [the above verse continues]: "so that I will do the same."
Halacha 3
All these prohibitions have one common thrust: that one should not pay attention to idol worship. Whoever performs a deed that reflects his concern with [idol worship] receives lashes [as punishment].
The worship of false gods is not the only subject to which we are forbidden to pay attention; rather, we are warned not to consider any thought which will cause us to uproot one of the fundamentals of the Torah. We should not turn our minds to these matters, think about them, or be drawn after the thoughts of our hearts.
In general, people have limited powers of understanding, and not all minds are capable of appreciating the truth in its fullness. [Accordingly,] were a person to follow the thoughts of his heart, it is possible that he would destroy the world because of his limited understanding.
What is implied? There are times when a person will stray after star worship, and times when he will wonder about God's oneness: Perhaps He is one, perhaps He is not? [He might also wonder:] What exists above, [in the heavenly realms]? What exists below [them]? What was before time? What will be after time? Similarly, [one might wonder about] prophecy: Perhaps it is true, perhaps it is not? And [one may also wonder] about the Torah: Perhaps it emanates from God, perhaps it does not?
Since he may not know the guidelines with which to evaluate [ideas that will lead him] to the truth in its fullness, he may come to heresy. The Torah has warned about this matter, saying [Numbers 15:39]: "Do not stray after your hearts and eyes, which have led you to immorality" - i.e., each one of you should not follow his limited powers of understanding and think that he has comprehended the truth.
Our Sages [interpreted this warning]: "After your hearts," this refers to heresy; "after your eyes," this refers to immorality. This prohibition - though [severe,] causing a person to be prevented [from attaining a portion] in the world to come - is not punishable by lashes.
Halacha 4
The commandment [forbidding] the worship of false gods is equivalent to all the mitzvot, as [implied by Numbers 15:22]: "Lest you err and not perform all the mitzvot...." The oral tradition teaches that the verse refers to the worship of false gods. Thus, we learn that anyone who acknowledges a false god denies the entire Torah in its totality, all the works of the prophets, and everything that has been commanded to the prophets from Adam, [the first man,] until eternity, as [Numbers 15:23] continues: "...from the day God issued His commandments and afterwards, for your future generations."
[Conversely,] anyone who denies the worship of false gods acknowledges the entire Torah in its totality, all the works of the prophets, and everything that has been commanded to the prophets from Adam, [the first man,] until eternity. [This acknowledgement] is fundamental to all of the mitzvot.
Halacha 5
A Jew who serves false gods is considered like a gentile in all regards and is not comparable to a Jew who violated another transgression punishable by being stoned to death. An apostate who worships false gods is considered to be an apostate with regard to the entire Torah.
Similarly, Jewish minnim are not considered to be Jews with regard to any matter. Their repentance should never be accepted, as [implied by Proverbs 2:19]: "None that go to her repent, nor will they regain the paths of life."
The minnim are those who stray after the thoughts of their hearts, concerning themselves with the foolish matters mentioned above, until they ultimately transgress against the body of Torah [law] arrogantly, with scorn, with the intent of provoking God's anger, and yet say that there is no sin involved.
It is forbidden to talk to them or to reply to them at all, as [Proverbs 5:8] states: "Do not come close to her door." [It can be assumed that] a min's thoughts are concerned with false gods.
Halacha 6
Whoever accepts a false god as true, even when he does not actually worship it, disgraces and blasphemes [God's] glorious and awesome name. This applies both to one who worships false gods and to one who curses God's name [as is obvious from Numbers 15:30]: "If a person commits [an act of idolatry] highhandedly, whether he be a native born [Jew] or a convert, he is blaspheming God."
Therefore, a person who worships false gods is to be hanged, just as one who blasphemes against God is hanged. Both are executed by being stoned to death. Therefore, I have included the laws applying to a blasphemer in Hilchot Avodat Kochavim. Both deny the fundamental principle [of Jewish faith].
Halacha 7
These are the laws which govern a blasphemer: A blasphemer is not liable to be stoned to death until he states God's unique name, which possesses four letters: א-ד-נ-י, and curses that name with one of the names of God which are forbidden to be erased, as [Leviticus 24:16] states: "One who blasphemes God's name...."
One is obligated to be stoned to death for blaspheming God's unique name. [Should he blaspheme] the other names for God, he [transgresses] a prohibition.
There are those who state that one is liable [for execution] only when one blasphemes the name י-ה-ו-ה. I, however, maintain that one should be stoned to death in both instances.
Halacha 8
Which verse serves as the warning prohibiting blasphemy? [Exodus 22:27]: "Do not curse God."
[The procedure for the trial of a blasphemer is as follows:] Each day [when] the witnesses are questioned, [they use] other terms for God's name, [stating,] "May Yosse strike Yosse." At the conclusion of the judgment, all bystanders are removed [from the courtroom]. The judges question the witness of greatest stature and tell him, "Tell us what you heard explicitly." He relates [the curse]. The judges stand upright and rend their garments. They may not mend them [afterwards].
The second witness states: "I also heard as he did." If there are many witnesses, they must all say, "I heard the same."
Halacha 9
[The fact that] a blasphemer retracts his statements in the midst of speaking is of no consequence. Rather, once he utters blasphemy in the presence of witnesses, he is [liable for execution by] stoning.
Should a person curse God's name with the name of a false god, the zealous may strike him and slay him. If the zealous do not slay him and he is brought to court, he is not [condemned to] be stoned. [That punishment is administered] only when one curses God's name with another one of His unique names.
Halacha 10
Whoever hears the blasphemy of God's name is obligated to rend his garments. Even [when one hears] the blasphemy of other terms used to describe God, one is obligated to rend his garments.
The above applies when one hears [the blasphemy] from a fellow Jew. [In that instance,] both one who hears the actual blasphemy and one who hears it from the witnesses is obligated to rend his garments. In contrast, one who hears a gentile [blaspheme God's name] is not obligated to rend his garments. Elyakim and Shevna rent their garments [as described in Isaiah 36:22] only because Ravshakeh was an apostate Jew.
[Before his execution,] all the witnesses and the judges place their hands on the head of the blasphemer and tell him: "You are responsible for your death. You brought it upon yourself." Only a blasphemer - and none of the other offenders executed by the court - has [the judges and witnesses] place their hands upon his head, as [Leviticus 24:14] states: "And all those who hear shall place their hands on his head."
Commentary Halacha
The essence of the commandment [forbidding] the worship of false gods is not to serve any of the creations - The Rambam counts the prohibition against worshiping false gods as the first of the 365 negative commandments. In these halachot, he does not mention this prohibition in the manner in which he usually introduces one of the 613 mitzvot in this text, because he introduced this prohibition previously in the Mishneh Torah, mentioning it in Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah 1:6. The inclusion of this mitzvah in those halachot is appropriate, because it is one of the foundations of our faith.
not an angel, a sphere, or a star - See Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah, Chapters 2 and 3, for a description of these creations.
none of the four fundamental elements - fire, wind, water, and earth. The Rambam describes the existence and function of these four fundamental elements in Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah, Chapters 3 and 4.
nor any entity created from them. - All the creations of our physical world are created from a combination of these four elements.
Even if the person worshiping knows that ‘ה is the [true] God and serves the creation in the manner in which Enosh and the people of his generation worshiped [the stars] originally - as the Rambam mentioned in Chapter 1, Halachah 1.
he is considered to be an idol worshiper - and is subject to the punishments mentioned in Chapter 3, Halachah 1.
The Torah warns us about this, saying [Deuteronomy 4:19]: "Lest you lift your eyes heavenward and see the sun, the moon, and the stars... [and bow down and worship them], the entities which God apportioned to all the nations." - As mentioned in the previous chapter, there are some authorities who, using this verse as a proof-text, do not prohibit gentiles from worshiping false gods with this intent. However, all authorities agree that Jews may not worship in this manner.
This - should not be interpreted simply as forbidding us to gaze at the celestial beings (Sefer HaMitzvot, Negative Commandment 10), but rather
implies that you might inquire with "the eye of the heart" and it might appear to you that these entities control the world - because they do perform essential functions within the natural order
having been apportioned by God to all the nations to be alive - SeeHilchot Yesodei HaTorah 3:9, which states that the stars and the spheres are alive and are conscious of God's existence.
to exist, and not to cease existence as is the pattern of [the other creations with] the world. - In the first chapters of the Guide for the Perplexed, Vol. II, and briefly in Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah 4:3, the Rambam explains that all the creations of this world are combinations of different elements and will therefore ultimately return to their initial elemental state. In contrast, the existence of the stars and the spheres remains constant.
Therefore, you might say that it is worthy to bow down to them and worship them - to "honor those who God honors," as mentioned in Chapter 1, Halachah 1, or to derive benefit from serving them, as mentioned in Halachah 2 of that chapter.
