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After reading "The Origins of Judaism, An Archaeological Historical Reappraisal" by Dr. Yonathan Adler, I understood that the practice of not making images of God/gods changed rather abruptly after the Hasmonean revolt. Ever since, the ban on making graven images of God has become an inherent part of Jewish theology and tradition.

The Second Commandment is constantly cited as the source for such a prohibition, but the text stresses "אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים עַל־פָּנָיַ" ("other gods before me") and, regarding icons and images, "לֹא־תִשְׁתַּחְוֶה לָהֶם וְלֹא תָעָבְדֵם" ("thou shalt not bow down to them, nor serve them"). Similarly, all books of the Torah and Prophets mention idols of other gods as abomination.

I flipped through Rambam's Hilchos of Idolatry but didn't notice him mentioning anything related to images of YHWH/El/Elohim and worshipping YHWH specifically "through" them like the Christians do with the paintings of Michaelangelo (I refer to "God the Father", not Yeshu).

I wondered, if a (not-necessarily-anthropomorphic) statue of YHWH were placed in a synagogue (with a clear inscription "שִׁוִּיתִי ה' לְנֶגְדִּי תָמִיד") and another person was "worshipping" YHWH and bowing to this statue by reciting the Amidah prayer, what would the theoretical punishments of the sculptor and the worshipper be in Jewish Halachah?

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    So the mistake in worshipping the Golden Calf was that they didn't slap on a שויתי disclaimer?
    – shmosel
    Commented Jun 27 at 18:24
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    Welcome back, feels like we haven't seen you in ages
    – mbloch
    Commented Jun 28 at 5:02
  • @shmosel It appears that the plural "וַיִּקַּח מִיָּדָם וַיָּצַר אֹתוֹ בַּחֶרֶט וַיַּעֲשֵׂהוּ עֵגֶל מַסֵּכָה וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלֶּה אֱלֹהֶיךָ יִשְׂרָאֵל אֲשֶׁר הֶעֱלוּךָ מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם׃" points to "other gods, not YHWH. So they were charged with idolatry. I wonder how would it play out if Aharon said "this is YHWH who tool you out of Egypt" Worship only him/it.
    – Al Berko
    Commented Jun 28 at 14:46

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First of all, this Adler's claims are entirely against our tradition. Second, a statue by definition cannot be of Hashem as He has no form. And thirdly, Moses clearly warns us to remember that we saw no image of G-d at Mt. Sinai right before warning us about making idols. See Deuteronomy 4:15 and on.

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    Is Adler factually incorrect?
    – Aaron
    Commented Jun 28 at 4:01
  • @Aaron yes. This seems like your typical academic Just-So-Story based on pure speculation. It is dogma to them that early Jews were as primitive as possible and anything seeming somewhat sophisticated must be later, historical record be damned.
    – N.T.
    Commented Jun 28 at 7:34
  • Adler addresses your first claim by providing numerous citations from the Tanach where "not being aware of Toral laws" or "not performing Torah laws for ages" is explicitly mentioned. In fact, the Rabbinic tradition speaks of a lineage of some "esoteric" tradition from one rabbi to another (see Rambam's Preface to MT) without any sign of the people being aware of such tradition.
    – Al Berko
    Commented Jun 28 at 14:37
  • THere are two explicit mentions of "seeing" God, one for Moses himself "פֶּ֣ה אֶל־פֶּ֞ה אֲדַבֶּר־בּ֗וֹ וּמַרְאֶה֙ וְלֹ֣א בְחִידֹ֔ת וּתְמֻנַ֥ת יְהֹוָ֖ה יַבִּ֑יט" and one for public "וְאֶל־אֲצִילֵי בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא שָׁלַח יָדוֹ וַיֶּחֱזוּ אֶת־הָאֱלֹהִים וַיֹּאכְלוּ וַיִּשְׁתּוּ׃"
    – Al Berko
    Commented Jun 28 at 14:40
  • I already agreed on theology, I asked about Halachah -what the punishment?
    – Al Berko
    Commented Jun 28 at 14:41

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