Laws of Idolatry, Chapter 1 (Auto Translated)

Laws of Idolatry – Introduction and Enumeration of the Commandments

The Place of the Laws of Idolatry in Sefer HaMada

Rabbosai, we are beginning today, the Laws of Idolatry. We are holding in the middle of Sefer HaMada. Sefer HaMada consists of:

– Laws of the Foundations of the Torah, which are the fundamentals of faith, one can say

– Laws of Character Traits, where there are good character traits

– Laws of Torah Study we have just finished, how one learns Torah, how one honors Torah scholars

– And now we are going to learn the Laws of Idolatry, which is the opposite of the Foundations of the Torah

The Foundations of the Torah is what yes, who the Almighty is and how one must serve the Almighty, and the opposite is serving idolatry. So the Rambam is going to give us very many laws, a whole long section of laws, and very many commandments.

A Question on the Order

It is true, it should have been right next to the Laws of the Foundations of the Torah, seemingly comes the Laws of Idolatry, because it is literally “You shall have no other gods.” And the Rambam in the, if I remember, when he spoke about the fourteen books that he made, he says that this is the thing that one must know first of all, such as the unity of Hashem and the prohibition of idolatry. The unity of Hashem is Foundations of the Torah chapter 1, and the prohibition of idolatry is literally the opposite of that.

It is almost a question for me why it doesn’t stand right after the Laws of the Foundations of the Torah, or even in the Laws of the Foundations of the Torah, after chapter 1 should stand the prohibition of idolatry.

Answers to the Order

I think there is on this an explanation, a certain understanding. It could be that the Rambam understood that first he wants to lay down the entire positive picture of what a Jew looks like. Yes, a Jew is Foundations of the Torah, with character traits, with learning Torah. Afterwards he goes to the negative, to the negation, turn away from evil.

But I think the way it happened is, the matter of the Torah scholar is what connects the Foundations of the Torah with Character Traits, and then Character Traits with the Laws of Torah Study. Honoring a Torah scholar, how a Torah scholar makes a sanctification of Hashem’s name, and so on and so forth. The Torah scholar is the thread that runs through between the first few laws of Sefer HaMada.

And also how one can also understand the Laws of Repentance comes afterwards. It’s like the first three parts is the positive, then you deal with the negative, how idolatry, if one hasn’t done repentance, and then the fix of the negative you say. Yes. Repentance is on the Laws of Idolatry. Every shame draws it… essentially the Laws of Torah Study ends with a kind of repentance on disgracing a Torah scholar, because excommunication is a way of punishment and repentance to do on disgracing a Torah scholar.

Another point one can also say, we will see perhaps better we will see at the end of chapter 1, that idolatry, the essential prohibition of idolatry, the idea, the essence of it, is essentially already included everything in chapter 1 of the Foundations of the Torah, that there is one God and He runs everything. Idolatry is basically not that. There isn’t really a novelty in this, theoretically. The main novelty seemingly of idolatry we will see is a certain practical thing, how the Torah develops, how the Torah lays down, in what kinds of things. Because idolatry is essentially like a fence, it’s all a practical thing, that one shouldn’t do the things that cause an error in the Foundations of the Torah. So for this it could be that it’s not really Foundations of the Torah, it’s more like a step afterwards, it’s more practical warnings.

The Enumeration of Commandments of the Laws of Idolatry

So when the Rambam begins the Laws of Idolatry, he enumerates all the commandments as is his order, and this is a long list, because “there are included in them fifty-one commandments”. The commandments of idolatry has 51 commandments, in total only two positive commandments, because almost everything is negative commandments. Two positive commandments and 49 negative commandments, “and this is their detail”.

This is simply because the Rambam understood that there are indeed in the Torah very many commandments of not doing, not doing idolatry, not doing a thing that leads to idolatry. And also even certain commandments that seemingly don’t really have to do with idolatry, the Rambam understood that it belongs to idolatry. I brought the chart that Rabbi Rabinowitz made, a beautiful chart. It’s the same order, but he simply shows how the commandments divide up in order, and instead of reading a long list, one can see more clearly this way.

Structure of the Commandments – Categories

Thought and Turning Toward Idolatry

The first prohibition of the prohibitions of idolatry is “not to turn after idolatry”, it means not to turn, not to interest oneself in idolatry. We will see in chapter 2 of idolatry, “not to follow after the thoughts of the heart and the sight of the eyes”, one should not follow the thoughts of the heart and the sight of the eyes regarding idolatry. One should not think too much or look at matters of idolatry.

He brings a very beautiful language from Sefer HaMitzvos, he says that a person must place a boundary on his thoughts. One cannot think about anything. A person sometimes thinks what? Thought I may anything. No. Anything that is not Torah and mitzvos, that is not maintained by Torah and mitzvos, one may also not think. About idolatry one may not think, so says the Rambam. Yes, we will see in chapter 2 the details of this.

Discussion: Distinction Between Turning and Believing

Speaker 1: Bringing to mind is indeed, is thinking about things that can bring after it idolatry.

Speaker 2: Right, and not thinking that it is believing in idolatry is another prohibition, believing in idolatry is a negative commandment. Here it speaks of other prohibitions that a turning that brings to idolatry, that brings to the essential idolatry, or perhaps idolatry itself one can call the practical commandments, as he gives for this the serving on the first willnesses. Very good.

Blasphemy

Yes, further, not to blaspheme. Not to blaspheme, to blaspheme the Almighty. The Rambam in chapter 2 will justify why blasphemy comes in, it’s not really idolatry. Blaspheming is like blessing the Name, but the Rambam will explain that it’s similar to idolatry. Yes, good.

The Essential Worship of Idolatry

Further, its essential worship, the essentials about how one serves idolatry. You will see for example in chapter 1. Chapter 1 is not a commandment, chapter 1 is the foundation that explains why, how did idolatry come about and so forth. How does it come to people to serve idolatry? People aren’t crazy. So the Rambam will very nicely explain how the error can develop.

So further is its essential worship, the usual manner of worship. Yes. Also the interesting thing is that seemingly if there is yes a commandment from chapter 1, it is indeed yes an idolatry from the Torah, because there was a commandment not to bring to mind that there is a god besides Him, so idolatry from the Torah, which that is seemingly the essential heresy of idolatry. But idolatry looks like it speaks only of the next levels, it doesn’t speak of the error. That is not yet idolatry. When one has a small… It’s not chapter 1 shows that a small error can bring us to the greatest error of actual idolatry. Right.

Afterwards there is the ways of worship of idolatry, which is all forbidden, right? Not to worship it in its manner of worship, the way how one serves that idolatry. And afterwards there is, even if it’s not the way how one serves that specific idolatry, but that is always the worship, like bowing down, later one sees the rest idol, burning incense and so forth.

Making Idols and Forms

Further, not to make, not to make an idol. That is an external commandment. Ah, okay, we will see. What making an idol?

And not for oneself and not for another, and one should not make any forms of idolatry even for beauty. Even the forms are not idolatry, but ah, a beautiful thing, making a form itself is a matter of idolatry.

Inciter and Enticer – Spreading Idolatry

Further, afterwards there is, as we heard before, the great things that have to do with when there are creatures to idolatry, that is he makes a movement, small things, idolatries, this is the subject of positive commandments, not to be an enticer, a wayward city, to burn a wayward city, a positive commandment on a city that all became enticed after idolatry, one must burn the entire city, one may not rebuild the city afterwards, not to rebuild it, and one may not have benefit from the money of the wayward city.

Further, one may not incite even an individual. Enticer is that one means a multitude, and inciter is that one means an individual. Ah, that is the distinction. It’s very good. So that is like all things that are like by Abraham our father, the difference is there “and he called in the name of Hashem,” and the opposite side is and he called in the name of idolatry, that is an inciter and enticer. Or not by the name of Hashem, yes. We will see, yes.

Not to love an inciter, one should not love one who is an inciter. And not only that, but not to cease hating him, one should not stop hating him, one should not try to save him, and one should not learn to defend him, as usually a person who is sentenced to death there is a commandment to defend. And the opposite, not to refrain from teaching against him, on the contrary, if one has a teaching of guilt, one can say about him something that makes worse his situation, one should yes say it.

