Avodah Zarah (Idolatry): Difference between revisions

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Avodah Zarah is a negative commandment, the second in the Torah's list of commandments and the second of the Ten Commandments: "You shall have no other gods before Me." Non-Jews are also obligated in this commandment, though with fewer restrictions than Jews.

'''Avodah Zarah''' is a negative commandment, the second in the Torah's list of commandments and the second of the Ten Commandments: "You shall have no other gods before Me." [[Nations of the World|Non-Jews]] are also obligated in this commandment, though with fewer restrictions than Jews.

While for most commandments the rule is that if someone is forced to transgress, they should transgress rather than die (since the Torah says "you shall live by them"), there are three severe transgressions - idolatry, forbidden relations, and murder - for which one must give up their life rather than transgress. The source for this is the verse "And you shall love Hashem your G-d with all your heart and all your soul," which our Sages interpret as "even if He takes your soul." For these three commandments, which represent the core of love for Hashem, one must fulfill "and you shall love" even when it involves "with all your soul" - giving up one's life.

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== Pharaoh and the Miracles ==

Chassidic teachings explain that Pharaoh's claim "I do not know Hashem" and his refusal to release the Jews from Egypt stemmed from his mistaken belief that the Creator is too lofty for worldly matters. This was the basis of his statement "I do not know Hashem" - believing He had abandoned the world to the stars and constellations. The plagues, signs and wonders came to prove to Pharaoh that Hashem rules both heaven and earth, as Moses declared during the plagues "so that you shall know there is none like Me in all the earth." Through changing nature's course, it was revealed that Hashem is the sole ruler of the world, even the physical earth below.

Chassidic teachings explain that [[Pharoh|Pharaoh]]'s claim "I do not know Hashem" and his refusal to release the Jews from Egypt stemmed from his mistaken belief that the Creator is too lofty for worldly matters. This was the basis of his statement "I do not know Hashem" - believing He had abandoned the world to the stars and constellations. The plagues, signs and wonders came to prove to Pharaoh that Hashem rules both heaven and earth, as [[Moshe Rabbeinu|Moses]] declared during the plagues "so that you shall know there is none like Me in all the earth." Through changing nature's course, it was revealed that Hashem is the sole ruler of the world, even the physical earth below.

== The Golden Calf ==

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* Partnership with other powers

* Existence

* Nations of the world

* [[Nations of the World|Nations of the world]]

== Sources for Reference ==

* Maamar Dibur Hamatchil "Mayim Rabim" 5717

* Toras Shmuel Sefer HaMaamarim 5640 Part 1, Maamar Dibur Hamatchil "L'havin Inyan Rosh Chodesh"

[[he:עבודה זרה]]

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-Avodah Zarah is a negative commandment, the second in the Torah's list of commandments and the second of the Ten Commandments: "You shall have no other gods before Me." Non-Jews are also obligated in this commandment, though with fewer restrictions than Jews.
+'''Avodah Zarah''' is a negative commandment, the second in the Torah's list of commandments and the second of the Ten Commandments: "You shall have no other gods before Me." [[Nations of the World|Non-Jews]] are also obligated in this commandment, though with fewer restrictions than Jews.
 While for most commandments the rule is that if someone is forced to transgress, they should transgress rather than die (since the Torah says "you shall live by them"), there are three severe transgressions - idolatry, forbidden relations, and murder - for which one must give up their life rather than transgress. The source for this is the verse "And you shall love Hashem your G-d with all your heart and all your soul," which our Sages interpret as "even if He takes your soul." For these three commandments, which represent the core of love for Hashem, one must fulfill "and you shall love" even when it involves "with all your soul" - giving up one's life.
@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 == Pharaoh and the Miracles ==
-Chassidic teachings explain that Pharaoh's claim "I do not know Hashem" and his refusal to release the Jews from Egypt stemmed from his mistaken belief that the Creator is too lofty for worldly matters. This was the basis of his statement "I do not know Hashem" - believing He had abandoned the world to the stars and constellations. The plagues, signs and wonders came to prove to Pharaoh that Hashem rules both heaven and earth, as Moses declared during the plagues "so that you shall know there is none like Me in all the earth." Through changing nature's course, it was revealed that Hashem is the sole ruler of the world, even the physical earth below.
+Chassidic teachings explain that [[Pharoh|Pharaoh]]'s claim "I do not know Hashem" and his refusal to release the Jews from Egypt stemmed from his mistaken belief that the Creator is too lofty for worldly matters. This was the basis of his statement "I do not know Hashem" - believing He had abandoned the world to the stars and constellations. The plagues, signs and wonders came to prove to Pharaoh that Hashem rules both heaven and earth, as [[Moshe Rabbeinu|Moses]] declared during the plagues "so that you shall know there is none like Me in all the earth." Through changing nature's course, it was revealed that Hashem is the sole ruler of the world, even the physical earth below.
 == The Golden Calf ==
@@ Line 61: / Line 61: @@
 * Partnership with other powers
 * Existence
-* Nations of the world
+* [[Nations of the World|Nations of the world]]
 == Sources for Reference ==
 * Maamar Dibur Hamatchil "Mayim Rabim" 5717
 * Toras Shmuel Sefer HaMaamarim 5640 Part 1, Maamar Dibur Hamatchil "L'havin Inyan Rosh Chodesh"
+[[he:עבודה זרה]]