[Avodah] destroying idols

[Micha Berger]

On Thu, Feb 16, 2012 at 11:41:06AM +0200, Ilana Elzufon wrote:
: I don't know where the source is, but I was under the impression that an
: idol could lose its AZ status if a worshipper of that religion is
: deliberately mevatel it, or if the religion itself has become extinct and
: no one worships such idols any more...

I believe it requires deliberate bitul (and that the owner and mivatel
be nakhriim). Like the discussion in AZ 52b if bitul would have to entail
breaking it.

BTW, according to the Minchas Chinukh #436, there is no issur in leaving
AZ intact. Rather, it is the lack of fulfillment of an asei.

There might be an issur in passing up an asei for no good reason. Okeir
mitzvos beyadayim is mentioned by hilkhos tzitzis. As RAM quoted in
private email from me from back in 2001 (that I can't remember anything
else about), I only found mention within hilkhos tzitzis. I also compared
it to "mitzvah habas beyadekha al tachmitzenah."
http://www.aishdas.org/avodah/vol07/v07n068.shtml#11

Tir'u baTov!
-Micha

-- 
Micha Berger             I slept and dreamt that life was joy.
micha at aishdas.org        I awoke and found that life was duty.
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