Questions tagged [avodah-zarah]
Worship of foreign deities, one of the three cardinal sins.
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How can ancestors leave a makom l'hisgader?
The gemara in חולין on 6b / 7a (apologies, on mobile so can't provide link) discusses how the copper snake of Moshe should have been destroyed by earlier Kings (specifically referring to those kings ...
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Do Samaritans go to Olam Haba?
My question is if samaritans go to Olam Haba. It would seem pretty obvious except for the fact they don’t recognize the Jewish people as Hashem’s Chosen. They also have their own Slightly altered ...
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Prophecy and idolatry [duplicate]
The Steinsaltz commentary to Arakhin 32b notes that the evil inclination to worship idols was prevalent during the First Temple period but not during the time of the Second Temple. It goes on to say ...
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What did Elijah say about Baal?
When Eliahu HaNavi confronted the prophets of Baal and they couldn't deliver, he told them [1Kings 18:27]:
וַיְהִ֨י בַֽצָּהֳרַ֜יִם וַיְהַתֵּ֧ל בָּהֶ֣ם אֵלִיָּ֗הוּ וַיֹּ֙אמֶר֙ קִרְא֤וּ בְקוֹל־...
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Is it not considered idolatry to place blessing requests at the grave of a Rabbi? [duplicate]
We recently just reached the 25th anniversary of the Chabad Rebbe's passing.(Rabbi Menachem Schneerson)
While reading some news articles about him and the events occurring at his grave site, I came ...
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Sources on the Rogochover and Islam
Someone once told me the Rogochover says that Muslims are idol worshippers, as they secretly worship the moon.
I couldn't find where the Rogochover actually writes this. This article (fn. 20) says ...
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Can a Jew encourage non-Jews to convert to other monotheistic religions?
Would it be permissible for a Jew to encourage or help a non-Jew convert from a faith that involves avodah zara to one that does not? For example a Christian (on the notion that Christianity is avodah ...
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Origin of the name TAMMUZ
Tammuz seems to be the name of a deity or connected to idolatry. How is it that it became the name of a Jewish month given the prohibition of וְשֵׁ֨ם אֱלֹהִ֤ים אֲחֵרִים֙ לֹ֣א תַזְכִּ֔ירוּ לֹ֥א ...
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Why is one who's influenced by a Persian priest liable to death?
It says in Shabbat 75b that if a magosh tries to influence a Jew to adopt even a single one of his customs, that Jew should be put to death:
אמר רב זוטרא בר טוביה אמר רב: ... והלומד דבר אחד מן ...
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How can people dance around bonfires on Lag Lo'Omer - it's darchei emori?
In Tosephto Shabbos 7:1, it says that one who dances by a bonfire is following in the ways of the Emorites. In light of this, how can so many supposedly frum Jews dance around bonfires on Lag Lo'Omer?
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Was Avodah Zara (idolatry) Effective?
For centuries Idol Worship was extremely popular across the ancient world & even in the Jewish community. I highly doubt that all these people were busy building & worshipping statutes based ...
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May one graduate in a multi-purpose church building? [duplicate]
Suppose a school graduation is held in a building that is used for church services as well as various kinds of non-religious cultural events. One example of such a venue is the United Palace theater; ...
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Why can Avodah Zara be בטל בשישים?
If עבודה זרה is so strict, why can it be בטל by 1/60 in דבר שלא במינו? (see :עבודה זרה ע"ג)
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Standing in the presence of an idol / entering a room which has an idol
The question is remarkably simple (even though the answer may not be so).
Is it allowed by halacha to stand in the presence of an idol or enter a room where an idol is present ?
Specifically, I'm ...
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Is one allowed to sleep in a room/house where there are images of JC, Virgin Mary and other avodah zarah?
Is a Jew permitted to sleep in a room/house where there are idolatrous images on the walls, such as JC, virgin Mary, etc.? What about non-Jews?
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Should one wish for the destruction of buildings of idol worship?
Two sequential questions, prompted by the Notre Dame fire:
Is one obligated to wish that places of idol worship are consumed if they already are on fire? (I would think so, given e.g. OC 224:2)
If so,...
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Are Jews allowed to contribute to the reconstruction of the Paris cathedral?
I assume most of you have already heard about the sad events that happened yesterday in France. One of the main symbols of Paris, a functioning cathedral caught on fire and caused huge damage to the ...