For this reason, [Deuteronomy 11:16] commands: "Be very careful - The words "Be very careful" imply a prohibition stemming from the Torah. In Halachah 3, the Rambam describes the prohibition involved in harboring such thoughts.
that your heart not be tempted [to go astray and worship other gods]." This implies that the thoughts of your heart should not lead you astray to worship these and make them an intermediary between you and the Creator. - Note the fifth of the Rambam's Thirteen Principles of Faith (Commentary on the Mishnah, Sanhedrin, Chapter 10):
The fifth fundamental principle is that it is fit to serve God alone... and not the entities who are below Him: the angels, the stars, the spheres, or the fundamental elements.
This is because they all perform their functions because of their inherent nature. They have no control or choice, but merely [fulfill] God's will.
We should not make them intermediaries to reach Him through them, but rather direct all our thoughts to Him, paying no attention to anything else. This is the... prohibition against worshiping false gods.
This is because they all perform their functions because of their inherent nature. They have no control or choice, but merely [fulfill] God's will.
We should not make them intermediaries to reach Him through them, but rather direct all our thoughts to Him, paying no attention to anything else. This is the... prohibition against worshiping false gods.
Commentary Halacha
This halachah continues the description of the prohibition begun in the previous halachah and completed in the following halachah.
The worshipers of false gods have composed many texts concerning their service, [describing] what is the essence of their service, what practices are involved, and what are its statutes. - The commentaries have also included studying other books by pagans and nonbelievers in this prohibition.
The Holy One, blessed be He, has commanded us not to read those books at all - See the Rambam's Commentary on the Mishnah (Avot2:17), which states that one may study "the ideas of the gentiles in order to reply to them." Indeed, from the Guide for the Perplexed, Vol. III, Chapters 29 and 30, it appears that the Rambam himself undertook such study. (The Rabbis have, nevertheless, suggested that such study be limited only to certain individuals who have received permission from a rabbinic authority to concern themselves with these issues.)
Note also Chapter 3, Halachah 2, and Hilchot Sanhedrin 2:1, which state that judges must be somewhat familiar with the rites of the pagans in order to judge cases dealing with such questions. There is no source, however, where the Rambam explicitly mentions that one may study about idol worship for this reason. (See Shabbat 75a and Siftei Cohen, Yoreh De'ah179:29.)
nor to think about them or any matters involved with them. - TheZohar, Vol. I, 100a, mentions this prohibition together with its rationale, "lest your heart be tempted to this service."
It is even forbidden to look at the image of an idol - Note Sefer HaMitzvot (Negative Commandment 10) and Tosafot (Shabbat 149a), which explain that this prohibition applies only to statues worshiped as idols, in contrast to Rashi (Shabbat, ibid.), who explains that it refers even to statues erected for decorative purposes.
as [Leviticus 19:4] states: "Do not turn to the idols." - Note the comments of the Sifra on this verse, "If you turn to them, you will make them gods."
In this regard, [Deuteronomy 12:30] states - speaking to the Jews as they prepare to enter Eretz Yisrael:
"[Be careful]... lest you seek to find out about their gods, saying, 'How did they serve them.' - See Sefer HaMitzvot (Negative Commandment 10), which defines this prohibition as "analytical thought and study concerning the fantasies and empty thoughts of the founders [of idol worship] - i.e., that spiritual nurture can be drawn down from this star in this manner, it is proper to burn incense to this star in this manner...."
This prohibits inquiring about the nature of their service even if you, yourself, do not - have an intent to
serve them. - These enquiries are prohibited because
This matter will ultimately cause you to turn to [the false god] and worship it as they do, as [the above verse continues]: "so that I will do the same." - Here, abstract intellectual curiosity is forbidden. The Rambam operates under the premise that there is nothing positive that can be learned from idol worshipers, and there is a danger that one will be attracted to their lifestyle. Therefore, since there is "nothing to gain and everything to lose," inquiry about such subjects is forbidden.
Commentary Halacha
All these prohibitions - mentioned in this and the above two halachot.
have one common thrust: that one should not pay attention to idol worship. - Sefer HaMitzvot (Negative Commandment 10) andSefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 213) count this as one of the 613 mitzvot of the Torah.
Whoever performs a deed - e.g., in his curiosity, uncovers an image to see what it looks like (Maharshal) or performs a ceremonial act of idol worship merely as practice (Mishneh Kessef).
The Rambam's statements here are used as support to negate the opinion of the Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 345), which states that lashes are never given for the violation of a prohibition that can be transgressed without performing a deed, even when one violates it by committing a deed.
that reflects his concern with [idol worship] receives lashes [as punishment]. - Punishment is administered only for the violation of prohibitions by actual deeds. In this instance, the prohibition can be violated by thought alone - in which case no punishment is administered. There are, however, also instances when deed - and thus punishment - is also involved.
Eruvin 17b notes that even though the proof-text for this prohibition mentions the word אל rather than לא, it is no different from other Torah prohibitions, and its violation is also punished by lashes.
The worship of false gods is not the only subject to which we are forbidden to pay attention - Note the Introduction to Sefer HaMitzvot(Shoresh 9), which states that there are mitzvot of thought, of feeling, of speech, and of deed.
rather, we are warned not to consider any thought which will cause us to uproot one of the fundamentals of the Torah. We should not turn our minds to these matters, think about them, or be drawn after the thoughts of our hearts. - Sefer HaMitzvot (Negative Commandment 47) defines this mitzvah as follows:
We are forbidden to be freethinking [to the extent that] we accept principles which run contrary to those of the Torah. Rather, we should structure our thoughts, setting for them guidelines, those being the mitzvot of the Torah.
The Rambam explains the reason for these prohibitions:
In general, people have limited powers of understanding, and not all minds are capable of appreciating the truth in its fullness. - See also Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah 2:12, 4:11,13, where the Rambam mentions the restrictions placed on the study of deeper spiritual concepts lest one err in his conception.
[Accordingly,] were a person to follow the thoughts of his heart, it is possible that he would destroy the world because of his limited understanding. - There are several ways to understand the expression used by the Rambam: "destroy the world." On the most obvious level, it is a figurative expression, not to be interpreted literally. On a deeper level, it can be seen as a reference to his statements in Hilchot Teshuvah 3:4 that a person should always "see himself and the entire world as equally balanced between merit and sin. If he commits one sin, he tips his balance and that of the entire world to guilt and brings on destruction."
Today, we can appreciate the Rambam's words in a very literal sense. Society as a whole is plagued by irrational acts of violence. and on a global level it is possible for utter destruction to be brought about if a few individuals act irresponsibly.
What is implied? There are times when a person will stray after star worship - and consider it beneficial
and - there are
times when he will wonder about God's oneness: Perhaps He is one, perhaps He is not? - In his Commentary on the Mishnah (Introduction to the Tenth Chapter of Sanhedrin), the Rambam lists the oneness of God as the second of his Thirteen Principles of Faith. See also Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah 1:7, 2:10.
[He may also wonder:] - Chaggigah 11b states: "It would have been better for someone who considers the [following] four matters never to have been created." The passage continues by mentioning the four questions quoted by the Rambam here.
What exists above the heavenly realms? What exists below them? What was before time? What will be after time? - Our translation is based on Rashi's interpretation of Chaggigah, ibid.
Similarly, [one may wonder about] prophecy: Perhaps it is true, perhaps it is not? - In Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah 7:1, the Rambam states: "It is [one] of the foundations of [our] faith that God communicates by prophecy with man." Similarly, the Rambam lists the concept of prophecy as the sixth of his Thirteen Principles of Faith.
And [one may also wonder] about the Torah: Perhaps it emanates from God, perhaps it does not? - As the eighth of his Thirteen Principles of Faith, the Rambam states: "The Torah which we have was given by Moses our teacher... and emanates - in its entirety - from the Almighty." He explains that this also applies to the oral law. He reiterates this concept in his introduction to the Mishneh Torah.
Since he might not know the guidelines with which to evaluate [ideas that will lead him] to the truth in its fullness, he might come to heresy. - The Rambam's statements should be interpreted, not as a restriction of one's thinking processes, but rather a call to structure our thoughts according to the guidelines provided for us by the Torah.
In this context, it is worthy to refer to Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah 4:13:
I maintain that it is not proper for a person to stroll in the Pardes (study Torah's mystic secrets) unless he has filled his belly with bread and meat. "Bread and meat" refer to the knowledge of what is permitted and what is forbidden, and similar matters concerning other mitzvot. Even though the Sages referred to these as "a small matter" - since our Sages said: "'A great matter,' this is Ma'aseh Merkavah. 'A small matter,' this is the debates of Abbaye and Ravva" - nevertheless, it is fitting for them to be given precedence, because they settle a person's mind.
