It is forbidden to a man to gaze upon a place which God loathes, and even on one which God loves. For instance, it is forbidden to gaze upon the rainbow,1v. T. B. Hagigah, 16a. because it is the mirror of the supernal form. It is forbidden to a man to gaze upon the sign of the covenant upon him, because this is emblematic of the Righteous One of the world. It is forbidden to gaze upon the fingers of the priests when they spread out their hands to bless the congregation,1v. Ibid.. because the glory of the most high King rests there. If one must not gaze at a holy place, how much less may he at an unclean and loathsome one! Therefore, “turn not to the idols”.’ R. Isaac said: ‘If it is forbidden to look at them, how much more to worship them!
The injunctions in this section correspond to those in the Ten Commandments. Thus: “Ye shall not turn to the idols” corresponds to “Thou shalt have no other gods before me”; “nor make to yourselves molten gods” to “thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image”; “I am the Lord your God” to “I am the Lord thy God”; “ye shall fear every one his mother and his father” to “honour thy father and thy mother”; “and ye shall keep my sabbaths” to”remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy”; “ye shall not swear by my name falsely” to “thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain”; “ye shall not steal” to “thou shalt not steal”; “neither shall ye deal falsely nor lie to one another” to “thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour ‘; “the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death” (xx, 10) to “thou shalt not commit adultery”; “neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour” to “thou shalt not murder”. Thus the Law is summed up in this section.’
תָּא חֲזֵי, אָסִיר לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ, לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בַּאֲתַר דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא מָאִיס בֵּיהּ, וּרְחִיקָא בֵּיהּ נַפְשֵׁיהּ. וּמַה בְּמַה דְּרָחִים קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אָסִיר לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בֵּיהּ, בְּמַה דְּרָחִיק עַל אַחַת כַּמָּה וְכַמָּה. דְתָּא חֲזֵי, אָסִיר לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בַּקֶּשֶׁת, בְּגִין דְּאִיהוּ חֵיזוֹ דְּדִיּוּקְנָא עִלָּאָה. אָסִיר לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בְּאָת קַיָּימָא דִּילֵיהּ, בְּגִין דְּהוּא רָמִיז לְצַדִּיקָא דְּעָלְמָא. אָסִיר לֵיהּ לְבַר נָשׁ לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא, בְּאֶצְבְּעָן דְּכַהֲנֵי, בְּשַׁעֲתָא דְּפַרְסֵי יְדַיְיהוּ, בְּגִין דְּתַמָּן שַׁרְיָא יְקָרָא דְּמַלְכָּא עִלָּאָה. וּמַה בַּאֲתַר קַדִּישָׁא עִלָּאָה אָסִיר לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא, בַּאֲתַר מִסְאֲבָא רְחִיקָא לָא כָּל שֶׁכֵּן. בְּגִינֵי כַּךְ, אַל תִּפְנוּ אֶל הָאֱלִילִים. רִבִּי יִצְחָק אָמַר, וּמַה לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בְּהוּ אָסִיר, לְמִפְלַח לְהוּ, אוֹ לְמֶעְבַּד לְהוּ, עַל אַחַת כַּמָה וְכַמָּה.
It is forbidden to a man to gaze upon a place which God loathes, and even on one which God loves. For instance, it is forbidden to gaze upon the rainbow,1v. T. B. Hagigah, 16a. because it is the mirror of the supernal form. It is forbidden to a man to gaze upon the sign of the covenant upon him, because this is emblematic of the Righteous One of the world. It is forbidden to gaze upon the fingers of the priests when they spread out their hands to bless the congregation,1v. Ibid.. because the glory of the most high King rests there. If one must not gaze at a holy place, how much less may he at an unclean and loathsome one! Therefore, “turn not to the idols”.’ R. Isaac said: ‘If it is forbidden to look at them, how much more to worship them!
וּבְגִּינֵי כַּךְ, אַל תִּפְנוּ אֶל הָאֱלִילִים. הָכָא אָתָא לְאַזְהָרָא לְהוּ לְיִשְׂרָאֵל כְּקַדְמֵיתָא. לָקֳבֵיל (שמות כ׳:ג׳) לֹא יִהְיֶה לְךָ אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים עַל פָּנָי. וִאלֹהֵי מַסֵּכָה לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ לָכֶם, לָקֳבֵיל לֹא תַעֲשֶׂה לְךָ פֶסֶל אֲנִי יְיָ' אֱלֹהֵיכֶם. לָקֳבֵיל אָנֹכִי יְיָ' אֱלֹהֶיךָ, אִישׁ אִמּוֹ וְאָבִיו תִּירָאוּ. לָקֳבֵל כַּבֵּד אֶת אָבִיךָ וְאֶת אִמֶּךָ. וְאֶת שַׁבְּתוֹתַי תִּשְׁמוֹרוּ, זָכוֹר אֶת יוֹם הַשַּׁבָּת לְקַדְּשׁוֹ. לֹא תִּשָּׁבְעוּ בִשְׁמִי לַשָּׁקֶר. לֹא תִשָּׂא אֶת שֵׁם יְיָ' אֱלֹהֶיךָ לַשָּׁוְא. לֹא תִּגְנוֹבוּ, לֹא תִגְנוֹב. וְלֹא תְכַחֲשׁוּ, וְלֹא תְשַׁקְּרוּ אִישׁ בַּעֲמִיתוֹ. לֹא תַעֲנֶה בְרֵעֲךָ עֵד שָׁקֶר. מוֹת יוּמַת הַנּוֹאֵף וְהַנּוֹאָפֶת, לֹא תִנְאָף. לֹא תַעֲמוֹד עַל דַּם רֵעֶךָ, לֹא תִּרְצַח. וְהָא אוּקְמוּהָ, וְעַל דָּא כְּלָלָא דְּאוֹרַיְיתָא, בְּפַרְשְׁתָּא דָּא.
The injunctions in this section correspond to those in the Ten Commandments. Thus: “Ye shall not turn to the idols” corresponds to “Thou shalt have no other gods before me”; “nor make to yourselves molten gods” to “thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image”; “I am the Lord your God” to “I am the Lord thy God”; “ye shall fear every one his mother and his father” to “honour thy father and thy mother”; “and ye shall keep my sabbaths” to”remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy”; “ye shall not swear by my name falsely” to “thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain”; “ye shall not steal” to “thou shalt not steal”; “neither shall ye deal falsely nor lie to one another” to “thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour ‘; “the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death” (xx, 10) to “thou shalt not commit adultery”; “neither shalt thou stand against the blood of thy neighbour” to “thou shalt not murder”. Thus the Law is summed up in this section.’