שֶׁלֹּא נַאֲמִין בֶּאֱלֹהַּ בִּלְתִּי ה' לְבַדּוֹ – שֶׁלֹּא נַאֲמִין אֱלֹהִים זוּלָתִי הַשֵּׁם יִתְבָּרַךְ לְבַדּוֹ, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (שמות כ ג) לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים עַל פָּנָי, וּפֵרוּשׁוֹ, לֹא תַּאֲמִין אֱלֹהַּ אַחֵר זוּלָתִי. וְכָתַב הָרַמְבַּ"ן ז"ל (שם) לֹא תִּמְצָא לְעוֹלָם שֶׁיֹּאמַר הַכָּתוּב אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים רַק עַל הַאֲמָנַת הַלֵּב, אֲבָל עַל הָעֲשִׂיָּה לֹא יֹאמַר לְעוֹלָם לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים, כִּי לֹא תִּפֹּל בִּלְשׁוֹן עֲשִׂיָּה אֲחֵרִים. וְיָפֶה דִּקְדֵּק ז"ל (קהלת י יב) דִּבְרֵי פִי חָכָם חֵן. וְזֹאת הַמִּצְוָה הִיא הָעִקָּר הַגָּדוֹל שֶׁבַּתּוֹרָה, שֶׁהַכֹּל תָּלוּי עָלָיו, כְּמוֹ שֶׁאָמְרוּ ז"ל (ספרי במדבר טו כב) כָּל הַמּוֹדֶה בַּעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, כְּאִלּוּ כָּפַר בְּכָל הַתּוֹרָה כֻּלָּהּ. וְאֶחָד הַמְקַבֵּל בֶּאֱלֹהַּ לְשׁוּם דָּבָר זוּלָתִי הַשֵּׁם לְבַדּוֹ, אוֹ הָעוֹבֵד אוֹתוֹ דָּבָר כְּדֶרֶךְ עֲבוֹדָתוֹ, כְּלוֹמַר כְּדֶרֶךְ שֶׁעוֹבְדִין אוֹתוֹ הַמַּאֲמִינִים בּוֹ, אוֹ אֲפִלּוּ שֶׁלֹּא כְּדֶרֶךְ עֲבוֹדָתוֹ, אִם יַעַבְדֶנּוּ בְּאַרְבַּע עֲבוֹדוֹת יְדוּעוֹת שֶׁהֵן זִבּוּחַ וְקִטּוּר וְנִסּוּךְ וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוָיָה, עָבַר עַל לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ. וְנִסּוּךְ וְזוֹרֵק דָּבָר אֶחָד הוּא, וּמִתְחַיְּבִין בִּזְרִיקָה כְּמוֹ בְּנִסּוּךְ. That we not believe in a god besides God alone: That we not believe in a god besides God, may He be blessed, alone, as it is stated (Exodus 20:3), “You shall have no other gods in front of Me.” And its understanding is [that] you not believe in another god, except Me. And Ramban, may his memory be blessed wrote (Ramban on Exodus 20:3) [that] you will only find that Scripture states, “other gods,” about belief of the heart. But concerning their making, it will never state, “do not make other gods,” since the expression, “making,” does not sit with others (since they cannot be made). And he, may his memory be blessed, was nicely precise [in this] — “the words of the wise are grace!” And this commandment is the great fundamental principle of the Torah, as everything is dependent upon it — as they, may their memory be blessed, said (Sifrei Bamidbar 111:1), “Anyone who concedes to idolatry is as if he denied the whole entire Torah.” And it is the same whether he accepts anything as a god besides only God, or whether he worships it according to its worship — meaning to say, in the way that those that believe in it worship it — or even not according to its worship, if he worships it according to the four well-known [forms of] worship, and they are sacrificing, bringing incense, pouring and bowing; he has transgressed upon “You shall have no.” And pouring and sprinkling are one thing, and those that sprinkle are liable, [just] like those that pour.
