זוהר, וישלח י״גZohar, Vayishlach 13

Segment 1א׳

הָסִירוּ אֶת אֱלהֵי הַנֵּכָר וְגו'. הָסִירוּ אֶת אֱלהֵי הַנֵּכָר, אִלֵּין אִינוּן דְּנָטְלוּ מִשְּׁכֶם מָאנֵי כַּסְפָּא וְדַהֲבָא דְּהֲוָה חָקִיק עֲלַיְיהוּ טַעֲוָא דִלְהוֹן. רִבִּי יְהוּדָה אָמַר, טַעֲוָון הֲווּ מִכַּסְפָּא וְדַהֲבָא. וְיַעֲקֹב אַטְמִין לוֹן תַּמָּן, בְּגִין דְּלָא יִתְהַנּוּן מִסִּטְרָא דְּעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, דְּאָסִיר לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ לְאִתְהַנֵּי מִנֵּיהּ לְעָלְמִין.

PUT AWAY THE STRANGE GODS, ETC. These were the silver and gold vessels that they had taken from Shechem, and on which were engraved images of their gods. R. Judah said: ‘Their idols themselves were made of silver and gold, and Jacob hid them there in order that his children should not make use of the side of idolatry, as a man is forbidden to have any benefit whatsoever from it;’

Segment 2ב׳

רִבִּי יְהוּדָה וְרִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה הֲווּ אָזְלֵי בְּאָרְחָא, אָמַר רִבִּי חִזְקִיָּה לְרִבִּי יְהוּדָה, מַאי דִכְתִיב, (שמואל ב י״ב:ל׳) וַיִּקַּח אֶת עֲטֶרֶת מַלְכָּם מֵעַל רֹאשׁוֹ וּמִשְׁקָלָהּ כִּכַּר זָהָב וְאֶבֶן יְקָרָה וַתְּהִי עַל רֹאשׁ דָּוִד. וְתָנִינָן, שִׁקּוּץ בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן מִלְכֹּם שְׁמֵיהּ. וְדָא הוּא עֲטֶרֶת מַלְכָּם. מַאי טַעֲמָא וַתְּהִי עַל רֹאשׁ דָּוִד. וּמַאי טַעְמָא כְּתִיב שִׁקּוּץ. דְּהָא בִּשְׁאָר טַעֲוָון עַמְּמַיָא עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה כְּתִיב אֱלֹהֵי הָעַמִּים, אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים, אֵל נֵכָר, אֵל אַחֵר, וּבְהַאי אָמַר שִׁקּוּץ חַד.

As R. Judah and R. Hizkiah were once walking together on the road, the latter said: ‘It is written: “And he took the crown of Malcam from off his head; and the weight thereof was a talent of gold, and in it were precious stones; and it was set on David’s head” (II Sam. 12, 30). Now, we have been taught that “Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites” (I Kings 40, 5) is the same as Malcam in this verse. How, then, was this crown permitted to be set on David’s head? And further, why is it called “abomination”, whereas other idols are referred to as “gods of the peoples”, “strange gods”, and the like?’

Segment 3ג׳

אָמַר לֵיהּ, וּבְכָל טַעֲוָון עַמְּמַיָיא עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה הָכִי קָרָא לוֹן קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, דִּכְתִיב, (דברים כג) וַתִּרְאוּ אֶת שִׁקּוּצֵיהֶם וְאֶת גִּלּוּלֵיהֶם. וּמַה דְּאָמַר וַיִּקַּח אֶת עֲטֶרֶת מַלְכָּם, דְּאִיהוּ מִלְכּוֹם, הָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי. אֶלָּא אִיתַּי הַגִּתִּי עַד דְּלָא אִתְגְיַּיר, כְּדֵין אִיהוּ תָּבַר לָהּ לְהַהוּא עֲטֶרֶת דְּאִיהוּ מִלְכּוֹם, הַהוּא דִיוּקְנָא דְּחֲקִיק עֲלָהּ וּפָגִים לָהּ. כְּדֵין אִיהוּ עֲבַד לָהּ הֵיתֵּר לְאִתְהַנֵּי מִנָּהּ וְהֲוַת עַל רֵישֵׁיהּ. וְתָּא חֲזֵי, שִׁקּוּץ בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן, חַד חִוְיָא בְּסוּרְטָא הֲוָה חָקִיק עַל הַהוּא כִּתְרָא, וּבְגִין כָּךְ אִקְרֵי שִׁקּוּץ זוּהֲמָא.

R. Judah replied: ‘Indeed, other idols are also called abominations, as we read: “And ye have seen their abominable things and their idols” (Deut. 29, 16). As regards the identification of Malcam with Milcom, this is certainly correct; nevertheless David was able to use the crown of Malcam because Ittai the Gittite, before he became a proselyte, broke it, that is to say, he disfigured the image which was on it, and so made its use permissible, and it was set on David’s head. The idol of the Ammonites was a serpent graven deep on that crown, and for that reason it was called abomination.’