To not favor or have mercy on an idolater: That we should not have pity on idolaters and that nothing of theirs should be straight in our eyes. [That is] to say that we should distance from our thoughts and not bring up to our mouths that there may be anything of benefit from one who worships idolatry, and that he not arouse grace in our eyes in any matter; to the point that our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Avodah Zarah 7a) that it is forbidden to say, “How beautiful is that gentile,” or “How fine and pleasant is he.” And about this is it stated (Deuteronomy 7:2), “and you shall not grace them.” And the explanation of this comes about this, [that it is to say,] do not give them grace, like the matter that we have said. And there are some of our Rabbis that learned from, “you shall not grace them,” you shall not give them free presents — and it is all one root. And in Talmud Yerushalmi Avodah Zarah 1:9, they said, “‘You shall not grace them’ — you shall not give them grace [is] a negative commandment.”
It is from the roots of the commandment [that it is] since the beginning of any action of people is the fixing of the thought about the actions and the bringing up of the words upon the language of the tongue [about them]; and [only] after the thought and the speech about them, will he do any action. And therefore by being prevented to find benefit and grace in idolaters in our thought and speech; behold, we are prevented through this from bonding with them and from pursuing their love and from learning anything from their evil deeds.
From the laws of the commandment is that which they, may their memory be blessed, said (Avodah Zarah 65a) regarding not giving free presents to them, that [it is] specifically to one who worships idolatry, but not to one who does not worship idolatry — even though he remains a gentile to eat disgusting animals and creeping animals and all of the other sins like a resident alien. As since he has accepted the seven [Noachide] commandments, we support him and we give him free presents; and they may their memory be blessed, said (Arakhin 29a) that we only accept a resident alien at a time when the Jubilee is practiced. And also that which they, may their memory be blessed, said (Gittin 61a) that it is permissible to support the poor of the gentiles with the poor of Israel because of the ways of peace. And the rest of its details are elucidated in Tractate Avodah Zarah. (See Tur, Yoreh Deah, 151.)
And this commandment is practiced in every place and at all times by males and females. And one who transgresses this and praises worshipers of idolatry — except in a way that brings much greater praise to our nation from praising them — has violated this negative commandment. But there are no lashes for it, since there is no act [involved] with it. Yet his punishment is very great, since it is a cause for a great mishap which has no repayment — as the thing sometimes goes down to the chambers of the belly of the listeners, and all who know knowledge will understand this.
שֶׁלֹּא לָחֹן וּלְרַחֵם עַל עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה – שֶׁלֹּא נַחְמֹל עַל עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, וְלֹא יִישַׁר בְּעֵינֵינוּ דָּבָר מֵהֶם, כְּלוֹמַר, שֶׁנַּרְחִיק מִמַּחְשַׁבְתֵּנוּ וְלֹא יַעֲלֶה עַל פִּינוּ שֶׁיִּהְיֶה בְּמִי שֶׁהוּא עוֹבֵד עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה דְּבַר תּוֹעֶלֶת, וְלֹא יִהְיֶה מַעֲלֶה חֵן בְּעֵינֵינוּ בְּשׁוּם עִנְיָן, עַד שֶׁאָמְרוּ רַבּוֹתֵינוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (ע"ז ז א) שֶׁאָסוּר לוֹמַר כַּמָּה נָאֶה גּוֹי זֶה אוֹ מַה נֶחְמָד וְנָעִים הוּא, וְעַל זֶה נֶאֱמַר (דברים ז ב) וְלֹא תְחָנֵּם, וּבָא הַפֵּרוּשׁ עַל זֶה לֹא תִּתֵּן לָהֶם חֵן, כָּעִנְיָן שֶׁאָמַרְנוּ. וְיֵשׁ מֵרַבּוֹתֵינוּ שֶׁלָּמְדוּ מִלֹּא תְחָנֵּם, לֹא תִּתֵּן לָהֶם מַתְּנוֹת חִנָּם, וְהַכֹּל שֹׁרֶשׁ אֶחָד. וּבִירוּשַׁלְמִי דַּעֲבוֹדָה זָרָה (פ"א ה"ט) אָמְרוּ לֹא תְחָנֵּם, לֹא תִּתֵּן לָהֶם חֵן, בְּלֹא תַּעֲשֶׂה.
To not favor or have mercy on an idolater: That we should not have pity on idolaters and that nothing of theirs should be straight in our eyes. [That is] to say that we should distance from our thoughts and not bring up to our mouths that there may be anything of benefit from one who worships idolatry, and that he not arouse grace in our eyes in any matter; to the point that our Rabbis, may their memory be blessed, said (Avodah Zarah 7a) that it is forbidden to say, “How beautiful is that gentile,” or “How fine and pleasant is he.” And about this is it stated (Deuteronomy 7:2), “and you shall not grace them.” And the explanation of this comes about this, [that it is to say,] do not give them grace, like the matter that we have said. And there are some of our Rabbis that learned from, “you shall not grace them,” you shall not give them free presents — and it is all one root. And in Talmud Yerushalmi Avodah Zarah 1:9, they said, “‘You shall not grace them’ — you shall not give them grace [is] a negative commandment.”
