יורה דעה קל״טYoreh De'ah 139

Se’if 1א׳

עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים אֲסוּרָה בַּהֲנָאָה, הִיא וְתַשְׁמִישָׁהּ וְנוֹיָהּ וְתִקְרָבְתָּהּ, בֵּין שֶׁל עוֹבֵד כּוֹכָבִים בֵּין שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֶלָּא דְּשֶׁל עוֹבֵד כּוֹכָבִים אֲסוּרָה מִיָּד, וְשֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵינָהּ אֲסוּרָה עַד שֶׁתֵּעָבֵד. וְתַשְׁמִישֶׁיהָ וְנוֹיָהּ, בֵּין שֶׁל עוֹבֵד כּוֹכָבִים וּבֵין שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל, אֵינָם אֲסוּרִים עַד שֶׁיִּשְׁתַּמְּשׁוּ בָּהֶם. וְתִקְרָבְתָּהּ, מִשֶּׁהֵבִיאוּ לְפָנֶיהָ וְעָשָׂה מִמֶּנּוּ תִּקְרֹבֶת, נֶאֱסַר. יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁזָּקַף לְבֵנָה וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוָה לָהּ עוֹבֵד כּוֹכָבִים, נֶאֶסְרָה (הַגָּהוֹת אֲשֵׁרִ"י פ' ר"י וְרַמְבַּ"ם פ"ח מֵהל' עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים דִּין ג' וְש"ס פֶּרֶק כָּל הַצְלָמִים דַּף מ"ג סוֹף ע"א וּפֶרֶק רַבִּי יִשְׁמָעֵאל דַּף נ"ג ע"ב).

An idol is forbidden in benefit — it, and its appurtenances, and its adornment, and its offering — whether it belongs to an idolater (oved kokhavim — the standing term for a gentile) or to an Israelite; save that that of an idolater is forbidden at once, while that of an Israelite is not forbidden until it has been worshipped. And its appurtenances and its adornment, whether of an idolater or of an Israelite, are not forbidden until they have been used. And its offering: from the time that they brought it before it and he made of it an offering, it has become forbidden. An Israelite who set up a brick and an idolater bowed down to it — it has become forbidden (Hagahot Asheri, chapter "Rabbi Yishmael", and the Rambam, chapter 8 of the Laws of Idolatry, law 3, and the Shas, chapter "All the images", folio 43a at the end, and chapter "Rabbi Yishmael", folio 53b).

Se’if 2ב׳

עֲבוֹדַת כּוֹכָבִים שֶׁל יִשְׂרָאֵל אֵין לָהּ בִּטּוּל, אֲבָל שֶׁל עוֹבֵד כּוֹכָבִים וְתַשְׁמִישֶׁיהָ וְנוֹיָהּ, יֵשׁ לָהֶם בִּטּוּל. וְתִקְרָבְתָּהּ, אֵין לָהּ בִּטּוּל.

An idol of an Israelite has no annulment; but that of an idolater, and its appurtenances and its adornment, have annulment. And its offering has no annulment.

Se’if 3ג׳

אֵיזֶהוּ נוֹי וְאֵיזֶהוּ תִּקְרֹבֶת, נוֹי כְּגוֹן שֶׁמַּדְלִיק לְפָנֶיהָ נֵרוֹת, אוֹ שָׁטַח לְפָנֶיהָ בְּגָדִים וְכֵלִים נָאִים לְנוֹי. וְתִקְרֹבֶת, כָּל שֶׁכַּיּוֹצֵא בוֹ קָרֵב עַל גַּבֵּי מִזְבֵּחַ, כְּמוֹ כָּל מִינֵי מַאֲכָל, כְּגוֹן בָּשָׂר, שְׁמָנִים וּסְלָתוֹת, מַיִם וּמֶלַח, אִם הִנִּיחוּ לְפָנֶיהָ לְשֵׁם תִּקְרֹבֶת, נֶאֱסָר מִיָּד. אֲבָל דָּבָר שֶׁאֵין מַקְרִיבִין מִמֶּנּוּ בִּפְנִים, אֵינוֹ נֶאֱסַר אֶלָּא אִם כֵּן עָשָׂה מִמֶּנּוּ כְּעֵין זְבִיחָה אוֹ כְּעֵין זְרִיקָה הַמִּשְׁתַּבֶּרֶת, וְהוּא דֶּרֶךְ לְעָבְדָהּ בְּאוֹתוֹ דָּבָר, אַף עַל פִּי שֶׁאֵין דֶּרֶךְ לְעָבְדָהּ בָּזֶה הָעִנְיָן. כֵּיצַד, עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה שֶׁעוֹבְדִים אוֹתָהּ שֶׁמְּקַשְׁקְשִׁים לְפָנֶיהָ בְּמַקֵּל וְשִׁבֵּר מַקֵּל לְפָנֶיהָ, נֶאֱסַר, מִפְּנֵי שֶׁשְּׁבִירַת הַמַּקֵל דּוֹמָה לִזְבִיחָה. אֲבָל אִם אֵין עוֹבְדִים אוֹתָהּ בְּמַקֵּל כְּלָל, וְשִׁבֵּר מַקֵּל לְפָנֶיהָ, אֵינוֹ חַיָּב וְלֹא נֶאֱסַר. וְאִם עֲבָדָהּ בְּקִשְׁקוּשׁ מַקְלוֹ, וְהוּא דֶּרֶךְ עֲבוֹדָתָהּ, חַיָּב וְלֹא נֶאֱסַר. וְכֵן בְּכָל דָּבָר שֶׁעֲבָדָהּ כְּדֶרֶךְ עֲבוֹדָתָהּ, בֵּין אִם הוּא דֶּרֶךְ כָּבוֹד אוֹ דֶּרֶךְ בִּזָּיוֹן, וְאֵינוֹ כְּעֵין פְּנִים, חַיָּב וְלֹא נֶאֱסַר. אֲבָל אִם לֹא עֲבָדָהּ בְּמַקֵּל כְּדֶרֶךְ עֲבוֹדָתָהּ, אֶלָּא זְרָקוֹ לְפָנֶיהָ, אֵינוֹ חַיָּב וְלֹא נֶאֱסַר.

What is adornment and what is offering? Adornment is such as where he kindles candles before it, or spread out before it garments and fine vessels for adornment. And offering: anything the like of which is offered upon the altar — such as all kinds of food, for instance meat, oils and fine flours, water and salt — if they set it before it for the purpose of an offering, it has become forbidden at once. But a thing the like of which they do not offer within the Sanctuary is not forbidden unless he made of it something like slaughtering, or like a throwing that breaks apart, and it is the way to worship it with that thing, even though it is not the way to worship it in this manner. How so? An idol that they worship by beating with a stick before it, and he broke a stick before it — it has become forbidden, because the breaking of the stick resembles slaughtering. But if they do not worship it with a stick at all, and he broke a stick before it, he is not liable and it has not become forbidden. And if he worshipped it by beating with his stick, and that is the way of its worship, he is liable and it has not become forbidden. And so with everything wherewith he worshipped it in the way of its worship — whether it is in a respectful manner or in a contemptuous manner — and it is not like that which is within, he is liable and it has not become forbidden. But if he did not worship it with the stick in the way of its worship, but threw it before it, he is not liable and it has not become forbidden.