Yerushalmi Avodah Zarah 4:4 ירושלמי עבודה זרה ד׳:ד׳

MISHNAH: A Gentile’s idol is immediately forbidden⁵³Immediately when it was made since its manufacture is part of its worship. but a Jew’s only when it is worshipped⁵⁴Since he is not supposed to do it there is a chance that he will not worship it.. A Gentile is able to annul his idol and that of a Jew; but a Jew cannot annul the idol of a Gentile⁵⁵“To annul” an idol is to treat it in a way inconsistent with veneration, such as breaking off a piece. If the Gentile does this he transforms the idol into a piece of art which is permitted for usufruct. A Jew can do this to his own idol as part of his repentance but since he is under the obligation to destroy pagan idols without obtaining any gain he cannot transform Gentile objects forbidden for usufruct into those permitted for usufruct.. If one annulled an idol he annulled its appurtenances; if he annulled its appurtenances the appurtenances are annulled but it is forbidden.

HALAKHAH: “A Gentile’s idol is immediately forbidden,” etc. Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish said, the Mishnah speaks about an artist who works to sell it on the market. When he finishes it, it is a sure thing that he bows down before it. Rebbi Yose asked, if it is a sure thing that he bows down before it, why did we state “a Gentile’s idol is immediately forbidden but a Jew’s only when it is worshipped⁵⁶If he works for the trade and an idol is worth more if it was worshipped then there is no reason to exempt a Jewish-made idol from immediate prohibition.”?

Rebbi Hila in the name of Rebbi Simeon ben Laqish: If one cuts an idol in stone, even though you say that nothing connected to the ground is forbidden, one warns him on every single chiseling and when it will be separated from the rock he will be flogged. Rebbi Yose said, from this you understand that if somebody makes a statue for idol worship, even though you say that nothing breathing can be forbidden, one warns him about each single mallet⁵⁷While in modern Hebrew קורנס is a sledge hammer, and some dictionaries define it as a mallet, neither etymology nor meaning are clear. (In Arabic قرناس is “the back of an axe, mountain ridge”.) The sentence is not intelligible, but the Babli (19b) seems to disagree since it notes that an incomplete idol will not be worshipped and therefore has no commercial value in the idol trade; therefore it is the last application of the hammer or chisel which confers the status of idol. and he will be flogged when it is finished.

“A Gentile’s idol is immediately forbidden,” therefore it can be annulled. “But a Jew’s only when it is worshipped,” therefore it cannot be annulled. Rebbi Ze`ira said, there is no “therefore”<sup>58</sup>It is not a logical consequence. The Tosephta, 5:3, notes that it is a logical consequence of the opposite opinion. If the idol made by a Jew is immediately forbidden even if he did not worship it then it follows that he cannot annul it (except maybe by melting it down) but the Gentile whose idol becomes forbidden only if worshipped can annul an idol by an act of non-worship., only “it cannot be annulled or it can be annulled”. “A Gentile’s idol is immediately forbidden,” as it is written<sup>59</sup>Deut. 12:20.: you certainly shall destroy.“But a Jew’s only when it is worshipped,” as it is written<sup>60</sup>Deut. 27:15. The argument is from the later part of the verse, cursed be the man who would make a hewn or molten image and put it up in secret. As long as it is not put up there is no curse. The Babli, 52a, reads the verse as stating that the curse applies when the idol is made., cursed be the man who makes a hewn or molten image, etc., when he puts it up. But some are switching this<sup>61</sup>Tosephta 5:4.. “A Jew’s idol is immediately forbidden,” for it is written, cursed be the man. “But a Gentile’s only when it was worshipped,” as it is written<sup>59</sup>Deut. 12:20., you certainly shall destroy all the places where these peoples worshipped. Rebbi Isaac bar Naḥman in the name of Samuel understood it from the following: If you inherited it when it was a god you shall burn it in fire<sup>62</sup>This probably should be a quote of Deut. 7:25., otherwise of which you will inherit their gods<sup>63</sup>The full verse reads: you certainly shall destroy all the places where these peoples worshipped, whom you are going to inherit, their gods. By taking only a fraction of the verse it is turned into permission to inherit the statues of the gods. This implies that if the Gentiles do not consider them as gods any more, the prohibition of usufruct is lifted.. Rebbi Joḥanan in the name of Rebbi Yannai understood it from the following: You should not covet silver or gold for them<sup>64</sup>` Deut. 8:25. If the Gentiles covet their silver and gold, you may take it. In the Babli, 52a, is a similar argument. Samuel reads the verse, do not covet silver or gold for them and take for yourself as: you may not covet silver or gold for them but you may be permitted to take for yourself.. You cannot covet and take, but others can covet and you are taking.

