“Whoever denies idolatry is as if he fulfilled the whole Torah” (Babylonian Talmud, Hullin 5a).
What constitutes idolatry, and who has the authority to determine idolatrous behavior? Does idolatry persist in contemporary society, and if so, what are its manifestations?
From biblical times to later generations, prohibitions against idolatry have shaped the Jewish faith and lifestyle. The Hebrew Bible expresses an attitude toward idolatry in the first and second commandments of the Decalogue (Exodus 20:3; Deuteronomy 5:7; Leviticus 19:4; Exodus 20:4; Deuteronomy 5:8). A distinction is drawn between idolatry as the worship of foreign deities and idolatry as the improper worship of the God of Israel. For the Israelites, worshiping other deities was considered one of the most severe sins and was punishable by death (Deuteronomy 17:2-7). The rabbinic term for idolatry is “avodah zarah” (foreign worship), and it is considered one of the most severe sins, alongside murder and adultery. The sages decree that a Jew should be martyred rather than transgress these prohibitions (Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 74a). In most rabbinic literature, the biblical command to destroy the idolatrous reality (Deuteronomy 12:2-3) was replaced by prohibitions on Jews from the use of, or benefit from, an idolatrous object, or from contributing to a gentile’s idol worship. The Mishnah tractate Avodah Zarah addresses the practical problems of social contact, economic interaction, and shared social spaces with idolaters. Both versions of the Talmud address this tractate. This seminar will focus on the tractate Avodah Zarah, its interpretations in rabbinic literature, and its acceptance in Jewish thought from antiquity to the modern period.
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