False Prophet

Further, one should not prophesy in the name of idolatry, and if one prophesies in the name of idolatry, one may not listen to the one who prophesies in the name of idolatry. Further, a branch of this is not to prophesy falsely even in the name of Hashem, to say falsely that one has a prophecy in the name of Hashem. Yes, this is hard to understand why is it after idolatry, it was already yes stood, the essential thing is already yes stood in another place in the Torah. It could be here he means mainly if one says in the name of Hashem to serve idolatry, because then it is indeed one of the essential ways how one can be false in the name of Hashem, therefore it lies here. But besides that he is an inciter, he has indeed violated also the matter of prophesying, comes to another prohibition of prophesying falsely. Yes.

Not to fear, one should not fear from killing a false prophet.

Oath in the Name of Idolatry

Not to swear in the name of idolatry, one should not swear in the name of idolatry.

Sorcery and Similar Things

Now there are things that are not really idolatry, but one can call categories of sorcery or other actions that idolatry does that leads to this. Yes:

– Not to perform the act of ov, one should not do the sorcery called ov

– One should not do the sorcery called yidoni

– One should not pass the children through the fire which was introduced for the idolatry of Molech, not to pass to Molech

Pillar, Figured Stone, Ashera

One should not set up a pillar, that is an altar that is not in the place of the Temple. By pillar there are three times an interesting explanation, three times there is another explanation on this.

Not to bow on a figured stone, one should not bow on a stone floor.

Not to plant an ashera, one should not plant the tree that was introduced for idolatry.

Even for the sake, even the things are even, that is not only idolatry, idolatry that is idolatry, but it is already included in previous commandments, but here one said one should not do the things similar to the customs of idolatry, that is…

Destroying Idolatry

Already, the commandments are of destroying idolatry, to destroy idolatry and all that is made for it. That is that when Jews come into the Land of Israel or a Jew has control over a city, one should destroy idolatry from there. And the prohibition is not to benefit from idolatry and all its accessories, one should not benefit from idolatry, and not only that, but one should not benefit from the beautiful things that one places on the idol. And there we will further enumerate which benefits are permitted.

And not to benefit from the offerings of an idol. Offerings is the word that here things that don’t themselves become forbidden, for example one serves a tree, a tree itself doesn’t become forbidden, a tree is a living thing, one doesn’t kill it, one sees it, but if the offerings from it, yes, if one has benefit, that means that this is an external prohibition of benefit to be from the offerings, as it stands there inside in Parshas Chukas.

Not to Associate with Idolaters

Already, further are the commandments of prohibition from other things similar to idolatry and so forth, but not to associate with idolaters:

– Not to make a covenant with idolaters, we learned it this week in the parsha by “beware lest you make a covenant”

– Not to show them favor, one should not have mercy on idolaters

– They shall not dwell in our land, one should not let them live in the Land of Israel, as the verse says because lest you intermarry with them, and your children will become idolaters

– Not to imitate, one should not look with the customs and garments like idolaters, to be similar to them

Other Types of Sorcery

Afterwards there are a few types of sorcery:

– Not to do the sorcery called nachash

– Not to do the sorcery called kosem

– Not to do the sorcery called me’onen

– Not to do the sorcery called chover chaver

– Not to do the sorcery called doresh el hameisim

– And one should not ask from the sorcerer called ov

– One should not ask from the sorcerer called yidoni

– And also making curses

Chapter 1 Law 1 – The Origin of Idolatry

Continuation of Enumeration of Commandments – Prohibitions of Idolatry

But if the bird from it is yes, that means that there is external to benefit from the bird, that stands there inside in chapter 8.

Afterwards there are the prohibitions of… other things similar to idolatry and so forth, and not to associate with idolaters. “You shall not make a covenant” with idolaters, this we learned this week in the parsha, “lest you make a covenant”. “Do not show them favor”, one should not have mercy on idolaters. “They shall not dwell in your land”, one should not let them live in the Land of Israel, as the verse says, because so that it should not intermarry with them and your children will become idolaters. “Do not imitate them”, one should not look with the customs and garments like idolaters, to be similar to them.

Afterwards there are a few prohibitions of sorcery: not to do the sorcery called nachash, not to do the sorcery called kosem, not to do the sorcery called me’onen, not to do the sorcery called chover chaver, not to do the sorcery called doresh el hameisim, and one should not ask from the sorcerer called ov, one should not ask from the sorcerer called yidoni, and another general one should not do sorcery.

Distinction Between Different Types of Sorcery

I want to clarify for you sorcery. First, sorcery is one thing, and that is even in the Jewish, everything is sorcery. They look at it all from the “spooky category”. But according to how it looks here, it looks like this is different. Like for example, to perform ov is more like actually an action of idolatry almost. But asking the ov or the kosem, that is not really… not forbidden, it’s forbidden because it will bring one should go to idolatry. The Rambam will explain the matters.

Prohibitions of Customs and Garments

And afterwards there are more prohibitions besides what was said a general thing one should not look with the customs and garments of idolaters, one enumerates certain customs and garments. That idolaters used to round the corners of the head, we should specifically yes leave the sidelocks and not round the corners of the head. One should not destroy the corners of the beard. A man should not wear women’s garments, and a woman should not wear garments of a man, men’s garments, which we learned this week. One should not make tattoos, one should not cut into the body, and “they shall not cut themselves”, one should not scratch and not strike oneself over a dead person, and “not to make a bald spot over a dead person”.

And these are the 51 commandments that belong to the Laws of Idolatry.

Why the Rambam Tells the Process of Idolatry

Now the Rambam will explain, for some reason, not what we Jews, the Rambam will explain to us something that is strange for people, one reads so much about idolatry, it was a test, and we look at idolatry, some little thing that one bows to it, deep down one means god, or how one makes a golden calf and one says “these are your gods, Israel”, it looks to us like an absurd thing. And the Rambam says that this is a caricature, but underneath this there is something of a process.

The Rambam says this not so that one should be able to be careful, there is no advice of not thinking about idolatry, but the Rambam makes us here think in a good way, in a proper way, so that one should understand what idolatry can be.

I don’t know if the Rambam came to defend the idol worshippers that they weren’t so foolish. I mean that he wants very strongly that one should understand that avodah zarah is not what you think. That is, he doesn’t simply say that one must understand this better. The Rambam doesn’t properly explain here, but in a certain way, but one must understand better that avodah zarah doesn’t mean to believe in another god. What does another god even mean? If the concept of God means what we learned in Yesodei HaTorah, it’s very difficult to understand. Therefore children don’t understand what avodah zarah means.

Avodah Zarah is a Boundary for Atheism

The Rambam explains that avodah zarah doesn’t begin from this. It begins from the fact that there are many forces in the world, which indeed there are such forces, and one begins to give them honor, and in the end one forgets that there is a God at all. So as I told you, according to how it comes out in this chapter, avodah zarah is a boundary for atheism. From doing avodah zarah, one comes to forget entirely that there is a true God, because one begins to serve only the intermediate things, and one forgets the previous ones, the first thing, the Metzui Rishon that stands in Yesodei HaTorah chapter 1.

And regarding this the Rambam wants to explain this very strongly, because if one doesn’t know what the prohibition of avodah zarah is, one thinks that avodah zarah means another god. The question arises, another god doesn’t make any sense at all, right? Because if you believe in the correct way that He is the great Master of Power, that He is the true God, not the word, the name that we give Him. So here the Rambam explains how the errors can develop. Right, so more than just understanding why there were such foolish people, it’s also to understand the definition, what the meaning of avodah zarah is according to the Rambam’s approach.

Other Approaches

Perhaps there are other approaches and other Rishonim and other interpretations, but one can learn the Ramban in Aseret HaDibrot, he lays down his interpretation in other places.

But the Rambam lays down very strongly his way, how to understand at all what is the avodah zarah that the Torah prohibited and what one should [understand] from them.

The Error of the Generation of Enosh – The First Step

The Rambam says… did I tell you a history lesson? Yes. The Rambam lays down a long beautiful story of how avodah zarah developed over the course of generations.

