Whether One Who Serves Idols From Love or Fear Is Liable

Another interpretation: why is "you shall not bow down" said? Because it says, "one who sacrifices to the gods shall be utterly destroyed" (Exodus 22:19). We have heard the punishment; from where the warning? Therefore it says "you shall not bow down." And so it says, "for you shall not bow down to another god" (Exodus 34:14). It was stated: regarding one who worships idols out of love or out of fear, Abaye said he is liable, for he did serve it; Rava said he is exempt; if he accepted it upon himself as a god, yes, and if not, no. Abaye said: from where do I derive my view? As it was taught, "you shall not bow down to them": to them you shall not bow down, but you may bow down to a person like yourself. One might think even to one worshipped like Haman; therefore it says "nor serve them." But Haman was served out of fear! Rava said: like Haman and not like Haman. Like Haman, in that he himself was made a god; and not like Haman, for there it was out of fear, while here it is not out of fear. Rabbi Ami said: if one slaughtered, burned incense, and poured libation in a single lapse of awareness, he is liable only once, for Scripture says "nor serve them": Scripture made them all a single service. Abaye said: why are three bowings mentioned regarding idolatry? One for its customary manner, one for a manner not its custom, and one to separate them as distinct offenses. Rava said: all is included in "nor serve them"; when Scripture specified "and live by them" (Leviticus 18:5), and not that he should die by them, it excluded the case of compulsion. Then Scripture wrote, "and you shall not profane My holy name" (Leviticus 22:32), which applies even under compulsion. There is no difficulty: the one in private, the other in public.