Thus, the Rambam teaches that a person should not embark on the study of deep spiritual questions until he has gained the intellectual maturity which comes from Torah study. Even after a person gains such maturity, there is no need for him to concern himself with the study of idol worship because there is no value which he can derive from such study.
The Torah has warned about this matter, saying [Numbers 15:39]: "Do not stray after your hearts and eyes, which have led you to immorality" - Sefer HaMitzvot (Negative Commandment 47) and Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 387) counts this as one of the 613 mitzvot of the Torah.
i.e., each one of you should not follow his limited powers of understanding and think that he has comprehended the truth. -Instead, he should follow a structured pattern for intellectual growth and development prescribed by a Torah master.
Our Sages - Sifre, Sh'lach. (See also Berachot 12b.)
[interpreted this warning]: "After your hearts," this refers to heresy -For a more precise definition of the term minut, see Halachah 5 and the commentary.
"after your eyes," this refers to immorality. - In Sefer HaMitzvot (ibid.), the Rambam explains:
Their intent in mentioning "immorality" was the pursuit of pleasure and physical desire, [to the extent that] one's mind is constantly preoccupied with such thoughts.
This prohibition - though [severe,] causing a person to be prevented [from attaining a portion] in the world to come - In Hilchot Teshuvah3:8, the Rambam includes among the categories of those who have no portion in the world to come: "nonbelievers, heretics, those who deny the Torah,... those who cause the many to sin, and those who depart from the ways of the community." Following the whims of one's heart can lead to the transgression of these prohibitions.
is not punishable by lashes - because it does not involve a deed.
There is some difficulty with the Rambam's statements. The transgression of both of the prohibitions mentioned in this halachah involves thought and can also involve deed. Just as the commentaries suggested several deeds which violate the first prohibition, similar acts could be performed which violate the latter prohibition. The Rambam, however, appears to imply that there is no way that the latter prohibition could be transgressed in a manner warranting punishment.
Commentary Halacha
The commandment [forbidding] the worship of false gods is equivalent to all the mitzvot, as [implied by Numbers 15:22]: "Lest you err and not perform all the mitzvot...." - The passage implies that it is speaking about a single sin; nevertheless, the verse specifically mentions "all the mitzvot."
The oral tradition - Sifre, Sh'lach and Horayot 8a, resolves this seeming contradiction and
teaches that the verse refers to - a single prohibition which is equivalent to the violation of the entire Torah. Which prohibition is that?
the worship of false gods.
Thus, we learn that anyone who acknowledges a false god denies the entire Torah in its totality, all the works of the prophets, and everything that has been commanded to the prophets - Note the Rambam's statements in Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah 8:1-2, which explain that the essence of the prophetic tradition is linked to the revelation of God on Mount Sinai.
from Adam, [the first man,] - Note Hilchot Melachim 9:1, which states that God commanded Adam concerning the worship of false gods. This statement is based on Bereshit Rabbah 16:6.
until eternity, as [Numbers 15:23] continues - The verse states that performance of such an act is a denial of "all that God commanded you through Moses..."
"...from the day God issued His commandments and afterwards, for your future generations" - for the Torah is unchanging spiritual truth.
[Conversely,] anyone who denies the worship of false gods acknowledges the entire Torah in its totality, all the works of the prophets, and everything that has been commanded to the prophets from Adam, [the first man,] until eternity. - Just as the acceptance of false gods removes one from the entire sphere of Torah practice, denying their existence gives one a point of connection to the revelation of God's truth.
[This acknowledgement] is fundamental to all of the mitzvot -because the foundation for all the mitzvot is that they were commanded by the One God who desires that we serve Him alone.
Note the Tanya, Chapter 20, which explains that the two mitzvot, the acknowledgement of God and the negation of idol worship, are the foundation of all Torah practice. Therefore, the entire Jewish people heard God proclaim these two mitzvot on Mount Sinai. Every act a person performs can be seen as either the acknowledgement of God or the acknowledgement of a set of values aside from His, equivalent figuratively to the acceptance of another god.
Avodat Kochavim - Chapter Three
Halacha 1
Whoever serves false gods willingly, as a conscious act of defiance, is liable for כרת. If witnesses who warned him were present, he is [punished by being] stoned to death. If he served [such gods] inadvertently, he must bring a fixed sin offering.
Halacha 2
The gentiles established various different services for each particular idol and image. These services do not [necessarily] resemble each other. For example, Pe'or is served by defecating before it. Marculis is served by throwing stones at it or clearing stones away from it. Similarly, other services were instituted for other idols.
One who defecates before Marculis or throws a stone at Pe'or is free of liability until he serves it according to the accepted modes of service, as [implied byDeuteronomy 12:30]: "[Lest one inquire about their gods, saying,] 'How did these nations serve their gods? I will do the same.'"
For this reason, a court must know the types of worship [practiced by gentiles], because an idolater is stoned to death only when we know that [he has worshiped a false god] in the mode in which it is traditionally worshiped.
Halacha 3
The warning [forbidding] such worship and the like is the verse [Exodus 20:5] which states: "Do not serve them."
When does the above apply? with regard to services other than bowing, slaughtering [an animal], bringing a burnt offering, and offering a libation. A person who performs one of these four services to any one of the types of false gods is liable, even though this is not its accepted mode of service.
How is this exemplified? A person who offers a libation to Pe'or or slaughters [an animal] to Marculis is liable, as [implied by Exodus 22:19]: "Whoever slaughters [an animal] to any deity other than God alone must be condemned to death."
[Liability for performing the other services can be derived as follows:] Slaughter was included in the general category of services [forbidden to be performed to false gods]. Why was it mentioned explicitly? To teach [the following]: Slaughter is distinct as one of the services of God, and one who slaughters to false gods is liable to be executed by stoning. Similarly, with regard to any service which is distinct as one of the services of God, if a person performs it in worship of other gods, he is liable.
For [a similar reason, Exodus 34:14] states: "Do not bow down to another god," to teach that one is liable for bowing down [to another god] even when this is not its accepted mode of service. The same applies to one who brings a burnt offering or pours a libation. Sprinkling [blood] is considered the same as pouring a libation.
Halacha 4
[Even if] one pours feces before it or pours a libation of urine from a chamber pot before it, one is liable. If one slaughters a locust before it, one is not liable, unless this is the mode of service of that deity. Similarly, if one slaughters an animal lacking a limb for it, one is not liable, unless this is the manner of service of this deity.
[The following rules apply when] a false god is worshiped by [beating with] a staff [before it]: If one breaks a staff before it, one is liable [for the worship of false gods], and [the deity] is forbidden. If one threw a staff before it, one is held liable, but [the deity] is not forbidden, because throwing a staff is not considered equivalent to sprinkling blood. The staff remains as it was, while the blood spatters [in different directions].
A person who accepts any one of the various false gods as a deity is liable for [execution by] stoning. Even one who lifted up a brick and said, "You are my god," or the like, is liable. Even if he retracted his statements in the midst of speaking and said, "This is not my God," his retraction is not significant and he should be stoned [to death].
Halacha 5
Anyone who serves a false god through its accepted mode of service - even if he does so in a derisive manner - is liable. What is implied? When a person defecates before Pe'or to repudiate it, or throws a stone at Marculis to repudiate it - since this is the manner of serving them - the person is liable and must bring a sacrifice [to atone for] his inadvertent transgression.
Halacha 6
[The following rules apply when] a person serves a false deity out of love - i.e., he desires an image because its service is very attractive - or when one serves it out of his fear of it - i.e., he fears that it will harm him - as the [idol] worshipers fear [their deities as sources of] benefit and harm: If he accepts it as a god, he is liable to be stoned to death. If he serves it out of love or fear through its accepted mode of service or through one of the four services [mentioned above], he is not held liable.
One who embraces a false deity, kisses it, sweeps before it, mops before it, washes it, anoints it, dresses it, places shoes upon it, or performs any similar act of deference violates a negative commandment, as [implied by Exodus 20:5]: "Do not serve them." Such acts are also "service." The offender is, nevertheless, not liable for lashes, because [these services] are not [mentioned] explicitly [by the Torah].
If one of the above services was the accepted mode of worship [of a particular deity] and a person performed this service as an act of worship, he is liable [for execution].
Halacha 7
If a splinter becomes stuck in a person's foot before an idol, he should not bend down to remove it, because it appears that he is bowing down to the idol.
If money belonging to a person becomes scattered before an idol, he should not bow down and pick it up, because it appears that he is bowing down to the idol. Instead, he should sit down, and then pick it up.