The Rambam says, in the days of Enosh, in the times of Enosh, Enosh was a son of Seth, Seth, I’m sorry, Seth. In the days of Enosh, in the times of Enosh, as it says in the Gemara that idol worshippers are like the generation of Enosh, that the generation of Enosh began with avodah zarah. What happened?

The Rambam says thus, ta’u bnei ha’adam ta’ut gedolah, people made a great error, nivrah etzat chachmei oto hador, the counsel, the wisdom of the sages of that generation became foolish. Instead of being wise they all became foolish.

The Error Began from the Sages

It’s interesting how he means to say that the problem began from the sages. They became foolish, but they had a good reasoning. It wasn’t an error of the masses, it was the error of the thinkers.

The Rambam says, ve’Enosh atzmo hayah min hato’im, it wasn’t only in the days of Enosh, but Enosh himself was a ben achar ben, he too was in error.

The Rambam says, vezo haytah ta’utam, this was their error. Yes. They said thus, amru, they said thus, yes?

Speaker 2: Hoil, what should I read? Is the foundation that the errors, what does it say here errors? The yud is an error. It’s an error in the word error, nu? Someone who says thus, he says, I don’t know. Nivrah etzat, the error is, he already thought the joke. Anyways.

The Reasoning of the Generation of Enosh

Speaker 1: They said thus, hoil veha’El yitbarach bara kochavim elu vegalgalim lanhig et ha’olam, ah, that’s the introduction. In order to understand one must remember Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah chapters 2, 3, 11, where stands the entire structure of the world.

Hoil veha’El yitbarach bara kochavim elu, stars are the stars, vegalgalim, on which lie the stars, lanhig et ha’olam, they lead the world, as they understood there that through the spheres all changes occur, and through the forms all the forms in the world occur. Unetanam bamarom, and besides this, first of all through them He leads the world. So they are honored, the spheres, and they are placed in heaven. That they are in the heavens. So much more the stars, because the spheres one doesn’t see, but I don’t know if one can give them honor.

Speaker 2: Okay, is ge… okay. Because taken they put in the stars. Very good. But the Almighty… what they serve. This is a language from the Gemara. Shemesh meshamesh lefanav umimeila yes. Lo ta’asun iti. They are also not only that He honored them. They are like close to the kingdom. They are close to the Almighty. They are His servants who stand before Him. That they are not like we should stand from afar and they should stand near us.

Speaker 1: So if so re’uyim hem leshabbecham it’s fitting for them. Yes re’uyim hem what does it mean. Either it’s due to them. Yes. It’s coming to them that one should praise them, to praise them. They are allowed, one can give honor, to give honor.

Whoever it’s not only for them important things that honor is fitting. But vezehu retzon ha’El baruch hu. This is also what the Almighty wants. Legadel, lechabbeid, mi shegidlo, vechabbedo. It’s what the Almighty wants, and he brings a proof. Kemo shehamelech rotzeh lechabbeid avadav ha’omdim lefanav, vezehu kevodo shel melech. It’s the meaning, he says the Almighty, the Almighty said it, but the people have a claim, like a king of flesh and blood, he has his ministers, his close ones to the kingdom, who stand before him, and he wants one should respect them, like Achashverosh commanded one should respect Haman. I know why he said, isn’t it not only, yes, he says the king’s command? Yes, but not only when one bows to Haman, one doesn’t bow only to Haman, he essentially bows to Achashverosh. One shows that one respects what the king said, that one should respect it! So the Almighty respected thus the stars, the spheres, all these… he didn’t speak here of angels yet, didn’t he? Interesting. The stars, the spheres, so the Almighty wants one should respect them. Yes?

The Rambam Further Questioned the Reasoning

The Rambam further questioned the reasoning. A good reasoning, it sounds good. But actually on Shabbat we say “Kel Adon”, yes? We say there “mele’im ziv umefiqim nogah”, we bring out how beautiful they are, we bring out honor. But the point is “pa’arim kavod notnim lishmo, tzahalah verinah lezekher malchuto”. They are beautiful, they are glorious to praise the Almighty behind this. But they saw that it’s so beautiful and it’s so magnificent, simply, the Almighty wants one should thank them, one should say good job for their work that they do, although they do the work only in the name of Hashem, the Almighty is their activator and they activate those beneath them. But they held that they themselves deserve honor.

The Rambam will describe until Avraham Avinu, he will describe precisely why they don’t deserve any honor. Because the reasoning is not essentially a good reasoning, one must see what is wrong with it. One must think, a king, why doesn’t a king want everyone should come only to bow to him? Why does he also want for the smaller ones? Seemingly, this itself is honor for the king, that it’s a kal vachomer, that he took a little bit from my honor. But the Almighty didn’t want that there should be a manner of intermediaries where one gives honor to Him. The Almighty wanted that… until the complaint that David said.

“Shelo Alah Al HaLev” – The First Step is Not Yet Foolishness

Okay, seemingly, this is a good reasoning. If it had remained here, perhaps it would have even been correct. The problem is that it brings the next thing. It’s a further slide, not a further slide. Now, what did they do? This is one thing. Keiwan she’archu hayamim, this is still a step like this. Keiwan she’archu hayamim, this is a love to have. One has keiwan she’archu hayamim, this is a love to have. It fits with the “shelo alah al halev”. It didn’t occur to the heart that you have another god. He still doesn’t have any error. The first matter had an error, but the reasoning isn’t foolishness. Only an error in spirit.

The Second Step – “Keiwan She’alah Davar Zeh Al Libbam”

It occurred to them, and the fools began to think, began, livnot lakochavim heichalot – one began to build temples, I mean temples, yes? Sanctuaries, like buildings, where one should pray, where one should do service for the stars. Ulehakrivlehen korbanot – they brought sacrifices for them. Uleshabbecham ulefa’aram bedvarim – one said praises and laudations to this, not only about them, because ours can also say about them. It means to their height, in the manner of divinity. One said blessed are You, Hashem, who makes such beautiful for.

Hilchot Avodah Zarah Chapter 1 Laws 1-2 – The Development of Avodah Zarah (Continuation)

Chapter 1 Law 1 (Continuation) – The First Stages of Avodah Zarah

The Four Services for the Stars

Sanctuaries, like buildings where one should pray, where one should do service for the stars. Ulehakrivlahem korbanot, they brought sacrifices for them.

These, there are three levels of things, yes? Or four, let’s see how many things there are. First, one built buildings for them. Second, they made sacrifices. Third, leshabbecham ulefa’aram bedvarim, one said songs and praises for to these, not only about them, because we can also say about them, it means to theirs, in the manner of divinity, one said “blessed are You the sun” who makes such a beautiful sun, and the like. Ulehishtachavot mulam, to bow to them.

“Lehashig Retzon HaBoreh” – To Fulfill the Will

Vezeh kedei lehashig retzon haboreh beda’atam, they didn’t mean to say that with this they honor or want… what does “mashig ratzon” mean? They achieve the will, as if fulfilling the will. The will of the Creator is that one should give honor to the stars, because with this that He made them so beautiful. They did it in order to fulfill the will, I will make a special temple for the… It could be they also made a temple for the Almighty Himself, could be, he doesn’t say it here, but they also made for the stars and constellations. It’s interesting, he doesn’t say here if one can perhaps at all. So they did these things because they understood that the Almighty wants this.

“Ikkar Avodah Zarah” – Root and Beginning

Vezeh hayah ikkar avodah zarah, “ikkar” means seemingly here root, the beginning, the root. The beginning of avodah zarah began from this, that one holds that the Almighty wants one should give honor and bow and so on to His great servants.

The First Idol Worshippers Believed in the Almighty

Vechach hayu omrim, here comes in what you said, that this is what they mean, until now let’s say originally meant, perhaps the great sages mean thus. Not like one usually thinks that an idol worshipper doesn’t believe in the Almighty, he believes that something else is a god. But vechach hayu omrim ovdeiha hayode’im ikkarah, lo shehem omrim she’ein sham eloha ela kochav zeh, not they say that there is no god except this star, the sun for example.

The Verse from Yirmiyahu – The Sages of the Nations Knew of the Almighty

Vezehu sheYirmiyahu omer, as Yirmiyahu says, “mi lo yira’acha melech hagoyim ki lecha ya’atah”, who doesn’t fear You, King of the nations, for You it befits, as “ki lecha ya’atah” means for You befits kingship.

