According to Deuteronomy 17:2–7, idolatry is punishable by execution, specifically stoning. Jewish law teaches that it’s one of three cardinal sins, those for which a person is supposed to submit to death rather than commit them. A classic example is the story of Hannah’s seven sons, who were commanded to worship an idol and refused, for which they were executed, one-by-one.
Given this context, it’s a tad puzzling to see the Gemara on today’s daf hosting a debate over whether a person should be executed for bowing down to an idol:
Abaye says he is liable because he worshipped it. Rava says he is exempt, as the criterion for becoming liable for idol worship is as follows: If one sincerely accepted the idol upon himself as a god, yes, he is liable; but if he did not accept it sincerely, he is not liable.
For Abaye, the worshipful action itself incurs culpability. The actor’s mental state or motivation do not matter. Rava, on the other hand, says liability attaches only if the person sincerely accepted the idol as a god.
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Abaye cites a number rationales for his position, with Rava responding to each. Let’s look at one of these exchanges:
Abaye said: From where do I say that one who worships idols due to love or fear is liable? As it is taught in a beraita with regard to the verse: “You shall not bow to them nor worship them” (Exodus 20:5): “To them” — to idols, you may not bow, but you may bow to a person like yourself; bowing to a person is merely the acceptance of authority. One might have thought that it is permitted to bow even to a person who is worshipped like a god, like Haman; therefore, the verse states: “Nor worship them.” Abaye concludes: And wasn’t Haman worshipped due to fear.
Abaye’s biblical proof text is sound: Exodus bans bowing and worshipping them; it’s safe to assume that the pronoun’s referent is in the immediately previous verse: “You shall not make for yourself a sculptured image, or any likeness of what is in the heavens above, or on the earth below, or in the waters under the earth.” For that reason, bowing to an idol is clearly unacceptable, while bowing to a person might be permitted. But what about “worshipping”? Some types of idol worship include bowing to a person, and Abaye takes this to mean that bowing to a person in a way that imitates other types of idolatrous practices is also prohibited. Mordechai’s refusal to bow to Haman is a key example.
Homing in on Haman, Rava has a slightly different take:
One might have thought that it is permitted to bow even to a person like Haman in one regard, but not like Haman in all aspects. It is referring to one like Haman in that Haman himself was an object of idol worship, as he claimed he was a god, and one who worships a person out of belief in his divinity is liable. But the reference is to one who is not like Haman in all aspects, as while Haman was worshipped due to fear, and one who engages in idol worship due to fear is not liable, here the reference is to one who worships a person not due to fear.
Rava claims that Haman’s confidence in his own divinity meant that some people might have bowed to him out of a similar belief. This, Rava says, would render a person liable for idol worship. However, Haman clearly inspired fear in others, and according to Rava, a person who bowed to Haman for that reason would be excused from liability.
So where does this leave us? The Mishneh Torah rules in favor of Rava, saying that worshipping an idol out of love or fear, but not sincere belief in its divinity, does not incur liability. However, the Rama, in his glosses on the Shulchan Aruch, cautions that bowing, even without the required intent, is a serious offence and not to be done lightly.
Read all of Sanhedrin 61 on Sefaria.
This piece originally appeared in a My Jewish Learning Daf Yomi email newsletter sent on February 15, 2025. If you are interested in receiving the newsletter, sign up here.