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Is it lawful,for the Noahide Laws, the thesis of Gentiles Christians according to whom Jesus has a divine nature but he is subordinate to God? [duplicate]
I am not a christian but I am an Italian noahide, therefore I do not believe in the divinity and messianicity of Jesus the Nazarene.
I clarify that my question, being relevant to the application of ...
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Where does the ohr hachaim say that one who fails to destroy avoda zara is also oveir on the lav of not serving it?
The ohr hachaim is quoted as saying that one who fails to destroy avoda zara is also oveir on the lav of not serving it in "hatekufah hagedolah" (r' menachem mendel kasher) in perek 13 "(ד' ר"ש)" ...
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Is one allowed to embarass idolaters and atheists in public?
From the story of Yehudah and Tamar, we know that it's better to die than embarass a fellow Jew in public. However, I've heard multiple times that Torah permits embarassing and insulting idolaters (...
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Is it forbidden to help idolaters become righteous Noahides?
I heard from a Rabbi who cited Rambam that it is forbidden to help idolaters do teshuvah.
Does that mean it is forbidden to persuade them that they follow fake religions and that Judaism is the only ...
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Why did the ploy to get Mitzraim to come to the sea require Ba'al Tzefon's existence and Bnei Yisrael's wandering aimlessly?
Shemos 14:1-4:
וַיְדַבֵּר יְהֹוָה אֶל־מֹשֶׁה לֵּאמֹר׃ דַּבֵּר אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְיָשֻׁבוּ וְיַחֲנוּ לִפְנֵי פִּי הַחִירֹת בֵּין מִגְדֹּל וּבֵין הַיָּם לִפְנֵי בַּעַל צְפֹן נִכְחוֹ תַחֲנוּ עַל־...
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Would you be permitted to sell a house that was built for idol worship?
Suppose you purchased a house and subsequently discovered it had been built for the express purpose of idol worship (a nice suburban Ba'al Peor temple right outside of Lakewood, say, or the Avodah ...
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What is the process for purifying your home if you believe it may have been previously used for pagan worship?
Locations of foreign worship are typically of concern. You're not supposed to enter a church for this very reason.
My question relates to the idea that one finds out their home was previously used ...
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Destroy or sell? Avodah zarah? [closed]
I previously owned a rental and had a tenant who passed away. His family left Scientology fiction books and lectures by Ron Hubbard in my rental attic. These may be worth around $500 if I were to sell ...
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Name of avoda zara in the mishna?
Avoda Zara 3, 4:
שאל פרוקלוס... שהיה רוחץ במרחץ של אפרודיטי
Proclus asked... because he was washing in the bathroom of aphroditi ...
Given it is forbidden to say name of avoda zara (Sanhedrin ...
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Why for a sorceress does the Torah say “shall not live” instead of “shall be put to death?”
In Exodus 22:17 the Torah tells us:
מְכַשֵּׁפָ֖ה לֹ֥א תְחַיֶּֽה׃
A sorceress you shall not let live.
We learn from Sanhedrin 67a that (man or woman) the punishment for sorcery is death by ...
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1answer
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Why Moses could be only replaced with an idol?
In the previous question about the Golden Calf I thought it was suspicious that neither Moses left the "chain of command" just in case, neither Aharon offered himself as Moses' replacement.
Also, ...
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1answer
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Money obtained by selling Tikrovet avoda zara
Talmud Kiddushin 58a says that Avoda Zara 'catches its value' (תופס דמיו) to be forbidden as itself: the money obtained from its sale is also forbidden.
Now, what with tikrovet avoda zara (offerings ...
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Is idolatry more than the worship of inanimate objects?
Many rabbis (mostly, if not only, non-traditional, I believe) are giving us new interpretations of the word “idolatry”. We sometimes hear that the pursuit of material possessions is worship of wealth;...
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What causes a person to do Avodah Zarah?
In relation to "Definition of Avodah Zarah":
I would like to know what drives or causes a person to worship Avodah Zarah in the first place; i.e. what lies at the core of it? Is there a reason why it’...
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Do objects of idolatry contaminate?
Rambam in Mishneh Torah, Foreign Worship and Customs of the Nations 7:9 speaking about idolatrous objects says that "everything it mingled with and its identity lost" is forbidden property.
Is Rambam ...