As he says on Pesach, yes? “Ki mikol chachmei hagoyim uvechol malchutam me’ayin kamocha”. Among all the sages of the nations there is none, I mean to say seemingly, no one doesn’t hold an eloka like You, no one doesn’t think that there is an eloka like You. But what? “Uve’achat yiva’aru veyichsalu musar havalim etz hu”. But in one thing, how does one translate “uve’achat”? They become foolish, they fool themselves? The sages of the nations fool themselves? And they something… nu, how does one translate this verse? With one thing they fool themselves? Ah, that they think one can serve the wood? I hold that they are musar havalim, they say it’s a teaching, a teaching of vanities, wood, that this is the vanity which is simply a stone, simply wood.

And the Rambam translates, kelomar, I already translated the verses that I mean to tell you, kelomar, hakol yode’im she’atah hu levadecha, that all the sages of the nations, the sages, those who know the essence thus know that me’ayin kamocha. But on one error that they have, “yiva’aru veyichsalu”, because ta’avatam vechislutam iz shemedamim shezeh hevel retzoncha hu. They think that this vanity, they don’t say that the vanity is itself a… he doesn’t want to do the will of the power, he wants to do the will of Hashem through the fact that he bows to the wood, and this is a vanity. The only vanity is only this, and it’s also not such a great vanity, it’s smaller than we thought, because they think they’re doing the will of Hashem with this. In a certain sense it’s worse, because he still says that the will of Hashem is in avodah zarah, but there was still talk what is the problem. Seemingly the problem is that it brings the next step.

The Language “Yiva’aru” – How a Sage Becomes Foolish

It’s interesting the language “yiva’aru”, wisdom yiva’aru, is this what he began “nivrah etzat chachmei yo’atzei Pharaoh”. This is a way how a sage begins to become foolish. A sage doesn’t become foolish at once, it had to happen with a small error. The error that the Almighty wants one should give honor to other than Him, to certain forces, this is the error that begins to make a sage into a fool. It must be that the Rambam thought of this verse when he wrote “nivrah”, because here he indeed brings it out thus.

Discussion: For Whom Did They Do It?

Okay, I want to understand one more small thing, either way, when they praise or they bow to the stars, do they want they do it because they want that the Almighty should see it and have pleasure, ah, and give honor to my sphere, ah? Or they think, yes, that it should make a connection with the star? Can the star see it? He doesn’t say here, he says by the first step, perhaps by the next step it could be that one will think differently. Until now by this, he thinks about a thing from the Almighty. He doesn’t even think that the star has an independent power, he can turn against the Almighty, he only thinks that the Almighty loves that one will give respect and one will bow to the star.

That is, you ask a question why, why does the Almighty love? Because this is the parable of the king that he brings, it’s not such a bad parable. It’s a reasoning. It’s indeed interesting, the first error, they’re still a bit wise, that the Almighty should only be impressed, but they think that the Almighty sees it and the Almighty has pleasure, so essentially they mean halfway the Almighty. They do the stars but they mean the Almighty.

How does the error develop further?

—

Chapter 1 Law 2 – The Second Stage: False Prophets

“Keiwan She’archu HaYamim” – Time as a Causing Factor

Ah, this was first of all. After this, “vecheiwan she’archu hayamim”, ah, “vecheiwan she’archu hayamim”, it took, it went, yes, says the Rambam, “vecheiwan she’archu hayamim”, after time passed from when the service to the stars began with the calculation that the Almighty wants that one should honor them, “amdu bivnei adam nevi’ei hasheker”. False prophets arose. Here we see that false prophets play a great role in avodah zarah, that he becomes, he says that a part of the commandments of avodah zarah is false prophets.

The False Prophet Says that the Almighty Commanded

“Ve’amru”, they said thus, “sheha’El tzivah lahem ve’amar lahem”, the Almighty told them, “ivdu kochav peloni o kol hakochavim”, or serve the stars, “vehakrivulolonischu lo kach vechach”, make such and such libations, “veivnu lo heichal”, build him a temple, “veya’asu tzurato”, make a form of the stars, “kedei lehishtachavot lo kol ha’am hanashim vehakatanim ushe’ar am ha’aretz”. And “umodi’a lahem”, and the false prophet informs the public “tzurah shebadah milibo”, a form that one must be, “ve’omer zo tzurat hakochav peloni shehoda’tini binvu’ati”. This is the form of the star that was made known to me in the prophecy.

Tzurot Shebadu Milibam – A New Level of Error

Laws of Idolatry Chapter 1, Law 2 (Continued) – From Forms to Priests to Forgetting God

The Rambam’s Words (Continued)

Speaker 1:

Friends and scholars. A prophet, he understands that he speaks to everyone. This is one of the differences between a prophet and an emissary that we learned, right? Prophet here means an emissary, not just personal attainment. Personal attainment they could have had earlier too, through their will, their wisdom, their prophecy, for example. But now he speaks of everyone. Now, it’s understood that the women that we’ll still discuss, the common people don’t always understand the symbols, they take it literally. Okay, that’s going to be the next step. But this is the… and according to the Rambam it was truly a lie. God never spoke to them, right? And he said so. It was simply a lie.

The Need for Something Visual – From Abstract to Tangible

But I mean something else that we see here in both things is that people very strongly want to see something visual. So God one cannot see. I’m speaking of the first sages, they know that God is the essence, but one cannot make any form of God. Therefore they also held that one cannot make any temple for Him, because He is abstract. So first let’s take the servant who is abstract, the minister, the servant who is more abstract. And for the children one makes it even more abstract. Going into the temple one cannot see any star, and one builds here a star in the temple that’s more abstract, it looks less abstract, more tangible.

The Rambam Doesn’t Say They Held One Cannot Serve God

This is how truly, the Rambam didn’t say, many people still say that the Rambam says that they said one cannot serve God. I don’t see in any of the stages that he says this. He only says that in the end they forgot. He never says that part of the reasoning was that one cannot serve God. He doesn’t speak of this topic at all. It could be that it’s correct, in other places it sounds like that, but until now it hasn’t been stated. It only said that they held that one must serve the stars, therefore they made forms, and afterward there arose false prophets who said that God says so.

But I don’t know, the reason, he doesn’t say a reason, he doesn’t say, he doesn’t explain why. But one can think, one can think that they held that for God, because He is abstract, one can also only serve Him in an abstract manner. One cannot do certain things because you don’t have any picture to do with. Which is not so with stars, you can paint it, you can make a temple that should look similar to the star, that should have some connection to the star. And for the children one did even much more coarse and corporeal. I mean to say that the form that looks like a person is still not for the stars, it’s just a bluff. Yes. Okay.

Stage 4: Forms in Temples – “That This Form Does Good and Harm”

Okay, afterward, and they began in this way to make forms in temples. In the temples that were built they began making forms. And not only in the temples, but under the trees and on the mountaintops, because temples is of course above the asherah that we’re going to learn soon. I’m preparing all forms, they made forms that should symbolize the stars with the spheres. And they gathered and bowed to them and said to all the people, here they already went further, they said to the people, that this form does good and harm, the form does good and harm.

The Difference Between “Conductor of Order” and “Does Good and Harm”

Already, the first sages already knew the truth that the spheres have a certain power over the world, they do things to the world. But here they already said something that does good and harm, meaning that they already have a direct connection with people.

This is the first time it was stated that the sphere is a conductor of order, but not doing good and harm. Doing good and harm is already a relationship with people, it can decide something like this. Here it says that the spheres have a relationship with people, they do good and harm. And it is proper to serve it and to fear it. Not only that when one gives them honor it’s honor for God, but one should serve them and one should fear the spheres.

What “Form” Means – Not a Star, But a Fantasy

And here it doesn’t say anything about spheres anymore, one has long forgotten about the spheres. Here it says forms. No, not even stars. Pictures. Forms means literally, statues, which usually look like people, right? Or perhaps like animals. They say that the form does good and harm. The masses, he’s going to say soon.

Speaker 2:

No, but how did it happen from a star to a form? It could be that form means the form of the star.

