Avodah Zarah, Chapter 4, Mishnah 7. This is the last mishnah dealing with idolatry and the prohibition of deriving benefit from it, and from here on we move to the topic of yayin nesech - the wine of idolaters. The mishnah closes the subject with a distinctly philosophical point, something highly unusual in the Mishnah, and we will consider the reason for this.
The language of the mishnah: "Sha'alu es hazekeinim b'Romi" - philosophers in Rome asked the elders of Israel, the Torah scholars who were to be found there.
The Rambam prefaces his comments by clarifying that these were not philosophers of the Aristotelian school. Aristotle long preceded this period, and the students of his approach - the Greek philosophers and their Roman heirs - no longer genuinely believed in idolatry. There were, however, many schools, such as the Stoics, who still believed in the entire pantheon of gods, and it was from these that the questioners came.
The philosophers' question:
"Im ein retzono ba'avodah zarah, mipnei mah eino mevatlah?" - if the Holy One, blessed is He, is all powerful, and it is not His will that there be idolatry, why does He not remove it from the world Himself?
The elders' answer:
"Ilu l'davar she'ein tzorech la'olam bo hayu ovdin - hayah mevatlo; harei hein ovdin lachamah v'lalvanah v'lakochavim v'lamazalos - ye'abed olamo mipnei hashotim?" - if the idolaters were worshipping things the world has no need for, the Holy One, blessed is He, would abolish them. But they worship the sun, the moon, the stars and the constellations, and all of these were created for a purpose and for the benefit of humanity. Therefore the Holy One, blessed is He, says, in the form of a rhetorical question: shall I destroy My world because of these fools?
It is worth noting that the Maharal, in his work 'Derech Chaim' on Pirkei Avos (Chapter 3, Mishnah 15), understands a separate point in this last portion: the Holy One, blessed is He, does not destroy the idolaters on account of their foolishness. The reason is that if the Holy One, blessed is He, were to strike with lightning not the idols but their worshippers, humanity would lose the power of free choice. When there is a clear and immediate punishment, a person no longer truly chooses, since he has no other option available to him. The purpose of man's creation is that he be able to make meaningful decisions, and therefore the Holy One, blessed is He, leaves the option open.
The philosophers' second challenge:
"Im kein, ye'abed davar she'ein tzorech la'olam bo v'yaniach davar shetzorech ha'olam bo!" - if that is indeed the reason, why does the God of Israel not at least destroy those things the world has no need for? An asherah tree, for example: the world gets along perfectly well without it. If it is not the will of the Holy One, blessed is He, that there be asherah trees, let Him strike them with lightning, and likewise the statues and figurines that are worshipped - while leaving the sun and the moon in place.
The elders' response:
"Af anu machzikin y'dei ovdeihen shel eilu, she'omrim: teid'u shehein elohos, shehare hein lo batlu" - this would be the worst scenario of all. Such selective destruction would strengthen the hands of the worshippers and hand them an argument to justify their worship of the sun and the moon: look, the lightning struck the asherah trees and the statues, yet the sun and the moon were not destroyed - clearly they cannot be harmed, and they possess power and might of their own.
Therefore the Holy One, blessed is He, leaves everything as it is. He allows people to err, and leaves the choice in their hands: to recognize the truth and identify it with the Holy One, blessed is He, or not.
Why the sugya closes specifically with a philosophical discussion:
As noted, this is the conclusion of the subject of idolatry in the Mishnah, and here the Mishnah does something highly unusual and engages in philosophy. The reason: this is such an obvious question that there is no person who is not troubled by it.
Although in the twenty-first century we are not particularly troubled by idolatry, which is not really present in our lives, the fundamental question remains: why does the Holy One, blessed is He, allow evil to exist? Where was the Holy One, blessed is He, during the Holocaust? This is a legitimate question that accompanies us, and it is impossible not to seek an answer to it.
The Maharal's explanation fits this question in all its forms: if a person had no choice to do evil and injustice, because he would be struck down on the spot, there would be no free choice at all, and a person would have no ability to earn his relationship with the Holy One, blessed is He. For this reason it accords with Hashem's will to give people choice, so that they make the decisions placed before them, enjoy the reward, and bear the consequences of failing to live up to the truth.
In summary: In this Mishnah the elders of Israel in Rome were asked why the Holy One, blessed is He, does not abolish idolatry. Their answer was twofold: the primary objects of worship - sun, moon, stars and constellations - are necessary for the world's existence, and the Holy One, blessed is He, does not destroy His world because of fools; while selectively abolishing those objects of worship that are not needed would strengthen the hands of the worshippers and supply seeming proof of the divinity of those that remain. The Maharal adds a central principle: the Holy One, blessed is He, does not destroy the worshippers themselves, so that man not be deprived of the free choice that is the purpose of his creation - a principle that also answers the question of the existence of evil in the world in every generation.
In the next section we will move on to a new topic: yayin nesech, the wine of idol worshippers.