כִּי יַכְרִית יְדֹוָד אֱלֹהֶיךָ אֶת הַגּוֹיִם אֲשֶׁר אַתָּה בָא שָׁמָּה לָרֶשֶׁת אוֹתָם מִפָּנֶיךָ וְיָרַשְׁתָּ אֹתָם וְיָשַׁבְתָּ בְּאַרְצָם: הִשָּׁמֶר לְךָ פֶּן תִּנָּקֵשׁ אַחֲרֵיהֶם אַחֲרֵי הִשָּׁמְדָם מִפָּנֶיךָ וּפֶן תִּדְרשׁ לֵאלֹהֵיהֶם לֵאמֹר אֵיכָה יַעַבְדוּ הַגּוֹיִם הָאֵלֶּה אֶת אֱלֹהֵיהֶם וְאֶעֱשֶׂה כֵּן גַּם אָנִי:
(דברים יב:כט-ל)
“When Hashem, your God, will defeat the nations to which you come to take possession from them… Be careful, not to be confused by them after they have been destroyed before you, and (be careful) not to seek out their gods, saying, ‘How will these nations serve their gods and I will do the same.’ You shall not act this way toward Hashem, your God, for they perform for their gods every repulsive act that Hashem detests.” (Devarim 12:29-30)
Zera Shimshon poses two questions on this pasuk:
His first question pertains to the use of future tense when warning Bnei Yisroel not to serve the gods of the inhabitants of Eretz Yisroel. The Torah writes that Bnei Yisroel shouldn’t say, “How will these nations serve their gods … ” looking ahead to the future. This pasuk discusses the period after Bnei Yisroel triumphed over Eretz Yisroel’s inhabitants. This being so, it seems more suitable for the Torah to employ past tense, that Bnei Yisroel shouldn’t say, “How did these nations serve their gods … ” instead of the future-oriented, “How will these nations … ”
The second question revolves around the phrase, “I will do the same,” embedded in “How will these nations serve their gods and I will do the same.” The implication appears to be a warning against Bnei Yisroel to follow in the footsteps of Eretz Yisroel’s former inhabitants, in terms of idol worship. If this is indeed the case, what is this pasuk teaching us that we are not yet aware of? The Ten Commandments have already clearly outlined the prohibition against idol worship!
Zera Shimshon answers these questions by referencing Rabbeinu Yerucham’s objection of a ritual prevalent during his era. Before a bris, people used to prepare a table with food—not to eat—but to augment and intensify the newborn’s mazal. Rabbeinu Yerucham objected to this, quoting Yeshaya HaNavi’s rebuke of klal Yisroel (Yeshaya 65:11) for performing the same ritual for Gad, a specific mazal.
The Zohar mentions that this tradition predates Yeshaya—tracing back to Bilaam—as suggested by the name of his city, “Pessorah,” meaning table. While not explicitly avodah zara, it is prohibited due to its resemblance to sorcery practices employed to enhance the mazal’s power.
Zera Shimshon posits that when Bnei Yisroel entered Eretz Yisroel they surely didn’t kill all the inhabitants. Some people ran away and hid to save themselves. These remaining people—after seeing their whole nation destroyed—would probably try to strengthen their mazal and will “set up tables” to strengthen their specific mazal.
As a result, the Torah anticipates a future scenario where, following their entry into Eretz Yisroel, Bnei Yisroel might encounter the remaining Canaanim engaging in practices designed to fortify their mazal. Since the concern that the Canaanim will practice this sorcery in future—after Bnei Yisroel will conquer them—the phrase, “How will these nations serve their gods and I will do the same,” is purposely written in the future tense.
Since these practices aren’t technically considered avodah zara, they aren’t covered by the prohibitions against serving avodah zara detailed in the Ten Commandments. Therefore, Hashem gave Bnei Yisroel a distinct warning against adopting this practice. They should not contemplate, “How will these nations serve their gods in the future, and I will do the same.”
In summary, as Moshe Rabbeinu neared the end of his life—before Bnei Yisroel entered Eretz Yisroel—he provided several guidelines for their behavior upon entry and after they conquered the land. One specific directive was not to ponder, “How will these nations serve their gods and I will do the same?” Zera Shimshon raises two questions on this: Firstly, why is the warning in future tense? Secondly, why repeat a prohibition already known from Har Sinai?
He proposes that Moshe’s caution was about a specific ritual: arranging a table with food to bolster one’s mazal. This is a practice the conquered nations might very well adopt to improve their weakened mazal after defeat. Those who survive by evading or hiding would seek ways to empower their mazal, which failed to protect them from Bnei Yisroel. Moshe’s concern was Bnei Yisroel emulating this post-war custom from the remnants. This is why the future tense is used, and given its separation from pure avodah zara, it wasn’t listed in the Ten Commandments’ idol prohibition and needed to be mentioned here.
HaRav Shimshon Nachmani—author of Zera Shimshon lived in Italy—about 300 years ago, in the time of the Or HaChaim HaKodesh. The Chida writes that he was a great mekubal and wrote many sefarim—including sefarim about “practical Kabbalah”—and asked that all of his sefarim be buried after he passes away, except for Zera Shimshon and Niflaos Shimshon on Avos. HaRav Shimshon Nachmani had one child who died in his lifetime (hence the name “Zera Shimshon”) and in the preface, he promises for people who learn his sefarim after he dies, “ … And your eyes will see children and grandchildren like the offshoots of an olive tree around your tables, wise and understanding with houses filled with all manner of good things … and wealth and honor … ”