Speaker 1:

No, no, he already said a form that they invented from their hearts. That’s how it happened. Because I would have said a form that they invented from their hearts that is similar to the star.

Speaker 2:

No, no, form, I know what form means here. He says “this is the form of such-and-such star.”

Speaker 1:

Exactly, but it’s not. Forms means like a picture of Venus. Venus looks like a woman with long hair. It’s not a picture, it’s like one makes for children, like one says, one makes for children, one makes that the letter aleph has long sidelocks, I don’t know. It’s some crude calculation, but it’s not true, it doesn’t correspond to anything in reality. And when one looks at the statue, one simply sees a person with a big beard, I don’t know, the deity has a big beard. And he has a small belly, etc. etc. And one tells people that the form, that this is truly a lie. One can interpret it, but this is already completely completely incorrect. Here one already has completely the priests, one says the medium, these are already false prophets.

The Process: From Natural Force to Personal Relationship

So, I would say perhaps like this, that first the star is only a force that conducts naturally, it goes its way in a certain way, and it conducts the world with its movement. And here they made it into something that has a relationship, they gave it a human, they attributed human…

But not it, you should be clear, people don’t see any star, they see a creation. A form they associate with the name of a star, they say the creation is a power of so-and-so. But they don’t see any star, they see the form. And the star has the personality of such-and-such person, and through the personality it has a relationship with us, and one must serve it. He’s going to say very clearly in the next step what happened from the second step. It’s to see the difference between what the masses mean and what the sages mean, not the sages, what he calls the priests, the speakers, the false prophets what they say. But I looked further, so I understand according to what he says.

Stage 5: Priests with Teachings – “Do Thus and So and Don’t Do Thus and So”

Yes, and the priests say to them. Because he wants to explain to you how one came to the stage where one says that the statue, the form means a statue or a picture, and I know that the statue does something. He’s explaining to you how one came to this.

“And the priests say to them”, here priests have already grown, it’s already a system, there are already special names. It’s not false prophets, one doesn’t even need to say anymore “I saw something in my dream, I said something”. It’s already an institution. “And the priests say to them”.

Speaker 2:

Could be the priests are themselves the false prophets.

Speaker 1:

Ah, the student of the false prophet is already a priest, not a prophet. He’s only a student, he’s already heard from the prophet. A preacher. They already say, “through this service, if you will thus and so serve the form, you will increase and succeed, and do thus and so, and don’t do thus and so”. They already transmit teachings in the name of the power. Positive commandments, negative commandments. Yes, in the name of the form.

Stage 6: “Other Liars” – The Star/Sphere/Angel Speaks Itself

Afterward it begins, with this everything began from the prophets who still spoke in the name of God. Afterward begin people who don’t speak at all in the name of God, he will say “hear from me, liars and deceivers”. Other liars arose to say, they began saying that the star itself, or the sphere, or the angel, here is the first time an angel, yes. Already the angel is the form that was mentioned which is already more God in the form. Again, it symbolized maybe. Yes. spoke with them, and said to them serve it thus and so. Not like before when they said that…

Speaker 2:

Right, it makes sense, but…

Speaker 1:

The false prophets said that God commanded. Here they already see, the powers already receive more and more… The angel already speaks to them. One already attributes to it more and more powers.

Speaker 2:

Right, it makes sense according to what we’re going to see, because the masses have already forgotten a bit about God. One cannot tell you that God commanded, because who knows who that is. They know the power or the form.

Speaker 1:

And said to them serve it thus and so, and informed them of the way of its service. The power, as one says, that the power or sphere or angel informs the way of its service, do thus and don’t do thus.

Why Lies Have More Variation Than Truth

And the Rambam says, and this matter spread throughout the entire world. The lies began spreading throughout the entire world, to serve the forms with various services different from one another. With different services, besides the forms. There were very many other forms, each one had its own… He likes kugel and he likes pepper. I mean, it looks like this, because truth is only one, lies – the sky is the limit. Every liar can come with a different type. It became very… and this was probably perhaps part of the attraction. The one Abraham our father, there is some one small meager way of serving God, whatever. The truth is only little, but here is a whole multitude. It’s creativity, there’s a lot of creativity happening, many types of services. And to sacrifice to them and to bow down. Okay, so this is what was done.

Stage 7: The Final Result – “The Honored and Awesome Name Was Forgotten”

Now, you see the result of this, this is the result. I wanted to make stage 3, it’s not really stage 3. The result of the stages, after they conducted themselves this way, what remained? “And when the days lengthened,” it happens, yes, “and when the days lengthened,” perhaps this is the same lengthening of days from before. Since it had already been a long time, people didn’t even remember anymore. Previously there were still people who remembered that essentially it was a way of honoring the Creator, and meanwhile it acquired more and more its own power, the fantasy of the power. And afterwards, what happened? People forgot that there was a Creator behind it.

I can tell you what happened, what remained is now, there are still chachamim (sages) and hamon am (common people), but what the current chachamim know is about the spheres, the hamon am only knows the pictures of them. But when the Creator is not even mentioned by the chacham, he is concerned about what the masses will say.

“And when the days lengthened, the honored and awesome Name was forgotten.” The Creator, the true Creator, became forgotten. “This honored and awesome Name, whose existence could be seen, became forgotten from the mouth of the entire universe and from their knowledge.” The entire universe, the entire existence, the entire world, all people. Universe is a heavier expression than it says, the entire world upon which we stand, the Creator’s name was forgotten and from their knowledge. People forgot from their knowledge. Ah, perhaps he means “from the mouth of the entire universe and from their knowledge,” their mouth stopped speaking about this, and their mind stopped thinking about this. “And they did not recognize Him.” They didn’t recognize Him at all anymore.

The Hamon Am – “They Know Only the Form of Wood and Stone”

“And it turned out that all the people of the land, men and women and children, know only the form of wood and stone and the temple of the building that they were trained from their youth to bow down to it and worship it and swear by its name.” They were small, the one who trained them knew that there was something beyond it. He doesn’t say it so clearly, but they were trained from youth to bow down and worship it and swear by its name of the form. He says simply, you’re taught, you bow down to this, what do you think? He is the god. That’s what a simple person understands, only what one can see.

The “Chachamim” – “Imagining That There Is No God Except the Stars and Spheres”

“And the chachamim among them, such as priests and the like, were imagining that there is no god except the stars and spheres for which these forms were made and in their likeness.” They don’t think so foolishly, they don’t mean that it’s only the form of wood and stone, they know a bit deeper. What do they mean? That the wood and stone symbolizes something that is a bit higher than this. And they think that there is no divinity, except the stars and spheres for which these forms were made and in their likeness.

Speaker 2:

Or in their likeness, yes, according to what they convince themselves that it looks like or symbolizes it this way. It’s a confusion. I think here that he’s saying that the foolish person sees only what he sees before his eyes. The chacham goes one level higher. He says it’s not the wood that the wood needs to resemble, yes?

Speaker 1:

Yes, it’s just clear why. It’s just clear why. Because he says that one step level is true, is true. They are smart enough, they already feel smart, they don’t need more.

Laws of Idolatry Chapter 1 Law 3 – Avraham Avinu’s Recognition of the Creator

Continuation: The Chachamim and the Spheres

Speaker 1:

Or in their likeness. Yes, according to what they convince themselves that this looks like or symbolizes it.

I think here that he’s saying that the foolish person sees only what he sees before his eyes, the chacham goes one level higher. He says it’s not the wood that the wood needs to be resembled. Yes?

Speaker 2:

Yes, it’s not clear why, but… It’s not clear why. Because this says that one step level… It’s true, they were smart, they already feel smart, they don’t need to think more about this. It’s not clear why.

The real answer in the Rambam’s world is that the spheres and the chachamim are also physical things in the end. It’s not more abstract. It’s not that what one sees one cannot see, because you cannot see. If you had a picture that you look at the sun, you see the sun. It’s not hard to see the sun. It’s a thing that one can see. But the spheres is already yes a bit of abstraction. It’s not an abstraction, it’s a physical thing. But he must say that because he sees stars there must be spheres that carry them. That’s not the big problem.

