הלכות עבודה זרה וחוקות הגויים ח׳Foreign Worship and Customs of the Nations 8

Halacha 1א׳

כָּל שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ תְּפִיסַת יַד אָדָם וְלֹא עֲשָׂהוּ אָדָם אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁנֶּעֱבַד הֲרֵי זֶה מֻתָּר בַּהֲנָאָה. לְפִיכָךְ עוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים הָעוֹבְדִים אֶת הֶהָרִים וְאֶת הַגְּבָעוֹת וְאֶת הָאִילָנוֹת הַנְּטוּעִין מִתְּחִלָּתָן לְפֵרוֹת וְאֶת הַמַּעְיָנוֹת הַנּוֹבְעִין לָרַבִּים וְאֶת הַבְּהֵמָה הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ מֻתָּרִין בַּהֲנָאָה וּמֻתָּר לֶאֱכל אוֹתָן הַפֵּרוֹת שֶׁנֶּעֶבְדוּ בִּמְקוֹם גְּדִילָתָן וְאוֹתָהּ הַבְּהֵמָה. וְאֵין צָרִיךְ לוֹמַר הַבְּהֵמָה שֶׁהֻקְצַת לַעֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים שֶׁהִיא מֻתֶּרֶת בַּאֲכִילָה בֵּין שֶׁהִקְצוּהָ לְעָבְדָהּ בֵּין שֶׁהִקְצוּהָ לְהַקְרִיבָהּ הֲרֵי זוֹ מֻתֶּרֶת. בַּמֶּה דְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים שֶׁאֵין הַבְּהֵמָה נֶאֱסֶרֶת בְּשֶׁלֹּא עָשָׂה בָּהּ מַעֲשֶׂה לְשֵׁם עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים אֲבָל עָשָׂה בָּהּ מַעֲשֶׂה כָּל שֶׁהוּא אֲסָרָהּ. כֵּיצַד, כְּגוֹן שֶׁשָּׁחַט בָּהּ סִימָן לַעֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים. עֲשָׂאָהּ חֲלִיפִין לַעֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים אֲסָרָהּ. וְכֵן חֲלִיפֵי חֲלִיפִין. מִפְּנֵי שֶׁנַּעֲשִׂים דְּמֵי עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים. בַּמֶּה דְּבָרִים אֲמוּרִים בְּבֶהֱמַת עַצְמוֹ. אֲבָל אִם שָׁחַט בֶּהֱמַת חֲבֵרוֹ לַעֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים אוֹ הֶחֱלִיפָהּ לֹא נֶאֶסְרָה שֶׁאֵין אָדָם אוֹסֵר דָּבָר שֶׁאֵינוֹ שֶׁלּוֹ. הַמִּשְׁתַּחֲוֶה לְקַרְקַע עוֹלָם לֹא אֲסָרָהּ. חָפַר בָּהּ בּוֹרוֹת שִׁיחִין וּמְעָרוֹת לְשֵׁם עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים אֲסָרָהּ:

Anything which cannot be handled or made by a human being, even though it is worshipped, is permitted to be used. Hence, mountains and hills, trees originally planted for their fruit, public springs and cattle, though worshipped by idolaters, are permitted to be used. Fruits that had been worshipped, while they were unsevered, may be eaten as also flesh of a beast that had been worshipped. Needless to add, a beast that had only been set apart for idolatrous purposes may be eaten, whether it had been set apart to be worshipped or to be offered up as a sacrifice. The rule that the beast does not become forbidden to be used, applies if one had done nothing to it for the sake of idolatry. But if one has done anything to it, however insignificant, he renders it forbidden. For example, if one slaughters a beast and severs either of its vessels (the trachea or oesophagus) for the sake of idolatry, or exchanges it for an object of idolatrous worship, he renders it forbidden. Such is also the rule if one exchanges it for something for which an idolatrous object had been exchanged; for all the things successively exchanged have become monetary equivalents of an idolatrous object. These rules only apply to a beast that is the property of the individual who did these acts. But if one slaughters, with idolatrous intent, a beast belonging to another person, or exchanges it for an object of idolatrous worship, it does not become forbidden, since a person cannot cause that which is not his property to become forbidden. A man who prostrates himself to the soil in its natural state does not render in forbidden. But he renders it forbidden, if he digs in it pits, ditches or caves.

Halacha 2ב׳

מַיִם שֶׁעֲקָרָן הַגַּל וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוָה לָהֶן לֹא אֲסָרָן. נְטָלָן בְּיָדוֹ וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוָה לָהֶן אֲסָרָן. אַבְנֵי הַר שֶׁנִּדַּלְדְּלוּ וַעֲבָדָן בִּמְקוֹמָם מֻתָּרוֹת שֶׁהֲרֵי אֵין בָּהֶן תְּפִיסַת יַד אָדָם:

If one prostrates himself to water carried by a wave, he does not render it forbidden. But if one took water in his hand and prostrated himself to it, he renders it forbidden. Mountain rocks that have become loosened and have been worshipped while still in their original situation, are permitted to be used, because they have not been handled by a human being.

