Parshas Devarim (Chazon) 5785
- Torah Tavlin
- Aug 1
- 3 min read
עבודה זרה דף מ:
"שתי וערב"
All images that are worshipped are אסור בהנאה. If there is a צלם engraved on a כלי or בגד, only if we know for certain it is worshiped, then they are אסור. רשב"ג says [משנה ג']: כלים מכובדים that have an engraved image on them, we must assume they were נעבד and the כלי is אסור. If the utensil is not מכובד, we may assume the צלם is there just for decoration and is not אסור. The [יו"ד ס' קמ"א, א'] רמ"א says: "צורת שמשתחוים לו, דינו כדין צלם ואסור". However, a שתי וערב that hangs around their necks לזכרון, are not considered a צלם and are מותר. צורת שמשתחוים is the term found in the Vilna edition due to censorship. In earlier editions, שתי וערב is used instead of the word צורת. The [אות ו'] ש"ך points out, the צלם around the neck is not a problem only if we know they don’t bow to it. But if we are certain they bow to it, it is אסור.
The [ס' ק"נ,ג'] רמ"א says: The כהנים או שרים (of the goyim) that have a צורת ע"ז on their clothing or carry a צורת החמה before them (also censored from שתי וערב), it is אסור to bow before them or remove one’s hat in front of them בדרך כבוד. One may only do so in an inconspicuous manner, ie; נתפזרו מעותיו or to stand up before they arrive. However, יש מקילין, since even the goyim aren’t bowing to the image on the שר but rather are bowing in deference to him personally. The רמ"א concludes. וטוב להחמיר. [אג"מ יו,ד ח"א ס' סט'] ר' משה was asked if it is permissible to buy and sell stamps to stamp collectors which have an image of a cross or a priest on them? ר' משה says that since these images are on the stamps לשם נוי it is מותר. Also, ר' משה says, לא ברור לי that it should be אסור to look at a cross because it isn’t a ע"ז עצמה, but rather a סימן and that isn’t אסור. As far as the picture of a כומר on the stamp, since they don’t worship it, it isn’t אסור either. ר' משה offers another reason the stamps are ok: since they are ultimately ruined by the post office so as not to be used again, and they are used on envelopes that are disposed of in the garbage after being received, this is all דרך בזיון and therefore מותר. ע"ש באריכות. ר' ואזנר [שבט הלוי ח"ח ס' מז] was asked if one may enter a car/taxi that has a שתי וערב hanging in it? He answers that even though one may not look at אלילים since he has הנאה from it, if he is אינו מתכוין it is מותר. Says the שבט הלוי, we see [עיין ש"ך] that הסתכלות at נוי without any הנאה of the ע"ז is not אסור מעיקר הדין. So, in our case we may assume these hanging צורת aren’t worshiped and also, one is not מתכון להסתכל כלל.
The [מס' סוכה פ"ג אות כו'] רא"ש brings the בעל העיטור that מנהג אבותינו that when they did the נענועים with the לולב, they were only מוליך ומביא מעלה ומוריד but not to the right and left as that resembles דעת חיצוני (making a cross). The רא"ש says the עולם is not נוהג like this but we do נענועים to all ד' רוחות. ואדרבה only being מוליך ומביא and then only going up and down (without going all around) has a stronger resemblance to שתי וערב than doing it our way which is six movements and not the four of שתי וערב.