Idol as a reference point for location

Question

לִפְנֵי פִּי הַחִירֹת בֵּין מִגְדֹּל וּבֵין הַיָּם לִפְנֵי בַּעַל צְפֹן

There is a Halacha that says you may not say "let's meet by such and such an Idol" yet here the Torah does it. Why?

אָסוּר לְהַזְכִּיר שֵׁם עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, בֵּין לְצֹרֶךְ, כְּגוֹן לוֹמַר לַחֲבֵרוֹ, הַמְתֵּן לִי בְּצַד עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה פְּלוֹנִית, בֵּין שֶׁלֹּא לְצֹרֶךְ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר, וְשֵׁם אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים לֹא תַזְכִּירו. ‏

(קיצור שולחן ערוך ימן קסז - הלכות עבודה זרה)

score 2 · Accepted Answer · edited Apr 12 '17 at 07:30

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Already addressed here. Rambam (Idol Worship 5:14) rules that any idol mentioned in Tanach is okay to say. The only names prohibited are other names.

edited Apr 12 '17 at 07:30

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answered Jan 11 '11 at 13:42

Shalom

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I would Imagine the reason is because of theses posukim – SimchasTorah Jan 11 '11 at 22:57

score 0 · Answer 2 · answered Jan 11 '11 at 05:29

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The Daas Zekenim says since it was before the giving of the Torah it is no problem. There is of course a blaring issue with this answer as in Devarim Lamed Daled,Vov we have the same problem again as the says:

. וַיִּקְבֹּר אֹתוֹ בַגַּיְ בְּאֶרֶץ מוֹאָב מוּל בֵּית פְּעוֹר וְלֹא יָדַע אִישׁ אֶת קְבֻרָתוֹ עַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה

And that is one of the last Posukim in the Torah If anyone Has an answer it would be appreciated.

answered Jan 11 '11 at 05:29

SimchasTorah

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Why do you convert numbers into the names of Hebrew letters, transliterated into English? "Lamed Daled,Vov" is unlikely to be understood by people with less familiarity with Hebrew and is much less readable than "34:6" even by those with more familiarity. – Isaac Moses Jan 12 '11 at 16:41
Sorry something I am used to doing – SimchasTorah Jan 12 '11 at 22:54
There is a Medrash that says how Moshe protects Klal Yisroel whenever the Baal Peor acts up. – Gershon Gold Jan 11 '11 at 17:03

Idol as a reference point for location

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