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Definition of Avodah Zarah
Looking at different explanations regards Avodah Zarah, different/various forms of idolatry, I tried to sum things up, I tried to get to get a definition out of it based on their common denominator.
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Is it allowed to live in a place which has brazen Avodah Zarah?
Is a Jew allowed to live in a place which has brazen Avodah Zarah? I'm talking about places like India, China and Cambodia. While Christians worship idols as well they say that doing so is wrong. I'm ...
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Source for it being a mitzvah to make fun of Avodah Zarah?
I've heard from multiple Rabbanim that it is a mitzvah to make fun of Avodah Zarah. I have been performing this mitzvah with pleasure for many years and I would like to know the source for it.
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1answer
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Why would the Torah give us mitzvot that will never actually happen?
The Gemara in Sanhedrin 71a tells us a few mitzvot in the Torah that will never happen:
First, a ben sorer u'moreh
בן סורר ומורה לא היה ולא עתיד להיות ולמה נכתב דרוש וקבל שכר
There has never ...
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Does one need to stop the Amidah if a projection of Avodah Zarah appears?
What I'm describing is a somewhat unusual situation, but this can occur.
A group of us daven mincha in a conference room where mizrach (east) has a giant computer monitor. The company focuses on ...
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Evil inclination compared to a strange god within man
I've found this article which quoted some interesting thoughts:
Our sages said about the verse (Shabbat 105b), “There shall not be a strange god within you, nor will you bow before a strange god.”
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Is there a problem with buying a Christian a Christmas gift?
To make the question easier, suppose that the recipient of the Christmas gift is a devout Christian who actually celebrates for religious reasons.
Potentially there are several issues with buying a ...
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Clarification of Yitro's comparison of G-d vs other gods
Yitro says (Shmos 18,11):
"עַתָּה יָדַעְתִּי כִּי־גָדוֹל ה' מִכָּל־הָאֱלֹהִים כִּי בַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר זָדוּ עֲלֵיהֶם׃ "
"Now I know that the LORD is greater than all gods, yes, by the result of ...
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2answers
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Is someone allowed to enter into a church to please his father or save a life? [closed]
Let's suppose that someone is a Jew by conversion (Ben Noach) and his father is Christian. If he goes to church (assuming that in the church they practice idolatry by worshipping the trinity) just to ...
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1answer
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Can one eat avodah zarah food?
My question is simple: Can food offered as avodah zarah be eaten? Why?
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Profit when escaping something
Is it considered a hanaa/profit from something, when the earning arrived from escaping this thing?
Let's say an example: Reuven was walking in a town, and suddenly he saw a church. He then changed ...
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which Divrei Minus are forbidden to read/hear today?
The Talmud in (Avodah Zara 16b–17a) brings that Rabbi Eliezer was upset that he had been accused by the Romans. His student, Rabbi Akiva suggested that perhaps he had heard a teaching of the minim and ...
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1answer
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Does Chinese ancestor worship have the full status of idolotry?
In the front of a Chinese restaurant they have a small shrine - a succah less than a foot tall. Placed before it is a bowl of rice with vertical chopsticks and a plate of oranges. There is no idol ...
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1answer
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Are Totem Poles considered to be Avodah Zarah?
A totem pole is a large carving, often made out of a tree, that depicts symbols or figures. They are usually made by various First Nations and Indigenous peoples around Canada and the United States.
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Is friendship with Christians and other idolaters permitted?
Does Torah permit having friends who are Christians/Muslims/other forms of Avodah Zarah?
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1answer
121 views
Are Jews allowed to pray on their knees?
If someone finds it a good way to have a concentration in pray while on his knees, can it be done? (Not talking about Amida/Sidur prayers, but talking with the creator.)
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Graven Image Question
Can someone give me sources from Tanakh and Halakhah on why it is permissible for a Jewish [certified kosher] bakery to make images from Christianity and their winter holiday? And if it is permissible,...
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2answers
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David's Idol: why did he have one?
In שמואל א יט it says in reference to David's escape from Saul:
וַתִּקַּ֨ח מִיכַ֜ל אֶת־הַתְּרָפִ֗ים וַתָּ֙שֶׂם֙ אֶל־הַמִּטָּ֔ה וְאֵת֙ כְּבִ֣יר הָֽעִזִּ֔ים שָׂ֖מָה מְרַֽאֲשֹׁתָ֑יו וַתְּכַ֖ס ...
