A Yissachar / Zebulun Partnership in Loving Memory of Yishak ben Simcha A"H & Felicia bat Miriam A"H
Rabbi Joseph Dana

Torah Lecture

Mishnah Avodah Zarah 4-2

Lectured by Rabbi Joseph Dana

Published
May 2, 2025
Duration
1:48
Lecture code
RJD-MAVDZRA-4-2

This transcript was auto-generated and polished for readability. While we aim for accuracy, errors may occur. If you notice a mistake, please click to submit corrections.

We'll continue talking about the Markulis idol, which they would worship by throwing things at it. Beyond the actual idol, which is prohibited, two other types of prohibitions exist. You can't benefit from anything that was used to decorate the idol. And number two, there's a prohibition to use anything that was offered to the idol. Any korban (offering)-type thing, anything that was offered as an offering to the idol.

The Mishnah says: If a person found coins, a garment, or utensils near the Markulis idol, right on top of it, one may benefit from them because they are not used to decorate the idol. The Gemara comments here that this is only when they are displayed or put onto the idol in a way that's obviously not for decoration. But if it looks like they're obviously for decoration, even if it's one of those three items—money, a garment, or a utensil—then it would be problematic.

If there's a vine of grapes, a crown of grain that they would make by attaching grain to each other in a braid and putting it around someone's head, jars of wine, oil, or flour, or any other type of thing that would be brought on the Bet HaMikdash's mizbeach (altar), they would be prohibited to use because we have to assume that they were used as an offering to the idol. All these other types of items that would normally be brought on the mizbeach of the Bet HaMikdash, if they're used over here, we would have to assume that they were for the idol and therefore they're prohibited to benefit from.