Rebbi Joḥanan said to Bar Drosai, go down and break all those statues in the public baths⁶⁵Greek δημόσιον (βαλανεῖον) public (government run) bath.. He went down and broke them all except one⁶⁶Greek παρά. For this use of the word cf. E. and H. Guggenheimer, On the Talmudic Vocabulary12–15, Lešonenu 39(1975) pp. 62–69.. Why this? Rebbi Yose ben Rebbi Abun said, because another⁶⁷One might read אחד “one” instead of אחר “another.” Jew was suspected of burning incense for it.

Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Ashi in the name of Rav: ⁶⁸Babli 52b, where, however, it is accepted that Rebbi in his advanced age changed his opinion. Rebbi was sitting and teaching his son⁶⁹Reading בְּרֵהּ “his son” instead of inappropriate בָּמָה “height, altar” or בַּמֶּה “why?”. Rebbi Simeon. The Gentile annuls his own idol and that of his neighbor. He said to him, when you still were in full mental powers you quoted Tannaim stating that a Gentile annuls his own idol and that of a Jew. He answered him, no, my son. An idol which a Jew had worshipped can never be annulled. And it was stated so: “Rebbi Simeon ben Menassia says, an idol which a Jew had worshipped can never be annulled.”⁷⁰Babli 53a; as anonymous text Tosephta 5:3. Rav stated in the name of ⁷¹A name is missing here. the reason of this Tanna: Cursed be the man who makes a hewn or molten image, forever⁶⁰Deut. 27:15. The argument is from the later part of the verse, cursed be the man who would make a hewn or molten image and put it up in secret. As long as it is not put up there is no curse. The Babli, 52a, reads the verse as stating that the curse applies when the idol is made..

⁷²Another version of the same story is in the Babli, 43a, leading to essentially the same conclusions. Bar Qappara found a ring with an idol. An Aramean youth was running after him. He was hitting him⁷³Bar Qappara the Gentile youth., cursing him, and told him, spit on it! He did not accept. Urinate on it! He did not accept. This implies that a Non-Jew annuls his own and another person’s idols under duress, on condition that he knows the nature of this idol. An idol which had been worshipped by a Jew can never be annulled⁷⁴This sentence does not seem to fit into the context here. It is not totally excluded that the translation should be: An idol which had been worshipped, a Jew can never annul.. Could it not be like an idol which was abandoned by its worshippers and by that being annulled⁷⁵Mishnah 6.? Rebbi Ze`ira said, anything which becomes annulled by itself, a Jew can annul. But anything which does not become annulled by itself, a Jew cannot annul⁷⁶If the ring had been abandoned, by this fact it would become permitted for usufruct. Then the Jew could eliminate the idolatry aspect either by defacing it or by melting it down. But if the ring was lost and the owner did not realize his loss, he could not abandon it and it remains forbidden for all usufruct unless a Gentile treat it with contempt..

