New answers tagged avodah-zarah
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It depends. Why do you want to learn about this topic?
If it's just casual curiosity, I see no reason not to listen to your father.
But, if it's out of a personal intellectual need, I would say your father's approach is foolish and dangerous.
We live in an age of overexposure. Plain and simple. Anyone harboring any doubts will be quickly exposed to those ...
-4
If you are prohibited from reading Five Proofs for the Existence of G-d, try Rebecca Goldstein's (Jewish) 36 Arguments for the Existence of G-d. Jokes aside, Maimonides wrote in his monumental Guide of the Perplexed that, the truth is the truth no matter what its source. He, therefore, had no quarrels accepting the philosophy from the Greek pagan Aristotle. ...
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Your dad is right.
If you want to learn mathematics, learn from a mathematician, even though many chemists could do a creditable job. If you want to learn French, learn from a Frenchman, even though many Italians could do a creditable job.
Who did God choose to reveal His Torah to? Who introduced God and the word of God to the people? Who has an ...
2
Another reference in the Rambam (Hilchos Avoda Zara 3:2)
עבודות הרבה קבעו עובדי כוכבים לכל צלם וצלם, ולכל צורה וצורה, ועבודת זה
אינה כעבודת זה, כגון פעור שעבודתו שפוער אדם עצמו לו, ומרקוליס שעבודתו
שיזרוק לו אבנים או יסקל מלפניו אבנים, והרבה עבודות כגון אלו תקנו לשאר
צלמים.
לפיכך הפוער עצמו למרקוליס, או שזרק אבן לפעור, פטור, עד שיעבוד אותו דרך
...
3
As Mordechai pointed out, the Rambam Sanhedrin (2:1) writes
אֵין מַעֲמִידִין בְּסַנְהֶדְרִין בֵּין בִּגְדוֹלָה בֵּין בִּקְטַנָּה
אֶלָּא אֲנָשִׁים חֲכָמִים וּנְבוֹנִים. מֻפְלָגִין בְּחָכְמַת הַתּוֹרָה
בַּעֲלֵי דֵּעָה מְרֻבָּה. יוֹדְעִים קְצָת מִשְּׁאָר חָכְמוֹת כְּגוֹן
רְפוּאוֹת וְחֶשְׁבּוֹן וּתְקוּפוֹת וּמַזָּלוֹת וְאִצְטַגְנִינוּת
וְדַרְכֵי ...
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מנחות סה א
דאמר רבי יוחנן אין מושיבים בסנהדרין אלא בעלי חכמה בעלי מראה בעלי קומה
בעלי זקנה בעלי כשפים
Menachot 65:a
Rabbi Yochanan said, people are not nominated to the Sanhedrin but, owners of wisdom, owners of looks, owners of height, owners of age, owners of sorcery.
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Good question. Is it permissible to imagine G-d in our minds while praying, and what about the pillars of cloud and fire? Did G-d reside in these pillars during the Exodus?
Exodus 13:21-22 states:
The L-rd led before them during the day with a pillar of cloud, to
lead them along the way, and during the night with a pillar of fire,
to give light to ...
1
With respect to the cloud, it seems there are three possibilities:
The cloud is God.
The cloud represents God.
The cloud obscures God.
The first two attribute supernatural powers to the cloud, so it's difficult to consider them as anything other than idolatry.
The third simply illustrates your inability to see God in his true form.
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Hiring an idolater to do work for you is the same as purchasing something from an idolatrous merchant. The Sources are full of examples of the latter, which is obviously allowed. So the former is allowed also.
(To be sure, there are restrictions on trade with idolaters around the time of their festivals. They are described in tractate Avodah Zarah (Ch. 1)...
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