Page 26 - Tzurba M'Rabanan Volume1

24 · Hilchot Avoda Zara I Tzurba M’Rabanan

The Halachic Status of Christianity

In six places in the Mishneh Torah, the Rambam relates to Christianity and its founder, and he rules
categorically that it is considered complete idolatry.

r Rambam, Hilchot Avoda Zara 9:4 ד:ט הרז הדובע ’לה | ם”במר 6 .
The Christians are idol worshipers and Sunday is [considered] םוי אוה ןושאר םויו םה ז”ע ידבוע םירצונה
the day of their festival. Therefore, it is forbidden to do business ץראב םהמע תאשלו תתל רוסא ךכיפל ,םדיא
with them in the Land of Israel on Thursday and Friday every תבשו תבש לכבש ישש םויו ישימח םוי לארשי
single week, and certainly on Sunday itself, which is forbidden רוסא אוהש ומצע ןושאר םוי רמול ךירצ ןיאו
in any location. This is how we relate to them regarding all of .םהידיא לכב םהמע ןיגהונ ןכו ,םוקמ לכב
their festivals. 2

r Rambam, Hilchot Maachalot Asurot 11:7 ז:אי תורוסא תולכאמ ’לה | ם”במר 7 .
[Concerning] a Ger Toshav – one who has accepted upon ומכ תוצמ עבש וילע לביקש אוהו בשות רג
himself the seven mitzvot of the sons of Noach, as we ,היינהב רתומו הייתשב רוסא וניי ונראיבש
have explained – it is prohibited to drink his wine, but it is ,ןיי ולצא ןידיקפמ ןיאו ןיי ולצא ןידחיימו
permitted to derive benefit from it. And one may leave wine ולא ןוגכ ם”וכע דבוע וניאש ם”וכע לכ ןכו
with him briefly, but not for an extended period. Similarly היינהב רתומו הייתשב רוסא ןניי םילאעמשיה
with regard to any gentile who does not worship idolatry, *םידבועה םתוא לבא ,םינואגה לכ ורוה ןכו
such as the Ishmaelites, their wine may not be drunk, but one
may derive benefit from it, and such was the opinion of all .היינהב רוסא םניי םתס ם”וכע
the Geonim. But one may not derive benefit from the wine of םירצונה לבא – תירוקמ הסריג*
those [gentiles] who worship idolatry.*
* In the original version – the Christians

Other opinions argue that Christians are not considered idol worshipers. This is based on the opinion of
Tosafot that gentiles are not subject to the prohibition of shituf (partnering a deity with G-d).

r Tosafot, Masechet Sanhedrin 63b :גס ןירדהנס תכסמ | תופסות 8 .
Rabbeinu Tam says that it is permitted to receive an oath from םדאל רוסא ה”ד
a gentile… Although they mention the name of Heaven with ףאו …העובשה ונמיה לבקל רתומ רמוא ת”רו
them and their intentions are for something else, nevertheless םתנווכו ש”ש םהמע ןיריכזמש המש יפ לע
this isn’t considered idolatry for they are still referring to the םג םיבכוכ תדובע םש הז ןיא מ”מ רחא רבדל
One who created the heavens. And although they mention the

2. According to this, it would seem that it is forbidden to do business with Christians on these days, but the common practice for hundreds of years
has been to permit commerce with them. The Rishonim have suggested various explanations for this, such as: Gentiles are no longer entirely
committed to their faith as idol worshipers once were (Tosafot, Avoda Zara 2a), due to concerns of enmity (Tosafot ibid.), it would be impossible
to refrain from such a practice and the Sages were therefore more lenient in their decree (Ramban, Avoda Zara 13a), and commerce nowadays
is so common that no Christian would go and thank his gods for any profit obtained, which was the original reason given for this decree (Meiri,
Avoda Zara 2a).

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