Q&A: You Shall Have No Other Gods
You Shall Have No Other Gods
Question
I saw in Maimonides and in Sefer HaChinukh that they count the commandment, “You shall have no other gods before Me,” as a command to believe that there is no deity other than God.
But in one of your books I saw that your view is that it is impossible to command belief. That is absurd and has no place.
If so, what do you think this commandment means? Should this commandment not be counted at all?
Answer
Why did you jump to the second commandment? What about the first one? Whatever you explain there, you should explain here too. One can perhaps interpret the commandment as requiring a person to deepen his understanding of the matter or to investigate it. It is clear that there is not, and cannot be, a commandment to believe or not believe something.
Discussion on Answer
I didn’t understand. I explained that a prohibition against worshipping is possible, but a prohibition against believing that there is another god is not logical.
Thank you,
I thought of explaining it by saying that the Torah says there are other gods besides God and commands us not to worship them.
Still, it seems to me that saying this is heretical. Maimonides especially, and others too, say that if a person believes there is a god besides the Holy One, blessed be He—
do you also think it makes sense to hold such a view?