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Is the category of Apikores- a heretic only limited to Jews or even non Jews?

The Sdei Chemed quotes many opinions that forbid quoting from heretics

Thus, is it permitted to quote a heretical gentile that preaches that Judaism is false? Or that there is no world to come. May I quote a wise saying from Muhammad that has nothing to do with theology per se', for since Muhammad denied the truth of the the Torah and its accuracy if he were a Jew he would be classified as an apikores.

(I know that the source for the word apikorus is really the name of a greek philosopher Epicurus)

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    He seems to forbid non-Jews as well (towards the end) saying that the dispensation for Aristotle et. al. is obsolete and no longer true.
    – Yishai
    Jun 15, 2015 at 18:22
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    Are you stuck on specifically apikores or any flavor of heretic will do?
    – Y     e     z
    Jun 15, 2015 at 19:47
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    Baskin Robbins! I'm open to all flavors 😜
    – Shoel U'Meishiv
    Jun 15, 2015 at 19:48
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    Why do you assume Muhammad denied the Torah and its accuracy? As far as I know, he believed that people changed parts of the Torah, but he did believe that it originally was all from God.
    – Emet v'Shalom
    Jun 15, 2015 at 22:45
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    @Emet I wouldn't be surprised. But even if I would, that changes nothing. This is not about the machlokes between Bal HaMeor and Ritva concerning what an asmachta is or isn't. This is about a general denial of Torah she'bal peh, and denial of specific words in the Torah as having divine origin. You would be surprised how many people accidentally reveal their true "feelings" on these subjects while talking freely.
    – user6591
    Jun 16, 2015 at 13:44

2 Answers 2

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In the Rambam's list of those who have no share in the world to come, in which he lists those groups generally included in the umbrella of "heretic" (מין, אפיקורס, כופרים, וכולי), he has those who deny the Torah, הכופרים בתורה (Hilchos Teshuva 3:8). At the end of the description of those who deny the Torah, he writes:

והאומר שהבורא החליף מצוה זו במצוה אחרת, וכבר בטלה תורה זו, אף על פי שהיא הייתה מעם ה', כגון הנוצריים וההגריים

And one who says that the Creator switched this Command for another, and this Torah is nullified, even though [he says that] it is from Hashem, for example the Christians and descendents of Hagar

So Christians and descendents of Hagar made it on to his prestigious list of heretics.

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    perhaps he just means that the Jew who thinks like those groups is a heretic, but not that they themselves qualify for the term.
    – user6591
    Jun 15, 2015 at 20:03
  • Also it is halacha יז there
    – user6591
    Jun 15, 2015 at 20:03
  • @user6591 I assume you were using mechon mamre. In standard editions, it is #8. And I can't definitively refute your reading of the Rambam, but it does not seem to be the smoothest reading in my opinion.
    – Y     e     z
    Jun 15, 2015 at 20:05
  • (I guess my userscript link went to Mechon Mamre, so I can't blame you...)
    – Y     e     z
    Jun 15, 2015 at 20:06
  • It is a rough read. I was just playing devils advocate:) and yes I used your link as I wasn't near a Rambam. Then I had to scroll and scroll and scroll......
    – user6591
    Jun 15, 2015 at 21:11
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The mishna in Avos 2 14 reads ודע מה שתשיב לאפיקורוס. In his pirush hamishnayos, רמב׳ם quotes the gemara in Sanhedrin 38b that this refers specificaly to a non jewish apikores, not a jewish one, as this will cause him to become worse.

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  • And just for the record, from the statement of רבי יוחנן there in sanhedrin, and the Bartenura, the shoresh of the word אפיקורוס has to do with הפקר. Mr. Epicurus' doctrine doesn't seem different enough from Aristotle to warrant naming this branch of heresy after him. However cute that vort is.
    – user6591
    Jun 15, 2015 at 20:47
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    And in the Rambam's intro to Chelek as well - ומלת אפיקורוס היא ארמית, עניינה מי שמפקיר ומבזה את התורה או לומדיה
    – Y     e     z
    Jun 15, 2015 at 21:13

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