Halacha 8
A person should not place his mouth over the mouths of statues which serve as fountains that are located before false deities in order to drink, because it appears that he is kissing the false deity.
Halacha 9
A person who has a false god made for himself - even though he, himself, did not actually fashion it, nor worship it - is [punished by] lashing, as [Exodus 20:5] states: "Do not make for yourself an idol or any representation."
Similarly, a person who actually fashions a false god for others, even for idolaters, is [punished by] lashing, as [Leviticus 19:4] states: "Do not make molten gods for yourselves." Accordingly, a person who actually fashions a false god1for himself receives two measures of lashes.
Halacha 10
It is prohibited to make images for decorative purposes, even though they do not represent false deities, as [implied by Exodus 20:23]: "Do not make with Me [gods of silver and gods of gold]." This refers even to images of gold and silver which are intended only for decorative purposes, lest others err and view them as deities.
It is forbidden to make decorative images of the human form alone. Therefore, it is forbidden to make human images with wood, cement, or stone. This [prohibition] applies when the image is protruding - for example, images and sculptures made in a hallway and the like. A person who makes such an image is [liable for] lashes.
In contrast, it is permitted to make human images that are engraved or painted - e.g., portraits, whether on wood or on stone - or that are part of a tapestry.
Halacha 11
[The following rules apply regarding] a signet ring which bears a human image: If the image is protruding, it is forbidden to wear it, but it is permitted to use it as a seal. If the image is an impression, it is permitted to wear it, but it is forbidden to use it as a seal, because it will create an image which protrudes.
Similarly, it is forbidden to make an image of the sun, the moon, the stars, the constellations, or the angels, as [implied by Exodus, ibid.]: "Do not make with Me [gods of silver...]" - i.e., do not make images of My servants, those who serve before Me on high. This [prohibition] applies even [to pictures] on tablets.
The images of animals and other living beings - with the exception of men - and similarly, the images of trees, grasses, and the like may be fashioned. This applies even to images which protrude.
Commentary Halacha
Whoever serves false gods willingly - i.e., if he is forced to worship false gods by another person, he is not held responsible for his act. It is nevertheless forbidden to consent to such pressure. One is obligated to sacrifice one's life rather than consent to such worship (Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah 5:2,4).
as a conscious act of defiance - as opposed to someone who worships inadvertently.
[The Radbaz (Vol. V, Responsum 1510) notes that the Rambam uses the expression "willingly, as a conscious act of defiance" with regard to the violation of the prohibitions against idolatry, the Sabbath laws (Hilchot Shabbat 1:1), and the laws of Yom Kippur (Hilchot Sh'vitat Asor 1:1). With regard to all other transgressions punishable by כרת, he states merely: "as a conscious act of defiance."
The Radbaz explains that it is possible that the Rambam mentioned the concept of "willingly" with regard to these three transgressions because they are the first cases of כרת mentioned in the Mishneh Torah. Furthermre, they are transgressions which people at large would consider most severe. After mentioning the concept on these three occasions, the Rambam does not think further repetition is necessary.]
is liable for כרת. - Mo'ed Katan 28a relates that a person liable for כרת would die before reaching the age of fifty. The Rambam (Hilchot Teshuvah8:1) emphasizes that being "cut off in this world" is not the sum total of Divine retribution for such a transgression. Rather, the person's soul is also cut off and prevented from reaching the world to come.
If witnesses who warned him - See Hilchot Sanhedrin 12:1-2.
were present - when he committed the offense and later testified in court,
he is [punished by being] stoned to death - as mentioned above, Chapter 2, Halachah 6.
If he served [such gods] inadvertently - He performed an act of idol worship without realizing that it was forbidden, or was not aware of the punishment involved (Hilchot Shegagot 2:2).
he must bring a fixed sin offering. - Though the sin offering brought to atone for idol worship differs from that brought to atone for other sins - seeNumbers 15:27-31; Hilchot Shegagot 1:4 - the Rambam uses this term to differentiate it from a 18הלועáןברק דרויו - a guilt offering which differs depending on the financial status of the person bringing it.
Commentary Halacha
The gentiles established various different services for each particular idol and image. These services do not [necessarily] resemble each other. For example, Pe'or - See Numbers, Chapter 25, which describes the Jews' worship of this image. See also Sanhedrin 61a.
is served by defecating before it. Marculis - The Aruch identifies the Hebrew Marculis with the Greek god, Mercury. He notes that the form used to represent the deity and its manner of service resemble that found in Roman and Greek sources. See Tosafot, Sanhedrin 64a for a different interpretation.
is served by throwing stones at it - Note Halachah 5.
or clearing stones away from it. - Clearing away these stones leaves more room for others to throw. Hence, such an act is also considered to be service of the deity (Sanhedrin 64a).
Similarly, other services were instituted for other idols. One who defecates before Marculis or throws a stone at Pe'or is free of liability - for he did not serve the god in the service required for it, or through one of the four services which were accepted as modes of worship for all gods, as explained in the following halachah. One might think that a person would be held liable for serving one of these gods in the manner used to serve the other, since they are both served in an unbecoming manner.Sanhedrin 61a teaches us that, nevertheless, one is not liable.
until he serves it according to the accepted mode of service, as [implied by Deuteronomy 12:30]: "[Lest one inquire about their gods, saying,] 'How did these nations serve their gods? I will do the same.' - The Torah's inclusion of such a question implies that this knowledge is significant. A person who does not worship an idol in the accepted mode of service is not liable (Sanhedrin, ibid.).
For this reason, a court must know the types of worship [practiced by gentiles] - Note Chapter 2, Halachah 2, which forbids the study of idolatrous practices. Apparently, license to do so is granted the sages to allow them to gain the knowledge mentioned in this halachah. (SeeSanhedrin 68a.)
because an idolater is stoned to death only when we know that [he has worshiped a false god] in the mode in which it is traditionally worshiped. - Thus, were the court not cognizant of the different modes of idol worship, they could not administer the appropriate punishment.
Commentary Halacha
The warning [forbidding] such worship and the like is the verse [Exodus 20:5] which states: "Do not serve them." - Sefer HaMitzvot(Negative Commandment 6) and Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 29) consider this to be one of the 613 mitzvot of the Torah. It, to be distinguished from the prohibition against the belief in false gods (Sefer HaMitzvot, Negative Commandment 1), involves the performance of deeds of worship in service of false gods.
The Ramban (Hasagot L'Sefer HaMitzvot) considers the two prohibitions as one negative mitzvah. The Rambam's view, however, is justified by other authorities.
When does the above - that one is liable only when performing services with which a deity is worshiped
apply? with regard to services other than bowing - See Chapter 6, Halachah 8, which states that this means bowing one's face to the ground, whether bending, kneeling, or totally prostrate on the ground.
slaughtering [an animal], bringing a burnt offering, and offering a libation. - Since these four modes of worship are accepted services of the true God, using them to serve false gods is absolutely forbidden (Sefer HaMitzvot, Negative Commandment 6). Therefore,
A person who performs one of these four services to any one of the types of false gods is liable, even though this is not its accepted mode of service. - In Halachah 6, the Rambam discusses paying reverence or showing affection to false gods through services with which the true God is not worshiped.
How is this exemplified? A person who offers a libation to Pe'or or slaughters [an animal] to Marculis - despite the fact that they are served in other ways, as explained in the previous halachah
is liable, as [implied by Exodus 22:19]: "Whoever slaughters [an animal] to any deity - Note Rashi, Sanhedrin 60b, who explains that since the verse does not state, "Whoever worships a deity through sacrifice," we can conclude that the sacrifice of an animal is sufficient for one to be held liable, even when this is not the accepted mode of service.
other than God alone must be condemned to death." - He is stoned to death.
[Liability for performing the other services - pouring a libation and bringing a burnt offering, which are not explicitly forbidden by the Torah.
can be derived as follows:] Slaughter was included in the general category of services [forbidden to be performed to false gods]. Why was it mentioned explicitly? To teach [the following]: - This represents an example of the eighth of Rabbi Yishmael's thirteen principles of Biblical exegesis:
When a specific case is first included in a general category and then, singled out to instruct us regarding a new concept, we assume that it has been singled out not only to teach us concerning its own case, but rather for that new idea to be applied with regard to the totality of the general category.
Slaughter is distinct as one of the services of God - i.e., it is a particular case included in a general category
and one who slaughters to false gods is liable to be executed by stoning. - This is the new concept for which the Torah singled out this service to teach us. Following the above rule, we conclude
Similarly, with regard to any service which is distinct as one of the services of God, if a person performs it in worship of other gods, he is liable - for execution.
For [a similar reason, Exodus 34:14] states: "Do not bow down to another god" - Sefer HaMitzvot (Negative Commandment 5) and Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 28) consider this to be one of the 613 mitzvot of the Torah. This prohibition also includes performing the other three services mentioned above.