Speaker 1:

No, I mean to say that a chacham feels good that he has already been abstract, he has already grasped something a drop deeper.

Speaker 2:

They stopped speaking. He doesn’t explain why the chachamim stopped knowing about the Ein Sof, about the First One. He never explains this. The Rambam brings in other places that the army, the idol worshippers, said that the sphere is the god. But what is their side? He says here that the Creator Himself remained alone. But in the end…

Law 3 – Individuals in the World: Chanoch, Metushelach, Noach, Shem and Ever

Speaker 2:

Amudo shel olam (pillar of the world) means the strength of all these worlds.

“There was no one who recognized Him or knew, no one knew Him or knew about Him, except individuals in the world, a few people did know.”

Ah, previously he says “the entire universe” and from their knowledge, it appears that the entire universe means the majority of the world, but there were yes a few who separated themselves from the world. Ah, very good. Not part of a group, but as individuals. Very good.

Such as Chanoch, Metushelach, it says “and Chanoch walked with God.” Metushelach it also says, Chazal say that Metushelach lived very long, he still remembered the first chachamim. Noach, it says “and Noach walked with God,” Shem and Ever, who are known that they were tzaddikim.

Ah, there were yes those who remembered. Not simply no one remembered, but the majority of the world didn’t remember. But they remained individuals, they didn’t have the strength to go shout against the sphere that goes forward, the descent of the world.

And the world is rolling, yes, it turned from the truth to a bit of falsehood, to more falsehood, to completely total falsehood. It went on the “slippery slope,” until the pillar of the world was born, until the pillar of the world was born. There are eternal trees and there is the pillar of the world, who established a point to the Creator.

Avraham Avinu – Pillar of the World and Eisan

Speaker 2:

Okay, the pillar of the world is Avraham Avinu. Yes, what was Avraham Avinu innovating? He understood.

He says, “When this eisan (strong one) was weaned,” because he is the eisan, the strong person. He was a pillar of the world, now he is an eisan. This is built on the fact that eisanim are strong. Yes, eisan is spirit, it says. I think he means apparently more the strength. Why? Because he holds up the world, he brought back the Creator to the people. It appears that one must have strength to go against the entire world, and be a strong force, a strong… that upon him stands the next faith, the correct faith.

When Did Avraham Begin to Think?

Speaker 2:

He began to wander in his mind, he began to walk around in his mind, he began to think a lot, to walk around in beautiful thoughts. He was no more than three years old, he stopped nursing. He was no more than three years old. Literally, two three years old. “And Yitzchak was weaned,” this means two years old simply. The midrash means it… He stopped nursing. Simple peshat means knowledge. By Yitzchak himself there are opinions that this means three years old. But simple peshat means, when he began to be able to think a bit on his own.

He began to wander in his mind, and the Rambam says “and he was small,” he was still small. He began to think, he began to think deeply in his mind.

What did he begin to do? He began to think day and night, he began to think about the sun and about the moon. He thought during the day and at night. He thought about day and night.

Also, he will say, “And he was amazed how it could be that this sphere is conducted always and it has no conductor.” How can it be that the sphere turns and no one turns it? “And who turns it?” Perhaps it turns itself? It turns all the time, and who turns it?

The Parallel to Foundations of Torah Chapter 1

Speaker 2:

This is basically what it says in Foundations of Torah Chapter 1, that the sphere turns always, and it’s impossible that it should turn without a mover, it would turn always. He says, Avraham Avinu knew this. That means, he knew about the spheres, he didn’t know about the Aristotelians who only know about the forms. But on this itself he struggled.

Why Didn’t He Have a Teacher?

Speaker 2:

And why didn’t he go to Chanoch or Metushelach, I don’t know? “He had no teacher.” He says, look, “He had no teacher.” Why didn’t they live there? I don’t know.

“And who turns it? For it’s impossible that it should turn itself.” This he knew, that it cannot turn itself. This he grasped.

“And he had no teacher and no one to inform him of anything, but he was immersed in Ur Kasdim among the foolish idol worshippers.”

Speaker 1:

So why didn’t he go to Chanoch?

Speaker 2:

Perhaps they didn’t live near him? Until they didn’t make themselves known to the world that he should understand differently. He didn’t have any foundation by himself.

Speaker 1:

Alone, this he didn’t say.

Avraham Was an Idol Worshipper

Speaker 2:

“And his father and mother and all the people were idol worshippers, and he was worshipping with them.” He was also an idol worshipper, why? Because that’s how they taught him. “But his heart was wandering and wondering,” his heart was always struggling, wandering.

Very nice, he goes poor thing there in the house of idolatry with Terach, and while he is there he walks somewhere else. He stands there, but his heart is somewhere else. He turns with the sphere and he tries to figure out what’s going on here, why does this turn by itself?

Avraham’s Achievement: The Path of Truth and the Line of Righteousness

Speaker 2:

“Until he grasped the path of truth,” until he understood the path of truth, the true way. “And understood the line of righteousness,” he understood the line of righteousness, the straight line, the equal line, the correct line.

Perhaps line of righteousness means practical halacha, what one should do, as we will see. Line of righteousness, one would say, means the path of mitzvah, but we’re not yet at the path of mitzvah. Perhaps he means Avraham Avinu learned the way of Hashem. Perhaps the path of mitzvah, perhaps the way of Hashem.

Perhaps line of righteousness means that you have two things: there is that you must know that there is a Creator, and there is also that you must still serve the Creator, “to serve Him and bow down to Him.” Perhaps this is the line of righteousness, that this is already the action, which strengthens the faith.

The Four Conclusions of Avraham Avinu

Speaker 2:

“From his correct understanding,” with his own understanding, no one taught him this.

“And he knew,” he became aware, he grasped, he made a conclusion:

– “That there is one God,” that there is only one single Creator. And all others held that there are multiple spheres, there are multiple gods, multiple powers.

– “And He conducts the sphere,” He leads the sphere

– “And He created everything,” He created everything

– “And there is no god in all of existence except Him,” there is no power, no force, there is no god except Him, except the one God.

They all knew about the sphere, but they thought that the sphere is a god, or one of the stars is a god, and the like. Avraham Avinu understood that god doesn’t mean that at all, because it cannot turn itself, there must be one God who leads the sphere and He made everything, so automatically He is the only God.

From a Small Truth to the Entire Truth

Speaker 2:

And not only did Avraham Avinu know, he also learned. The error began from a small… everything began from a small error, and all truth also began from a small bit of truth. The bit of truth that a sphere cannot turn itself brought him to understand the entire truth truly. It’s also the entire truth. There’s nothing more that there is. But with this he understood the four things that he counts. But it’s all the same thing, but it began with wanting to understand how the sphere turns.

Alright, but if you remember in that chapter, it’s not so simple. One must learn in other places to precisely understand the proof. Anyway, but besides this he knew another thing. He also knew the entire chapter 1. He knew both the Foundations of Torah, and also knew the Laws of Idolatry.

Avraham Understood the Source of the Error

Speaker 2:

“And he knew that the entire world errs.” He knew that… He understood the matter with such clear conviction that it must be that all others are erring. But the thing that caused them to err… He understood at least the prophets were, that one should only serve the Creator.

Avraham Avinu wasn’t only innovating the unity of Hashem. This is perhaps… I also already knew, Avraham Avinu was innovating something about the prohibition of idolatry. This he knew, that this is the source of the error. Where did the error happen? Because he feels that this is the source of the error.

Discussion: When Did Avraham Understand Everything?

Speaker 1:

What he says, do a percent, I’m a strange selector, Avraham Avinu is a selector. It’s interesting, the Rambam made a pass, which the Raavad says that there’s a dispute, there are great ones of the world who say three, there are those who say differently.

Speaker 2:

No, but the Rambam himself says both opinions, because he says that when he was weaned he began, and the final when he had the clarity… It could be that the forty years old was when he understood the idolatry that you’re saying, the Laws of Idolatry, that one must throw away everything else. There is the essence of the Creator, but… the essence of the Creator exclusively.

Speaker 1:

Very good, no, it’s very good, because the Rambam understood that this is a deep thing. The one who thinks that it’s just some easy thing, every boy can ask the question, that’s true. To understand that the sphere runs, it’s true, the basic question perhaps every boy can ask. But to bring out the entire thing correctly, took another thirty-seven years, and to decide that everyone is erring, is also great courage.

