Questions tagged [avodah-zarah]
Worship of foreign deities, one of the three cardinal sins.
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Did the conversos who continued to live as crypto-Jews in Spain have any Halakhic justification?
Avoda Zara is 'ייהרג ואל יעבור', one of the few transgressions a Jew should give up their life for and be willing to die 'על קידוש השם'. In the medieval period, around the time of the Spanish ...
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Is tai chi considered avodah zara?
Is tai chi considered avodah zara? It might have some roots in buddhism and/or taoism, but is it still avodah zara if I am only interested in the physical benefits of tai chi?
I checked out the three ...
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Would an Islamic Bank Account be preferable to a Jew?
Islamic bank accounts do not involve interest or fees for loans of money and prevents the bank from investing your money in various questionable businesses, like the pork and sex industries.
Would it ...
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Is one allowed to read books written by Homer such as The Iliad or The Odyssey?
When I was in elementary yeshiva, I had to read both The Iliad and The Odyssey. Both these books focus on Greek mythology, specifically the Trojan War.
Sefer HaChinukh 426:1 says:
שלא לחן ולרחם על ...
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How these malachim became involved with the origins of idolatry?
Parsha Shelach 13:33 says the following:
And there we saw the Nephilim, the sons of Anak, who come of the
Nephilim; and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were
in their sight.
The ...
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Was Nebuchadnezzar's statue an image of Daniel himself?
The third chapter of Daniel brings the story of how King Nebuchadnezzar erected a statue made of gold for the people of the land to worship. (Ultimately, this is the story of how Hananiah, Mishael, ...
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Is there a problem with saying/writing Antiochus Epiphanes?
Inspired by this question: Shulkan Arukh Yoreh De'ah 147 lists the prohibition to mention the name of a foreign deity (see also)
Epiphanes means "God Manifest" in Greek. It is unclear to me if ...
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What will happen to all other religions places of worship and scripture when moshiach comes
Does it say anywhere in Jewish scripture what will happen to the places of worship and religious scripture of all the other religions of the world when moshiach comes?
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Assuming Christianity is Avodah Zarah (RamBam), can I get my car fixed by a gentile right before/during Nittle Nacht?
Assuming Christianity is Avodah Zarah (RamBam), can one get his car fixed by a gentile, with a new part, put in, over Christmas? Obviously, there's no way to know whether the mechanic will work on the ...
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Apostate Jew performing mitzvahs
It has been discussed many times on this site that a non-Jew may not observe Shabbat (in addition to various other mitzvot that are prohibited to non-Jews). We have also seen that a Jew who renounces ...
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Is one allowed to OWN a King James Bible, Koran, etc.?
Halachically speaking (as opposed to a mere Middos Chassidus), is one allowed to own a book or document of another religion? This question can be divided into sub-questions:
1. Would there be a ...
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Is the board game "Snakes and Ladders" kosher?
It appears to be a game based on the Hindu religion. Here is an excerpt from wikipedia:
The game was popular in ancient India by the name Moksha Patam. It was
also associated with traditional Hindu ...
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Rav ha Meiri's interpretation of the term "notzrim" in Talmud Bavli-Avodah Zarah 6a and 7b
According to the legal determination established in Talmud Bavli -Avodah Zarah 6a and 7b, the halachic status of christians (“notzrim”) appears to be that of idolaters:
Avodah Zara 6a
Avodah Zarah 7b
...
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Bowing when davening outside
If one is davening outside, and one says aleinu* and wishes to bow, should one change how he bows?
I have seen (h/t Harel13) it written that, when one says Birchat Hachama, one should bow to the ...
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Hiring idolaters
Is one allowed to hire idolaters, if it is known that part of their salary is donated to idolatrous activities?
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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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What to do with idol worship relics or impure objects
Once knowing the truth of the Torah, and the seven noahide laws,I disposed of many things. I want to know how exactly are you to dispose of these things.( Parashat Re'eh) gives a set of instructions ...
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What is worse: not believing in G-d or believing in many G-ds? [duplicate]
I have been wondering - for no particular reason - what is worse between being an atheist and being an idolater?
I thought that a logical place to look for an answer would be the Ten Commandments, ...
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Questions regarding selling "mitzvah" items to Christians for use in their Church service
My understanding is that one is not aloud to intentionally sell anything to an oved avodah zarah ("idol worshipper") if he knows that he will use that item for his idol worshipping purpose.
There are ...
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saying the word "Jesus" [duplicate]
The standard practice seems to be avoiding saying the word "Jesus" due to the halacha of שם רשעים ירקב, but some people seem to be willing to say it. Is there a heter for this? (Also, would this heter ...
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The "Sign of the Horns" and 'Avodah Zarah
Is the "Sign of the Horns" a manifestation or an act of 'Avodah Zarah? What if someone uses the gesture as a pop culture reference (eg., heavy metal), or just jokingly - or even mockingly about ...
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What is the reasoning for not entering churches and other non-Jewish places of worship?
There are multiple questions about entering churches here, most of which are marked as duplicates and pointed to this one. What none of them address, however, is why in the halacha it is forbidden to ...
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Photographing an Eclipse
There is a general prohibition on depicting and/or owning depictions of celestial bodies, such as the sun and moon (see, e.g., the Rambam Hilkhoth Avoda Zara 3:18). Nonetheless, there are opinions ...