In this instance as well, the Ramban (Hasagot L'Sefer HaMitzvot) considers this prohibition to be included within the first negative mitzvah, the prohibition against believing in false gods. The Rambam's view, however, is justified by other authorities.
to teach that one is liable for bowing down [to another god] even when this is not its accepted mode of service. - Bowing down is not considered to be one of the Temple services. Hence, it - as opposed to bringing a burnt offering or pouring a libation - cannot be derived from the prohibition against sacrificing, and requires a unique verse of its own.
The same applies to one who brings a burnt offering - be it an animal, incense, or any other substance
or pours a libation. Sprinkling [blood] - before an idol or on its altar
is considered the same as pouring a libation - and is forbidden even if this is not the accepted mode of service.Sanhedrin (ibid.) equates sprinkling blood with offering a libation, based on Psalms 16:4: "Do not pour their libations of blood."
Commentary Halacha
[Even if] one pours feces before it or pours a libation of urine from a chamber pot before it, one is liable. - These are considered as libations (Avodah Zarah 50b), for which one is held liable even if this is not the mode in which the deity is worshiped.
If one slaughters a locust before it, one is not liable - for there is no concept of ritual slaughter with regard to locusts. TheOr Sameach holds one liable when one sacrifices a locust on an altar before a false deity.
unless this is the mode of service of that deity - in which instance one would be held liable, based on the principles stated in Halachah 2.
Similarly, if one slaughters an animal lacking a limb for it - NoteAvodah Zarah 51a which states that this leniency only applies to the slaughter of any animal lacking a limb. In contrast, one is held liable for the slaughter of an animal with a disqualifying physical blemish.
one is not liable - because even the gentiles do not offer sacrifices of such animals
The Ra'avad holds one liable even for the slaughter of such an animal or of a locust, explaining that although the Rambam's decision reflects certain opinions mentioned in the Talmud, the final decision is that one is held liable. He explains that such forms of slaughter are much closer to the concept of the slaughter for sacrifice than the offering of feces or urine are to the service of libation.
unless this is the manner of service of this deity - as explained above.
[The following rules apply when] a false god is worshiped by [beating with] a staff - Note the Ra'avad, who emphasizes that the following rules apply although the service of this deity does not involve breaking or throwing a staff
[before it]: - This interpretation is also followed by theShulchan Aruch, Yoreh De'ah 139:3.
If one breaks a staff before it - since this activity resembles the slaughter of an animal
one is liable [for the worship of false gods] - To justify the seeming difficulty in the Rambam's decisions mentioned by the Ra'avad (see above), the Lechem Mishneh explains that since staffs figure in the worship of this deity, an act that resembles slaughter that is performed with a staff is significant. In contrast, animals lacking limbs and locusts are never used in the service of such deities; hence, their slaughter is of no consequence.
[Note, however, the Ramah, who explains that one is liable only when the deity is worshiped by breaking the stick.]
and [the deity] is forbidden. - to be used, as stated in Chapter 7, Halachah 4. This interpretation depends on the female construction of the word נאסרת. Other authorities quote the word in a masculine form and interpret it as a reference to the staff. Since it was used in the worship of a false god, it is forbidden, as stated in Chapter 7, Halachah 2.
If one threw a staff before it - since this activity resembles pouring a libation before an idol
one is held liable, but [the deity] - or the staff
is not forbidden - This decision makes the Rambam's line of reasoning difficult to follow. If throwing the staff is not comparable to sprinkling blood, why is one held liable for it? Accordingly, some commentaries have explained that this decision applies only when the deity is worshiped by throwing staffs. The Pri Chadash, however, differentiates between the liability of the worshiper (for which a sprinkling that spatters is not required) and the prohibition of the worship of the deity (for which it is).
because throwing a staff is not considered equivalent to sprinkling blood. The staff remains as it was - a single whole entity
while the blood spatters [in different directions]. - Since the reason that these services are considered significant even though the deity is not normally worshiped in this manner is that these services were performed in the Temple, the analogy must be complete. Thus, the entity poured or thrown before the deity must spatter, as blood spatters when sprinkled on the altar (Avodah Zarah, ibid.).
A person who accepts any one of the various false gods - which already exist
as a deity - even though he does not perform a deed of worship
is liable for [execution by] stoning. - The Rambam mentions that one is liable for stoning specifically. Generally, the term "liable" means "liable to bring a sacrifice." In this instance, however, a person who makes such a statement inadvertently is not obligated to bring a sacrifice. A sacrifice is only brought when one performs a deed in violation of the Torah's command (Hilchot Shegagot 1:2).
Even one who - creates a new false god for himself (Lechem Mishneh)
lifted up a brick - The Lechem Mishneh explains that this expression is merely a figure of speech. There is no need to perform a deed - lifting up the brick - for one to be held liable.
and said, "You are my god," or the like, is liable. - When two people do not witness this declaration, the death penalty may not be administered by the court. The person is, however, liable for karet (premature death at the hand of God) if he made his statements intentionally.
Even if he retracted his statements in the midst of speaking - As explained above (Chapter 2, Halachah 9), this term has a specific meaning, the amount of time it takes to say 18ךילעáםולש יבר.
and said, "This is not my God," his retraction is not significant -Although a retraction made in this amount of time is normally considered significant, different rules apply with regard to the acceptance of false gods. It is assumed that a person would never make such a statement unless he were fully aware of its ramifications.
and he should be stoned [to death].
Commentary Halacha
Anyone who serves a false god through its accepted mode of service - Regardless of the nature of that service
even if he does so in a derisive manner - i.e., both the act he performs and his intent in performing it is to abuse the false deity
is liable - for a sacrifice, as will be explained. This is an extension of the principle stated in Halachah 2.
What is implied? When a person defecates before Pe'or to repudiate it, or throws a stone at Marculis to repudiate it -Sanhedrin 64a relates that one of the Sages of the Talmud actually made such an error and threw a rock at a shrine of Marculis, with the intent of destroying it. When the matter was brought before his colleagues, they informed him of his mistake.
since this is the manner of serving them - the person is liable and must bring a sacrifice [to atone for] his inadvertent transgression. -Although he consciously performed an act which is considered to be worship of these gods, since his intent was not to serve them, he is not considered to be one who willfully serves idols. Hence, he is not punished by the court for his deed, nor is he obligated for karet by God. Since he, nevertheless, did perform an act of worship to these gods, he must bring a sacrifice for atonement.
The above represents the Kessef Mishneh's interpretation of this halachah. Many other authorities (see Tosafot, Sanhedrin 64a) disagree, and maintain that even in such circumstances, one could be held liable for capital punishment. For example, two witnesses who knew the law were present and warned the person against repudiating the idol in this fashion. He ignored their warning and performed the derisive act of worship. Although his intent was not to serve the deity, since he performed an act of worship despite the warning he was given, he is liable for execution.
Rav Kapach brings support for the Kessef Mishneh's view from the Rambam's Commentary on the Mishnah, Sanhedrin 7:6. There, the Rambam discusses a similar situation and states that a person who performs such service "is liable for a sin offering." In the original texts of that commentary, the Rambam stated that the person "is liable." The addition of the words "for a sin offering" appear to indicate that he is liable only for an offering, but not for punishment by the court. Note also Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah 5:4, where the Rambam states that a person who unknowingly worships a false god is not liable for his deeds.
Commentary Halacha
[The following rules apply when] a person serves a false deity out of love - i.e., he desires an image because its service is very attractive -The commentaries note that the Rambam interprets "out of love" differently from "out of fear." "Out of love" refers to a love for the image and its service, while "out of fear" means fear of what the deity can do to the person.
Rav Kapach explains the Rambam's position, justifying the need for such a difference in interpretation. Most idolaters do not worship their images out of a genuine conviction that they are the true god, but rather for the benefit they feel this service will bring them. Therefore, were a person to serve an idol with this intent in mind, the Rambam would hold him liable. In contrast, were he to serve out of fear, he is not considered to be acting on his own volition, and hence is not held responsible.
or when one serves it out of his fear of it - i.e., he fears that it will harm him - as the [idol] worshipers fear [their deities as sources of] benefit and harm: - See Chapter 1, Halachot 1-2.
If he accepts it as a god - and serves it as an act of worship
he is liable to be stoned to death - as stated in Halachah 1.
If he serves it out of love or fear - without accepting it as a god - even though he served it
through its accepted mode of service - as mentioned in Halachah 2
or through one of the four services [mentioned above] - in Halachah 3,
he is not held liable - since he did not accept the deity as a god.