Ah, but I thought now, that I grasp, he didn’t just decide that everyone is erring, he also understood why they are erring. Perhaps if he wouldn’t have understood this, he wouldn’t have been able. Perhaps I’m right.

Speaker 2:

No, I also understand what you’re saying, it’s part of… It’s no wisdom to be Avraham Avinu in my speaking. It’s also a kind of theory, it’s also sympathy. He didn’t hold that they are a bunch of fools. They are fine, poor fools, poor heretics. The entire idolatry comes out as they come… It’s his way. Here one sees Avraham Avinu’s chesed. He didn’t just look down on them, but he understood how their error comes.

Laws of Idolatry – Chapter 1 Law 3 (Continuation) – Avraham Avinu’s Way of Explaining, His Actions, and the Continuation to Yitzchak and Yaakov

Avraham Avinu’s Sympathy to Those Who Err – He Didn’t Consider Them Fools

Perhaps if he wouldn’t have understood this he wouldn’t have been able to do so. Perhaps I’m right, no, I also understand what, it’s part of it’s no wisdom to be Avraham Avinu. It’s also something sympathetic, he didn’t hold they are a bunch of fools. They are fine poor fools, poor heretics, who have… the entire prohibition of idolatry comes out as they come. It’s a nice way, it’s also… Rabbi at least, he innovated a new thing, prohibition of idolatry, so that it shouldn’t become again the error.

If he would have had gevurah, he could have said, they are fools, and he would never have understood the root problem of idolatry. So somewhat slightly. Still, he was a tzaddik, he knew the Creator, he says everyone, he thinks they are wicked. Ah, very good, also, if he would have had gevurah, one would never have thought that they will fix anyone, because they don’t understand how their error comes, they would have had to separate from the world. Everyone is crazy, there is one good person who understands the truth.

Rabbi Avraham held that people are not so crazy, at least one must understand their error, finally they can be explained to.

“And He Broke the Idols” – With Arguments, Not With Hands

Laws of Idolatry Chapter 1, Law 3 (end) and Law 4 – Yaakov Avinu, the Tribe of Levi, Egypt, and Moshe Rabbeinu

Yaakov Avinu’s Education and the Role of the Tribe of Levi

The Rambam’s Words: Yaakov Taught All His Children

Speaker 1:

It’s not so simple, one must know how to answer each person according to his wisdom, according to his time.

And Yaakov Avinu taught all his sons, Yaakov Avinu taught his children, all of them, unlike Avraham and Yitzchak who only taught Yaakov, Eisav didn’t understand… he didn’t have any yishuv hadaas (settled mind), he didn’t want to learn. Yaakov taught all his children, this was his complete gift.

Levi is Designated as the Head

But “vayavdel Levi vayimnehu rosh”, he took a kind of successor, that is Levi, and appointed him the head of the tribes, “vayoshivehu beyeshiva lilmod derech Hashem”, he taught him the way of Hashem, “velishmor mitzvos Avraham”, this is as it says “ki tzivah es banav ve’es beiso acharav veshamru derech Hashem,” yes? “Lema’an asher tzivah es banav ve’es beiso acharav veshamru derech Hashem,” these are the commandments of Avraham, very good.

“Vetzivah es banav shelo yafsiku mizera Levi memuneh achar memuneh”, that the tribe of Levi should always carry the service, the job of transmitting the truth, memuneh achar memuneh, each generation “kedei shelo tishtakach halimud”.

Discussion: The Sources for Levi’s Role as Teacher

Speaker 2:

Ah, this means that we already see in Yaakov’s blessing that Levi is the kohen who teaches. Okay. Yoru mishpatecha leYaakov.

Speaker 1:

Yoru mishpatecha leYaakov, I mean it says in the blessing, no?

Speaker 2:

How does it say Avraham Avinu said?

Speaker 1:

Chalak Yaakov… not Avraham Avinu, sorry, Yaakov said “achalkem beYaakov afitzem beYisrael,” about Shimon and Levi.

Speaker 2:

Shimon and Levi, yes, achalkem beYaakov, the Gemara learned that this means they will teach. Moshe said “yoru mishpatecha leYaakov,” that should be by you.

From Individuals to a Nation

Speaker 1:

“Vehaya hadavar holech umitgaber bivnei Yaakov vehanilvim aleihem”, the truth was becoming stronger and stronger. “Vehanilvim aleihem” means not only the people, but also the converts, also other people. Bnei Noach hanilvim el Hashem, as it says in the Megillah “vechol hanilvim aleihem,” yes? That a convert must also make Purim.

“Vena’asu ba’olam umah sheyode’as es Hashem”, until now they were individuals, they became a large group, now they became a nation, a community that teaches the knowledge of Hashem. Very good, yes.

Speaker 2:

Ah, interesting, yes.

Speaker 1:

This is the Rambam’s interpretation. From individuals to thousands and myriads is a nation. A nation.

Discussion: The Parallel to the Development of Idolatry

Speaker 2:

It’s interesting, because by the error it was also like this. First there were individuals who taught an error, and the individuals still held the truth to the side of the error.

Speaker 1:

Ay, good. It became a nation until the entire world became complete.

The part of Avraham Avinu is the whole thing that he learned melamed daas kolti, he learned the way of piety from idolatry and used it against them. In the good way.

After that there was a story of the Egypt problem.

Law 4 – The Descent to Egypt

Length of Days in Egypt

Speaker 1:

“Ad sof arba me’os shanah”, it’s also the truth, it seems it is known and also made known, yes? Because the work of Avraham didn’t end, one must continue to make known to each person.

But “ad she’heerichu hayamim leYisrael beMitzrayim vechazru lilmod ma’aseihem”, yes, here a problem occurred. He stands at “vayavo’u me’es mehem,” yes, here he holds “arichus hayamim” causes great destruction. Too long. Yes, “vechazru lilmod ma’aseihem”, which means from there a whole word to fix, fresh to fix on what goes through time.

“Vechazru lilmod ma’aseihem vela’avod avodah zarah kemosam”, among the Egyptians. As it says in Yechezkel a lot… vechazru lilmod ma’aseihem from the Egyptians. Yes, what there it doesn’t say so clearly.

The Tribe of Levi Held Fast

It’s in brief, come hear, every word the Rambam divided the words, one cannot write it before this. “Chutz mishevet Levi”. That they indeed succeeded, because they remembered that they must teach each person. The wall of the commandments of the fathers, “ume’olam lo avad shevet Levi avodah zarah”. Yes, tremendous.

And Moshe is indeed from the tribe of Levi, apparently this is the word, right?

Speaker 2:

The Brisker Rav in Torah brings the Shalmi Emunim Sukkos, this is the… okay, from this we see further by the calf. Because they simply other Jews, they barely that one had just a few minutes ago repented from Egypt, fell back. But Levi was still…

Discussion: Whether the Tribe of Levi Didn’t Work on Buildings for Idolatry

Speaker 1:

It could be that the Rambam thought something like that in Egypt they built temples for idolatry and only the tribe of Levi didn’t participate in the work.

Speaker 2:

You mean the buildings that were made… a bit Rambam it was something… could be one researched it. But perhaps one didn’t proceed in Egypt as it was…

Speaker 1:

No, he says, except the kohanim who are like the tribe of Levi, they didn’t have to do any work.

Speaker 2:

It could be that the first Jews voluntarily participated in building the structures.

Speaker 1:

Okay, perhaps it goes both together. The Rambam…

“Kimeat Kat” – One More Minute Remained

This is the source for what people say, the piece in the Rambam, “kimeat kat,” is the source for why all Chassidic books say that there was one more minute remaining in the fiftieth gate (sha’ar hachamishim), and they wouldn’t have been able to leave. It says in the Rambam, it uses the language sha’ar hachamishim. But the idea is, they stay there a little longer, “and the root that Avraham Avinu planted would have been uprooted.” Just as earlier it said “Avraham planted an eshel,” what remains is only “uprooted,” what he had planted.

