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Throwing a stone at Markolis and Islam

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Ephraim Ben Noach:
I'm totally confused about this whole post... Is Markolis Roman mercury worship? What are they doing, throwing stones at their idol??????  So confused!

muman613:

--- Quote from: אפרים בן נח on August 01, 2013, 10:11:10 PM ---I'm totally confused about this whole post... Is Markolis Roman mercury worship? What are they doing, throwing stones at their idol??????  So confused!

--- End quote ---

The point of Edus post is to point out a Jewish law that an idol must not be 'worshipped' in the manner which it required to be worshipped. Each of the idols required a different mode of worship, some required bowing, some required defecation (Ba'al for example), and Markolis required throwing stones...

muman613:
http://steinsaltz.org/learning.php?pg=Daf_Yomi&articleId=2248

Zevahim 106a-b - Sacrificing to Mercury
February 24, 2011
 
Regarding idol worship, there are certain activities that are considered to be objectively an act of worship and will be forbidden, while other activities may be specific and limited to a certain type of idol. Generally speaking, a person will be held liable for avodah zarah - the prohibition against idol worship - when he performs any one of a number of acts of worship. These activities include commonly used methods of veneration including sacrificing or burning incense, offering a libation or bowing down, and even simply saying "you are my god." Other types of obsequiousness, such as hugging and kissing the idol, washing or cleaning it and so on would be forbidden, but would not serve as true idol worship.

There are other modes of worship that ordinarily would not constitute an act of avodah zarah, except with a specific idol or deity for which that act is a unique form of worship. Thus ha-po'er atzmo le-ba'al pe'or - someone who relieves himself in front of the idol Pe'or - or ha-zorek even le-markolis- someone who throws a stone to the idol Markolis - will also be held liable for performing an act of avodah zarah, since this is the unique method of worshiping these idols. The Gemara on today's daf (=page) brings the opinion of Rabbi Elazar who derives from a passage in Sefer Vayikra (17:7) that sacrificing to Markolis is also considered to be avodah zarah, even though that is not the normal method of worshiping that idol.

Markolis is the name given by the Sages for the Roman god Mercurius, who was also known as the Greek deity, Hermes. Among his many responsibilities, Mercurius was the patron of the highways and travelers. This position led many to erect statues of him on crossroads. Oftentimes, these representations presented just the head of the idol and passersby would place stones at the foot of the statue. On occasion the representation was simply a pile of rocks, and travelers who passed by the pile would toss their own stone on it as an offering to the god.

Ephraim Ben Noach:

--- Quote from: muman613 on August 01, 2013, 10:06:31 PM ---It just seems ironic to talk about removing and executing the idol worshipers when a Jew cannot even daven at the Temple Mount without being arrested. Sounds like 'day-dreaming' to me...

I am just tired of seeing the degradation of the Jewish people in the holy land. And to talk about enforcing the Torah laws today seems like a pipe dream.. The perverts just held a major gay rally in Jerusalem and 3 people were arrested for protesting against it... This is the Jewish state? It is a chillul Hashem.

--- End quote ---
I hate say it, but I think immoral behavior has gone too far. And we're all going to have to pay for it. We are going to see darkness, before we see light. Imo.

muman613:
I am feeling a major challenge of my Emunah this week with the news of the 104 terrorists being released. I am sorry if I am not my normal, cheerful self recently...

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