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Thursday

י"ח אדר ב’ התשפ"ד

Thursday
י"ח אדר ב’ התשפ"ד

חיפוש בארכיון

Mitzvah 349) Not to prostrate oneself on a hewn stone even for Hashem

Parshas Behar

“And you may not put a hewn stone in your lands to prostrate oneself on it!” (Vayikra 26:1)

It is a negative commandment that one must not prostrate oneself on a hewn stone, even to Hashem, as it says “And you may not put a hewn stone in your lands to prostrate oneself on it!”. A hewn stone refers to a decorated stone, or even a stone which has been smoothed with a plane.

Amongst the roots of this commandment are that since it was normal to put hewn stones in a nice design around the idols, and prostrate themselves on them, we have been commanded to keep away from it. One can also suggest that since the stone is nicely smoothed and decorated, it would look like one is prostrating to the stone. One is, however permitted to prostrate oneself on nice materials and there is no suspicion of idol-worship.

Amongst the laws of this commandment are that Chazal said that one does not receive lashes unless one prostrates oneself to Hashem with outstretched hands and feet, so that his whole body is on the stone, as this is the prostration referred to in the Torah. If, however, he prostrates himself without outstretched hands and feet, it is only rabinically forbidden. (Prostrating oneself to an idol is of course biblically prohibited and punishable with death even without outstretched arms and legs.) If one spread mats on a stone floor, one may prostrate oneself on those mats. This prohibition applies in all places apart from the temple, as in the temple one is allowed to prostrate oneself on stones.

This commandment applies in all places and at all times, both to men and to women.