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Rambam Hilchos Avodas Kochavim Chapter 5

Wednesday, Aug 19, 12:00pm EST

1 hr 4 min

Class Summary:

This class in Rambam the laws of Avodas Kochavim, chapter five, was presented on Wednesday, Parshas Shoftim, 29 Av, 5780, August 19, 2020, streaming live from Rabbi Jacobson's home in Monsey, NY

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  • NK

    naftali kahan -4 years ago

    when is the next shiur in Rambam

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  • GH

    Gitty Helfand -4 years ago

    Question for Rabbi YY

    Is it permitted to use Tibetan Bowls or listen to Tibetan Bowl music for relaxation?

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  • DHK

    Dr. Heshie Klein -4 years ago

    Question for Rabbi YY

    If the enemy says to a captured city, give us one person or we will kill all of you, the Rabam says you're not allowed to give them one person. Couldn't we learn out from this halacha that if the priest of avoda zara tells a mother to give them one of her children to be burned to the molech or we'll kill all your children, that she us not allowed to give up one child?

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  • NK

    naftali kahan -4 years ago

    Why are you allowed to use the idols mentioned in the torah as landmarks

    Reply to this comment.Flag this comment.

  • RCS

    RICHARD C STEMPEL -4 years ago

    Question for Rabbi YY

    I would like to appear live at this event
    1.didn't they make a structure in the bais hamikdash for simchat bais hashoaiva? 2. is christianity, islam, hinduism considered avidah zara? andf asll these laws appliocable? 3. did the father get burned when passing son to molech? did children pass their parents or grandparents thru fire to molech?

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  • SM

    Sara Metzger -4 years ago

    Someone asked...

    If I dispute with Christians about dualism and they are saying, okay if your God is the one who created evil and good, darkness and light, then your God real nature is wickedness because he makes those satanic cults which are sacrifice newborn babies for Satan or he makes Nazis which are making soap from innocent Jewish children at the Holocaust. What can I answer?

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  • ML

    Mordechai Litzman -4 years ago

    Did the worship of Moloch involve the priests banging on drums to drown out the cries of the children being burnt?

    If the father brings the child through the fire, doesn't he get burnt up as well?

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  • SM

    Sara Metzger -4 years ago

    Someone asked...

    Rabbi, are you permitted to say the names of these avoda zara because you are teaching about it?
     What if you are only discussing it/studying it?

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  • M

    Masha -4 years ago

    Question for Rabbi YY

    We missed you yesterday and are so glad you’re back! You are the oxygen to our Neshamas!

    Reply to this comment.Flag this comment.

  • S

    Sara -4 years ago

    How would we know if the person (navi) really did or didn't get a message from GD?

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    • S

      Sara -4 years ago

      LOL you just addressed. If the prophecy comes true then we would know he was tellilng the truth. If it's only 99% comes true, then we know navi was lying. But sometimes prophecies take a long time to be realized, no? Maybe in our lifetime when the navi says it's so, we don't see it? 

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  • M

    Moshe -4 years ago

    An IDF squad finishes their service. One soldier who is interested

    in Buddism tells his buddies, "come, let's go to India to an ashram I've heard of, there's some great spirituality there, not like these guys in Mea Shearim!" 

      In the times of Torah Law prevailing, guilty?

      

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  • RCS

    RICHARD C STEMPEL -4 years ago

    Question for Rabbi YY

    what time is today's RAMBAM shiur really expected to start, or is it cancelled?

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    • M

      Moshe -4 years ago

      shiur is on

      Reply to this comment.Flag this comment.

  • KCS

    Kaila C Stempel -4 years ago

    Question for Rabbi YY

    has your 12:00 pm Rambam shiur started?

    Reply to this comment.Flag this comment.

    • M

      Moshe -4 years ago

      shiur is  on

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  • Anonymous -4 years ago

    6:3

    daas umachshava

    לוקח מקצת זרעו. פירש מקצת זרעו שאין חיוב בכל זרעו וכמו שמבאר להדיא להלן סוף ה"ד, ועיין בכ"מ שמביא קושיא היאך פטור והלוא כבר נתחייב במקצת זרעו ובמה נפקע החיוב, ומפרש שהחיוב תלוי ועומד, ובערוך לנר תמה הלוא התראת ספק היא וא"כ לא נחייב במקצת שמא יעביר כולו.
    ונראה שהחיוב מיד ובכל זרעו נפקע ולכן לא נקרא התראת ספק, וא"ש טפי לסברת הסמ"ג שבכולם פטור שהאסור חמור כ"כ שאין לו כפרה שפיר נפטר מגזירת הכתוב לאחר שנתחייב.

