“Do Not Turn” with Regard to Images and Books of Foreign Religions
'אל תפנו' בתמונות ובספרים של דתות זרות
There is a Torah commandment that a person must not turn after idolatry (avoda zara). That is, he must not turn his attention to take an interest in and think about the ways it is worshipped, even out of curiosity and without any intention to worship it, lest his interest draw him after it, or lest his faith in and attachment to God be weakened as a result. As it says: “Do not turn to idols” (Vayikra 19:4). Included in the prohibition is not to gaze at statues or images of idols (Shabbat 149a), nor to watch their rites, read their books, or view their other materials, such as those found on the internet. It follows that one who goes to gaze at statues or at idolatrous rites, even if he does so out of mere curiosity without any intention of checking whether it is worthwhile for him to worship them, transgresses the prohibition of “Do not turn” (Rambam, Laws of Avoda Zara 2:2-3). And if he enjoys their beauty, he also transgresses the prohibition against deriving benefit from their ornaments (above 10:8).
Included in the prohibition of “Do not turn” is that one may not keep in his home books of a foreign religion, including religions that combine belief in a supreme God with other beings (shituf). Even though according to most poskim these religions are permitted to Noahides (above 5:8, 10), since for Jews they are idolatry, a Jew may not read their books or keep them in his home. It seems that one should not keep books of Islam either. Even though Islam contains no idolatrous corporealization of God, since converting to Islam is as severe as converting to idolatry – so that if a Jew is forced to convert to Islam, he must let himself be killed rather than convert (above 4:7) – their books have the same status as books of idolatry, as is explained in the next halakha regarding heretical views.
In general, the law of turning toward idolatry or heretical views can be divided into three parts: 1) Turning to and taking an interest in idolatry or heretical views, even out of mere curiosity – forbidden (as explained in this halakha and the next). 2) Turning to and delving into them in order to understand the Torah – permitted (below, halakha 3). 3) When one does not turn to delve and think, but merely takes an incidental interest as part of broadening one’s knowledge of history and the like – permitted (below, halakha 5).¹
Notes (1)
- Sifra: “‘Do not turn to idols’ – do not turn to worship them. R. Yehuda says: Do not turn to look at them, and that suffices.” This is also cited in Yerushalmi Avoda Zara 3:1. The Rambam (Sefer Ha-mitzvot, negative commandment 10) wrote in accordance with R. Yehuda that even looking at them out of mere curiosity is forbidden: “He warned us against inclining after idolatry and occupying ourselves with its stories… for thinking about these matters and studying those follies is what arouses a person to seek them and their worship… And the language of the Sifra is: If you turn after them, you make them into gods. And there they said: R. Yehuda says: Do not turn to look at them. That is to say, even looking at the visible form of the image and thinking about how it was made is not permitted, so that one should not occupy part of his time with part of it… And the warning in this very matter, namely the prohibition of thinking about idolatry, has already been repeated, in His statement, may He be exalted: ‘Take care lest your heart be seduced, and you turn aside and serve.’ That is to say, when your heart delves into thinking about it, this will bring you to stray from the straight path and occupy yourself with its worship… And likewise they said (Devarim 12:30): ‘And lest you inquire about their gods, saying, How did these nations worship their gods? I too will do likewise.’ He warns against asking about the nature of their worship, even if one does not worship them, for all this leads to error regarding them. And know that one who transgresses this is liable to lashes….” The Rambam wrote the same in his halakhot (Avoda Zara 2:2), as did R. David ben Shmuel of Estella in Migdal David (on Sefer Ha-mitzvot there). This also emerges from the Yere’im (351), who added that R. Yehuda does not disagree with the first Tanna but adds to him. This is also the view of Rav Nissim Gaon (cited in Moshav Zekenim of the Tosafists on the Torah). According to the Ramban (Vayikra 19:4), by Torah law it is forbidden to turn in order to consider worshipping it, and by rabbinic law the prohibition applies even to curiosity. However, Rashi there explained that the prohibition of turning is in order to consider worshipping it, but there is no prohibition for the sake of curiosity. And in Moshav Zekenim (there) they explained that the halakha follows the first Tanna and not R. Yehuda, and they testified that this was the practice in the Rashbam’s city. However, it seems that Rashi too would agree that when there is a danger that turning out of curiosity may draw a person to foreign views or weaken his faith, one is obligated to refrain from it because of the mitzva of faith. As it says: “But take utmost care and watch yourselves scrupulously, so that you do not forget the things that you saw with your own eyes and so that they do not fade from your mind as long as you live. And make them known to your children and to your children’s children” (Devarim 4:9). And it says: “For your own sake, therefore, be most careful – since you saw no shape when the Lord your God spoke to you at Ḥorev out of the fire” (Devarim 4:15). Even though the main warning there is not to forget the revelation at Mount Sinai and to beware of corporealization, the Sages learned from this (Berakhot 32b) that there is also a mitzva to guard oneself from physical dangers; all the more so is there a Torah mitzva to guard oneself from views that would endanger one’s faith. Anyone who turns to idols in a matter that involves an action is liable to lashes (Rambam, Avoda Zara 2:2-3; Ḥinukh 217; Semag, negative commandment 14). For example, if the statue was covered and he uncovered it (Maharshal in his glosses on the Semag), or if he went to see it (Mishnat Ḥakhamim on the Rambam, Avoda Zara 11:4). Taking a book in order to study it is also considered an action (Mishnat Avraham on the Semag there; Yad Peshuta, Avoda Zara 2:2). Some say that even one who reads aloud is liable, since moving one’s lips is an action (Ḥikrei Lev in his novellae on tractate Shevuot 21a).