Responsa for Avodah Zarah 86:10
שאני ר"ג דאחרים עשו לו
It was different with R. Gamaliel because others made [the chart] for him.
Teshuvot Maharam
Q. Mahzorim (holiday prayer books) are often illuminated with figures of animals and birds. Why do you not protest against such a practice? Is not the painting of any figure or form forbidden to us?
A. This practice ought to be condemned for the reason that the drawings distract attention at the solemn hour of one's praying to one's heavenly father. But the drawing of the figures is not forbidden. Even though the forming of three dimensional figures is forbidden, a Jew is permitted to paint figures, since paintings have no thickness. Moreover, the Talmud (Ab. Z. 43 a-b) seems to imply that a Jew is permitted even to make three dimensional figures of animals and birds, since only the fashioning of figures of the human body or the quadruple figure of man, lion, ox and eagle is forbidden.
This Responsum is addressed to R. Asher.
SOURCES: Cr. 24; Am I, 97; Tos. Yuma 54a; Mord. Ab. Z. 840. Cf. Agudah B.B. 95.
A. This practice ought to be condemned for the reason that the drawings distract attention at the solemn hour of one's praying to one's heavenly father. But the drawing of the figures is not forbidden. Even though the forming of three dimensional figures is forbidden, a Jew is permitted to paint figures, since paintings have no thickness. Moreover, the Talmud (Ab. Z. 43 a-b) seems to imply that a Jew is permitted even to make three dimensional figures of animals and birds, since only the fashioning of figures of the human body or the quadruple figure of man, lion, ox and eagle is forbidden.
This Responsum is addressed to R. Asher.
SOURCES: Cr. 24; Am I, 97; Tos. Yuma 54a; Mord. Ab. Z. 840. Cf. Agudah B.B. 95.
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Teshuvot Maharam
Q. Mahzorim (holiday prayer books) are often illuminated with figures of animals and birds. Why do you not protest against such a practice? Is not the painting of any figure or form forbidden to us?
A. This practice ought to be condemned for the reason that the drawings distract attention at the solemn hour of one's praying to one's heavenly father. But the drawing of the figures is not forbidden. Even though the forming of three dimensional figures is forbidden, a Jew is permitted to paint figures, since paintings have no thickness. Moreover, the Talmud (Ab. Z. 43 a-b) seems to imply that a Jew is permitted even to make three dimensional figures of animals and birds, since only the fashioning of figures of the human body or the quadruple figure of man, lion, ox and eagle is forbidden.
This Responsum is addressed to R. Asher.
SOURCES: Cr. 24; Am I, 97; Tos. Yuma 54a; Mord. Ab. Z. 840. Cf. Agudah B.B. 95.
A. This practice ought to be condemned for the reason that the drawings distract attention at the solemn hour of one's praying to one's heavenly father. But the drawing of the figures is not forbidden. Even though the forming of three dimensional figures is forbidden, a Jew is permitted to paint figures, since paintings have no thickness. Moreover, the Talmud (Ab. Z. 43 a-b) seems to imply that a Jew is permitted even to make three dimensional figures of animals and birds, since only the fashioning of figures of the human body or the quadruple figure of man, lion, ox and eagle is forbidden.
This Responsum is addressed to R. Asher.
SOURCES: Cr. 24; Am I, 97; Tos. Yuma 54a; Mord. Ab. Z. 840. Cf. Agudah B.B. 95.
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