In Judaism, an abomination, horror, or scandal is, in general, an offense against the religious senses of a people, and, in particular, an offense against the religious sense of the Jewish people. An abomination offends God (i.e., it is a sin) because it is offensive on religious grounds. The translation of the Hebrew word for abomination is actually the translation of three different levels or kinds of abominations in terms of severity: , , and . While abomination refers mostly to violations of the

Mosaic law The Law of Moses ( he, תֹּורַת מֹשֶׁה ), also called the Mosaic Law, primarily refers to the Torah or the first five books of the Hebrew Bible. The law revealed to Moses by God. Terminology The Law of Moses or Torah of Moses (Hebrew ...

, specifically violations of the

mitzvot In its primary meaning, the Hebrew word (; he, מִצְוָה, ''mīṣvā'' , plural ''mīṣvōt'' ; "commandment") refers to a commandment commanded by God to be performed as a religious duty. Jewish law () in large part consists of discus ...

on the worship of God in Judaism, it also includes some violations of the

moral A moral (from Latin ''morālis'') is a message that is conveyed or a lesson to be learned from a story or event. The moral may be left to the hearer, reader, or viewer to determine for themselves, or may be explicitly encapsulated in a maxim. A ...

law ( lying, perversion, etc.).

Origins

Some Jewish scholars believe the three levels of abomination were not developments in

Jewish theology Jewish philosophy () includes all philosophy carried out by Jews, or in relation to the religion of Judaism. Until modern ''Haskalah'' (Jewish Enlightenment) and Jewish emancipation, Jewish philosophy was preoccupied with attempts to reconcil ...

, but originated all in the Ketuvim, from which the Torah and the Nevi'im borrowed, while other Jewish scholars believe the three levels of abomination were developed over time after the

Babylonian captivity The Babylonian captivity or Babylonian exile is the period in Jewish history during which a large number of Judeans from the ancient Kingdom of Judah were captives in Babylon, the capital city of the Neo-Babylonian Empire, following their defeat ...

Toebah

or (abominable or taboo) is the highest level or worst kind of abomination. It includes the sins of

idolatry Idolatry is the worship of a cult image or "idol" as though it were God. In Abrahamic religions (namely Judaism, Samaritanism, Christianity, the Baháʼí Faith, and Islam) idolatry connotes the worship of something or someone other than the A ...

, placing or worshiping false gods in the temple, eating unclean animals,

magic Magic or Magick most commonly refers to: * Magic (supernatural), beliefs and actions employed to influence supernatural beings and forces * Ceremonial magic, encompasses a wide variety of rituals of magic * Magical thinking, the belief that unrela ...

divination Divination (from Latin ''divinare'', 'to foresee, to foretell, to predict, to prophesy') is the attempt to gain insight into a question or situation by way of an occultic, standardized process or ritual. Used in various forms throughout histor ...

, perversion ( incest, pederasty, homosexuality and bestiality), cheating, lying, killing the innocent, false witness, illegal offerings (imperfect animals, etc.), hypocritical offerings (seeking atonement without

repentance Repentance is reviewing one's actions and feeling contrition or regret for past wrongs, which is accompanied by commitment to and actual actions that show and prove a change for the better. In modern times, it is generally seen as involving a co ...

), and offending the religious sense of another people (for example, the Israelites sacrificing cattle, eating

bread Bread is a staple food prepared from a dough of flour (usually wheat) and water, usually by baking. Throughout recorded history and around the world, it has been an important part of many cultures' diet. It is one of the oldest human-made f ...

, and shepherding sheep were abhorrent to the ancient

Egyptians Egyptians ( arz, المَصرِيُون, translit=al-Maṣriyyūn, ; arz, المَصرِيِين, translit=al-Maṣriyyīn, ; cop, ⲣⲉⲙⲛ̀ⲭⲏⲙⲓ, remenkhēmi) are an ethnic group native to the Nile, Nile Valley in Egypt. Egyptian ...

). Some of the listed sins warranted the death penalty, under specific conditions, in Judaism until the death penalty was effectively abolished in Judaism by or at the time of the destruction of the second temple.

Shekez

or (detestable or loathsome) is the middle level or kind of abomination. It includes the sins of idolatry and eating unclean animals. Oftentimes in the Bible is used interchangeably with .

Piggul

(unclean or putrid) is the lowest level or least kind of abomination. In the Bible it refers to the sin of illegal offerings. In rabbinic literature it refers to the sin of hypocritical offerings.

Contemporary Jewish views

In contemporary Judaism, there are mixed views on all of the aforesaid. Some Jews do not expect to return to making animal offerings, express a wide variety of views on sexual ethics, including homosexuality, some see no contradiction between being a Jew and disbelieving in God, some believe lying is not intrinsically wrong, and some do not follow the dietary laws.

References