Talmud su Deuteronomio 27:15

MISHNAH: Six tribes climbed to the top of Mount Gerizim and six tribes climbed to the top of Mount Ebal⁸³Deut. 27:12–13; Jos. 8:33. while the Cohanim, the Levites, and the ark were below in the middle. The Cohanim were surrounding the ark, the Levites the Cohanim, and all of Israel [were] on both sides, as it was said⁸⁴Jos. 8:33.: “And all of Israel, its Elders, its policemen, its judges were standing on both sides of the ark …” They turned their faces towards Mount Gerizim and opened with the blessing: “Blessed be the man who will not make a hewn or molten [image], the Eternal’s abomination, made by an artisan, and will not put it up in secret.” These and those did answer and say: Amen. They turned their faces towards Mount Ebal and opened with the curse⁸⁵Deut. 27:15.: “Cursed be the man who would make a hewn or molten [image], the Eternal’s abomination, made by an artisan, and would put it up in secret.” These and those did answer and say: Amen, until they finished blessings and curses.

One could think that those on Mount Gerizim did recite the blessings and those on Mount Ebal did recite the curses, the verse⁹¹There is no such verse; both in Deut. 30:1 and Jos. 8:34 the singular is used. The plural is used for “blessings” in Deut. 28:2, for “curses” in Deut. 28:15. says “the blessings and the curses”; both were saying blessings and curses. One could think that after they had recited the blessings they were reciting the curses, the verse⁹²Deut. 11:26, Jos. 8:34. From here on, a similar argument is in Sifry Deut. 55; that text is reproduced in the Babli, 37b. says “the blessing and the curse”, one blessing and one curse. One could think that those on Mount Gerizim did answer “Amen” after the blessings and those on Mount Ebal did answer “Amen” after the curses, the verse⁹³Deut. 27:15. says “the entire people will answer and say “Amen”; these and those did answer “Amen” after the blessings and after the curses. How is that? When they were reciting the blessings they were turning their faces towards Mount Gerizim; when they were reciting the curses they were turning their faces towards Mount Ebal.

“A Gentile’s idol is immediately forbidden,” therefore it can be annulled. “But a Jew’s only when it is worshipped,” therefore it cannot be annulled. Rebbi Ze`ira said, there is no “therefore”<sup>58</sup>It is not a logical consequence. The Tosephta, 5:3, notes that it is a logical consequence of the opposite opinion. If the idol made by a Jew is immediately forbidden even if he did not worship it then it follows that he cannot annul it (except maybe by melting it down) but the Gentile whose idol becomes forbidden only if worshipped can annul an idol by an act of non-worship., only “it cannot be annulled or it can be annulled”. “A Gentile’s idol is immediately forbidden,” as it is written<sup>59</sup>Deut. 12:20.: you certainly shall destroy.“But a Jew’s only when it is worshipped,” as it is written<sup>60</sup>Deut. 27:15. The argument is from the later part of the verse, cursed be the man who would make a hewn or molten image and put it up in secret. As long as it is not put up there is no curse. The Babli, 52a, reads the verse as stating that the curse applies when the idol is made., cursed be the man who makes a hewn or molten image, etc., when he puts it up. But some are switching this<sup>61</sup>Tosephta 5:4.. “A Jew’s idol is immediately forbidden,” for it is written, cursed be the man. “But a Gentile’s only when it was worshipped,” as it is written<sup>59</sup>Deut. 12:20., you certainly shall destroy all the places where these peoples worshipped. Rebbi Isaac bar Naḥman in the name of Samuel understood it from the following: If you inherited it when it was a god you shall burn it in fire<sup>62</sup>This probably should be a quote of Deut. 7:25., otherwise of which you will inherit their gods<sup>63</sup>The full verse reads: you certainly shall destroy all the places where these peoples worshipped, whom you are going to inherit, their gods. By taking only a fraction of the verse it is turned into permission to inherit the statues of the gods. This implies that if the Gentiles do not consider them as gods any more, the prohibition of usufruct is lifted.. Rebbi Joḥanan in the name of Rebbi Yannai understood it from the following: You should not covet silver or gold for them<sup>64</sup>` Deut. 8:25. If the Gentiles covet their silver and gold, you may take it. In the Babli, 52a, is a similar argument. Samuel reads the verse, do not covet silver or gold for them and take for yourself as: you may not covet silver or gold for them but you may be permitted to take for yourself.. You cannot covet and take, but others can covet and you are taking.