Halacha 3ג׳

יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁזָּקַף לְבֵנָה לְהִשְׁתַּחֲווֹת לָהּ וְלֹא הִשְׁתַּחֲוָה לָהּ וּבָא עוֹבֵד כּוֹכָבִים וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוָה לָהּ אֲסָרָהּ בַּהֲנָאָה שֶׁזְּקִיפָתָהּ מַעֲשֶׂה. וְכֵן אִם זָקַף בֵּיצָה וּבָא עוֹבֵד כּוֹכָבִים וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוָה לָהּ אֲסָרָהּ. חָתַךְ דְּלַעַת וְכַיּוֹצֵא בָּהּ וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוָה לָהּ אֲסָרָהּ. הִשְׁתַּחֲוָה לַחֲצִי דְּלַעַת וַחֲצִי הָאַחֵר מְעֹרֶה בּוֹ הֲרֵי זֶה אָסוּר מִסָּפֵק שֶׁמָּא זֶה הַחֵצִי כְּמוֹ יָד לַחֵצִי הַנֶּעֱבָד. אִילָן שֶׁנְּטָעוֹ מִתְּחִלָּה שֶׁיִּהְיֶה נֶעֱבָד אָסוּר בַּהֲנָאָה וְזוֹ הִיא אֲשֵׁרָה הָאֲמוּרָה בַּתּוֹרָה. הָיָה אִילָן נָטוּעַ וּגְדָעוֹ וּפְסָלוֹ לְשֵׁם עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים אֲפִלּוּ הִבְרִיךְ וְהִרְכִּיב בְּגוּפוֹ שֶׁל אִילָן וְהוֹצִיא שָׂרִיגִים כּוֹרֵת אֶת הַשָּׂרִיגִים וְהֵם אֲסוּרִים בַּהֲנָאָה וּשְׁאָר הָאִילָן מֻתָּר. וְכֵן הַמִּשְׁתַּחֲוֶה לְאִילָן אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁלֹּא נֶאֱסַר גּוּפוֹ כָּל הַשָּׂרִיגִים וְהֶעָלִים וְהַלּוּלָבִין וְהַפֵּרוֹת שֶׁיּוֹצִיא כָּל זְמַן שֶׁהוּא נֶעֱבָד הֲרֵי אֵלּוּ אֲסוּרִין בַּהֲנָאָה. אִילָן שֶׁהָיוּ הָעוֹבְדֵי כּוֹכָבִים מְשַׁמְּרִין אֶת פֵּרוֹתָיו וְאוֹמְרִים שֶׁהֵם מוּכָנִים לַעֲשׂוֹת שֵׁכָר לְבֵית עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים פְּלוֹנִי וְעוֹשִׂין מֵהֶן שֵׁכָר וְשׁוֹתִים אוֹתוֹ בְּיוֹם חַגָּם הֲרֵי זֶה הָאִילָן אָסוּר בַּהֲנָאָה מִפְּנֵי שֶׁסְּתָמוֹ שֶׁהוּא אֲשֵׁרָה וּלְפִיכָךְ עוֹשִׂין בְּפֵרוֹתָיו כָּךְ שֶׁזּוֹ הִיא חֻקָּהּ שֶׁל אֲשֵׁרָה:

If an Israelite set up a brick, in order to worship it, but did not do so, and a gentile came and prostrated himself before it, he renders it forbidden to be used, the setting up constituting the act (requisite to show the Israelite's intent that is should be worshipped).** Otherwise, the gentile could not render prohibited that which does not belong to him (VII. 4). So too, if he set up an egg and a Gentile came and prostrated himself before it, he renders it forbidden to be used. If he cut a pumpkin or any thing similar, and worshipped it, he renders it forbidden to be used. If he worshipped half a pumpkin while the other half is still attached to it, the latter is forbidden to be used; because it is uncertain whether it is to be regarded as accessory to the half that was worshipped. A tree that was planted, from the outset, for the purpose of being worshipped, is forbidden to be used. This is the Asherah, mentioned in the Torah. If a tree had already been planted, and then was cut down and trimmed to serve as an idol, or even if a branch of it was forced into the ground and covered with soil or if it was grafted on another tree, and in either case produced twigs, these twigs are to be severed and are forbidden to be used, but the rest of the tree is permitted. So too, if any one worships a tree, although its trunk does not become forbidden, all twigs, leaves, shoots, and fruit which it produces, during the time that it is worshipped, are forbidden to be used. If Gentiles guard the fruit of a tree, declaring that it is intended to be converted into strong drink for a certain idolatrous temple, and they actually do make a strong drink of the fruit and drink it on their feast, the tree is forbidden to be used, because it is assumed to be an Asherah (idolatrous tree) and they deal thus with its fruit, because such is the ordinance of the Asherah.