What is "Lo Sa'asun Iti" referring to?
Rashi, Targum Yonasan, Avodah Zarah 43b: It means that one may not make an image of any of the celestial bodies that serve Hashem in the Heaven. 1
Ramban #1: The Torah is issuing two prohibitions; 1. against making images to assist Hashem (Lo Sa'asun Iti ... "); and 2. against making images per se (Lo Sa'asu Lachem"). 2
Ramban #2 (according to Kabalah): "Iti" is synonymous with "Al Panai" (20:3). 3
Seforno: The Pasuk is issuing a prohibition against making silver or golden gods to act as intermediaries to come closer to Hashem.
Avodah Zarah 43b: All forms are permitted except for that of man, because "Iti" is akin to 'Osi.' 4
Mechilta (citing R. Akiva): 'Do not do to Me what others do to their gods - When things are going well they bless them, and when they are going badly they curse them. You should give thanks to Hashem both for the good and for the bad! 5
Oznayim la'Torah: It is referring to the 'Arba'ah Panim she'ba'Merkavah' (the four faces 6 that support Hashem's Throne). 7
Targum Yonasan and Avodah Zarah 43b: Including the sun, the moon, the stars, the Mazalos, and the angels - the Ofanim, the Serafim or the Chayos ha'Kodesh.
Ramban: As the Torah writes in Vayikra 26:1.
Torah Temimah: And the Torah wrote in Bereishis 1:27, "b'Tzelem Elokim Bara Oso."
See Torah Temimah note 104 citing the conclusion of the Mechilta.
'Demus Adam, Demus Shor, Demus Aryeh and Demus Nesher' that support Hashem's Throne.
Oznayim la'Torah: Until now, they had only seen the celestial hosts that dwell in the lower Heavens, which the Torah forbade to worship in the Aseres ha'Dibros. But now that they had seen the 'four faces' ('Arba'ah Panim she'be'Merkavah') that dwell in the upper Heavens, Hashem issued an additional Lav, incorporating in the Isur the four faces, the Serafim, the Ofanim and the Chayos ha'Kodesh - the Mal'achei ha'Shareis that serve in the upper Heavens. (Compare to Maharal in 20:3:6:2).
Having written "Lo Sa'asun Iti," why does the Torah add "Elohei Kesef ... "?
Rashi It is a prohibition against making the Keruvim (on the Aron ha'Kodesh) out of silver. 1
Ramban: Refer to 20:20:1:2 .
Sanhedrin 7b: 'Since when are wooden gods permitted? The Pasuk must therefore be referring to judges 2 who are appointed for silver and gold (by paying bribes).
Why does the Torah add "Vei'lohei Zahav"?
Rashi: This is an additional prohibition against manufacturing four Keruvim, instead of two.
What is "Lo Sa'asu Lachem" coming to include?
Rashi: This adds a prohibition against making Keruvim in the Batei Kenesiyos and in the Batei Midrash 1 (like the Keruvim in the Beis-Hamikdash 2 - Mechilta).
Ramban: Refer to 20:20:1:2 .
Gur Aryeh: The derivation is from the extra word "Lachem." The repetition of "Lo Sa'asu" was already used above (20:20:1.1:1) .
What is the underlying reason behind these prohibitions?
Ramban #1 (in Pasuk 21, citing the Ibn Ezra): Because Hashem wants us to worship Him directly, not via intermediaries. 1
Ramban #2 (citing the Mechilta): The Torah is instructing us here that, when constructing a Mizbe'ach of earth or of stone (20:21-22), one should construct it in the Mishkan and in the Mikdash in the Name of Hashem, and not in the field in the name of the demons. 2
Maharal: See the following question.
Ramban: Because, wherever we mention His Name, He will come and bless us (20:21), in which case intermediaries are superfluous. Oznayim la'Torah (to 20:19, based on Rambam Hil. Dei'os 1) - To counter the people in the generation of Enosh who believed that, since it was below Hashem's dignity to run the world personally, He appointed the celestial hosts to do so on His behalf - which eventually led to their worshipping the images of those celestial hosts. Therefore Hashem spoke to us directly from the Heaven, to demonstrate that we had now come directly under His jurisdiction and had no need of intermediaries. See Oznayim la'Torah, who clarifies the difference between Yisrael and the Nochrim in this regard.
As they had been accustomed to doing in Egypt. See Rashi to Vayikra 17:5.
The Gemara (Avodah Zarah 43b) first derives 'Lo Sa'asun Osi' - do not form an image of Man; then "Lo Sa'asun Iti ' - do not make the images of Hashem's servants on High - namely the Mal'achim in the highest realm, and the stars and constellations in the lower realm. Why are all these prohibited?
Maharal (Tif'eres Yisrael, beg. Ch. 46, p. 140): All of these are "with" Hashem, and transcend Man; for Man to make them is 'Zar' (foreign) and 'Chitzon' (far-out, a departure from what is correct). 1 Likewise for human images, with which Hashem appears to the Nevi'im. Although Man himself is such an "image" that exists on the earth, Man is Hashem's own Creation, such that it is not 'Zar.' But were Yisrael to make such an image, it would be considered idolatry and a departure from Hashem's dominion. 2
Even for fashioning their likeness alone - not for purposes of worship. One who worships such an image is also included in the prohibition.
