Q&A: Books on Idol Worship
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
Books on Idol Worship
Question
Hello Rabbi,
Regarding studying books on idol worship for the sake of investigating philosophical knowledge found in them—Buddhism, yoga, etc.—which contain elements that can inspire and change one's outlook: is it permitted to study them for that purpose?
(I understood that Maimonides wrote that there was no book on idol worship that he had not read; from this I infer that there is room to permit it in certain situations.)
Answer
I think it is permitted. You are not doing it in order to learn idol worship from them, but in order to learn other matters from them (this is the topic of "it is unavoidable and not intended"). By the way, I am not at all sure that Buddhism and yoga are idol worship.
Thank you very much, Rabbi.