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India is mentioned in many ways in Talmud and clearly our sages had extensive trade with India, for example Kohen Gadol's garments and Ketoret ingredients see Mishnah and Talmud dealing-with-indian-reality-150-500-ce.

Rambam's brother David was a serious trader in India and died in shipwreck in the Indian Sea, losing Rambam's money (here). I presume that Indian tradition and rituals did not change over the last millenium. However in the current debates over Kosher wigs (see NYTimes) many Orthodox Rabbis in Israel forbid wigs exactly for this reason (idolatry). I also found an interesting article, stating that

The Jerusalem meeting [with the Chief Rabbinate of Israel, the American Jewish Committee, World Council of Religious Leaders, and others] concluded with a landmark declaration that Hindus worship ‘one supreme being’ and are not really idolatrous.

What was the Talmudic and Rambam view on Hinduism (from idolatrous point)?

mbloch
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Al Berko
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    If you are suggesting that we are concerned that every item from an idolater was offered to an idol, that would amount to a prohibition on buying anything from them. Such a prohibition does not exist. Even if it did, you do nothing to demonstrate this, rendering this a very poor question. Furthermore, it is unnecessary for the question. Just present evidence that rabbis knew about India, and ask what they held about Hinduism. – mevaqesh Dec 05 '17 at 13:39
  • Aren't the hindu names not idolatry because they are naming attributes, eg. shanti is - peace; prabuh is - most powerful; so these are really attributes of the One? – gamliela Dec 05 '17 at 14:04
  • Related: https://judaism.stackexchange.com/questions/40845/is-buddhism-avodah-zarah – ezra Dec 05 '17 at 15:59
  • I don't see how worshipping different aspects of one Supreme Being is any less idolatrous, not to mention that Hindus use physical statues to bow down to. Hinduism is, in my opinion, idolatry. – ezra Dec 05 '17 at 16:00
  • @ezra Really sorry for links, just put everything in place. Maybe you're right to rephrase the question into a general discussion about Hinduism. – Al Berko Dec 05 '17 at 18:41
  • @AlBerko I think that rephrasing the question to a general discussion about Hinduism would make it less case-suggestive; you might get a bit more people trying to find an answer. – ezra Dec 05 '17 at 19:49
  • Is there an overwhelming consensus that Hinduism is Avodah Zorah? – JJLL Dec 05 '17 at 23:41
  • @JJLL It is apparently not - https://www.reddit.com/r/DebateReligion/comments/6m97i9/is_hinduism_polytheistic_idolatry_according_to/ but nobody defines it clearly enough, and we ourselves have no idea. – Al Berko Dec 06 '17 at 12:46
  • @ezra Not all Hindus bow down to statues. There is a famous Hindu organisation named Arya Samaj that discourages worship of statues. –  May 06 '18 at 12:47

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