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Is it idolatry to use the english word "God" to refer to Hashem?
Shabbos 67b says "Gad" (גד) was the name of an Amorite idol, and we shouldn't use it. Shouldn't this apply to the name "God" as well?
eg. "God forbid"
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Why do people say that Abraham and his family were idolaters at first?
A common idea these days, is that Abraham, his father and their families were supposed to have worshipped idols, until the true Creator, the LORD, called him from Ur of the Chaldees to give unto him ...
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Why is Idolatry a sin
What is the wisdom behind declaring Idolatry as a cardinal sin in Judaism? What is wrong if the true God as well as some other person\Object is worshipped along with him as long as he is not leaving ...
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Why is asking for a bracha allowed?
It seems that it has become a universal Jewish custom to ask for blessings from tzadikim/talmidei chachamim. So I'm assuming this practice is allowed.
There seems to be levels in how people treat ...
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Sending letters to the deceased
Some Chassidim have the custom to leave letters at the graves of deceased Rebbes. Is it mutar to send a letter to any deceased Rebbe (specifically the Lubavitcher Rebbe), or is this similar to Avodah ...
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Is idolatrous belief forbidden for Jews, or just idolatrous practices?
Suppose a Jew believes that there are multiple gods, but he does not worship them in any way. Is this a violation of the prohibition against idolatry for Jews?
We see from this answer that similar ...
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Where is a mediator between God and man forbidden
I don't believe that there should be mediators (like Christians believe Jesus is a mediator between God and man whom they pray to and/or pray through) between us and God, but is there anywhere in the ...
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Why is the Trinity considered polytheistic in traditional Jewish thought? [closed]
I've read a couple questions on this site and other Jewish sources stating the traditional Jewish view is the Christian concept of the Trinity is polytheistic. However, I haven't found any questions ...
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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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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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If prophecy ended, how come idol worship didn't?
The Vilna Gaon claims that the destruction of the yeitzer hara (evil inclination) for idol worship also removed prophecy.
I want to know, why? It seems there is a connection between the yeitzer hara ...
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Was Pinchas related to Yithro? How?
Rashi states that there were suspicions of an avoda zara worshiper in Pinchas lineage. Was he related to Yithro?
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From a Rabbinical perspective is the creation of a golem considered a sin against Hashem or form of Sorcery?
This topic is a little strange but I'm curious as to where the concept of Golems fit within the current consensus of Rabbinical interpretations of Witchcraft.
The Golem of Prague is a story ...
user13783
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Messianic Jew and Wine
At what stage does a born-Jewish messianic Jew's presence at and/ or participation in an Orthodox synagogue's kiddush make wine 'Yayin Nesech'?
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Unkosher sheitel's / wigs?
Is it permissible for a married woman to wear a wig if the hair was sacrificed to an idol or foreign deity? There is a temple in India, dubbed the "Richest temple in the World" where pilgrims shave ...
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What rationale do the Rabbis use when differentiating amulets from recognized forms of idolatry?
The use of amulets for healing and protection has a long history in Judaism. I know that we are warned against idolatry when it comes to foreign worship practices around objects. (Prayer beads, Pagan ...
user20915
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Can Avodah Zarah acquire a state of Hekdesh?
What's the Halachic status of Avodah Zarah which someone somehow pronounced Hekdesh (even accidentally, like choosing the wrong jug of oil)? Does the Avodah Zarah accept Hekdesh?
If it can become ...
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Bereishit 31:53 "chol"
In my Artscroll chumash, on Bereishit 31:53, there is an asterisk next to the two uses of "elohei" which refer to the "god" of Nachor and of "their fathers."
It looks like this
אֱלֹהֵ֨י אַבְרָהָ֜ם *...
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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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What is the source of the Rambam's historical account of idol worship?
Rambam in his code of law under the section of idol worship (1:1-2) delineates the historical process which lead to the existence of idol worship starting with according honor to elements in nature ...
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May I play a computer game which includes Greek mythological creatures?
I sometimes play a computer role-playing game (RPG) in which my character fights creatures and retrieves treasure.
But some of the creatures are derived from Greek mythology. Is it still permissible ...
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Singing or listening to non-Jewish religious music
Is it permissible to listen or sing non-Jewish religious music so long as praise and worship is only expressed to Hashem and this is clear and/or your intention is only to praise G-d and no one else?
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Is it permitted to have an American Flag on a flagpole with an Eagle on top in a Synagogue?
American Flag on pole, topped with an Eagle.
Is this permitted in the Synagogue?
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Is Marvel considered idolatry?
Just wondering if watching a Marvel movie or TV show [besides for the prohibitions on watching secular TV and movies in general] is considered idolatry or not, being that it deals with many pagan &...
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What happened to the prophets of Asherah in 1 Melachim 18?
Shalom.
In 1 Melachim 18:19, Eliyahu gives Achab an order to summon ‘All Israel... together with the four hundred and fifty prophets of Ba’al and the four hundred prophets of Asherah’. However, when ...
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What exactly are the forbidden statues according to Yerushalmi- Avodah Zarah 3:1 18a?
We read in Yerushalmi- Avodah Zarah 3:1 18a (English translation by Rabbi Jacob Neusner):
[A] All images are prohibited.
[B] "Because they are worshipped once a year", the words of R. Meir
[...
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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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