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Questions tagged [avodah-zarah]

Worship of foreign deities, one of the three cardinal sins.

Idolatry in Judaism

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499 questions
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Making an image of G-d in your thoughts

Over and over again we read about the prohibition of idolatry in the Tenach. In the first place G-d commands us not to make any physical image of Him, or anything that represents Him. On the other hand one isn't allowed to create an image on his own…
Levi
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Worship of God vs. worship of man

God says to have no other God before Him: Exodus 20:3You shall not have the gods of others in My presence. גלֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים עַל פָּנַי: Wives kiss their husbands, and people pay homage to kings and reverence authorities.…
user2411
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Do not worship any graven image? Or do not worship any created image/being

God makes it clear that we are not to make and worship/bow down to an image of anything in heaven or on earth. God is very careful in even revealing himself to Israel, to point out that they heard only a voice, but saw NO image. 12The Lord spoke…
user2411
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Is tai chi considered avodah zara?

Is tai chi considered avodah zara? It might have some roots in buddhism and/or taoism, but is it still avodah zara if I am only interested in the physical benefits of tai chi? I checked out the three links below, and it seems to me that nobody knows…
user14809
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Is a dead person forbidden from communicating with a live person?

A live person is forbidden from using necromancy to communicate with a dead person. But is the reverse true? Is the dead person permitted to initiate the contact? If the live person contacted the dead person through forbidden necromancy, is the dead…
Clint Eastwood
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What are examples where you would need to give up your life to ‘idolatry’ today?

What are examples where you would need to give up your life to ‘idolatry’ today? כדת ודין that could actually occur
Dr. Shmuel
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What was the Talmudic and Rambam view on Hinduism (from idolatrous point)

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…
Al Berko
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Are "mudra" considered to be idolatry?

Mudra (pronounced "moo-druh") is a hand gesture used in some forms of meditation. Wikipedia says that mudra are from Hindu and Buddhist traditions, and based on the information here, it sounds like there might be elements of avodah zarah (idolatry)…
Moshe
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Is calling someone a god Avodah zarah

In slang nowadays, it’s very common to call someone a god, such as “he’s such a god at this game” or “I’m such a god at baseball.” Is this considered Avodah zarah and/or assur, or is it permitted since it’s obvious that he’s not actually being…
Curious Yid
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Is Marvel considered idolatry?

Just wondering if watching a Marvel movie or TV show [besides for the prohibitions on watching secular TV and movies in general] is considered idolatry or not, being that it deals with many pagan "gods" as well as "origins of the…
Raytshill
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Is it ok to steal to prevent avodah zarah

There is a law in the Gemara and brought in the Rambam and Shulchan Aruch. From Rambam end of Chapter 1 of Mishneh Torah Hilchos Rotzeach: 14 Whenever a person can save another person's life, but he fails to do so, he transgresses a negative…
B''H Bi'ezras -- Boruch Hashem
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Was Avodah Zara (idolatry) Effective?

For centuries Idol Worship was extremely popular across the ancient world & even in the Jewish community. I highly doubt that all these people were busy building & worshipping statutes based solely on faith & tradition so HaShem must have allowed…
Lages
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Living body becomes an Idol and avodah zarah

If a living person is worshipped like praying to him and the living person encourages his own worship, and the living person himself becomes object of worship then will that person become a living idol and commandments on idolatry would be…
knowit
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How are we to understand the Torah's focus on Idol Worship in the Diaspora?

There are multiple references in the Torah to the situation of Jewry in Diaspora, regarding the Curses God is to send upon us and otherwise. Those discussions put a lot of focus on our Serving Gods of Wood and Stone. We know however, that the…
AYAL TAAROG
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Hospital named after Idol

Is it allowed to go to a hospital named after an idol with an idol on display in the lobby? By giving them money, you support them to continue, and they are doing so called "good works" in the name of their idol, which is a known common way of…
BID
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