Avodah Zarah, Daf Mem Bet, Part 5
Introduction
This mishnah discusses what one must do with things that he found that are likely to have been used as idols.
מתני׳ המוצא כלים ועליהם צורת חמה צורת לבנה צורת דרקון יוליכם לים המלח
רבן שמעון בן גמליאל אומר שעל המכובדין אסורין שעל המבוזין מותרין:
If one finds utensils upon which is the figure of the sun or moon or a dragon, he must cast them into the Dead Sea.
Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel says: if [one of these figures] is upon precious utensils they are prohibited, but if upon common utensils they are permitted.
If one finds a utensil that has on it a picture of the sun, moon or a dragon he must destroy it, since it was certainly used for idolatrous purposes. According to the first opinion, the best way to totally destroy an idol is to throw it into the Dead Sea. In such a way there is no chance that he, or any other Jew, will ever derive any benefit from it.
Rabban Shimon ben Gamaliel states that not all utensils that have pictures of the sun, moon or dragon are forbidden. Only precious utensils with such pictures on them are forbidden, for they were certainly worshipped. Cheap utensils were, in all likelihood, not worshipped, and are therefore permitted, even though they have on them pictures of the sun, moon or dragon.
גמ׳ למימרא דלהני הוא דפלחי להו למידי אחרינא לא
ורמינהי השוחט לשום ימים לשום נהרות לשום מדבר לשום חמה לשום לבנה לשום כוכבים ומזלות לשום מיכאל שר הגדול לשום שילשול קטן הרי אלו זבחי מתים
GEMARA. Is this to say that [the idolaters] worship these objects and no others?
They cast against this the following baraita: If one slaughters an animal in the name of seas, rivers, a desert, the sun, moon, stars and planets, Michael the great Prince or a tiny worm, behold these are like sacrifices to the dead !
The mishnah seems to imply that people worship the sun, the moon and dragons. But the baraita quoted here implies that they worshipped many other objects as well. This is a difficulty.
אמר אביי מיפלח לכל דמשכחי פלחי מיצר ומפלחי הני תלתא דחשיבי ציירי להו ופלחי להו למידי אחרינא לנוי בעלמא עבדי להו
Abaye said: With regard to worshipping, they worship whatever they take hold of; but with regard to the making of images and then worshipping them, these three [mentioned in the Mishnah] which are particularly important to them, they make an image and worship it; but as for the other figures, they only make them for ornamental purposes.
Abaye explains that there is a difference between worship and creation of images for the sake of worship. Idolaters worship a whole host of natural phenomenon. But, at least according to Abaye, they only decorate and then worship the three mentioned in the mishnah sun, moon and dragon. Game of Thrones style!
מנקיט רב ששת חומרי מתנייתא ותני כל המזלות מותרין חוץ ממזל חמה ולבנה וכל הפרצופין מותרין חוץ מפרצוף אדם וכל הצורות מותרות חוץ מצורת דרקון
R. Sheshet used to gather passages related to the Mishnah and teach them: [Pictures of] all the planets are permissible except that of the sun and moon; of all faces are permissible except that of a human face; and of all figures are permissible except that of the dragon.
R. Sheshet here seems to be gathering material related to the Mishnah, although some translate this as gathering difficulties on the Mishnah. In any case, the three objects are the same as those in the Mishnah, and this baraita reads the three of them as being exclusive. Only these planets, faces and figures are forbidden. Others are permitted.