To explain - Man has no reach upon the creations in the upper realms (nor upon Man himself, who was created with Tzelem Elokim). The very fashioning of these images is trespassing into areas that do not belong to him. On the simple level, idolatry is called "Avodah Zarah" because despite man's worship, it remains a stranger to them (see 20:3:3:2 , 20:3:3:7). Maharal now emphasizes that even the initial fashioning of such an idol is strange and foreign - and that strangeness is the essence of the prohibition. In other words, someone who adopts idolatry is not doing so despite that is foreign to him, but rather, because it is foreign. This is explained by Maharal (Chidushei Agados Vol. 3, p. 165, to Sanhedrin 64a) - Idolatry is a departure from the order of reality, thus its name Avodah Zarah or "Elohim Acherim" - that they are 'others' to their worshippers. (Compare to Maharal (Netzach Yisrael Ch. 12, p. 75.) We learn that Avodah Zarah means making a link to the upper realms via strangeness and distance, rather than via connection and closeness. (EK)
QUESTIONS ON RASHI
Rashi writes: "'Lo Sa'asun Iti' (with Me) - Do not make the images of My servants, who serve before Me on High." Why does Rashi interpret this phrase as a separate prohibition, rather than simply an introduction to the following one (i.e., making changes to the Keruvim)?
Gur Aryeh: "Lo Sa'asu" will be repeated at the end of the Pasuk. This redundancy tells us that this initial phrase is an independent prohibition, "Iti" - aside from the prohibitions relating to the Keruvim.
Rashi writes: "[Do not make] gods of silver - To warn regarding the Keruvim that you will make to stand with Me...." But Rashi already used the phrase "with Me" in his first comment - to forbid making images of "servants" in Heaven?
Gur Aryeh: Because the phrase "Elohei Kesef" is not introduced with a Vav prefix, it is not a separate item, but remains attached to what preceded it. Therefore we use the word "Iti" twice 1 in interpretation -- 'Do not make [the servants that are] with Me;' and, 'Do not make [the Keruvim standing] with Me, of silver.'
Both with what precedes it, and what follows.
Rashi writes: "'Or gods of gold' - This comes to warn [us] not two add to the two [Keruvim], for if you make four, they are before Me as if gods of gold." Why mention four, and not three (which is surely also prohibited)?
Gur Aryeh: It is a greater Chidush to say that four are prohibited, despite that they are even pairs like the original two Keruvim. All the more so is an odd third Keruv prohibited.
Rashi writes: "Do not propose to make Keruvim in the synagogues and study-halls, like we make in the Beis Hamikdash." But why are there Keruvim in the Beis Hamikdash? Why are these beyond any trace suspicion of Avodah Zarah?
Maharal (Tif'eres Yisrael Ch. 46, p. 141): Because we made these Keruvim by Hashem's command, they are no different than all of the 'images' within Hashem's own Creation, which He fashioned and emplaced in His wisdom; this does not constitute departure from Hashem's domain. As in the Pasuk - "The Mikdash, O Hashem, Your hands established!" (Shemos 15:17). (But were someone to deviate from Hashem's commands regarding the Keruvim, it would in fact become Avodah Zarah.) 1
Compare to Sefer ha'Kuzari (1:77-79) - For Man to conduct himself in the ways he personally sees fit, without having been commanded therein, is just like the fool who breaks into a doctor's pharmacy and begins dispensing medications, without any prior knowledge of medicine. This would likely cause the death of many people! It is not the medicine per se that brings benefit, but rather the doctor's directives. This is the root of Emunah, or [on the other hand] rebellion. (In other words, it is not sufficient to perform 'good deeds,' rather one must do so by Hashem's command.) Ha'Kuzari (1:97) - This was the sin of Yisrael in making the Egel. They had no intention of denying that it was Hashem Who took them out of Mitzrayim; except that they wanted to make a tangible image with which to associate the Divine. Their sin was that they made an image without having been commanded to do so. - What Maharal adds, it seems, is that Avodah Zarah stems from the desire to worship in strangeness and distance (see the preceding footnote) - in other words, specifically in a way that Hashem had not commanded him. But when one acts by Hashem's command, that itself places one within the framework of Hashem's service. Yet, Maharal hints at another reason that the Keruvim are not considered "Zarah" - because they are part of the Mikdash, "the handiwork of Hashem;" this requires explanation. Perhaps, to fashion an image means making an intermediary to connect Man with his Creator, even while preserving his distance - and that is Avodah Zarah which is forbidden to us. Whereas the Mikdash is the place for connection between ourselves and the Creator, so much so that our handiwork [in its construction] is called Hashem's own handiwork. Thus it does not constitute an interruption between ourselves and Hashem, and there is no distance or Avodah Zarah involved here. (EK)