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  • Anonymous -4 years ago

    6:7

    why there is a minhag women do not bow down on yomkippur during the avodah

    (reshimus shiurim brachos)

    https://hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=58735&hilite=f02e4f32-1b53-42f3-889d-987b9a77da0c&st=%d7%94%d7%90%d7%91%d7%a0%d7%99%d7%9d&pgnum=301

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  • S

    Sara -4 years ago

    The punishments...

    I guess the punishments which will discussed in a later chapter will delineate which is worse, better, the same ?? Why one chosen over another, etc.

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  • Anonymous -4 years ago

    6:9.10

    Mishnas Yakov

    הנוטע אילן אצל המזבח או בכל העזרה וכו' ה"ז לוקה וכו', אסור לעשות אכסדראות של עץ במקדש וכו' אע"פ שהוא בבנין ואינו עץ נטוע וכו'.
    ועי' בראב"ד שכתב דהא דעשו בימה של עץ למלך בשעת הקהל וכן גזוזטרא שהקיפו בעזרת נשים בשמחת בית השואבה משום דזה היה רק לשעתה, ועי' בכ"מ שכ' דבפ"א מהלכות בית הבחירה תירץ הראב"ד מהא דשמחת בית השואבה בענין אחר, ע"ש.
    נ"ב. עי' בפי' הראב"ד הנדפס מכת"י בדפוס וילנא, בפ"א ממס' תמיד שכתב: כמו כן נראה לומר, דבימה לא צריך לאסרה משום לא תטע, אפי' אם היתה ממש בקביעות לשם, דא"ל דכל דבר שיש בו אהל, דומיא דנטיעה שיושבין בצלו, זהו אסור לעשות כן, אבל בענין איצטבאות ובימה, אינו נראה שתהיה אסורה וכו', דמידי דמאהיל בעינן, דומיא מה שהתורה אסרה, ע"ש, והוא תי' חדש שלא כתבו הראב"ד לא בהלכות ע"ז ולא בהלכות ביה"ב.
    והנה בראב"ד שם כתב לפני זה ליישב מה שמקשים בתוס' צרפת בהא דהגמ' בסוטה מא, ב, מקשה לגבי הבימה של עץ שעשו בהקהל, דאיך ישב ע"ז המלך, הא אין ישיבה בעזרה אלא למלכי ב"ד. והק' דהא גגין ועליות לא נתקדשו. ותי' דכיון דלא היה קבוע, שפיר נתקדשו, ובראב"ד תירץ דמה דאמרי' דגגין ועליות לא נתקדשו, היינו אותן שהיו בשעת קדוש העזרה, ולא אותן שנבנו אח"כ, ע"ש. ושאלתי את מרן החזו"א דלפ"ז מה פריך בגמ' בפסחים פה, ב, על רב דאמר הא דגגין וכו', מהא דכזיתא פסחא והלילא פקע איגרא, דילמא היו הגגין מאותן שנבנו אח"כ. וענה לי מרן זצ"ל דודאי ידועה לי שיטתו שאין לסמוך על כת"י הנמצאין בהפסקת מסורת דור דור, ואמנם כן כתב בספרו חזו"א או"ח סי' ל"ט סק"ו, יעו"ש. אולם כיסוד דברי הראב"ד הנז', כתב גם בשו"ת הרדב"ז ח"ב סי' תרצ"א. וקשה מדברי הגמ' הנז', וכבר דברו בזה האחרונים.
    ורציתי לומר לאור דברי הראב"ד הנז', במה ששאלתי אם יש עדיפותא כעת של ירושלים [עי' כתובות קי, ב, ושו"ע אהע"ז סי' ע"ה סעיף ד'], וזה מאחר שגגין ועליות לא נתקדשו, וזה גם ביחס לירושלים כנראה מפסחים פה, ב, וערש"י שם. [ועתוס' מכות יב, א, ד"ה אילן, ובמהרש"א שם ובמ"ל פי"א משגגות ה"ד], והלא ידוע שירושלים בנויה כעת על עליות, שכבות על שכבות, ולמש"כ הראב"ד, הרי מה שנבנו עליות אח"כ, לא מבטל קדושת האויר שנתקדש מכבר, ושפיר יש קדושת ירושלים על העליות שנבנו אח"כ, אך מרן החזו"א זצוק"ל א"ל כנז' שאין לסמוך על כתבי-יד. ומה ששאלתי מהעדיפות של ירושלים, אמר שלכהפ"ח בטוחים ששם ארץ ישראל, כי על הרבה מקומות יש ספק אם כבשוה עולי בבל, או לא. ועי' קובץ אגרות חזו"א ח"א סי' ק"פ.

