Leviticus 19:4 "Do not turn to idols"
This prohibition warns us not to even attempt to understand what
idol-worshipers do, even if we are only curious about it and never intend to
practice it ourselves.
The Torah understands that sometimes even honest curiosity can be dangerous,
just like it was for Avi...
Avi lives in a small town in Israel and his father is often called for
military service in the army.
Once, on a day's leave from his army base, Avi's father came home with his
gun.
Avi stared at the gun curiously and begged his father to let him hold it.
"Please, Daddy," pleaded Avi, "just show me how it
works." "No, Avi, you must never play with a gun!", his father
said. "But I won't use it" argued Avi. "I only want to look at it
and hold it!"
His father refused and put the rifle away so Avi could not get to it. Avi's
father knew that curiosity could lead to an accident.
So too, the Torah does not want us to practice any type of idol-worship.
It knows that curiosity might lead to other things.
Therefore, we are forbidden to even ask about any type of idol-worship or its
practices.
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