No Carved Image of Anything in Heaven or Earth or Sea

Mekhilta DeRabbi Shimon Ben Yochai 20:4

Curated by Arthur·Told by Maggid·

"You shall not make for yourself" (Exodus 20:4). This teaches that anyone who makes idolatry for himself transgresses on two counts: on account of "you shall not make" and on account of "for yourself." "A carved image": I have only a carved image; when it says "any likeness," this is to include the sun and the moon, the stars and the constellations. "That is in the heavens": to include the heavens themselves. "Above": to include the ministering angels. "And that is in the earth": to include the mountains and hills, the snakes and the scorpions. "Beneath": to include the deeps. "And that is in the waters": to include the beasts of the sea and the dolphins. "Beneath": to include the worms. "The earth": to include the earth itself. When it says "any likeness": not in their likeness, and not in the likeness of their reflection, and not [in the likeness of] the wild beasts, and not in the likeness of the beasts that are above. If in the end we are to include them all, what does "a carved image" teach? Rather, if you do this, you are found to be disqualifying the world from Me, and behold I in turn disqualify the world from you.

Themes

SinaiIdolatryCreation

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