Re: bow down

On Jul 27, 6:20 pm, mi...@xxxxxxxxxxx (Micha Berger) wrote:

I'm not sure what the distinction is between "lo sistachaveh lahem,
velo se'avdeim -- do not kneel to them, and do not serve them." Is the
former a prohibition against kneeling to them even when not in worship,
but bowing would only be prohibited as worship?

The halacha of idolatry is that five acts are prohibited: (1)
bowing down to it (hishtachava'a); (2) slaughtering a sacrifice to it;
(3) offering the flesh of a sacrifice to it;
(4) offering a wine libation to it. These are prohibited for all
idols, even if these practices are considered abominations by the
idol's worshippers. Then there is (5) performing the service its
practitioners do, even if it is done for the sake of displaying
disrespect, rather than worship (e.g., defecating to Ba'al Peor or
throwing stones at Merkulis, which was how they were worshipped).
Thus, lo tishtachaveh refers to bowing, lo ta'ovdeim means to perform
its specific method of worship.

Meir
.

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