שֹׁרֶשׁ מִצְוָה זוֹ נִגְלֶה וְיָדוּעַ. פְּרָטֶיהָ, כְּגוֹן מַה שֶׁאָמְרוּ, שֶׁאִם קִבֵּל בֶּאֱלֹהַּ אֶחָד מִכָּל הַנִּבְרָאִים, וַאֲפִלּוּ מוֹדֶה שֶׁהקב"ה שׁוֹלֵט עָלָיו וְעַל אֱלֹהוּתוֹ, עוֹבֵר עַל לֹא יִהְיֶה, וּמָה הַדָּבָר שֶׁנִּקְרָא דֶּרֶךְ עֲבוֹדָתוֹ וְשֶׁלֹּא כְּדֶרֶךְ עֲבוֹדָתוֹ, וְאִם עֲבָדָהוּ דֶּרֶךְ בִּזּוּי וַעֲבוֹדָתוֹ בְּכָךְ מַה דִּינוֹ, וְאַרְבַּע עֲבוֹדוֹת הָאֲסוּרוֹת בְּכָל הָאֱלֹהוֹת, עַד הֵיכָן מִתְפַּשֵּׁט אִסּוּרָן, כְּעִנְיָן מָה שֶׁאָמְרוּ ז"ל (ע"ז נא, א) דְּשׁוֹבֵר מַקֵּל לְפָנֶיהָ בִּכְלַל זוֹבֵחַ הוּא. וְכֵן מָה שֶׁאָסְרוּ ז"ל (שבת קמט, א) לִקְרוֹת בְּסִפְרֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה הַמְחֻבָּרִים בְּעִנְיְנֵי עֲבוֹדוֹתֶיהָ, אוֹ בִּדְבָרִים (בְּעִנְיָנִים) אֲחֵרִים שֶׁלָּהּ, כָּל שֶׁגּוֹרְמִין לְהַאֲמִין בָּהּ בְּשׁוּם צַד, וְאִסּוּר הִרְהוּר הַלֵּב אַחֲרֶיהָ, וְדִין יִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁעֲבָדָהּ אֲפִלּוּ פַּעַם אַחַת מַה דִּינוֹ, וְאִם קִבְּלוֹ לֶאֱלוֹהַּ וְחָזַר תּוֹךְ כְּדֵי דִבּוּר, חַיָּב, (ב"ב קכט ב) שֶׁלֹּא נֶאֱמַר בָּזֶה תּוֹךְ כְּדֵי דִבּוּר כְּדִבּוּר, וְהוּא הַדִּין בְּעִנְיַן קִדּוּשִׁין. וְהָעוֹבְדָהּ מֵאַהֲבָה, שֶׁחִבֵּב אוֹתָהּ צוּרָה לְרֹב יָפְיָהּ אוֹ מִיִּרְאָה שֶׁלֹּא תָּרֵעַ לוֹ וְלֹא שֶׁיְּקַבְּלָהּ בֶּאֱלֹהַּ, וְכֵן הָעוֹשֶׂה לָהּ כִּבּוּדִים, כְּגוֹן חִבּוּק, נִשּׁוּק, סָךְ, מַלְבִּישׁ, מַנְעִיל מַהוּ דִּין אִסּוּרוֹ. (סנהדרין ס, ב סא, ב) וְדִינֵי בִּטּוּלֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה כֵּיצַד, וְהַחִלּוּק בֵּין עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל לַע"ז דְּעוֹבֵד גִּלּוּלִים בְּעִנְיַן בִּטּוּלָהּ, וְאִסּוּרֵי הֲנָאָה שֶׁל ע"ז עַד הֵיכָן, וְהַחִלּוּק שֶׁבֵּין תָּלוּשׁ הַנֶּעֱבָד לִמְחֻבָּר מֵעִקָּרוֹ, וּמֵאֵימָתַי הִיא נַעֲשֵׂית ע"ז, וְדִין מְשַׁמְּשֵׁי ע"ז, וְאִם בִּטֵּל הִיא מָה יְהֵא בִּמְשַׁמְּשֶׁיהָ, (ע"ז נב, ב) וְתִקְרֹבֶת שֶׁלָּהּ מַה דִּינוֹ (שם כט, ב), וַע"ז שֶׁהִנִּיחוּהָ עוֹבְדֶיהָ, וְהַהַרְחָקָה מֵעוֹבְדֶיהָ בְּיוֹם עֲבוֹדָתָהּ וְסָמוּךְ לוֹ, וְהַדְּבָרִים הָאֲסוּרִים לָנוּ לִמְכֹּר לָהֶם לְעוֹלָם מִפְּנֵי חֲשַׁשׁ קְלוֹנָהּ, וְהַרְחָקַת עִיר שֶׁיֵּשׁ ע"ז בְּתוֹכָהּ, וְיֶתֶר רֹב פְּרָטֶיהָ, מְבֹאָרִים בַּמַּסֶּכְתָּא הַבְּנוּיָה עַל זֶה, וְהִיא עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה. (ב, א י, ב) The root of this commandment is revealed and known. Its particulars — for example, that which they said that if one accepts any of the creations as a god, and even if he concedes that the Holy One, blessed be He, rules over him and over his god, transgresses upon “You shall have no”; what is the thing which is called, “according to the way of its worship,” and “not according to the way of its worship”; what is the law if he worships it by disgracing it and that is its [standard] worship; how far does the prohibition extend regarding the four worships forbidden with all of the gods, like the matter that they, may their memory be blessed, said (Avodah Zarah 51a) that one who breaks a stick in front of it is included in sacrificing; so [too], what they, may their memory be blessed, forbade (Shabbat 149a) to read from the books of idolatry written about matters of their worship or about other things (matters) of it, anything that causes belief in it in any way; the prohibition of meditation of the heart [to go] after it; what is the law about an Israelite that worshiped it even once; and that if he took it on as a god and recanted during the time of speech (immediately after the first speech), he is liable (Bava Batra 129b), since we do not say “during the time of speech is like the speech,” about this and also regarding the matter of marriages; and worship from love, wherein one loves the shape due to its beautiful form, or from fear that it not harm him and it is not that he accepts it as a god; so [too], what is the law of prohibiting one who gives it honors such as hugging, kissing, anointing, clothing, shoeing (Sanhedrin 60b, Sanhedrin 61b); how are the laws of the negation of idolatry and the distinction between that of an Israelite and that of an idolater regarding its negation; how far does the law of benefit from idolatry go; the distinction between something disconnected [from the ground] that was worshiped and something that was originally connected; from when does it become an idol; the law of those objects that service the idolatry, and if he negated it, what happens with these objects (Avodah Zarah 52b); what is the law of that sacrificed to it (Avodah Zarah 29b); an idol that was abandoned by its worshipers; the distancing of its worshipers on the day of its worship and near to [that day]; the things that are always prohibited to sell to them, out of concern for disgrace; the distancing of a city that has idolatry in it; and the rest of its many details — are [all] elucidated in the tractate that is built upon it and that is Avodah Zarah.