Although the Rambam's opinion is questioned by many other authorities, it is based on an established tradition of Talmudic interpretation. This halachah is based on Sanhedrin 61b. That passage is also quoted inShabbat 72b. Rabbenu Chanan'el, one of the foremost commentators in the generations between the Geonim and the Rambam, interprets the latter passage using the same concepts _ and almost the same phraseology _ as employed by the Rambam here.
The Ra'avad and others challenge the Rambam's interpretation and explain that "out of love" and "out of fear" mean: motivated by the love or fear of the person who tries to influence one to worship the false deity. The Rambam cannot accept this interpretation, because in Hilchot Yesodei Torah 5:4, he states that a person who is forced to serve false gods is not held liable for his deeds (Kessef Mishneh).
The fact that a person is not held liable for such service does not at all minimize the seriousness of the prohibition involved. In no way is one allowed to serve false gods for such reasons. Even with regard to the Ra'avad's interpretation "out of fear" - i.e., out of fear of a person - the Ramah (Yoreh De'ah 150:3) prohibits performing any act that might be interpreted as idol worship - e.g., bowing to a ruler who is wearing an image.
One who embraces a false deity, kisses it, sweeps before it, mops before it, washes it, anoints it, dresses it, places shoes upon it, or performs any similar act of deference violates a negative commandment, as [implied by Exodus 20:5]: "Do not serve them." -This commandment is described in Halachot 2 and 3.
Such acts are also "service." The offender is, nevertheless, not -executed, as is one who worships a false deity, nor is he
punished by lashes, because [these services] are not [mentioned] explicitly [by the Torah]. - The Kessef Mishneh explains that punishment is not given because this prohibition is a 18ואל תוללכבש - i.e., it includes many different forbidden acts. Lashes are not given for the violation of such a prohibition, as stated in Hilchot Sanhedrin 18:2-3.
To explain: The prohibition, "Do not serve them," is twofold in nature. It prohibits the worship of a false deity through its accepted modes of service, as stated in Halachah 2. This is a sin punishable by death. The same prohibition also forbids these expressions of affection or reverence. These deeds are not, however, punishable by death because they are not acts of worship.
Since violation of this prohibition incurs a penalty of execution, it is not associated with the punishment of lashes. Since, in essence, this prohibition is not associated with lashes, even the many transgressions of a lesser nature which are also included within this prohibition are also not punishable in this manner (Rav Kapach).
If one of the above services - kissing, and the like
was the accepted mode of worship [of a particular deity] and a person performed this service as an act of worship - and not merely as an expression of emotion. The Lechem Mishneh questions the addition of the words "as an act of worship," noting that in Halachah 5, the Rambam holds one liable for performing the service with which Pe'or or Marculis was worshiped, even though one's intent was to repudiate the idols. Thus, it appears that once a person performs a service which is the accepted mode of worship, his intent is no longer significant.
The Pri Chadash resolves this difficulty, explaining that the extent of liability is different. In the previous halachah, the offender was liable for a sin offering alone, while here,
he is liable [for execution] - as stated in Halachah 2.
Commentary Halacha
If a splinter becomes stuck in a person's foot before an idol, he should not bend down to remove it, because it appears that he is bowing down to the idol. - Avodah Zarah 12a states that if the person turns his back or side to the idol, his bowing would not be considered to be an act of deference, and no prohibition is involved.
Even if no other people are present, this and the following prohibitions apply. Any prohibition that was instituted because of the impression which might be created (18ןיעáתיארמ) is forbidden even in a person's most private chambers.
If money belonging to a person becomes scattered before an idol, he should not bow down and pick it up, because it appears that he is bowing down to the idol. - From the commentaries' discussion of this law, it appears that if the person does bow down, he is not held liable for his actions. Kin'at Eliyahu questions the difference between this decision and Halachah 5, which holds a person who throws a stone to Marculis with the intent to repudiate it liable for a sin offering. He resolves that difficulty, explaining that in Halachah 5, the person intended to throw the stone at the idol. Since that act constitutes worship of this deity, he is held liable. In contrast, in our halachah the person did not bow down to the idol at all. The only reason the bowing is prohibited is that a mistaken impression might be created.
Instead, he should sit down, and then pick it up. - Avodah Zarah (ibid.) mentions a third prohibition, that a person should not bow down to drink from a spring that flows in front of an idol. The Kessef Mishneh notes that Rav Yitzchak Alfasi also omits this law, and explains that it was not contained in their text of the Talmud. (This is somewhat unlikely, since it is found in Rabbenu Chanan'el's text of Avodah Zarah.)
The Radbaz (Vol. V, Responsum 1389) states that this law is included in the law mentioned in the following halachah. Hence, it is not mentioned explicitly by the Rambam.
Commentary Halacha
A person should not place his mouth over the mouths of statues which serve as fountains that are located before false deities in order to drink, because it appears - In the context of the discussion of this law, the Ramah (Yoreh De'ah 150:3) states an important general principle. Prohibitions which were instituted because of the impression which might be created (מראית עין) need not be upheld whenever there is a threat to human life.
that he is kissing the false deity. - This prohibition is also mentioned inAvodah Zarah (ibid.).
The commentaries have noted a slight difficulty in the Talmud's (and thus, the Rambam's) phraseology. The opening clause describes the statues as merely "located before false deities," while from the latter clause it appears that the statue itself is the false deity.
Commentary Halacha
A person who has a false god made for himself - even though he, himself, did not actually fashion it - i.e., he commissioned another person to make the idol for him.
nor worship it - i.e., although he commissioned the fashioning of the idol, he did not worship it or explicitly accept it as a god. Accordingly, he is not punished by execution as above. He is, nevertheless, considered to have violated a prohibition, and
is [liable for] lashes - The Lechem Mishneh questions this statement, noting that lashes are not given for a transgression which does not involve a deed, and that speech is not ordinarily considered to be a deed. He explains that since the craftsman fashions the idol on behalf of the person who commissioned him, he is considered to be the latter's agent. Therefore, the one who commissioned him is held responsible for his deed.
The commentaries question this explanation, noting that - with the exception of a few specific instances - the Torah never holds a person who commissions another individual to commit a sin liable, since the person who actually committed the sin is responsible for his actions. Also, the Rambam's phraseology here implies that one is held liable regardless whether the craftsman is a Jew or gentile, and a gentile is never given the halachic status of an agent.
The following are among the resolutions offered to this difficulty:
a) A hired worker's actions - whether positive or negative - are always attributed to his employer (Machaneh Efrayim, Hilchot Shutafim 8).
b) The verse prohibiting this act reveals that this is one of the few exceptions to the general rule mentioned above, and in this case, the person who commissioned the agent is held liable (Darchei HaMelech).
c) Commenting on Hilchot Sechirut 13:2, the Mishneh LaMelech explains that if it is possible to violate a particular prohibition by committing a deed, one is punished by lashes even when one violates it without committing a deed. The same concept can be applied here (S'deh Chemed).
d) The deed for which one is punished is not the command to make the idol, but rather its purchase or acquisition (Merchevat HaMishneh, Alfandari).
a) A hired worker's actions - whether positive or negative - are always attributed to his employer (Machaneh Efrayim, Hilchot Shutafim 8).
b) The verse prohibiting this act reveals that this is one of the few exceptions to the general rule mentioned above, and in this case, the person who commissioned the agent is held liable (Darchei HaMelech).
c) Commenting on Hilchot Sechirut 13:2, the Mishneh LaMelech explains that if it is possible to violate a particular prohibition by committing a deed, one is punished by lashes even when one violates it without committing a deed. The same concept can be applied here (S'deh Chemed).
d) The deed for which one is punished is not the command to make the idol, but rather its purchase or acquisition (Merchevat HaMishneh, Alfandari).
as [Exodus 20:5] states: "Do not make for yourself an idol or any representation." - The grammatical structure of this verse allows it to be interpreted, "Do not have an idol... made for you." Sefer HaMitzvot(Negative Commandment 2) and Sefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 27) consider this to be one of the 613 mitzvot of the Torah.
Similarly, a person who actually fashions a false god for others, even for - gentile
idolaters - even when he merely acts as a craftsman and does not worship or believe in the idol himself.
is [liable for] lashes, as [Leviticus 19:4] states: "Do not make molten gods for yourselves." - Sefer HaMitzvot (Negative Commandment 3) andSefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 214) consider this to be one of the 613 mitzvot of the Torah.
Accordingly, a person who actually fashions a false god for himself -violates both of the above prohibitions. Therefore, he
receives two measures of lashes. - See Hilchot Sanhedrin 17:4 for a description of how punishment is administered when a person is liable for more than one measure of lashes.
