Series 07 English pages part 02 chapter 079

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Home -- Content: Series 7 (Laws) -- Translation: English -- Book: 1 (Tora) -- Part: 2 (Negative) -- Prohibition: 79 -- Text
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The Sharia of Moses in the TORA
Part 2 - The 365 Prohibitions of the Tora

79 - BUILDING AN ALTAR OF STONES WHICH HAVE BEEN TOUCHED BY IRON

Exodus 20:23-25 -- 23 “You shall not make anything to be with Me--gods of silver or gods of gold you shall not make for yourselves. 24 An altar of earth you shall make for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I record My name I will come to you, and I will bless you. 25 And if you make Me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stone; for if you use your tool on it, you have profaned it.”

R. Johanan b. Zakkai says: “The stones for the altar do not see nor hear nor speak; yet because they serve to establish peace between Israel and their Father in Heaven, the Holy One, blessed be He, has said, you shall not use an iron tool on them. (Deuteronomy 27:5) How much the more, then, should one who establishes peace between man and his fellow-man, between husband and wife, between city and city, between nation and nation, between family and family, between government and government, be protected, so that no harm should come to him?”*

* Ex. XX, 25, Mechilta

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