Comentario citado sobre Levítico 19:4

You shall each fear your mother and your father, etc.: He first commanded about the fear of father and mother, because one who honors his father and mother, and is afraid of them, recognizes those who gave him birth and who created him. And likewise is it incumbent upon his father and mother to also do to their forebears, and likewise those to those up until the supernal Elder who created everything. And so, from the fear of one's father and mother, he will recognize the existence of the Creator, may He be blessed, and His awe. This is along the lines of that which [the Sages] said (Kiddushin 30b), "I count it for you as if I lived among them and you honored Me." And from the Shabbat as well, we know and we believe in the origin of the world and that it has an Originator who originated it during the six days of creation. So, "I am the Lord your God," will then be fulfilled. And afterwards He warned about combination [of God with other forces], like His saying (Leviticus 19:4), "Do not turn to the idols," and distance yourself from that which is ugly and that which is similar to it, from combination and that which is similar to it. And because of this, he warned about the thinking of pigul, which is when he slaughters a sacrifice today in order to eat from it tomorrow, outside of its [allotted] time. For it is necessary to not mix and combine any other thought with it. And this is the meaning of (Leviticus 19:5), "you shall slaughter it to be acceptable for you."

THOU SHALT HAVE NO OTHER GODS BEFORE MY FACE. Rashi wrote: “Thou shalt have no other gods. Why is this said?²⁷⁰Since it says, I am the Eternal thy God, etc., it already means, “I, am not another.” Why then does He state again, Thou shalt not have other gods before Me? It is because it says, Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image.²⁷⁵Verse 4. From this I would only know that it is forbidden to make an idol. Whence do I know that one may not keep an idol that has already been made? Scripture therefore says, Thou shalt have no other gods.” This is indeed a Beraitha²⁷⁶See Seder Bo, Note 209. taught in the Mechilta.²⁷⁷Mechilta on the verse here. But if this is so, this verse would constitute a negative commandment in itself, being a prohibition against a person who retains an idol on his premises. [The violation thereof] does not make one liable to the death-penalty by the court. So [the question arises]: Why did He state the prohibition against keeping an idol, which makes one liable to whipping, before [He stated] the prohibition against bowing down to idols or worshipping them,²⁷⁸In Verse 5. which makes one liable to extinction [if done intentionally but with no witnesses present], or death by the court [if there were witnesses]?
In my opinion, the final decision of the Law is not in accordance with this Beraitha,²⁷⁶See Seder Bo, Note 209. for it represents the opinion of a single Sage [against the opinion of the majority]. Thus we find it taught in the Sifra:²⁷⁹Sifra, beginning of Seder Kedoshim (Leviticus, Chapter 19). On “Sifra,” See above, Note 52. “Nor make ye to yourselves molten gods.²⁸⁰Leviticus 19:4. I might think that others may make it for you. Scripture therefore says, Nor… to yourselves. From this I know only that [others may not make it] for you, but I might think that you may make it for others. Scripture therefore says, Nor make ye: not for you by others, and not by you for others. It is from here that the Rabbis have derived the principle that he who makes an idol for himself, transgresses two negative commandments: Nor make ye, and Nor… to yourselves. Rabbi Yosei says, ‘He transgresses three negative commandments: Nor make ye, Nor… to yourselves, and also Thou shalt have no other gods.’” Thus you see that Rabbi Yosei’s opinion is that of one against a majority, for it is he who says that the verse Thou shalt have no other gods constitutes a prohibition against retaining an idol [in one’s house]. However, according to the opinion of the first Sage, [which is that of the majority of the Rabbis], it is not so.
The correct interpretation even according to the literal meaning of Scripture is that the usage of the language of the verse here is similar to the expressions: and the Eternal shall be my G-d;²⁸¹Genesis 28:21. to be your G-d.²⁸²Leviticus 11:45. The verse here thus states that excepting the Eternal only, we are not to have others as gods, neither from all the angels above nor from all the host of heaven who are called elohim. This is something like that which is said, he that sacrificeth ‘la’elohim’ (unto the gods) save unto the Eternal only, shall be utterly destroyed.²⁸³Further, 22:19. It is thus a prohibition against believing in any of these beings, accepting them as gods, or saying to them, “thou art my god.”²⁸⁴See Psalms 140:7 and Sanhedrin 60b. This is also the opinion of Onkelos, who translated: “[thou shalt have no] other gods excepting Me.”²⁸⁵Ramban’s intent is evidently as follows: Since Onkelos always translated elohim acheirim as ta’avath am’maya (the deceptions of the nations) — see e.g., further, 23:13 — and here he translated, ela acharan (other gods), it shows that he referred to the angels of above, etc.
Know that wherever Scripture says elohim acheirim, the meaning is “others besides the Glorious Name.” It uses this expression with reference to accepting G-d or worshipping Him, thus saying: “Do not accept them upon yourselves as G-d, with the exception only of the Eternal.” But when Scripture speaks of making idols, it will never say acheirim (others) — [“other gods”] — Heaven forbid!²⁸⁶“When speaking of accepting or worshipping G-d, Scripture could say, ‘Do not accept or worship any other god besides the Eternal.’ But when Scripture warns against making an idol, how could it say [that we are] not to make ‘other gods’ when it is G-d Who has made everything and Who was not made!” (Tur.) Instead it says, Nor make to yourselves molten gods;²⁸⁰Leviticus 19:4. Molten gods do not make unto thee.²⁸⁷Further, 34:17. They are called [gods] because they were made with the intent of serving their makers as gods, but in reference to them, Scripture says, For they were no gods, but the works of men’s hands, wood and stone; therefore they have destroyed them.²⁸⁸Isaiah 37:19.
Thus in the second commandment, He admonished us firstly that we should not accept upon ourselves a master from among all gods excepting the Eternal. He then said that we should not make a graven image or any manner of likeness, [and we are not] to bow down to them or worship them in any manner whatsoever. It is for this reason that He said, Thou shalt not bow down unto them,²⁸⁹Verse 5. The intent of Ramban’s words is as follows: According to his own interpretation that this entire second commandment is directed against worshipping idols, we can understand why it says here in Verse 5, Thou shalt not bow down ‘to them’ and it does not say ‘other gods,’ because the purport of that verse is to be understood in connection with the preceding verse: “do not make a graven image, etc., to bow down ‘unto them.’” But according to Rashi, who interpreted Thou shalt have no other gods (Verse 3) as being a prohibition against keeping an idol, and Thou shalt not make unto thee, etc., (Verse 4) as being a prohibition against making idols, Verse 5 should have said, “Thou shalt not bow down ‘to other gods,’” since the subject of worshipping the idols as gods is here mentioned for the first time. since it is connected with the making [of idols — mentioned in the preceding verse] — which He prohibited the people from bowing down to them. Thus all [of the first three verses in this second commandment] constitute prohibitions against worshipping idols, and their violations all entail death by the court. This verse, [i.e., Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, etc. (Verse 4)], is thus not a prohibition against making idols which one does not worship oneself, [as Rashi would have it]. Further on [in Verse 20], He indeed warns against this, as it is said, gods of silver, or gods of gold, ye shall not make unto thee. Similarly, Thou shalt not make unto thee molten gods,²⁸⁷Further, 34:17. Ye shall not make unto thee idols.²⁹⁰Leviticus 26:1.

Enough for you! Hashem said to Moshe that he would receive more importance and honor by not continuing to speak, for it is already decided that he would not enter the land. Moshe will not receive greater honor by continuing to pray, because people will begin to say of him that he is stubborn and refuses to accept it when he does not receive what he wants.