One Who Sacrifices to Other Gods Shall Be Utterly Destroyed

"One who sacrifices to other gods shall be utterly destroyed" (Exodus 22:19). Could it be that Scripture speaks of one who slaughters consecrated offerings outside [the Temple]? Scripture teaches, "one who sacrifices to gods shall be destroyed" — this is one who sacrifices to the idol itself. I have only the one who slaughters; from where [do I include] one who burns incense or pours a libation? Scripture teaches, "except to the LORD alone" — [this excludes] all the rites that belong to the Unique Name. Just as this [slaughtering] is an act performed on its own and one is liable for it in idolatry whether one habitually worships [that idol] or not, so too any act performed on its own renders one liable in idolatry whether one worships [it] or not. "One who sacrifices to gods shall be destroyed." One might think that the property of the idolater becomes forbidden for benefit, while the idol itself would not be forbidden for benefit. Scripture teaches, "you shall utterly detest it and utterly abhor it, for it is a banned thing" (Deuteronomy 7:26): the idol itself is forbidden for benefit, but the property of the idolater is not forbidden for benefit. "Except to the LORD alone": to include the one who associates [another name with God]. From here they said: whoever associates the name of another [deity] with the Holy One, blessed be He, is uprooted from the world.