New answers tagged avodah-zarah
1
In this video on the subject, Rabbi Akiva Tatz argues that the way Ribbono Shel Olam created the universe does indeed allow for certain types of Avodah Zarah to be effective, though he does not get into why that is so.
4
According to Avodah Zarah 55a, yes, Hashem allowed idolatrous practices to be effective in order to lead them astray:
א"ל רבא בר רב יצחק לרב יהודה האיכא בית עבודת כוכבים באתרין דכי מצטריך עלמא למטרא מתחזי להו בחלמא ואמר להו שחטו לי גברא ואייתי מטרא שחטו לה גברא ואתי מטרא
Rava Bar Rav Yitzchak said to Rav Yehudah, “Isn’t there a house of idol worship ...
5
From a Halachic perspective, this is not a concern, see this short article (Hebrew). For example, Rashba 1:167 says that only those practices also mentioned in the Gemara are subject to the prohibition of Darkei Haemori, and some have understood that this is the position of R' Yosef Karo in Shulchan Aruch, where he did not list the practices in the Tosefta, ...
6
Rabbi Yechezkel Abramsky, in his commentary 'Tosefta Chazon Yechezkel' on the Tosefta, explains that the manner in which one qualifies for 'the ways of the Emorites' would be by dancing in order to expedite the cooking process.
שעושים דברים אלה למהר הבישול אי נמי לאיזה סימן אחר שהיה להם בזה
They perform these dances in order to speed up that which ...
9
Merely dancing next to a bonfire has nothing to do the ways of the Emorites, nor is it a form of fire worship, if the dancer(s) has/have no such intent.
The question is based on a misunderstanding of the words of the Tosephta.
המספק והמטפח והמרקד לשלהבת הרי זה מדרכי האמורי.
"Dancing TO THE FLAME is following in the ways of the Emorites."
The ...
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