This Mishnah will discuss an exchange between certain philosophers in Rome and the Hachamim about Avodah Zarah (idol worship). This will conclude the discussion about idol worship, and the Mishnah will continue with yayin nesach (wine used for idolatrous libations).
The Mishnah says that the Romans, the philosophers of Rome, asked the Zekenim, the elders, the Hachamim in Rome: “Hashem doesn’t want Avodah Zarah to exist. Why doesn’t he get rid of it? Hashem has the power. If he wants people not to worship idols, he should simply destroy all the idols in the world. So the fact that idol worship is not destroyed seems to mean that Hashem is implicated. He shouldn’t be bothered by it.”
The rabbis answered the philosophers: “If the idol worshippers would only worship things that the world doesn’t need, he would get rid of them. The problem is, they worship the sun, the moon, the stars, and all the constellations. He will destroy the whole world, and all of these things, because of some fools who are worshipping these heavenly bodies as gods. Hashem is not going to destroy all of them.”
So the philosophers answered back: “If so, you’re right. Let Hashem leave the sun and the moon and all those things. But let him destroy the idols that are man-made—all the statues, all the images—and leave the things that the world needs, like the sun and the moon, the stars, and the constellations.” They said, say the scholars back: “If that would happen, in a way, we would have no choice but to agree with the people who are worshipping the sun and the moon and all that. Why would we be with them? Why would we also be sort of part of their team? Because now, what would the people who are worshipping the star and the moon, etc., all say? They would say, ‘Look, you could recognize that the sun and the moon are running the world because they didn’t get destroyed. Therefore, they’re the true gods. Everything else that got destroyed, which were real idols, got destroyed because they didn’t really run the world. So whatever didn’t get destroyed really is the god.’”
So Hashem didn’t destroy any idols. He didn’t destroy the sun and the moon. He allows them to exist and continue to be worshipped because there’s no other alternative. Hashem also doesn’t destroy these things because he wants to give man free will. We have the ability to worship Hashem and to do good or not to do good. Hashem keeps free will in the world. And therefore, in order to ensure that the people who worship idols, they don't get punished immediately because then there would be no more free will. Everyone wouldn’t worship idols anymore, and they would just worship Hashem, and there would be no point to it. We would become robots. So therefore, in order to keep this idea of free will in the world, Hashem keeps all options open. It’s up to us to choose the right thing.