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Someone recentley asked me if bowing at the end of lecha dodi is considered Avodah Zarah, since we are bowing to the Shabbat Malkah and not to Hashem. I responded that it is like the way we used to bow to Malchei Yisrael. But then I began thinking, why isn't bowing to Malchei Yisrael and to the Shabbat Malkah considered Avodah Zarah?

Ploni Almoni
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  • possible dupe https://judaism.stackexchange.com/a/37738/759 https://judaism.stackexchange.com/q/75165/759 https://judaism.stackexchange.com/q/50296/759 – Double AA Jul 27 '17 at 00:54
  • @DoubleAA My main question is about lecha dodi, though – Ploni Almoni Jul 27 '17 at 01:02
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    The Shabbos Malka is not Hashem!? – ezra Jul 27 '17 at 01:20
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    An example would be those who bow (in respect) to an earthly king, or Yehoshua bowing to the malach or Avraham bowing to the men when they came. – sabbahillel Jul 27 '17 at 12:19
  • also related: https://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/75165/worship-of-god-vs-worship-of-man – Bach Jul 27 '17 at 13:22
  • @DoubleAA this question should be marked as dupe, since there are so many variants of the same question, namely: what kind of worship is considered AZ? – Bach Jul 27 '17 at 13:24
  • Doesn't bowing to avodah zarah imply that the idol must be physically before you? During Lecha Dodi, we're bowing to "imagination". What would be the problem with that? If anything, I would see a bigger problem for those that go out to the forest (or daven outside in camps) and bow facing a tree. – DanF Jul 27 '17 at 14:51
  • bowing is not synonyme of avoda, you can bow to a man. when something is known as a.z. you need to be aware, not to bow. Shabbat is not spatialy but temporaly localised. It is neither known fo workship. There is no problem – kouty Aug 01 '17 at 18:03

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Min hatorah one is Chayav Misa (liable to death penalty) if he prostrates by bowing all the way down till one is lying on the floor on his front and has intention that he is prostrating to a deity other than Hashem. miderabanan even to prostrate on a bare stone floor is osur hence on yom kippur we have these sheets to separate us and the floor (though there is usually carpet anyway) even though we are prostrating to Hashem. Merely bowing ones head in aknowlagement of shabbos to welcome the Shechina which is Hashems revelation Me ein olam haba vested as the shabbos queen, is a sign of respect towards Hashem.

user15459
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