Idolatry does not begin at the idol; it begins in the mind. When a person entertains the possibility that some other force, deity, star, system, or ideology has power alongside Hashem, the foundations of emunah are already compromised. This mitzvah forbids that inner shift. We must know that all existence and every event are directed solely by Hashem; there is no second source of authority, blessing, or fear. By cutting off avodah zarah at the level of thought, the Torah protects Jewish faith before it can fracture into divided loyalties.

Rambam

• Source: Sefer HaMitzvos, Lo Ta’aseh 2; Hilchos Avodah Zarah 2:1–4. Rambam writes that a person who mentally accepts another power as a god has already violated this mitzvah, even without speech or action. Recognition in thought is itself a form of service. Therefore, the prohibition focuses on the inner acceptance of any being as having divine status or independent control over reality.

Sefer HaChinuch

• Mitzvah 26. Chinuch explains that after we know Hashem exists and created the world, it is logically impossible to grant divinity to anything else. This mitzvah requires us to close the door on any belief that angels, stars, human leaders, or forces of nature have autonomous power. Chinuch stresses chinuch ha’banim: parents must speak and think in a way that leaves children with an unshakable sense that only Hashem runs the world.

Rashi / Ramban / Ibn Ezra / Sforno / Abarbanel / Midrashim

• Rashi (Shemos 20:3) notes “על פני” — “before Me” — means even in the most private, inner places, Hashem sees the heart. The issur exists even without outward expression.
• Ramban explains that accepting other powers denies the testimony of Yetziyas Mitzrayim, where Hashem demonstrated His exclusive control over nature and history. Idolatrous thought tears away the basis of the covenant.
• Ibn Ezra fights philosophical and astrological systems that attribute power to stars or fate. He insists that they are merely tools in Hashem’s hand; attributing independent influence to them is mental avodah zarah.
• Sforno emphasizes loyalty and trust: the Jew’s security, hope, and fear must be directed only to Hashem. Divided allegiance in thought undermines true avdus.
• Abarbanel describes this dibbur as the move from abstract belief to concrete loyalty. “No other gods” means that in our mind’s palace we crown no other ruler; only Hashem is accepted as Melech.
• Midrashim describe a person who entertains avodah zarah as uprooting the covenant at its root. Even if he continues performing mitzvos, his inner world is misaligned with the reality of Divine unity.

Talmud & Midrash

• Sanhedrin 63b teaches that “המודה בעבודה זרה ככופר בכל התורה כולה” — one who admits to avodah zarah denies the entire Torah. Mental admission that another power exists is already a fundamental betrayal, because Torah is built on the premise of Hashem’s exclusive kingship.
• The Midrash compares Israel’s acceptance of Hashem at Sinai to a marriage; entertaining another god is emotional infidelity. Even if the betrayal is only in thought, the relationship is wounded.

Kuzari, Maharal, and Other Rishonim

• Kuzari insists that Torah faith is not abstract monotheism but living relationship. If a person thinks that nature, fate, or human systems have power independent of Hashem, he has left the “camp of Israel” in his mind, even if he remains outwardly observant.
• Maharal teaches that reality cannot have two ultimate sources. Believing in divided authority fractures the very structure of truth; the world exists because there is a single, simple root of being.
• Other Rishonim highlight that maintaining undivided allegiance in thought is what allows mitzvos to be experienced as a direct response to the Divine Commander, not as cultural behavior.

Shulchan Aruch & Practical Ramifications

• Yoreh De’ah 179 prohibits divination, omens, and practices that attribute power to stars, spirits, or superstition. Even if the person claims he “doesn’t really believe,” habituation to such customs reflects and reinforces a distorted inner map of power.
• Poskim emphasize that phrases like “it’s all mazal,” “luck,” or “the universe decided” can be problematic when they reflect genuine belief in forces outside Hashem. The mitzvah calls for refined language that mirrors true emunah.

Acharonim & Modern Torah Giants

• Chasam Sofer identifies modern forms of avodah zarah in ideologies that absolutize human reason, nationalism, or culture. When people believe these forces override Hashem’s will, they are recreating the old sin in contemporary clothing.
• Netziv explains that Jewish history is a running commentary on this mitzvah: whenever Am Yisrael attaches themselves to foreign ideas of power, exile and confusion increase; when they reaffirm Hashem’s exclusive rule, they experience protection and clarity.
• Rav Hirsch stresses that morality cannot remain stable if authority is divided. If the individual’s conscience, the state, and social consensus all compete with Hashem for ultimate authority, mitzvah loyalty slowly erodes.
• Chafetz Chaim teaches that fear of people, employers, governments, or “public opinion” often comes from subconsciously believing those forces control our lives. A Jew who truly internalizes this mitzvah can act with integrity even under enormous pressure.

Chassidic & Mussar Classics

• Baal Shem Tov explains that at the root of avodah zarah is hester panim — the feeling that Hashem is hidden. When a person trains himself to see hashgachah in every detail, the illusion of independent powers dissolves.
• Tanya (especially chs. 20–21) emphasizes that Hashem’s unity is absolute; nothing has existence apart from His will. Believing that any force can operate outside of that will is a subtle rejection of “אין עוד מלבדו.”
• Sfas Emes writes that inner avodah is to gather all scattered thoughts and desires and reattach them to Hashem alone. When the heart turns to human approval, money, or control as ultimate goals, it borders on mental avodah zarah.
• Ramchal in Mesillas Yesharim shows that zehirus and nekias require seeing the world as a field of Divine service, not as a neutral arena where other agendas can become central.

Contrast with Mitzvah 1 – To know there is a G-d

• Mitzvah 1 commands positive knowledge: the firm conviction that Hashem exists, created the world, and sustains it.
• Mitzvah 2 commands the negative guarding of that belief: the mind must not entertain any competing divine authority.
• Together, they form the basic emunah pair — “know Hashem” and “know no other.”

Parallel to Mitzvah 3 – To know that He is One

• Mitzvah 3 focuses on unity of essence — Hashem is absolutely one, without division or parts.
• Mitzvah 2 focuses on unity of authority — no other being may be regarded as having independent power.
• Both mitzvos drive the Jew toward “ה׳ הוא האלקים אין עוד,” integrating metaphysical unity with practical exclusive loyalty.