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  • Anonymous -4 years ago

    Parshas Shoftim

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  • Anonymous -4 years ago

    Halacha 9 Beis Hakneses Rav akiva Eiger / Rav CHaim Slevetchik

    https://hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=50707&st=&pgnum=145

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  • M

    Moshe -4 years ago

    C. 6. Hal 9. No trees on the Har Habayis

    as seen from a drone shot of the Har Habayis today, there are many trees on the Har Habayis  How was this permitted by the jewish authorities post 1967? Or is it a law for yidden only? Do yidden have an obligation to fight it or remove them even if a place by Muslims? 

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    • Anonymous -4 years ago

      Does the issur apply today- see below

      Reply to this comment.Flag this comment.

    • Anonymous -4 years ago

      sefer abuot this topic

        קונטרס בעניין נטיעת עץ במקדש - הלפרין, ירחמיאל ישראל יצחק

      https://hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=57893&st=&pgnum=5

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  • M

    Moshe -4 years ago

    C. 6. Hal. 7. Exceptions allowed in the Beis Hamigdash

    what is rhe rationale for the cases where we ate forbidden from certain things but it is permitted, even required, in the Beis Hamigdash? The Keruvim. Prostration on a stone floor directly as here? Certain melachas on Shabbos? 

    Interesting that Muslims dafka so prostrate. 

    I have seen Breslovers prostrate themselves fully on the stone kevorim in Tsfas. ???

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    • Anonymous -4 years ago

      answer to above question

      daas umachshava

      אבל במקדש מותר להשתחוות. עיין בחינוך (שמ"ט) שבשאר מקומות חוששין שיעשה האבנים אלוה, אבל בבית המקדש שנבחר אין לחשוד, ומקשה על הרמב"ם שמפרש הטעם להרחיק מע"ז שהיו עושין כן ע"ש, ולא נתבאר כוונתו גם לרמב"ם יש לומר שאין חוששין במקום קדוש ונורא שיפנה מזה למחשבת עבודה זרה.

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  • M

    Moshe -4 years ago

    chapter 6, halacha 6. No pillars

    it seems to me that the Avos frequently set up pillars to Hashem.

    Was this then allowed before Mattan Torah? Didn't the Avos keep the Torah before it was given?  (unless it contravened another principle like breaking a promise to marry Rochel). 

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    • Anonymous -4 years ago

      rashi in chumash adresses this question

      Reply to this comment.Flag this comment.

  • M

    Moshe -4 years ago

    chapter 6 halacha 4. If only one child passes thru the fire, not liable?

    Can this be? The prohibition is to hand over a child to Molech to be passed thru a fire. The Rambam seems to be saying that if the father does not hand over ALL of his children he is not liable?

    Does the prohibition include boys and girls? 

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    • Anonymous -4 years ago

      answer to above found in rambam moreh nevuchim

      ואינו חייב עד שימסור מקצת זרעו ויניח מקצת. במ"נ ח"ג (פרק ל"ז) מסביר שהעכו"ם דרשו מי שאינו מוסר אחד מבניו ימותו כולם, ונשים התפעלו מפני קלות דעתן, והתורה החמירה מאד בזה וכמבואר בפסוק ושמתי אני את פני באיש ההוא ובמשפחתו שלא יוכל להציל משפחתו, והרמב"ם מביא שם שגם בזמנו הביאו קטנים על אש במוגמר וזהו דרכי ע"ז, והאסור רק במקצת זרעו שדרכם כך דוקא וכמ"ש.

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  • M

    Moshe -4 years ago

    Halacha 3 chapter 6 Fire of Molech

    the father hands the child to the priest. The priest then hands the child back  to the father. The father then passes the child thru fire.

    Why does this sound familiar?

    In our pidyun haben, lehavdil, the jewish father passes the child to the jewish priest. The Cohen then offers the father a choice of the child or silver. The father, if he can afford it, usually chooses they child and gives the silver to the Cohen and takes the child. 

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  • M

    Moshe -4 years ago

    Ghostbusting

    is it permissible for a nonjew as part of the 7 Noahide laws,, to practice attempted communication with ghosts, either as a parnassa or customer?  Can a Jewish landlord rent out space for this? 

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  • Anonymous -4 years ago

    Nothing on Zoom either

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    • A

      Admin -4 years ago

      Class was postponed and didn't happen yet, the time will be announced

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      • Anonymous -4 years ago

        Thank you for the clarification. Hoping all is well, IY"H!