מִשָּׁרְשֵׁי הַמִּצְוָה. לְפִי שֶׁתְּחִלַּת כָּל מַעֲשֵׂה בְּנֵי אָדָם הִיא קְבִיעוּת הַמַּחְשָׁבָה בַּמַּעֲשִׂים וְהַעֲלוֹת הַדְּבָרִים עַל שְׂפַת לָשׁוֹן, וְאַחַר הַמַּחְשָׁבָה וְהַדִּבּוּר בָּם תֵּעָשֶׂה כָּל מְלָאכָה, וְעַל כֵּן בְּהִמָּנְעֵנוּ בְּמַחֲשָׁבָה וּבְדִבּוּר מִמְּצֹא בְּעוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה תּוֹעֶלֶת וְחֵן, הִנְנוּ נִמְנָעִים בְּכָךְ מִלְּהִתְחַבֵּר עִמָּהֶם וּמִלִּרְדֹּף אַחַר אַהֲבָתָם וּמִלִּלְמֹד דָּבָר מִכָּל מַעֲשֵׂיהֶם הָרָעִים.
It is from the roots of the commandment [that it is] since the beginning of any action of people is the fixing of the thought about the actions and the bringing up of the words upon the language of the tongue [about them]; and [only] after the thought and the speech about them, will he do any action. And therefore by being prevented to find benefit and grace in idolaters in our thought and speech; behold, we are prevented through this from bonding with them and from pursuing their love and from learning anything from their evil deeds.
מִדִּינֵי הַמִּצְוָה. מָה שֶׁאָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (שם סה, א) כְּשֶׁאֵין נוֹתְנִין לָהֶם מַתְּנוֹת חִנָּם דְּדַוְקָא לְמִי שֶׁעוֹבֵד עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, אֲבָל לֹא לְמִי שֶׁאֵינוֹ עוֹבֵד עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה, וְאַף עַל פִּי שֶׁהוּא עוֹמֵד בְּגַיּוּתוֹ לֶאֱכֹל שְׁקָצִים וּרְמָשִׂים וּשְׁאָר כָּל הָעֲבֵרוֹת כְּגוֹן גֵּר תּוֹשָׁב, דְּמִכֵּיוָן שֶׁקִּבֵּל עָלָיו שֶׁבַע מִצְוֹת מְפַרְנְסִין אוֹתוֹ וְנוֹתְנִין לוֹ מַתְּנַת חִנָּם. וְאָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (ערכין כט, א) שֶׁאֵין מְקַבְּלִין גֵּר תּוֹשָׁב אֶלָּא בִּזְמַן שֶׁהַיּוֹבֵל נוֹהֵג. וְעוֹד אָמְרוּ זִכְרוֹנָם לִבְרָכָה (גטין סא, א) שֶׁמֻּתָּר לְפַרְנֵס עֲנִיֵּי גּוֹיִם עִם עֲנִיֵּי יִשְׂרָאֵל, מִפְּנֵי דַּרְכֵי שָׁלוֹם. וְיֶתֶר פְּרָטֶיהָ, מְבֹאָרִים בְּמַסֶּכֶת עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה [י"ד סי' קנא].
From the laws of the commandment is that which they, may their memory be blessed, said (Avodah Zarah 65a) regarding not giving free presents to them, that [it is] specifically to one who worships idolatry, but not to one who does not worship idolatry — even though he remains a gentile to eat disgusting animals and creeping animals and all of the other sins like a resident alien. As since he has accepted the seven [Noachide] commandments, we support him and we give him free presents; and they may their memory be blessed, said (Arakhin 29a) that we only accept a resident alien at a time when the Jubilee is practiced. And also that which they, may their memory be blessed, said (Gittin 61a) that it is permissible to support the poor of the gentiles with the poor of Israel because of the ways of peace. And the rest of its details are elucidated in Tractate Avodah Zarah. (See Tur, Yoreh Deah, 151.)
וְנוֹהֶגֶת מִצְוָה זוֹ בְּכָל מָקוֹם וּבְכָל זְמַן בִּזְכָרִים וּנְקֵבוֹת. וְהָעוֹבֵר עַל זֶה וְשִׁבַּח עוֹבְדֵי עֲבוֹדָה זָרָה וּמַעֲשֵׂיהֶם, זוּלָתִי בְּעִנְיָן שֶׁיִּמָּצֵא שֶׁבַח יָתֵר מְאֹד לְאֻמָּתֵנוּ מִתּוֹךְ שִׁבְחָם, עָבַר עַל לָאו זֶה, וְאֵין בּוֹ מַלְקוּת, לְפִי שֶׁאֵין בּוֹ מַעֲשֶׂה, אֲבָל עָנְשׁוֹ גָּדוֹל מְאֹד, כִּי הוּא סִבָּה לְתַקָּלָה מְרֻבָּה שֶׁאֵין לָהּ תַּשְׁלוּמִין, כִּי הַדְּבָרִים יֵרְדוּ לִפְעָמִים בְּחַדְרֵי בֶּטֶן הַשּׁוֹמְעִים, וְכָל יוֹדֵעַ דַּעַת יָבִין זֶה.
And this commandment is practiced in every place and at all times by males and females. And one who transgresses this and praises worshipers of idolatry — except in a way that brings much greater praise to our nation from praising them — has violated this negative commandment. But there are no lashes for it, since there is no act [involved] with it. Yet his punishment is very great, since it is a cause for a great mishap which has no repayment — as the thing sometimes goes down to the chambers of the belly of the listeners, and all who know knowledge will understand this.