“Kimeat vechazru bnei Yaakov lit’ot ha’amim veta’ayatam”. The error of Enosh, Enosh himself erred, the error, yes, “ta’ut ha’amim.” Well, the translation, “asher chalak lahem lit’ot bema’ahem.” Yes, idolatry, it’s interesting, ah, “lit’ot bema’ahem.” “Veta’ayatam,” they mislead you. They also began to wander and err with the… a little longer.

Discussion: Is This the Same Old Error of Enosh?

Speaker 2:

But here he doesn’t tell us clearly that they began again with the same error, that the stars have power, or…

Speaker 1:

No, he says that they began to be drawn after the nations who were stuck in the error, and they would forget. But the same old error?

Speaker 2:

Yes, the same old error that one forgets the Almighty. Not the specific teaching of Enosh.

Speaker 1:

This is the same teaching of Enosh. It’s the same error. There’s no new way, or did they have to answer at all?

Speaker 2:

No, it seems that the stumbling block of seeing only idolatry, thinking that’s the whole thing… that’s always a danger, not just something that happened once.

The Difference Between the First Time and Later

Speaker 1:

It could be that the first time it needed explanations, afterwards it’s already… for thousands of years they’ve been doing it this way. The nations don’t need any explanation anymore. They say, you don’t need an explanation, this is the rabbi, and the rabbi does it this way, and he does it this way.

So the certain way that the Rambam says here, the first reason here was, is more of an explanation of how Adam Harishon supposedly knew about Hashem, how the error began at all. But later one doesn’t know a purpose at all, it’s not a question. The novelty is that one does know, not that one doesn’t know.

The Egyptians Never Followed Avraham at All

And one can say that the Egyptians never followed Avraham Avinu at all. It could be that they remained with the error all those years. How the Jews developed, it could be that they became paganized, and they no longer thought about the truth. And it’s not as difficult as the Jews forgetting again.

Speaker 2:

No, one must forget, and nature is what forgets. As was said, the nature of human beings, following bad neighbors. One doesn’t need an explanation anymore, because after all, even today, it’s difficult.

Speaker 1:

But not if you live after the first creation, the experience stopped being a new world that was maintained in brit milah (covenant of circumccircumcision).

Speaker 2:

Okay, maybe, maybe, but we don’t have there, okay, that perhaps the critics have a question here. But truly the novelty is to know, not the novelty is not to know.

Speaker 1:

The Rambam indeed began as you say, because from the critics one cannot begin to say that no one knew. But certainly where we hold, the novelty is to know, the novelty is not to know the same thing.

Avraham Avinu made a whole enactment, perhaps maybe so that one should remember, but after a while, one mixes with the nations, one sees that the whole side fears the idolatry, not because fearing will become like the matter he writes, because fearing from a simple one will forget the idolatry.

Halacha 4 (Continued) – Moshe Rabbeinu’s Mission

Me’ahavat Hashem Otanu – The Almighty Made a Shortcut

Speaker 1:

The Rambam says here beautiful words, me’ahavat Hashem otanu, because the Almighty loves us, as it says in the verse, me’ahavat Hashem etchem lakach nekmat al amim, yes? The oath that already told us that He made an oath to Avraham Avinu, that He remained eternally with his children?

Speaker 2:

No, but it says in the Torah.

Speaker 1:

Ah, we can promise for those who know from the Torah. Asah Moshe Rabbeinu. No, He made Moshe our rabbi. And took the Jew who ate Moshe made for Moshe Rabbeinu. The Rav thinks promises all the prophets and sent him.

Discussion: Why a Shortcut Through Moshe?

And I think and the shortcut says he, why here did the Almighty make a shortcut, because it was a shortcut. Because why couldn’t He again take a person who should have the truth and spread his teachings, but that takes from them, it takes forty years.

Because the oath of Avraham Avinu wanted, it means that there should be an umah yoda’at Hashem (a nation that knows Hashem). The whole novelty of Avraham Avinu was not simply that one person knows, one person knows, one can always grasp philosophy. The novelty is that there’s an umah yoda’at Hashem, and if the nation would lose their continuity, their continuation from Avraham Avinu, it would be very difficult.

But Moshe Rabbeinu could again do what Avraham Avinu originally did, but we weren’t told, because it came as a shortcut, and it wouldn’t have been any Avraham Avinu. Very good, very good.

Part of the yedi’at Hashem (knowledge of Hashem) is that we are from Avraham Avinu, something is missing. One cannot simply if someone enacts again from scratch completely.

Speaker 2:

Ha, it would have been again from scratch, as if perhaps I can’t.

Speaker 1:

Yes, it’s difficult. If something is already over it has power.

“Asah Moshe Rabbeinu” – The Almighty Created Him

He created him, but He created him like every person. Later a teacher of Israel, and wise. He took him so that he should be created as Moshe of Israel from Moshe. What is a language of the verse, He very well sent and the prophets. The prophets sent. Moshe Rabbeinu.

“Vayivchar Hashem BeYisrael LeNachalah” – He Crowned Them with Mitzvot

Vayivchar Hashem vayivchar Hashem beYisrael lenachalah when he was perhaps with the same level of prophecy of Moshe. When He took one Jew and He made him the main prophet, He thereby made that all Jews who will follow him will be his inheritance.

I do mitzvot, they were given the crown of mitzvot yes the at the giving at Har Sinai. The the the giving through His service… taught me for the Jews who are driving, but it says?

The Parallel Between Avraham’s Wisdom and Moshe’s Prophecy

The giving through service is also very similar to help. They were shown the derech Hashem (way of Hashem), which Avraham Avinu had previously known. The same language that I said earlier, about the liars, about the false prophecy, and he added the language of the way of service. They will be similar, like all these ways of service.

Speaker 2:

Very good.

Speaker 1:

The power didn’t say for the genius, the Almighty truly said to Moshe Rabbeinu, and he doesn’t just say how he serves the Almighty in mitzvot. They will be similar, the destruction of idolatry and all the errors after it. Very beautiful.

Avraham’s Wisdom vs. Moshe’s Laws

And this is the next very beautiful thing. One sees here that everything that Avraham Avinu removed with wisdom, Moshe Rabbeinu eventually did with prophecy. Also the way that Avraham Avinu removed the error of idolatry, and Moshe Rabbeinu also received the destruction of idolatry and all the errors after it.

What shouldn’t be the same, there are parts, for example one mitzvot, love, fear, and Moshe makes a law, it means according to the same principles, but it could be the laws for Moshe Rabbeinu are according to what he holds.

Summary of Chapter 1 – The Difference Between Avraham Avinu and Moshe Rabbeinu

The Difference Between Avraham’s and Moshe’s Approach in Dealing with Idolatry

There is also the way that Avraham Avinu explained the error of idolatry, and Moshe Rabbeinu also received this, the judgment of idolatry and all who err after it.

Question: Why Must It Be the Same?

Why must it be the same? There are differences. For example, love of Hashem, fear of Hashem, Moshe Rabbeinu forbade. It’s not according to the same principles. It could be that the laws of Moshe Rabbeinu are not according to the same principles.

The Fundamental Difference: Avraham Avinu Was Not Yet His Own Nation

Another thing that is different is, Avraham Avinu was not yet his own nation. He had love, it came with sympathy. But Moshe Rabbeinu, there’s already a separate nation, one doesn’t need to care so much for the other people anymore. Can already come with prophecy.

Like Avraham Avinu, he said “kol hato’im acharehah”, he means to say, he’s crazy, one shouldn’t kill him. He’s crazy, one shouldn’t kill him. Avraham Avinu didn’t kill anyone.

By Moshe Rabbeinu, yes, you’re right, that’s a difference. But it will say later a bit.

The Rambam’s Structure: Chapter 1 is an Introduction

Okay, this is the first chapter of Hilchot Avodah Zarah (Laws of Idolatry), and seemingly this is truly the introduction, and the judgment of idolatry, that’s what we’ll learn from further on, chapter 2 and onwards.

Just as the beginning of Hilchot Yesodei HaTorah (Laws of the Foundations of the Torah) he explains the basics so that one should understand what the world is and one should understand what the Almighty is, here he explains the negative side, what idolatry is and how it developed, and how the truth emerged from there.