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Negative commandment · Lo Ta’aseh #4 of 613

Not to make images for decoration, even when one does not worship them

שלא לעשות צורות לנואי, ואף על פי שאין עובדין אותן

Parashat Yitro יתרו · Sefer HaChinuch #39

The verse · Shemot 20:20

לֹא תַעֲשׂוּן אִתִּי אֱלֹהֵי כֶסֶף וֵאלֹהֵי זָהָב לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ לָכֶם

“You shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall you make for yourselves gods of gold.”

Read Shemot 20:20 in context on Sefaria

The Rambam’s words

Not to make images for decoration, even when one does not worship them, as [Exodus 20:20] states: "Do not make a representation of anything that is with Me."

שלא לעשות צורות לנואי, ואף על פי שאין עובדין אותן, שנאמר "לא תעשון, איתי" (שמות כ,יט).

Who & when

“And [it] is practiced in every place and at all times by males and females.”

Where in the Mishneh Torah

Hilchot Foreign Worship and Customs of the Nations הלכות עבודה זרה וחוקות הגויים

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