וְנוֹהֶגֶת בִּזְכָרִים וּנְקֵבוֹת בְּכָל מָקוֹם וּבְכָל זְמַן, וְהָעוֹבֵר עָלֶיהָ וְעָבַד ע"ז כְּדֶרֶךְ עֲבוֹדָתָהּ, אוֹ שֶׁלֹּא כְּדֶרֶךְ עֲבוֹדָתָהּ בְּאַרְבַּע עֲבוֹדוֹת שֶׁכָּתַבְנוּ, בְּעֵדִים וְהַתְרָאָה נִסְקָל, וּבִשְׁגָגָה חַיָּב לְהָבִיא חַטָּאת קְבוּעָה. וְזֹאת הַמִּצְוָה הִיא מִכְּלַל הַשֶּׁבַע מִצְוֹת שֶׁנִּצְטַוּוּ כָּל בְּנֵי הָעוֹלָם בִּכְלָלָן. (סנהדרין נו, א) אֲבָל מִכָּל מָקוֹם, חִלּוּקִין יֵשׁ בִּפְרָטֶיהָ בֵּין יִשְׂרָאֵל לִשְׁאָר הָאֻמּוֹת, וְהַכֹּל מְבֹאָר שָׁם בַּעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה. וּמִן הַחִלּוּקִין שֶׁבֵּין יִשְׂרָאֵל לִשְׁאָר הָאֻמּוֹת בְּעִנְיַן הַמִּצְוֹת הַמֻּטָּלוֹת עַל הַכֹּל הוּא, שֶׁיִּשְׂרָאֵל לֹא יִתְחַיֵּב לְעוֹלָם בְּלֹא עֵדִים וְהַתְרָאָה, וּשְׁאָר הָאֻמּוֹת אֵין צְרִיכִין הַתְרָאָה. לְפִי שֶׁאֵין חִלּוּק בָּהֶן בֵּין שׁוֹגֵג לְמֵזִיד. וְכֵן יִתְחַיְּבוּ גַּם כֵּן בְּהוֹדָאַת פִּיהֶם. מָה שֶׁאֵין כֵּן בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל שֶׁצָּרִיךְ עֵדִים. וְעוֹד יֵשׁ חִלּוּק אַחֵר, כִּי הָאֻמּוֹת בְּעָבְרָם עַל כָּל אַחַת מִמִּצְוֹתָם יִתְחַיְּבוּ לְעוֹלָם מִיתָה, וְזֶהוּ שֶׁאָמְרוּ חז"ל (שם נז, א) אַזְהָרָתָן זוֹ הִיא מִיתָתָן, וְיִשְׂרָאֵל יִתְחַיֵּב פְּעָמִים קָרְבָּן, פְּעָמִים מַלְקוּת, פְּעָמִים מִיתָה, וּפְעָמִים אֵינוֹ מִתְחַיֵּב בְּכָל אֵלֶּה, אֶלָּא שֶׁהוּא כְּעוֹבֵר עַל מִצְוַת מֶלֶךְ וְנָשָׂא עֲוֹנוֹ. And [it] is practiced by males and females in every place and at all times. And one who transgresses it and worshiped idolatry according to the way of its worship or — with the four worships that we wrote — [even] not according to the way of its worship, with witnesses and a warning, is stoned. And if it is inadvertent, he is obligated to bring a fixed sin-offering. And this commandment is included in the seven commandments that all the people of the world were commanded (Sanhedrin 56a). However, there are differences between Israel and the other nations in the details, and it is all elucidated there in Avodah Zarah. And among the differences between Israel and the other nations in the matter of the commandments that are incumbent upon all is that an Israelite will never be liable [for the death penalty] without witnesses and a warning, but the other nations do not require a warning, since there is no difference for them between inadvertent and volitional. And also they can become liable with the admission of their [own] mouths, which is not the case with Israel, who requires witnesses. And there is yet another difference — as when the nations transgress one of their commandments, they are always liable for the death penalty; but Israel is sometimes liable for a sacrifice, sometimes lashes, sometimes the death penalty and sometimes not liable for any of these, but is [simply] like someone who transgresses the commandment of the King and he carries [the weight of] his iniquity.