        Reply to this comment.Flag this comment.

  • Anonymous -4 years ago

    Still nothing live streaming here in Florida at 11:38am. Hope all is well!

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    • A

      Admin -4 years ago

      Class was postponed and didn't happen yet, the time will be announced

      Reply to this comment.Flag this comment.

  • R

    RICHARD -4 years ago

    Question for Rabbi YY

    not getting anything yet

    Reply to this comment.Flag this comment.

    • A

      Admin -4 years ago

      Class was postponed and didn't happen yet, the time will be announced

      Reply to this comment.Flag this comment.

  • CC

    Cynthia Carsley -4 years ago

    Question for Rabbi YY

    Are we having a class today at 11? Thanks

    Reply to this comment.Flag this comment.

    • A

      Admin -4 years ago

      Class was postponed and didn't happen yet, the time will be announced

      Reply to this comment.Flag this comment.

  • AH

    Alizah Hochstead -4 years ago

    Question for Rabbi YY

    I am on my computer here in Beitar and nothing is coming thru

    Reply to this comment.Flag this comment.

    • A

      Admin -4 years ago

      Class was postponed and didn't happen yet, the time will be announced

      Reply to this comment.Flag this comment.

  • M

    Moshe -4 years ago

    Idols of wood and stone

    The Rambam keeps referring to "idols of wood and stone". Why not idols of gold and silver and more precious materials? One would think that an avoda zoranik would make his "getchka" out of the best possible,  the most expensive materials.  If i was a getchka I would be insulted that my followers used cheap wood or stone.

    Rather this is a veiled reference, in times of likely persecution,  to xianity and Islam. Yoshkie was hung on wood. Mohammed's horse struck the rock on the Har Habayis that is in the center of the mosque there even today, before supposedly ascending to his fate upstairs.

    Google "Torah codes and wood and stone" for some interesting Torah code findings about the relationship of wood and  stone to these 2. 

    Reply to this comment.Flag this comment.

    • DHK

      Dr. Heshie Klein -4 years ago

      Moshe, good question. You think and write like an attorney. Wood and stone are building materials. They are used in constructing homes, edifices, towers, bridges.

      Structures that are sturdy, and have a material purpose and usage. Designed to last.

      Gold and silver, on the other hand, are decorative and ornamental, but cannot be used to create structures. Compared to gold and silver, wood and stone are much less expensive. Gold and silver are more malleable and cannot support structures of great size, height and weight.

      Can you imagine the cost of building a “Tower of Bavel” of the Eifel Tower out of gold and silver?

      Concrete (stone) is very solid and can withstand huge loads in compression. Gold and silver cannot withstand the compression loads of a skyscraper.

      While I understand that if you were a getchka, chas v’sholom, you might be more enamored to be created from gold and/or silver. Idolaters create idols with structural wood, stone and steel, and decorate them with gold and silver, but the structural elements are mostly wood and stone. Consider the Vatican, and the Notre-Dame de Paris cathedral.

      Then consider the Bais HaMikdash – made completely of stone, with gold ornaments, as in the Menorah, the Aron HaKodesh, made of wood and covered with a layer of gold, with two Keruvim of gold.

      Moshe, please keep thinking like an attorney, and not like a getchka. Getchkas have no brains, no thoughts, no feelings, no heart, no soul, and they can’t go to court and litigate like attorneys do.

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  • M

    Moshe -4 years ago

    Halacha 3: warnings, entrapment and spying

    because of the nature of the crime of attempting to or actually seducing another to avoda zora, no warning can be given because no one is a  mind reader. 

    The process to trap and catch an attempred secucer in halacha 3 would be called entrapment and covert operations in secular law. 

    Like the exception in halacha 1 about attempt, here too this is never done for any other aveirah.  

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  • M

    Moshe -4 years ago

    Halacha 1: lehavdil, in secular law, if one attempts to commit a crime

    but for any reason he is not successful, he is charged with attempt which is just as serious. If I shoot to kill but miss I am guilty of attempted murder. If I try to rob a bank but they catch me, its attempt. Not having successfully completed ny criminal goal does not exculpate me.

     This is true here for attempted seduction to avoda zora but, might not be true for any other attempted but unsuccessful jewish crime. 

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Rambam Mishneh Torah

Rabbi YY Jacobson

  • August 19, 2020
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  • 29 Av 5780
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  • 1030 views

Dedicated by Fariborz Sani, in loving memory and soul-elevation of Rachamin ben Aziz Sani Halevi; and in honor of the Sani family and relatives

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