Tikrovet Avodah Zara

Avodah Zara (4:2) | Yisrael Bankier | 5 hours ago

The Mishnah (4:2) teaches that if money or utensils are found on top of an idol, then it is permitted to derive benefit from them. If however, one finds grapes, wine, oil or fine flour, then they are forbidden. The Mishnah explains that common attribute for these items are that they are offered on the mizbeach in the Beit HaMikdash.¹ We shall try to understand this Mishnah.

The Bartenura explains that the money and clothing are only permitted provided that they were not used to decorate the idol, but instead only placed upon it. The Tifferet Yisrael explains that otherwise, they would be considered like the idol, and prohibited until the idol itself was annulled. This distinction is derived in the Gemara (51b) based on pesukim. The focus of our Mishnah however is the items prohibited because they are considered as being an offering before the idol -- tikrovet. In that case, when prohibited, it is forever so, even if idol was annulled from worship.

The Tosfot Yom Tov explains that the objects the Mishnah prohibits, is out of concern that they were used in a manner similar to how they would be used in Beit HaMikdash -- this is the position of the Ran. In other words, for these items to be considered a tikrovet, an action must be performed with them.

The Tifferet Yisrael however explains that the Mishnah means that those items that would be used for avodah in the Beit HaMikdash would be prohibited, as soon as they were placed there. This appears to be in line with the opinion of the Rosh, who explains that those items are prohibited since it is assumed that they were brought there for a gift or an offering. This implies that being placed there alone is enough to make them prohibited.

The Tifferet Yisrael however continues that regarding other items, if they were acted upon with a similar action like the avodah in the Beit HaMikdash they would also be prohibited. For example, if a stick was smashed before an idol, which resemble shechita, or thrown before it, which resembles zerika. This is of course assuming that that is the way the idol was generally worshiped.

The Rashba (51b, s.v matza) notes that in the Gemara there is a debate whether the stones that were thrown in front of a markulis are prohibited. The opinion that maintains they are not, is because the zerika must end in the object coming apart (zerika ha'mishtaberet), which would then resemble zerika of blood in the Beit HaMikdash. The Rashba however explains that our Mishnah that permits the money and clothing found on the avodah zarah, is even according to the opinion that it does not need to be a zerika ha'mishtaberet for the objects to become prohibited. How so?

The Rashba explains that that is because only those things defined as a tikrovet (offering) are prohibited. He explains that for something to be defined as a tikrovet it must be something that the idol desire, according to the understanding of those that worship it. For example, for a markulis, throwing stones. With money and clothing however, even if they was regularly placed there by the worshippers, since these were not perceived as objects desired by the avodah zara itself, but rather donations or contributions, they are permitted. That is because the parallel in the Beit HaMikdash to this would be hekdesh, and there is not concept of hekdesh for avodah zara.

¹ Even though no avodah is performed with grapes, nonetheless, as they resemble bikkurim, it is still similar to avodat pnim.

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