Commentary for Avodah Zarah 87:6
אמר להן רבי יוסי והלא כבר נאמר (מלכים ב יח, ד) וכתת נחש נחשת אשר עשה משה
R. Yose said to [the rabbis]: But has it not been stated, “He crushed into pieces the bronze serpent that Moses had made” (II Kings 18:4).
Daf Shevui to Avodah Zarah
R. Yose tries to bring proof from Hezekiah, who, seeing that Israel is worshipping the serpent that Moses made in Numbers to cure the people of Israel, crushes it. This is proof that crushing is a valid form of annulment.
The rabbis answer that the serpent belonged to Moses. The fact that the Israelites worshipped it does not turn it into an idol, because a person cannot cause something that belongs to another person to become prohibited. If I worship your cow, it does not make your cow prohibited. So why then did Hezekiah destroy the bronze serpent? Because he saw that Israelites were worshipping it. In other words, although the bronze serpent was not prohibited, he still did not want the Jews to worship it.
The rabbis answer that the serpent belonged to Moses. The fact that the Israelites worshipped it does not turn it into an idol, because a person cannot cause something that belongs to another person to become prohibited. If I worship your cow, it does not make your cow prohibited. So why then did Hezekiah destroy the bronze serpent? Because he saw that Israelites were worshipping it. In other words, although the bronze serpent was not prohibited, he still did not want the Jews to worship it.
Ask RabbiBookmarkShareCopy