The Baha’i Gardens
Hello Rabbi
I wanted to ask about visiting the Baha’i Gardens in Haifa and Acre. Is there a prohibition on this because of idolatry, or is there no concern as long as you don’t enter the building itself, in the first place?
When it is clear to everyone that the visitor wants to enjoy the vegetation and has nothing to do with it.
Also, is this year, which is a year of Shemitah, a prohibition on visiting because gardening work is being carried out there?
Thank you very much.
As far as I understand, the Baha’is are not followers of the religion of God, but rather a moderate and universal type of Islam. Therefore, there is no halakhic prohibition on enjoying their gardens, even if they have a ritual dimension. The gardening work is done by Gentiles, so I see no problem with that, even if you think there is a problem with enjoying gardening under prohibition.
How do you know that the gardening was done by Gentiles?
As far as I know, they themselves work in the gardens. But beyond that, the land is theirs and there is property for a foreigner to expropriate, and even if there was a crime here, we did not find a prohibition on enjoyment in it.
Thank you Rabbi.
I return to the matter of idolatry, following what you wrote I looked at Wikipedia under the entry ‘The Baha’ Faith’, where it is written about the second leader of the movement that ”Bahá Allah claimed to be not only a prophet ‘the one whom God will reveal’, but also the incarnation of God”.
Isn't this a fact that defines the movement as idolatry?
These are theoretical nuances that are difficult to build on. Both Chabad and Kabbalah define the Rebbe as the embodiment of God, and Kabbalah also says that God Israel and the Torah are one. Therefore, in my opinion, theoretical theological assertions do not make faith a reality.
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