Commentary Halacha
It is prohibited to make images for decorative purposes, even though they do not represent false deities - i.e., they were made as decorations and works of art, without any intent that they be worshiped.
as [implied by Exodus 20:23]: "Do not make with Me [gods of silver and gods of gold]." - Sefer HaMitzvot (Negative Commandment 4) andSefer HaChinuch (Mitzvah 39) consider this to be one of the 613 mitzvot of the Torah.
This refers even to images of gold and silver which are intended only for decorative purposes, lest others err and view them as deities. -The Rambam's statement sheds light on an interesting Rabbinic debate. The Sages of the Talmud often established "fences around the Torah" - i.e., safeguards to prevent the violation of Torah law. (See Avot 1:1.) There is a question whether the Torah itself instituted prohibitions for such a purpose - i.e., are there mitzvot that are instituted without a self-contained goal of their own, but merely to prevent the violation of other prohibitions? (See Lekach Tov 8.)
From the Rambam's statements here (see also Hilchot De'ot 7:8), it appears that he accepts such a premise. It appears that there is nothing intrinsically wrong in making statues per se. Nevertheless, since if such statues are made, the possibility exists that they may be worshiped, the Torah forbids us to make them.
It is forbidden to make decorative images of the human form alone. -As explained in the following halachah, this prohibition also applies to the sun, the moon, and other celestial beings. It is permitted to make an image of all creations of our world aside from man.
Avodah Zarah 43b derives this from the above verse. The Hebrew words translated as "Do not make with Me..." can also be rendered, "Do not make Me..." - i.e., do not make images in the human form, the form in which God has revealed himself (Siftei Cohen, Yoreh De'ah 141:21).
Therefore, it is forbidden to make human images with wood, cement, or stone - or any other material. The Rambam mentioned these materials because they were commonly used in his time.
This [prohibition] applies when the image is protruding - for example, images and sculptures made in a hallway and the like. - TheTur (Yoreh De'ah 141) states that we are forbidden to make only a complete human statue. A bust of a head alone or a statue which is lacking any one of the body's limbs is not forbidden. Though the Shulchan Aruch(141:7) does not accept this view, it is shared by the Ramah.
A person who makes such an image is [liable for] lashes - but not by execution, since these statues were not worshiped as idols.
In contrast, it is permitted to make human images that are engraved or painted - e.g., portraits, whether on wood or on stone - or that are part of a tapestry. - Though the images on a tapestry protrude slightly, since they are not are a fully formed statue, there is no prohibition involved in making them. Note the contrast to the prohibition against making images of the celestial beings mentioned in the following halachah and commentary.
Commentary Halacha
[The following rules apply regarding] a signet ring - In ancient times, it was customary for rulers to seal their documents with a signet ring. (SeeEsther 8:8.) Wax would be poured on the document and the ring pressed into the wax, producing an imprint which is a reverse image of that on the ring.
which bears a human image: If the image is protruding, it is forbidden to wear it - on one's finger, because a protruding image is forbidden, as stated in the previous halachah.
but it is permitted to use it as a seal - for the human image it produces is sunken into the wax.
If the image is an impression, it is permitted to wear it - because there is not prohibition against such a human image
but it is forbidden to use it as a seal, because it will create an image which protrudes - which is forbidden.
Similarly, it is forbidden to make an image of the sun, the moon, the stars, the constellations - Our understanding of the Rambam's statements here can be enhanced by referring to his Commentary on the Mishnah, Avodah Zarah 3:3:
This does not mean a sphere which represents the sun or a hemisphere which represents the moon, but rather the images which the astrologers [i.e., those following Greek mythology] attribute to the stars,... e.g., Saturn is represented as an old dark man of venerable age, Venus is represented as a a beautiful maiden adorned with gold, and the sun is represented as a king with a diadem sitting in a chariot.
[These are forbidden because] they are falsehoods and the nature of falsehood is that it will surely spread.
[These are forbidden because] they are falsehoods and the nature of falsehood is that it will surely spread.
Rav Kapach supports this interpretation by quoting BeMidbar Rabbah 2:6, which describes the pennant of the tribe of Issachar as having a picture of the sun and the moon. Were these images forbidden, it would be unlikely that Moshe would have told the tribe to depict them. Even if the decree was instituted in the later generations, it is not probable that the Rabbis would forbid images that had previously been used for a Torah purpose.
The Ramah (Yoreh De'ah 141:3) quotes the Rambam's opinion. The Turei Zahav 141:13 and the Siftei Cohen 141:8, however, note that the Rambam's statements which were quoted above (and the Ramah's statements) refer to a question whether one is allowed to keep images of the sun or moon that he finds. Here, the question is whether one is allowed to make such images oneself. From the discussion of the question inAvodah Zarah 43b, where the Sages question how Rabban Gamliel possessed forms of the moon, it would appear that there is a prohibition against making images of the sun and the moon themselves.
This interpretation, however, is also somewhat problematic, because the Rambam writes that there is no prohibition against making images of animals, and some of the constellations of the Zodiac are represented and referred to as animals. For example, one of the Zodiac constellations is a fish and Gittin 36a describes Rav as making a drawing of a fish. Another is a lion, which is one of the most popular images found in Jewish art.
or the angels - As the Rambam writes in Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah 2:3-5, the angels have no body or form. Hence, here, he is obviously referring to a form which a man has conceived of as appropriate for a particular angel. Alternatively, it could refer to the metaphoric imagery used by the prophets.
as [implied by Exodus, ibid.]: "Do not make with Me [gods of silver...]" - The Rambam (quoting Avodah Zarah, ibid.) mentions the above Biblical proof-text in connection with this prohibition. It would appear, however, from the fact that making such images is not punishable by lashes, that the prohibition is only Rabbinic in nature. The reference to the verse must be understood as an asmachta (use of the Biblical verse as a support for a Rabbinic decree).
i.e., do not make images of - those who are "with Me" - i.e.,
My servants, those who serve before Me on high. _ This refers to the celestial beings and the angels. (See Chapter 1, Halachah 1, and Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah 2:3.)
This [prohibition] - is more severe than the prohibition against making human images, and
applies even [to pictures] on tablets. - According to the Rambam's statements in his Commentary on the Mishnah, the difference between the prohibition against making these images and those of humans can be explained as follows: The prohibition against making human statues is Biblical in origin and is defined by the Torah itself. In contrast, the prohibition of making images of the celestial beings was a safeguard instituted by the Rabbis against Greek and Roman culture. It, therefore, applies to all images, whether pictures or statues, because both could influence people to stray from the Torah's ways.
According to the simple interpretation of the terms "sun" and "moon," the difference can be explained as follows: The sun and the moon, as we perceive them, appear against the background of the sky. Therefore, for a representation of them to be forbidden, it also need not protrude (Tosafot, 14Avodah Zarah, ibid.).
The images of animals and other living beings - with the exception of men - Avodah Zarah 42b also mentions a prohibition against making the image of a d'rakon which Rashi and others interpret as an animal similar to a serpent.
In his Commentary on the Mishnah (ibid.), the Rambam describes this image as a fishlike man with fins and many scales, probably referring to the Greek god Neptune.
and similarly, the images of trees, grasses, and the like may be fashioned. This - leniency
applies even to images which protrude. - From these two halachot, particularly according to the Rambam's understanding as reflected in his Commentary on the Mishnah, we see that there is no conflict between Torah law and aesthetics. There are only two restrictions: realistic human statues (and according to some authorities, these must be complete, full-bodied statues) and depictions of pagan gods. Even according to the other opinions which forbid depictions of the sun, the moon, and the like, there is no prohibition against abstract portrayals of these entities. No other restrictions apply at all.
There is definitely a divergence between the approach to life that spawned much of the art forms of Western culture and a Torah lifestyle. Perhaps for that reason, many religious Jews have traditionally shunned participation in and patronage of the arts. In the present generation, however, a number of our Torah leaders have urged religious artists to dedicate themselves to expressing Torah ideas and values in a variety of art forms, explaining that:
a) Through these media, it is possible to reach many Jews who might never enter a synagogue or Torah center;
b) Everything in the world was created to be used by the Jews for a Torah purpose (Rashi, Genesis 1:1). This also applies to art. Using these art forms for Torah purposes expresses the true intent for their creation and endows them with a depth of meaning and inspiration - and in its deepest sense, a new wellspring of creativity.
a) Through these media, it is possible to reach many Jews who might never enter a synagogue or Torah center;
b) Everything in the world was created to be used by the Jews for a Torah purpose (Rashi, Genesis 1:1). This also applies to art. Using these art forms for Torah purposes expresses the true intent for their creation and endows them with a depth of meaning and inspiration - and in its deepest sense, a new wellspring of creativity.
According to Kabbalah, God's presence is more manifest in the sefirah ofTiferet ("Beauty") than in any other sefirah. Thus, the challenge confronting a Torah artist today is to use beauty as a medium to express Godly truth.
