Why Are Jews Forbidden from Entering Churches?
How does entering a church affect us spiritually, is it permitted to take photos near a church, and why are mosques different? We explore the connection between churches and idolatry
Many of us have encountered this: during a trip abroad, the group visits a church; during an army tour, you arrive at a monastery in the Jerusalem area where a smiling monk invites everyone inside; or perhaps you've seen a mosque and became curious about what's inside. Well, it turns out that entering these places is not so simple according to Judaism, at least regarding Christian sites. The monk from IDF tours might be friendly and amusing, but entering a monastery is, according to Judaism, highly problematic—not just on a practical level but also spiritually..
"It is forbidden to enter a church because for us, Christianity is defined as idolatry," explains Rabbi Pinchas Badush. "Christians believe in partnership—the Trinity, as it's called. According to their view, Jesus is supposedly a kind of partner in governing the world. According to Torah law, such partnership equals idolatry. And for us Jews, it is forbidden to derive benefit from a place of idolatry. This is stated in Maimonides and all early halachic authorities, and is also included in the Thirteen Principles of Faith."
What about the Bahai Gardens in Haifa? Many brides and grooms go there to take wedding photos.
"Yes, I'm familiar with this issue. In simple terms, there is a Torah prohibition against this, because the entire place is idolatry, and when the bride and groom take photos with it as a backdrop—they are deriving benefit from idolatry."
And in the IDF, when soldiers are taken on tours that include visiting monasteries?
"Unfortunately, this happens not only in the IDF but also in high schools. It's certainly a problem, which is why one should avoid entering such places."
Is it permitted to take photos near churches, as part of the local scenery?
"That's also forbidden, as it falls under deriving benefit from idolatry."
What about a mosque?
"Here the law is different. It is permitted to enter, since a mosque is not defined as a house of idolatry. Muslims believe in one God, and only believe that their prophet is Muhammad. They don't believe that their prophet is a partner in creation or governance."
Is it initially permitted to enter a mosque for tourism purposes?
"Yes. If there is a need for peaceful relations—one may enter."
Rabbi Eli Amar elaborates on the differences, explaining: "There is a fundamental difference between a church and a mosque. Christians believe in partnership, therefore the church receives the status of idolatry, especially when there are icons and such. Therefore, a church is a place one cannot enter."
Isn't idolatry bowing to statues and actually worshiping a foreign god? Here we're just talking about entering a place, without prayers or similar activities.
"King Solomon says, 'Keep far from her door.' This means one shouldn't enter negative places at all. The Talmud teaches that Solomon's words apply not only to houses of immorality but also to houses of idolatry. Some people might be drawn to such things, which is why we don't even enter such places."
Rabbi Amar further explains that entering such places has spiritual implications, even if we don't physically perceive them. "Just as it's forbidden to enter the Temple Mount today, just as a Cohen is forbidden to enter a cemetery—there are spiritual clashes when entering a church. Impurity ('tumah') comes from the word 'atom' (blocked), and purity ('taharah') from 'tzohar' (light), an opening. There are things a person does that spiritually block themselves, and things that, conversely, open them spiritually. For example, the mikveh purifies the impure—it's a kind of spiritual sanctification.
"By contrast, a Cohen is forbidden from entering a cemetery because the impurity blocks his spiritual channels. Some things have such great impurity that the spiritual channel is not just dimmed but actually cut off. This is what's called 'karet' (spiritual excision). For instance, today we as Jews are forbidden from entering the Temple Mount. Our spiritual state is low, we are all impure from contact with the dead, and the Temple Mount is a very holy place. The conflict of a very impure person entering a pure place creates a kind of spiritual electrocution for the soul. Not every transgression is like an electrocution, of course, but this includes places like churches and various houses of idolatry."
If so, shouldn't mosques also be considered impure?
"No. A mosque is not a house of idolatry. Muslims are not considered idolaters. They do other things, but they don't fall under the category of idolatry. However, it's obviously forbidden to enter the mosques on the Temple Mount—but that's because of the sanctity of the Temple Mount itself, not because of the mosques."
