PEH809
Title
PEH809
Hirsch Summary
Two inquiries concerning the interpretation of Maimonides:
1.) In Jad Hachasaka (?? ?????), he states that a non-Jew is punished by the Beth Din with death for idolatry if he served the idol as is customary, in addition to the same types of idolatry for which a Jew would also be punished by death. Solomon Jessurun decides that this should be understood such that the death penalty only applies to the four types of idolatry listed by Maimonides, and for other acts like kissing or embracing idols, the death penalty is only applicable if it is customary for that particular idol.
2.) An inquiry as to why Maimonides only mentions in passing the requirement that during the reading of the Prophets, one person reads while two translate. Jessurun explains that it is a misunderstanding; even there, only one person should translate.
1.) In Jad Hachasaka (?? ?????), he states that a non-Jew is punished by the Beth Din with death for idolatry if he served the idol as is customary, in addition to the same types of idolatry for which a Jew would also be punished by death. Solomon Jessurun decides that this should be understood such that the death penalty only applies to the four types of idolatry listed by Maimonides, and for other acts like kissing or embracing idols, the death penalty is only applicable if it is customary for that particular idol.
2.) An inquiry as to why Maimonides only mentions in passing the requirement that during the reading of the Prophets, one person reads while two translate. Jessurun explains that it is a misunderstanding; even there, only one person should translate.
Volume
11
Local
33
Written Date
1794-10-24
Published Date (est.)
1795-04-20
Rector Short Name
AcohenDan
Rector
Acohen d'Azevedo, Daniel
Files
Collection
Citation
“PEH809,” Pri Ets Haim Amsterdam Responsa, accessed July 7, 2025, https://pehh.library.utoronto.ca/items/show/11643.