Avodah Zarah (Hebrew: “foreign worship,” meaning “idolatry” or “strange worship”) is the name of a tractate in the Talmud, located in Nezikin, the fourth Order of the Talmud dealing with damages. The main topic of the tractate is laws pertaining to Jews living amongst Gentiles, including regulations about the interaction between Jews and “idolaters” (who represented most of the Gentile population during the time of the Talmud), both for distancing Jews from the act of idolatry in every shape as well as distancing Jews from the threat of cultural assimilation. Because of its subject matter, Avodah Zarah has probably been the most controversial tractate in the Talmud, and historically it has been the subject of criticism from Christian Church. Christians view the polemic of the tractate as being directed at them, and as painting them as idolaters and immoral people. The traditional Orthodox attitude has been that the tractate was authored in times of the Roman persecution and that this is what is generally meant by “idolatry” in the tractate. The placing of the tractate in the order of “damages” says something about the attitude of the Sages towards idolatry. By engaging in idolatry, a person is seen as in effect denying God’s creation and doing actual damage to the spiritual forces of creation. It also has the effect of removing the action of idolatry from a purely abstract notion into a real transgression with tangible effects and punishments, alongside theft and swearing a false oath.
In the Middle Ages, the entire tractate was expunged from many European editions by Christian censors and it was considerably difficult to obtain a copy. Where the tractate was present there were more censored passages in Avodah Zarah than in any other tractate of the Babylonian Talmud (Talmud Bavli). Certainly, despite the fact that many of the laws from the tractate are in force today, a large number are either out of force, out of practice or have been deemed no longer necessary by more liberal Orthodox rabbis over the centuries
Rabbi Avrohom Yeshaya Karelitz and David Berger Christianity is a form of idolatry and avoda zara as it involves the worship of a man whereas The Creator of this world is not a physical creation, and is beyond time and space.
Most Christian churches permit the artistic creation of objects of worship. Throughout history, many images of Jesus Christ have been drawn, painted, sculpted, molded, and casted. These man-made images are often placed and accepted in the minds of worshippers as they pray, thus provoking the creator’s commandments in Exodus 34:11-27, Deuteronomy 5:6-9, Exodus 20:2-5. It is the seal, mark or thought that is bound in the foreheads (minds) and hands (actions) that constitute the breach of the covenant and “strange worship”.
The tractate consists of five chapters. The number of mishnayot is according to the standard numbering; however, different versions split up the individual mishnayot or combine them and the chapter breaks may vary as well.
Chapter One (nine mishnayot) deals with the prohibition of trade with idolaters around their festival (so as not to be complicit in the festivity) and the items that are forbidden to be sold to idolaters (which is basically any item that the idolater is likely to offer in an idolatrous service or commit an immoral act with). Thus, the main commandment explored in the chapter is lifnei iver.
Chapter Two (seven mishnayot) deals with precautions against the violence and immorality of idolaters and the items that are forbidden/permitted to be bought from idolaters. These include categories of objects that may be by-products of idolatrous services as well as foods with a difficult to identify kashrut status.
Chapter Three (ten mishnayot) deals with the laws of various images/idols and the asherah (idolatrous tree). Thus, it details the distinctions between forbidden and permitted use of various aspects and states of idolatrous items.
Chapter Four (twelve mishnayot) deals with benefit from the auxiliary items of a markulis (a Roman deity consisting of a heap of stones whereby worship consisted of throwing stones and thus adding to the heap) and other idols, the nullification of an idol (effected by an idolater deliberately defacing his/her idol) and the laws detailing the prohibition of the use and benefit of Yayin Nesech.
Chapter Five (twelve mishnayot) continues detailing the prohibition of yayin nesech and the kashering of utensils used by idolaters.
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