Rav said, a pedestal⁷⁷Cf. Chapter 3:10, Note 231. is not annulled⁷⁸If the pedestal was made especially for an idol, removing the idol does not automatically make the pedestal permitted for usufruct. This implies that the pedestal is treated not as an appurtenance of the idol but as a separate idol.. Therefore if one annulled it it is annulled⁷⁹In the Babli, 53b, this is the opinion of the Galilean authorities R. Joḥanan and R. Simeon ben Laqish, opposed by Rav and Samuel.. The opinions of Rav seem inconsistent. There he says⁸⁰Halakhah 3:10. Since Rav deduces from the statement of the Mishnah about stones used for a pedestal rules about appurtenances of idols it follows that he treats the pedestal as an appurtenance., if one casts a cup for idolatry it is immediately forbidden, and here he says so? Here if he burned incense, there if he did not burn incense⁸¹A pedestal which was not used as an altar is an appurtenance; if it was used as an altar it is an idol.. And even if you are saying, in both cases if he burned incense, Rav follows his opinion since Rav said, if one casts a cup for idolatry it is immediately forbidden⁸²Obviously this quote cannot be correct since it was the basis of the question raised; one must refer here to the statement of R. Abba in the name of Rav in Halakhah 3:10: “This implies that what is cast for idolatry is immediately forbidden.” The difference is whether the stone was quarried or the tree felled for the purpose of building a pedestal for idolatry or whether the material was bought on the market..

Rav said, a pedestal is not annulled. Therefore its appurtenances are annulled. The opinions of Rav seem inconsistent. There⁸³This refers to Mishnah 6, pedestal erected by the Augustales, the priests of the worship of the Emperor, for a visit of the Emperor in the region. If the Emperor did not pass by a certain pedestal it is permitted without being disassembled. The statement of Rav Sheshet is not otherwise recorded. Babli 53b. Rav Sheshet said in the name of Rav, if the procession was using another way, and here he says so? There if he burned incense, here if he did not burn incense. And even if you are saying, in both cases if he burned incense, Rav follows his opinion since Rav said, if one casts a cup for idolatry it is immediately forbidden⁸²Obviously this quote cannot be correct since it was the basis of the question raised; one must refer here to the statement of R. Abba in the name of Rav in Halakhah 3:10: “This implies that what is cast for idolatry is immediately forbidden.” The difference is whether the stone was quarried or the tree felled for the purpose of building a pedestal for idolatry or whether the material was bought on the market..

Rebbi Joḥanan said, a stele is a monolith, an altar has many stones⁸⁴Babli 53b. In the Babli, instead of maṣseba one uses βωμός, not consistent with the use of the term in the Yerushalmi.. This change in terminology is not usually recognized in the talmudic Dictionaries.. Ḥizqiah said, a stele is annulled once it is damaged; of an altar one has to damage each single stone. A baraita of Ḥizqiah disagrees with him: If you tore down the altar, leave it alone; if you broke the stele, leave it alone ⁸⁵The terminology is taken from Deut. 12:3.. Rebbi Ze`ira, Rebbi Isaac bar Naḥman in the name of Rebbi Hoshaia; Rebbi Ḥiyya (Rebbi)⁸⁶Read בר for ר׳. The tradent is R. Ḥiyya bar Abba. Abba, Rebbi Eleazar in the name of Rav Hoshaia: When He turns all stones of the altar like smashed pieces of chalk⁸⁷Is. 27:9. In the Babli, 54a, this is Ḥizqiah’s baraita; probably here also this is the statement which contradicts his earlier statement that simple damage, not complete annihilation, permits maṣsebot and altars for usufruct., persecute them until you eliminated its egg from the world. But here, if you broke a stele, leave it alone; if you tore down an altar, leave it alone⁸⁸Divine vengeance is different from rules prescribed for humans..

It is written⁸⁹Lev. 26:1., do not make idols for yourselves, statue and stele you shall not erect for yourselves. Is not making the same as erecting? Rebbi Hila said, making is from new; erecting, if it falls down one shall not re-erect it. It is written⁹⁰Deut. 12:3. The verse continues, their statues you shall cut down., you shall tear down their altars and break their steles. From where to apply one to the other? Rebbi Abun bar Ḥiyya said, it was said to refer to both sides; either breaking, or cutting down, or tearing down for each of them.