Page 94 - Tzurba M'Rabanan Volume1

92 · Hilchot Chukot Hagoyim Tzurba M’Rabanan

The Definition of the Prohibition

The Torah does not specify the parameters of this prohibition and which types of activities are included. But
the Talmud in Masechet Sanhedrin provides us at least a partial picture when it states that even if something
falls into the category of chukot hagoyim, “statutes of the gentiles,” if it is written in the Torah, it isn’t prohibited.

h Masechet Sanhedrin 52b :בנ ןירדהנס תכסמ 9 .

Mishna: The mitzva of those who are killed: The executioners תא ןיזיתמ ויה – ןיגרהנה תוצמ :הנשמ
cut off his head with a sword, the way that the monarchy does. יבר .השוע תוכלמהש ךרדכ ,ףייסב ושאר
Rabbi Yehuda says: It degrades him. Rather, they place the ןיחינמ אלא ,ול אוה לווינ :רמוא הדוהי
head of the condemned on the block, and chop it off with an ורמא .ץיפוקב ץצוקו ןדסה לע ושאר תא
axe. The Rabbis said to him: There is no death penalty more .וזמ תלוונמ התימ ןיא :ול
degrading than that.
הדוהי יבר ןהל רמא ,אינת :ארמג
GEMARA: It is taught in a beraita Rabbi Yehuda said to the
Rabbis: I too, know that it is a degrading death, but what shall I תלוונמ התימש עדוי ינא ףא :םימכחל
do, as the Torah states: “And you shall not follow their statute. הרות הרמא ירהש ,השעא המ לבא ,איה
And how do the Rabbis respond to this claim? Since the sword is ביתכד ןויכ :ןנברו !וכלת אל םהיתקחבו
written in the Torah, it is not from the gentiles that we learn it. .ןנירמג אק והיינימ אל – אתיירואב ףייס

By contrast, the Gemara in Masechet Avoda Zara appears to present a somewhat different picture:

h Masechet Avoda Zara 8a .ח הרז הדובע תכסמ . 10
MISHNA: And these are the festivals of gentiles: Kalendae, :םיבכוכ ידבוע לש ןהידיא ולאו :הנשמ
Saturnalia, Kratesim, the kings’ days of accession, the day of םויו ,םיסיטרקו ,ארונרטסו ,אדנלק
birth of the king, and the day of death of the king; these are the םויו ,הדילה םויו ,םהיכלמ לש איסונג
words of Rabbi Meir. And the Rabbis say: Every death that has :םירמוא םימכחו ;ריאמ יבר ירבד ,התימה
burning of the king’s possessions involves idol worship, while תדובע הב שי – הפירש הב שיש התימ לכ
one that does not have burning does not involve idol worship.
הב ןיא – הפירש הב ןיאשו ,םיבכוכ
:םיבכוכ תדובע

h Masechet Avoda Zara 11a .אי הרז הדובע תכסמ . 11
It is inferred that according to Rabbi Meir there is no difference שיש התימ אנש אל :רבס מ”רד ללכמ
whether it is a death where there is burning or not. In any הב ןיאש התימ אנש אלו ,הפירש הב
event they worship idols on the day of the death of the king. ,םיבכוכ תדובעל הב יחלפ – הפירש
We see from this that burning is not a statute of theirs. This ללכמ .איה הקוח ואל הפירש :אמלא
implies that according to the Rabbis, burning is a statute. אהו ,איה הקוח הפירש :ירבס ןנברד
But we have learnt in a beraita, “We make burnings for the יכרדמ אלו םיכלמה לע ןיפרוש :אינת
kings and it is not considered “the ways of the Emorites.”
?ןניפרש יכיה ןנא ,איה הקוח יאו ;ירומאה

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