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Hayom Yom:
• English Text | Video Class• Tuesday, Kislev 19, 5776 · 01 December 2015
"Today's Day"
From a letter by my father:*
The 19th of Kislev...the festival on which "He redeemed our soul in peace,"1 and our soul's illumination and vitality were given to us, this day is Rosh Hashana for Chassidus bequeathed us by our sacred forebears,2 identical with the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov.3
"This day is the beginning of Your works,"4 the fulfillment of the true intention behind the creation of man on earth, which is to call forth revelation of the light of the inward part5 of our holy Torah.
On this day, that light is called forth, in a general way, for the entire year. It is our duty, on this day, to awaken our hearts with an innermost, elemental desire and will, in the very core of our heart, that G-d illuminate our souls with the light of His Inner Torah.
"From the depths I called to You, O G-d,"6 to elicit the depth and inwardness of G-d's Torah and G-d's mitzvot from the inwardness and essence of the Infinite (May He be blessed), to illuminate the inwardness of our souls. That all our being (meaning our total existence, the essence and the extensions)7 be devoted to Him alone, to banish from within us any of the natural traits that are evil and unworthy. Instead, all our works and affairs (our Avoda, meaning - davening and Torah and mitzvot, and our worldly undertakings necessary for the maintenance of the body), be with sincere intention for the sake of Heaven, as G-d wishes.
May G-d the Merciful Father have compassion upon us and lead us along the good and righteous path and may we "see His face in uprightness.Tehillim 11:7.
* Dated, Wednesday, Kislev 16, 5662.
Shabbat Kislev 19 5703
Haftora: Chazon Ovadya. Av harachamim (Siddur p. 191) and Tzidkat'cha (p. 209) are not said.
Torah lessons: Chumash: Vayishlach, Shevi'i with Rashi.
Tehillim: 90-96.
Tanya: Title page, Approbation by a) Rabbi Meshulam... b) Rabbi... HaCohen (p. viii).
The chazan does not wear a tallit for Mincha or Maariv - neither on weekdays, Shabbat and festivals, or Rosh Hashana.
Yahrzeit of the Mezritcher Maggid,8 Tuesday, Parshat Vayeishev 5533 (1772). He is interred in Anipoli.
The Alter Rebbe9 was released from his first imprisonment, Kislev 19, Tuesday, Parshat Vayeishev 5559 (1798) towards evening.
From the Alter Rebbe's letter: This indeed must be made known, that on the day G-d made for us, the 19th of Kislev, Tuesday(the day on which "it was good" was said twice in Torah10) yahrzeit of our holy teacher whose soul is in eden, while I was reading in the book of Tehillim the verse "He redeemed my soul in peace,"11 before beginning the following verse, I emerged in peace by (the act of) the G-d of peace.
* * *
A day of farbrengen and good resolutions towards establishing times to study the revealed Torah12 and Chassidus publicly, and in bolstering the ways of chassidim in true friendship.
It is customary to apportion volumes for the study of the Talmud, according to the procedure set out in Igeret Hakodesh "Hochei'ach Tochi'ach"13. In Lubavitch, since the year 5663 (1902-03) this allocation was made on Tevet 24, yahrzeit of the Alter Rebbe, there not being time on Kislev 19.
FOOTNOTES
1. Tehillim 55:19.
2. I.e. the Rebbe'im of Chabad. In the Hebrew there appears after "forebears," this phrase: "May the memory of those saintly and holy ones be a blessing for life in olam haba - the spiritual Hereafter; their souls rest in eden; may their merit protect us."
3. In the Hebrew: "...of the Baal Shem Tov - may his memory be a blessing."
4. Siddur p. 288.
5. See "On the Teachings on Chassidus, Kehot.
6. Tehillim 130:1.
7. See translator's notes, p. 122.
8. Rabbi Dov Ber, successor to the Baal Shem Tov.
9. Rabbi Schneur Zalman, founder of Chabad Chassidus. For a full biography, see Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, by Nissan Mindel, Kehot, New York, 1969.
10. See Rashi, Bereishit 1:7.
11. Tehillim 55:19.
12. Talmud, halacha etc.
13. Tanya p. 633.---------------------• Daily Thought:
Hayom Yom:
• English Text | Video Class• Tuesday, Kislev 19, 5776 · 01 December 2015
"Today's Day"
From a letter by my father:*
The 19th of Kislev...the festival on which "He redeemed our soul in peace,"1 and our soul's illumination and vitality were given to us, this day is Rosh Hashana for Chassidus bequeathed us by our sacred forebears,2 identical with the teachings of the Baal Shem Tov.3
"This day is the beginning of Your works,"4 the fulfillment of the true intention behind the creation of man on earth, which is to call forth revelation of the light of the inward part5 of our holy Torah.
On this day, that light is called forth, in a general way, for the entire year. It is our duty, on this day, to awaken our hearts with an innermost, elemental desire and will, in the very core of our heart, that G-d illuminate our souls with the light of His Inner Torah.
"From the depths I called to You, O G-d,"6 to elicit the depth and inwardness of G-d's Torah and G-d's mitzvot from the inwardness and essence of the Infinite (May He be blessed), to illuminate the inwardness of our souls. That all our being (meaning our total existence, the essence and the extensions)7 be devoted to Him alone, to banish from within us any of the natural traits that are evil and unworthy. Instead, all our works and affairs (our Avoda, meaning - davening and Torah and mitzvot, and our worldly undertakings necessary for the maintenance of the body), be with sincere intention for the sake of Heaven, as G-d wishes.
May G-d the Merciful Father have compassion upon us and lead us along the good and righteous path and may we "see His face in uprightness.Tehillim 11:7.
* Dated, Wednesday, Kislev 16, 5662.
Shabbat Kislev 19 5703
Haftora: Chazon Ovadya. Av harachamim (Siddur p. 191) and Tzidkat'cha (p. 209) are not said.
Torah lessons: Chumash: Vayishlach, Shevi'i with Rashi.
Tehillim: 90-96.
Tanya: Title page, Approbation by a) Rabbi Meshulam... b) Rabbi... HaCohen (p. viii).
The chazan does not wear a tallit for Mincha or Maariv - neither on weekdays, Shabbat and festivals, or Rosh Hashana.
Yahrzeit of the Mezritcher Maggid,8 Tuesday, Parshat Vayeishev 5533 (1772). He is interred in Anipoli.
The Alter Rebbe9 was released from his first imprisonment, Kislev 19, Tuesday, Parshat Vayeishev 5559 (1798) towards evening.
From the Alter Rebbe's letter: This indeed must be made known, that on the day G-d made for us, the 19th of Kislev, Tuesday(the day on which "it was good" was said twice in Torah10) yahrzeit of our holy teacher whose soul is in eden, while I was reading in the book of Tehillim the verse "He redeemed my soul in peace,"11 before beginning the following verse, I emerged in peace by (the act of) the G-d of peace.
* * *
A day of farbrengen and good resolutions towards establishing times to study the revealed Torah12 and Chassidus publicly, and in bolstering the ways of chassidim in true friendship.
It is customary to apportion volumes for the study of the Talmud, according to the procedure set out in Igeret Hakodesh "Hochei'ach Tochi'ach"13. In Lubavitch, since the year 5663 (1902-03) this allocation was made on Tevet 24, yahrzeit of the Alter Rebbe, there not being time on Kislev 19.
FOOTNOTES
1. Tehillim 55:19.
2. I.e. the Rebbe'im of Chabad. In the Hebrew there appears after "forebears," this phrase: "May the memory of those saintly and holy ones be a blessing for life in olam haba - the spiritual Hereafter; their souls rest in eden; may their merit protect us."
3. In the Hebrew: "...of the Baal Shem Tov - may his memory be a blessing."
4. Siddur p. 288.
5. See "On the Teachings on Chassidus, Kehot.
6. Tehillim 130:1.
7. See translator's notes, p. 122.
8. Rabbi Dov Ber, successor to the Baal Shem Tov.
9. Rabbi Schneur Zalman, founder of Chabad Chassidus. For a full biography, see Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi, by Nissan Mindel, Kehot, New York, 1969.
10. See Rashi, Bereishit 1:7.
11. Tehillim 55:19.
12. Talmud, halacha etc.
13. Tanya p. 633.---------------------• Daily Thought:
Snake Poison
Without its poison, the snake is no more and no less than any other of G‑d’s creatures.
Whether it be the snake of hatred, of greed, of indifference, of jealousy, of pride—of any foul aspect of human character—they are only evil because of their poison, the poison of “I am here.”
Because when “I am here,” there is no room for any other being in the world to be here.
Without the “I am here” even jealousy and pride can be glorious animals; even they can drive a person towards greater good.
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