Page 28 - Tzurba M'Rabanan Volume1

26 · Hilchot Avoda Zara I Tzurba M’Rabanan

In addition to discussing the halachic status of Christianity, the poskim also discuss the nature of the
prohibition to enter a church.

p Responsa Yechaveh Daat 4:45 המ:ד | תעד הוחי ת”וש . 11
Question: Is it permitted for a Jew to enter a church? לש הייסנכב רקבל ידוהיל רתומ םאה :הלאש
Answer: In Masechet Avoda Zara (17a) it is explained that ?םירצונ
there is a prohibition even to come close to the entrance ,ראובמ )א”ע זי ףד( הרז הדובע תכסמב :הבושת
of a house of idol worship, as the verse states: “Do not לש תיבה חתפל ברקתהל וליפא רוסיא שיש
come close to the entrance of her house.” This is also ןכו .התיב חתפ לא ברקת לא רמאנש ,הרז הדובע
stated [explicitly] by Tosafot there… Indeed it has been
clarified by the Rambam that Christians are considered idol ףוס( ם”במרב ראובמ הנהו …םש תופסותה ובתכ
worshipers and therefore their churches are real houses of םירצונהש ,)תורוסא תולכאמ תוכלהמ א”י קרפ
idol worship. Therefore, it is quite clear that it is prohibited תיבכ םתייסנכ ןיד אליממו ,םה הרז הדובע ידבוע
to visit churches. רקבל רוסאש דואמ רורב ןכלו ,שממ הרז הדובע
In summary: The matter is clear that it is absolutely .םירצונה תייסנכב
prohibited to visit their churches. Tour guides must be רקבל טלחהב רוסאש רורב רבדה :םוכיסב
careful not to stumble in this matter or cause other Jews רמשהל תוריית יכירדמ לעו ,םירצונ לש תויסנכב
who are visiting Israel to stumble by taking them to these םידוהי ולישכי אלו ולשכי לבל דואמ רהזהלו
churches, as this constitutes a transgression of “lifnei iver”… ,םירצונה תויסנכ לא םליבוהל לארשיב םירקבמה
…לושכמ ןתת אל רוע ינפלו םושמ רוסיא הזב שיש

FURTHER IYUN
For an extensive study on the prohibition of entering a church and the status of Christianity in contemporary times, see page 41.

The consensus of the poskim is that it is forbidden to enter a church in most situations (see the Further Iyun
section). Moreover, most poskim forbid entering a church that is currently used only as a tourist or historical
site, as it still retains the status of a house of idol worship. 4

article R. J. David Bleich in Tradition 2011, available at www.traditionarchive.org/news/_pdfs/0073-0102.pdf. See also Rav Chaim Dovid HaLevi
(Techumin 9; Sefer Bein Yisrael Le’amim) who discusses the possibility that Christians today are not completely considered idol worshipers with
regard to specific issues. See the essay in the further iyun section at the back for a more extensive discussion about this. [Addition of the editors of
the English edition]
4. Rav Chaim Dovid HaLevi (Aseh Lecha Rav 4:53) adopts a minority opinion that it is permitted to visit churches that are no longer active but only
function as historical sites. [Addition of the editors of the English edition]

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